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August 30, 2005
Kia is Robin Luymes
By QBlog in Web Initiative
At long last, I can complete the Quixtar Web Initiative Roster! Kia (aka "The Rooster") is Robin Luymes, Manager of Public Relations for Quixtar.
Who is Kia you ask? Well, Kia is the pseudonym Luymes uses as the publisher of the "Real Quixtar Blog," an official Quixtar "blog." His identity was revealed after my "Outing Kia" post last Saturday.
What's funny is that I actually spoke to Luymes in May regarding the "Yahoo Incident." Who knew that I was also talking to Kia, the formidable RQB wordsmith?
Well, now that the mystery's been solved you know exactly who's responsible for the drivel content on the so-called "Real Quixtar Blog." Next week we'll find out who's behind the Quixtar Success blog.
Comments
Yup, nice work. I love WRTF info.
WRTF is the funniest entry, ever.
It is absolutely UNETHICAL for a Public Relations professional to utilize a blog as a PR tool.
Part of his job responsibilities, during working hours, that he is getting paid to do, is to promote Quixtar via the blog. He is not an 'ordinary' employee, he is a highly paid, highly placed executive...and he directly benefits from the positive PR he is spinning.
It is not a requirement that a blogger is objective. Bloggers are all over the board, and reading one over time the reader gets to know what level of credibility the blogger has and what their objective is. The difference is that Kia benefits economically for providing information, all in a positive light, and thus has no credibility.
I have to disagree that it's unethical, per se, to use a blog as a PR tool. It's a tool, like the Press Release, that can be used to advance a particular statement. Any good PR professional has lots of tools in their bag.
What I do believe is unethical, is for a PR professional to use the tool in a deceitful manner. Kia pretended to be something he wasn't. That's the unethical part.
The blog-o-sphere is littered with examples of this kind of failure. Remember the Kryptonite fiasco?
Anyone else been around the internet long enough to remember when The Spot first came around? It's an experiment that's been going on for YEARS. Real or fake? Ask the PR firm that created it.
Well gee, it's not like the identity of Deep Throat being uncovered.
Good job anyway, Q.
And there are people out there who claim that investigative journalism is dead!
Good Job, Qblog. Nice work!
Posted by: imanewme | August 30, 2005 3:24 AM