The sites, supposedly run by fans, are just the latest version of some standard tricks in parts of the marketing world. Manipulators of all varieties have discovered that the Internet is the medium from heaven. And that requires us to relearn the boundaries of trust. Some phoniness is essentially harmless. Some is criminal.
Some credulous readers believe what they read.
We've seen cases where people post phony corporate press releases online and then took advantage of the market turmoil they cause. Sometimes you wonder about what's legal and what isn't. The Internet wasn't the medium of choice for the investment banking and brokerage industries that pumped up stocks to outrageous levels during the tech-stock bubble that so recently deflated. But it's difficult to see just how some of their actions were all that far removed from the small-fry scoundrels who fleeced investors in chat rooms. In fact, in a world where literally anyone can publish a credible-looking Web page, and where anyone with access to a computer can post in online forums, maybe you should believe less and less.