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[Carrie McLaren <stay.free AT verizon.net>]

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

"The Hidden (in Plain Sight) Persuaders"
From the New York Times Magazine, 12/5/04
http://www.nytimes.com/
http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/public/nyt-rob-walker.html

Excellent cover story by Rob Walker about agencies that enlist 
everyday joes to buzz products. By now most Stay F---! readers know 
about viral marketing, but what makes this piece so good is Walker's 
attention to the social relationships involved. The agencies Walker 
profiles have been able to get people to work essentially for free, 
with only product samples and the promise of bolstered egos as 
payment.

The one thing missing from this piece is an acknowledgment that the 
companies' claims are no doubt exaggerated. Marketers routinely 
inflate their numbers, and these guys are already on record as 
encouraging their charges to lie (asking agents to call book stores 
pretending to be customers searching for a desired book, etc.). 
Besides, anyone who has worked with volunteers before (especially 
volunteers operating independently from a distance) knows that 95 
percent of them aren't doing much of anything; thus, you can forget 
BzzAgent's claims of 60,000 and Tremor's 240,000 -- my guess is that 
they each have a few hundred active agents. Still, the success of 
their business model is no less terrifying; and this quibble 
shouldn't detract from an otherwise solid article. (Thanks to  Salim 
Virji)


NEW WAL-MART PLANNED FOR QUEENS (NEW YORK)

This week's announcement that Wal-Mart plans on opening a store in 
Queens brought mixed response from local residents, including aches, 
pains, and vomiting. Yeah, yeah we realize that Queens already has 
its share of retail giants, but when it comes to driving down local 
wages and gutting local businesses, no one beats Wal-Mart. We'll keep 
you posted as the opposition gains steam.
http://www.nypost.com/business/21141.htm
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13524654&BRD=1864&PAG=461&dept_id=152800&rfi=6


CONSUMER REPORTS' BEST BUY DRUGS

A few weeks ago I mentioned my fantasy for an independent resource 
that compared prescription drugs, a la Consumer Reports. Turns out 
that the Consumers Union (which publishes Consumer Reports) has 
launched a website for this very purpose. At the moment, it only has 
reports on three categories of drugs--cholesterol/statins, arthritus 
& pain/NSAIDs, and heartburn/PPIs--but a new report will be appearing 
every month.
http://www.crbestbuydrugs.org/

Also: Help Consumer Reports make drug trial info public:
http://www.prescriptionforchange.org


PART-TIME OFFICE HELP NEEDED

Stay Free! is looking for a smart, reliable human to help out a few 
hours a week with some of the day-to-day duties of running an 
independent, nonprofit magazine. Hours are flexible and will run 
anywhere from 2 to 10 hours per week.
Primary duties will be taking care of mail orders. The ideal 
candidate will be tech-savvy, familiar with FilemakerPro and Mac OS, 
and live in or around Park Slope, Brooklyn. Exceptional high school 
students are encouraged to apply. We can pay $10/hour to start. Send 
a cover letter and resume to cm AT stayfreemagazine.org.