It is a very frightening book, focused largely on the political and government front. LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media, by Peter Singer and Emerson Brooking, shows how the internet is changing war and politics. Since they are also used to enhance or defame the reputations of businesses and other public persons, startups should beware sockpuppets. They are blamed for huge disinformation campaigns by Russian sockpuppets, prior to the annexation of the Crimea. Sockpuppets are accused of election interference in the USA, UK, France and many other long-established democracies. Startups and sockpuppets are not a good mix. Also, they can be replicated fast by ‘web brigades’, or paid commenters working through individual social media accounts. Digital sockpuppets can be created with malicious intent in not many more minutes.

I made the physical sockpuppet on the right-in just two minutes. The digital sockpuppet master can control many different fake identities.

A digital sockpuppet hides the actual identity of the person running a fake account, just like an actual sockpuppet hides the hand manipulating it.

On the internet, a sockpuppet is an online identity used for purposes of deception. But what exactly are sockpuppets, apart from Kermit, the Frog? Startups and sockpuppets are not a good mix, however. The internet is a vital tool for new ventures, but now involves a great deal of shady activity. Startups and Sockpuppets: Founders are crazily busy and may gloss over certain risks, especially when they involve issues with which they are not familiar.

Sockpuppet download