Dish Network Employees Haven’t Changed Their Spamming Ways

Posted on Thursday, October 13, 2011 by MegaZone

DISH Network Logo Last month I posted about Dish Network employees spamming blogs across the net, and it looks like they’re still at it. Tonight there was a comment on one of my posts mirrored to LiveJournal, made from 204.76.128.217 – a Dish Network owned IP. I won’t include the full comment, but an excerpt:

My Sling Adapter from my TV provider/employer DISH Network still beats them all. I get all of my TV channels streamed to me on almost any device, all live. It even gives me full control to record and watch things on my DVR. Anywhere I get 3G/4G or wifi, so I’m not tied down to my home network at all.

After my first post Gabe Gagliano of Tech of the Hub Blog forwarded me a few such comments he’d received – also from the 204.76.128.217 Dish IP and both using @dishnetwork.com email addresses. The first is from ‘Rose’:

I like how many devices you can play the streaming service on. What I don’t like is the content. I think it is horrible, and with them raising their prices I plan on leaving. I plan on going to Blockbuster through my provider/employer DISH Network. With them I can get it free for 3 months. Go to this link to check out the promotion through DISH [URL removed]. Blockbuster has some great deals going on and now is the best time to switch.

The next is from ‘Monica’:

I don’t think Apple will come out with an HDTV; they still have things to work on with the original Apple TV. I have Google TV and think it’s soooo much better than Apple TV. The biggest thing for me is Google Chrome; I love being able to surf the internet on the same screen as my TV shows. I really like the variety of apps available too. Even if I’m not watching TV I can use the Pandora or YouTube app or order a movie using the Netflix app. I work for DISH and knew a lot about the Revue but had no idea I would fall in love with it!

Note that the Logitech Revue Google TV links up with Dish DVRs as they partnered. So that’s the promotional link. And finally, one that just made me roll my eyes:

I don’t like how Netflix is removing services and hiking up the prices, I definitely don’t think that’s fair at all! I’ve been looking around and I found another alternative to Netflix and now that DISH Network has teamed with Blockbuster, they have a bunch of cool offers that are available to New and existing DISH Network customers as well as non-DISH customers. Blockbuster has the most extensive library of movies, games and TV shows and you can get thousands of On-Demand titles straight to your PC or TV! Customers will also have access to over 100,000 movies, TV shows and games by mail with new releases coming out before Netflix and Redbox. You can exchange them inside a Blockbuster store and even get Blu-Rays at no additional price. The best thing about this new offer is that you won’t find these titles on DIRECTV Cinema or Comcast on Demand and everything is combined onto one bill! I actually work at DISH Network and I’ve been wanting to tell people about this for a long time and I want everyone to check it out!

So “I’ve been looking around and I found another alternative to Netflix” becomes “I actually work at DISH Network and I’ve been wanting to tell people”. Yeah, looked real far.

Over on SlashGear a Jesus Lopez left this comment:

DirecTV’s new Nomad device is really cool, but I’m glad that I have my employee Sling adapter. With it I can stream live and recorded TV to my Android phone, iPad, and laptop. So not only do I have access to my DVR recording but all my live channels.

Like I said in my earlier post, I have no issue with people leaving genuine comments. But these aren’t the only such comments I’ve had left let alone seen on other blogs. Often the exact same text, or with minor tweaks. And with services like Disqus you can look at the comment history for a user and see if they’ve left many of the same comment.

So the question I posed last time stands – is this officially encouraged behavior? Could it be the law of unintended consequences, maybe some kind of referral bonus? (I think this is less likely now as only some of the posts contain a link.) Is it just esprit de corps and natural enthusiasm? (Call me cynical, but I highly doubt it.) This just smells like employees being ‘encouraged’ to promote the company’s products via social media. I’d love to hear from anyone who has the real info. Or from other bloggers receiving these comments. Let’s see just how widespread this really is.

About MegaZone

MegaZone is the Editor of Gizmo Lovers and the chief contributor. He's been online since 1989 and active in several generations of 'social media' - mailing lists, USENet groups, web forums, and since 2003, blogging.    MegaZone has a presence on several social platforms: Google+ / Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / LiveJournal / Web.    You can also follow Gizmo Lovers on other sites: Blog / Google+ / Facebook / Twitter.
This entry was posted in Blogs, Dish Network, Site Updates and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
  • http://www.engadget.com Richard Lawler

    I have seen some very suspicious comments on Engadget before, and ever since the company picked up Blockbuster that extends to Netflix posts too.

    I haven’t kept track, but I’ll keep an eye out.

    • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

      Yeah, once I started noticing these I became aware of them in my travels.  You know how once you first notice something you start being more aware of it – like when you buy a car suddenly you noticed all the other people driving the same model.

  • http://www.zatznotfunny.com Dave Zatz

    I blacklisted DISH’s IP range after NewTeeVee and I were hammered by astroturfing repeatedly like a year ago.

  • Brandonc1

    Here is another example from one of my sites.
    From ‘Rose’
    The Nomad reminds me of the Pocket DISH that I use to have with my
    provider/employer DISH Network. The only difference is that you have to
    transfer it from the Nomad to the device you are putting it on. I am
    happy that I have the TV Everywhere with DISH. I can watch live from my
    iPad or phone from anywhere I am at. I have access to all my
    subscription channels and DVR recordings. I like having that ability.
    The Sling Adapter is cheaper then the Nomad also.

    So I emailed her:
    You commented on a post at
    placeshiftingenthusiasts.com.

    Do you work for Dish? Is there some
    kind of incentive they give you to post comments on
    websites?
    Response:  I do work for Dish,
    but no they do not give me any incentive for making a comment about a product
    they carry. I just really enjoy their product and wanted to let people know that
    there is something better and cheaper out there.

  • Pingback: Dear Dish Network: Your Spam Makes Me Sad. Please Stop. - Peter Kafka - News - AllThingsD

  • Pingback: Dear Dish Network: Your Spam Makes Me Sad. Please Stop. | My Blog

  • Pingback: Global dating, Love and Sex Articles by you! » Dear Dish Network: Your Spam Makes Me Sad. Please Stop.

  • http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/ TNH

    MegaZone, Dish Network comment spam isn’t motivated by natural enthusiasm.  Brandonc1, Rose is lying about why she does it.

    I moderate three large reader-oriented sites for a publishing conglomerate. I started tracking Dish Network comment spam because I find it extremely offensive, and they keep posting it at my sites.

    The comment spam is posted by real Dish Network employees. You can find evidence of their independent human existence. However, the rate, frequency, and location of the spam comments they post is not characteristic of normal online behavior.

    Not everyone posts comments on line, but people who do comment talk about whatever interests them and whatever’s on their mind. They don’t just comment about one subject, and they don’t emit commercial advertising copy.

    Sane human beings acting on their own don’t normally post three hundred slight variations on the same comment. If they hit eight or ten large, diverse, interesting websites in a morning, they aren’t moved to post the same comment about Dish Network sling attachments on every one of those sites. They don’t profess themselves to be a hugely enthusiastic fan of something, then post nothing but encomiums to Dish Network on a site devoted to that thing. They don’t become registered users on a community site and then do nothing but post Dish Network spam on it. And when people are posting out of genuine enthusiasm for some subject, what they post is far weirder, more personal, and more diverse than the text of Dish Network spam comments.

    I’ve managed to identify a couple of Dish Network comment-spamming employees who also write online for their own amusement during their off hours. Most, however, don’t. I find this significant. As a rule, lurkers lurk and commenters comment. It’s a matter of temperament, not subject matter. Occasionally a lurker will comment, or a commenter think twice before starting to type, but those are the exception.

    If Dish Network employees are posting comments out of sheer enthusiasm, they should all be natural commenters. They aren’t. I’m afraid that what this suggests to me is that they’re being required to do it. (If so, I’m squicked.)

    Onward to the few DN employees I’ve found who do write on line: As you’ve no doubt noticed, Dish Network spam comments tend to start with 1-3 sentences of camouflage material that’s marginally relevant to the thread in which they’re posted. What I’ve observed is that the style of the camouflaging material tends to match the personal writing style of the employee, but the central commercial message does not. My guess is that they’re given some kind of script or promotional copy to paraphrase, and that that forms the core of the spam text. The employees then add camouflage sentences specific to the venue in which they post the spam.

    Another telling point about Dish Network spammers who also write for their own amusement. You know what I don’t find in their off-hours writing? Any mention of Dish Network. If they’re so enthusiastic that they’re spontaneously posting advertisements all the hell over the place, they ought to talk about their jobs. So far, I haven’t spotted a single instance of them doing that.

    If you want to double-check me, here’s the years-long 223-post thread from Indeed.com about what it’s like to work at Dish Network: http://www.indeed.com/forum/cmp/Echostar-%28dish-Network%29/s-company-culture-at-EchoStar-DISH-Network/t35521/p4. You can also try Googling on “dish network” plus “customer reviews” or “customer complaints”. This company is neither happy nor well-run nor honest.

    So here’s the short version: the comments you’ve been getting are indeed spam, and should be deleted. Future comments that resemble them should also be deleted. You should block comments coming in from 204.76.128.217. If you see a comment where someone is saying positive things about Dish Network, assume it’s spam. Run some basic checks on it — check it in Disqus, or Google on the user’s name and address, or Google on a distinctive character string in the commercial portion of the comment — and if it tests out as spam, block that user as well as the IP address. If you know other site managers who keep an eye on Dish Network spam, consider swapping ban lists.

    You don’t have to explain or justify it to anyone. It’s your site.

  • http://www.peterlitman.com/ Peter Litman

    I had noticed the same sort of spammy Dish Network comments on my blog, so I posted on it.

    http://www.peterlitman.com/2012/01/dish-network-shame-on-you-for.html

    Within a few minutes I got another Dish comment post (see below). The part that stuck with me was “I have also spoken to my team.” So, it is an organized effort.

    Hey Peter, thanks for the prompt response. Sorry it’s taken a few days to get back. I actually ran into one of your posts today concerning DISH and the “Astroturfing”. Lol, I like that term. To answer your question, yes, DISH does encourage posting on blog sites. We feel that social media, and the ability to connect with different demographics in various ways is, and will be of vital importance in the coming years. This being said, I also completely understand your frustration with certain posts or responses which seem off topic. We do NOT encourage spam, flippant remarks or poorly-researched writings. One of DISH’s key business rules is “Know your Business and Be prepared”. I try to follow this rule, and although I am not an accomplished technophile yet, I certainly strive to be in-tune with current trends and the exciting world of Entertainment Technology. For the record, I live and work in Colorado, at DISH Headquarters, and although I would love to travel to India, I have not made the trip yet. To my knowledge there is no DISH Social Media team currently working in India, so I am curious as to how you got a UT from New Delhi. Can you give me any more information concerning these posts so that I might investigate further? This would be greatly appreciated, and I will do my best to get you some more info on the Hopper navigation options as soon as I have it :) . 

    P.S.: I have also spoken to my team, and you should not have to worry any further about DISH Network-related posts on your blog. Sorry for the inconvenience, and if you have any further questions or concerns with regard to DISH products, usage or upcoming releases, I’d be happy to correspond. Thanks again. 

  • http://www.peterlitman.com/ Peter Litman

    I had noticed the same sort of spammy Dish Network comments on my blog, so I posted on it.

    http://www.peterlitman.com/2012/01/dish-network-shame-on-you-for.html

    Within a few minutes I got another Dish comment post (see below). The part that stuck with me was “I have also spoken to my team.” So, it is an organized effort.

    Hey Peter, thanks for the prompt response. Sorry it’s taken a few days to get back. I actually ran into one of your posts today concerning DISH and the “Astroturfing”. Lol, I like that term. To answer your question, yes, DISH does encourage posting on blog sites. We feel that social media, and the ability to connect with different demographics in various ways is, and will be of vital importance in the coming years. This being said, I also completely understand your frustration with certain posts or responses which seem off topic. We do NOT encourage spam, flippant remarks or poorly-researched writings. One of DISH’s key business rules is “Know your Business and Be prepared”. I try to follow this rule, and although I am not an accomplished technophile yet, I certainly strive to be in-tune with current trends and the exciting world of Entertainment Technology. For the record, I live and work in Colorado, at DISH Headquarters, and although I would love to travel to India, I have not made the trip yet. To my knowledge there is no DISH Social Media team currently working in India, so I am curious as to how you got a UT from New Delhi. Can you give me any more information concerning these posts so that I might investigate further? This would be greatly appreciated, and I will do my best to get you some more info on the Hopper navigation options as soon as I have it :) . 

    P.S.: I have also spoken to my team, and you should not have to worry any further about DISH Network-related posts on your blog. Sorry for the inconvenience, and if you have any further questions or concerns with regard to DISH products, usage or upcoming releases, I’d be happy to correspond. Thanks again. 

  • http://www.peterlitman.com/ Peter Litman

    I had noticed the same sort of spammy Dish Network comments on my blog, so I posted on it.

    http://www.peterlitman.com/2012/01/dish-network-shame-on-you-for.html

    Within a few minutes I got another Dish comment post (see below). The part that stuck with me was “I have also spoken to my team.” So, it is an organized effort.

    Hey Peter, thanks for the prompt response. Sorry it’s taken a few days to get back. I actually ran into one of your posts today concerning DISH and the “Astroturfing”. Lol, I like that term. To answer your question, yes, DISH does encourage posting on blog sites. We feel that social media, and the ability to connect with different demographics in various ways is, and will be of vital importance in the coming years. This being said, I also completely understand your frustration with certain posts or responses which seem off topic. We do NOT encourage spam, flippant remarks or poorly-researched writings. One of DISH’s key business rules is “Know your Business and Be prepared”. I try to follow this rule, and although I am not an accomplished technophile yet, I certainly strive to be in-tune with current trends and the exciting world of Entertainment Technology. For the record, I live and work in Colorado, at DISH Headquarters, and although I would love to travel to India, I have not made the trip yet. To my knowledge there is no DISH Social Media team currently working in India, so I am curious as to how you got a UT from New Delhi. Can you give me any more information concerning these posts so that I might investigate further? This would be greatly appreciated, and I will do my best to get you some more info on the Hopper navigation options as soon as I have it :) . 

    P.S.: I have also spoken to my team, and you should not have to worry any further about DISH Network-related posts on your blog. Sorry for the inconvenience, and if you have any further questions or concerns with regard to DISH products, usage or upcoming releases, I’d be happy to correspond. Thanks again. 

    • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

      Yeah, Dish confirmed to AllThingsD that they approve of this scummy behavior: http://www.gizmolovers.com/2011/11/26/allthingsd-dish-network-approves-of-employees-spamming-blogs/

  • Brittany F

    Just stumbled across your article while doing a Google search for this topic and I have to say – thank you! I’m a freelance blogger who’s seen a few of these spammy comments show up on some of my articles, and I was wondering if it was just me. I’m glad to know I’m not alone in dealing with the issue, which also magnifies my annoyance that it exists.

    I made the foolish mistake of contacting DISH and reporting that I was receiving these spam comments. The response I received was little more than a brush-off.

    • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

      Yeah, they’re still at it.  I haven’t received one here in a little while, but I maintain a LiveJournal community as well and I had to ban two commenters in the past week for Dish spam.