05.05.09
Consumer Watchdog Funded by the Rose Foundation, Which is Funded by Exxon, Banks, Others…
Following the anti-Google grant…
“…Microsoft wished to promote SCO and its pending lawsuit against IBM and the Linux operating system. But Microsoft did not want to be seen as attacking IBM or Linux.”
–Larry Goldfarb, Baystar, key investor in SCO
Summary: Consumer Watchdog, formerly hosted by an AstroTurfing firm, has its Google attack funded ($100,000) by the Rose Foundation, which in turn has other funders
YESTERDAY’S POST about Consumer Watchdog brought the attention of those involved, who mostly defected the questions we asked.
Here is slightly tidied-up log from a conversation that took place over the past hour.
| schestowitz | UK Gov’t Considers Google Tax? http://techdirt.com/articles/20… See my argument with a PAID anti-Google shill: http://boycottnovell.com/2009/05/04/consumer… | May 05 13:08 |
|---|---|---|
| schestowitz | Holy FUD! The Mother Of All Anti-Google Rants: Comparing Google To The Taliban < http://techdirt.com/articles/2… > | May 05 13:11 |
| oiaohm | You will find its a web in the PR world to hide exactly where the money came from. | May 05 13:13 |
| schestowitz | oiaohm: yes, there’s a limit to how much you can follow | May 05 13:13 |
| schestowitz | It becomes challenging at some stage | May 05 13:14 |
| schestowitz | See SCO->BayStar->MS | May 05 13:14 |
| schestowitz | “On the same day that CA blasted SCO, Open Source evangelist Eric Raymond revealed a leaked email from SCO’s strategic consultant Mike Anderer to their management. The email details how, surprise surprise, Microsoft has arranged virtually all of SCO’s financing, hiding behind intermediaries like Baystar Capital.” –Perens | May 05 13:14 |
| schestowitz | “…Microsoft wished to promote SCO and its pending lawsuit against IBM and the Linux operating system. But Microsoft did not want to be seen as attacking IBM or Linux.” –Larry Goldfarb, Baystar, key investor in SCO | May 05 13:14 |
| schestowitz | “[Microsoft's] Mr. Emerson and I discussed a variety of investment structures wherein Microsoft would ‘backstop,’ or guarantee in some way, BayStar’s investment…. Microsoft assured me that it would in some way guarantee BayStar’s investment in SCO.” –Larry Goldfarb | May 05 13:14 |
| oiaohm | Hmm that template looks strangely linked at www.rosefdn.org going to check out domain would not be surprised if it not another grassroots site. | May 05 13:15 |
| schestowitz | http://techdirt.com/ar… — Intel’s co-founder says patents are like a bubble waiting to burst. | May 05 13:16 |
| schestowitz | oiaohm: which one? | May 05 13:17 |
| schestowitz | I mean, which is like the rosenfdn? | May 05 13:17 |
| schestowitz | SourceWatch has some good research that show who created what umbrella/shells and why | May 05 13:17 |
| schestowitz | More details on Elsevier’s corruption. http://techdirt.com/articles/2009… Another reason for me never to publish in Elsevier (other than the MS connection) | May 05 13:18 |
| oiaohm | http://electricembers.net/aboutus.php I wonder if we should contact www.rosefdn.org host. | May 05 13:20 |
| oiaohm | They have a strict rule against advertisement of any form. | May 05 13:20 |
| schestowitz | oiaohm: what about? | May 05 13:21 |
| schestowitz | I don’t quite follow. What to look at..? | May 05 13:21 |
| oiaohm | electricembers.net is www.rosefdn.org web host. | May 05 13:22 |
| *kentma has quit (Read error: 110 (Connection timed out)) | May 05 13:22 | |
| schestowitz | it took the Bulldogs (Watchdog) just HOURS to mail me after I posted in BN | May 05 13:23 |
| schestowitz | So they stalk their own image | May 05 13:23 |
| schestowitz | And then they try to police it… | May 05 13:23 |
| oiaohm | Opp I left out a them and about. | May 05 13:23 |
| schestowitz | It’s not easy to find me E-mail addy, either. | May 05 13:23 |
| schestowitz | is rosenfdn rotten? | May 05 13:23 |
| schestowitz | All we know is that they make donations to attack Google | May 05 13:23 |
| schestowitz | But the question is, on whose behalf, if anyone? | May 05 13:24 |
| schestowitz | People don’t just attack Google as a hobby | May 05 13:24 |
| schestowitz | That’s just how people portray themselves in foundations | May 05 13:24 |
| oiaohm | http://techdirt.com/articles/200… Its simple to find the hosts email address. | May 05 13:24 |
| schestowitz | Like the Gates Foundry | May 05 13:24 |
| schestowitz | Or Baystar | May 05 13:24 |
| oiaohm | Oops wrong link. | May 05 13:24 |
| schestowitz | Microsoft’s funnel for lawsuits against Linux | May 05 13:24 |
| schestowitz | Oh wait | May 05 13:24 |
| oiaohm | http://toolbar.netcraft.com/si… | May 05 13:24 |
| schestowitz | http://blogs.ft.com/maverecon/2009/… | May 05 13:25 |
| schestowitz | Google=Taliban | May 05 13:25 |
| schestowitz | Says the FT, which is praising Microsoft a lot | May 05 13:26 |
| schestowitz | oiaohm: is there anything to say what rosenfdn attacks Google? | May 05 13:26 |
| schestowitz | I look at their pages | May 05 13:26 |
| schestowitz | NOTHING about privacy | May 05 13:26 |
| schestowitz | So the idea that they promote privacy seems moot | May 05 13:26 |
| oiaohm | rosenfdn is all meant to be about the environment. | May 05 13:27 |
| oiaohm | I think contacting them is required to find out if this is a fake link. | May 05 13:27 |
| oiaohm | It would not be the first time I have see a PR try that. | May 05 13:28 |
| oiaohm | http://www.rosefdn.org/contactus.php If they are not in it they will be highly offended. | May 05 13:28 |
| oiaohm | Fake linking basically says astroturfer. | May 05 13:29 |
| schestowitz | I’ll check | May 05 13:29 |
| oiaohm | http://www.rosefdn.org/downloads/… They are the funding source. | May 05 13:32 |
| schestowitz | “My name is Roy Schestowitz and I am a reporter investigating an entity called Consumer Watchdog. They claim that you funded a campaign of theirs against Google and I just wanted to confirm this because I realise that you focus on benefits to the environment and communities.” | May 05 13:32 |
| schestowitz | “Looking forward to your response.” | May 05 13:32 |
| oiaohm | Its down right huge $100 000 USD> | May 05 13:32 |
| schestowitz | That’s the E-mail I just sent them | May 05 13:32 |
| oiaohm | I googled. | May 05 13:32 |
| oiaohm | And found there list of 2008 grants. | May 05 13:32 |
| schestowitz | Useful | May 05 13:33 |
| schestowitz | Ha | May 05 13:33 |
| schestowitz | Google is there | May 05 13:33 |
| schestowitz | $100,000 | May 05 13:33 |
| schestowitz | “watchdogged” | May 05 13:34 |
| schestowitz | This is sick | May 05 13:35 |
| schestowitz | They are basically funding lots of lobbyists | May 05 13:35 |
| schestowitz | Why? | May 05 13:35 |
| schestowitz | Who gains? | May 05 13:35 |
| oiaohm | So you are right the first one is just a hired gun. | May 05 13:36 |
| oiaohm | Why are lobbyist funding lobbyist. | May 05 13:36 |
| schestowitz | oiaohm: money chain | May 05 13:37 |
| schestowitz | Yes | May 05 13:37 |
| oiaohm | http://www.rosefdn.org/article.php… Found more of the money chain. | May 05 13:40 |
| schestowitz | Ha. | May 05 13:41 |
| schestowitz | Well, yesterday I tried to find an MS funnel without much success | May 05 13:41 |
| schestowitz | “San Francisco Bay-Delta Fund: Originally seeded with a $900,000 restitution award from Exxon and supplemented by payments from many additional settlements involving San Francisco Baykeeper, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance,” | May 05 13:42 |
| schestowitz | Wha wha? | May 05 13:42 |
| schestowitz | Exxon? | May 05 13:42 |
| schestowitz | “…Union Bank and Cal Fed Bank…” | May 05 13:43 |
| schestowitz | So it’s not some God-like rich dude giving this money | May 05 13:43 |
| schestowitz | It’s corporations | May 05 13:43 |
| schestowitz | Instead of Exxon funding Grassroots.com (AstroTurf) it’s just some <X> foundation | May 05 13:43 |
| oiaohm | And the banks were most likely given the money to give to the PR group. | May 05 13:44 |
| schestowitz | http://www.rosefdn.org/article.ph… | May 05 13:44 |
| oiaohm | So effectively the money has been well and truly washed. | May 05 13:45 |
| schestowitz | Banks given by whom? | May 05 13:45 |
| schestowitz | Companies that have vested interests? | May 05 13:45 |
| oiaohm | Yep. | May 05 13:45 |
| oiaohm | That would be normal. | May 05 13:45 |
| schestowitz | Some funds come from settlements though | May 05 13:46 |
| schestowitz | I.e. from penalised companies | May 05 13:46 |
| oiaohm | This money laundering on a grand scale. | May 05 13:47 |
| oiaohm | You get ordered to pay money so you pay it to a PR group who will attack your competition. | May 05 13:47 |
| oiaohm | If you can of course. | May 05 13:48 |
| oiaohm | So unless they come clean about the complete source of this money we cannot even tell if what they are doing is legal or not. | May 05 13:48 |
| oiaohm | Remember I said the USA system was rotten to the core this is what I was talking about schestowitz. | May 05 13:49 |
| schestowitz | I know about the PR riddle | May 05 13:49 |
| schestowitz | I mean, look at SourceWatch | May 05 13:49 |
| schestowitz | it has extensive documentation of just the edge of the machinations of this system | May 05 13:49 |
| oiaohm | Dig deep enough and there is illegally used money. | May 05 13:49 |
| schestowitz | It had no page that I could find about the Rosefdn | May 05 13:50 |
| schestowitz | Sue | May 05 13:50 |
| schestowitz | Sure | May 05 13:50 |
| schestowitz | Let’s stop it there | May 05 13:50 |
| oiaohm | SourceWatch does not track funders. | May 05 13:50 |
| schestowitz | I’ll post this bit of of the log separately | May 05 13:50 |
| oiaohm | Only the PR doers. | May 05 13:50 |
| schestowitz | I don’t have much time today to organise the facts | May 05 13:50 |
| schestowitz | oiaohm: yes | May 05 13:50 |
| *schestowitz processes the log | May 05 13:52 | |
| oiaohm | SourceWatch was more created by press people who did not want to be tricked by PR with no interest in finding the source of the fake PR. | May 05 13:52 |
There is some more in yesterday’s IRC log. This is where the subject, like many others that we cover, originally came up. █
“[Microsoft's] Mr. Emerson and I discussed a variety of investment structures wherein Microsoft would ‘backstop,’ or guarantee in some way, BayStar’s investment…. Microsoft assured me that it would in some way guarantee BayStar’s investment in SCO.”
–Larry Goldfarb, Baystar, key investor in SCO
CR said,
May 8, 2009 at 10:21 am
You realize that the funding doesn’t come from Exxon or any other corporations directly right? The funding come from class action settlements where those corporation had to pay out restitution. Saying that Exxon is funding the Rose Foundation is like arguing that Phillip Morris is funding TheTruth.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheTruth.com