You may have heard of the monicker, "netroots". It's used to define bloggers who emerged "organically" online --without any intervention of mainstream media or political institutions-- and have been transformed into a powerhouse of meshed political interests. That may be a bit debatable in some cases, yet it's clear that many digital grassroots movements have indeed started without the intervention of corporate or political interests.

Which is why the word astroturfing was invented. Originally it was used to define how a company or interest group would deliberately open up webiste or blog to make make it look as if a random citizen is advocating their cause. Nowadays you can find such activity in forums, discussion lists and in the recent astroturfing scandal, tampering with Wikipedia.

Now we have the potential astroturfing shenanigans of a certain Mr. Caputo. To say that there's more than a few things I love about this whole drama, is to put it mildly.

• It proves the internet and its technologies don't take on political biases ---it's how we use and implement these technologies that lead to bias.
• I find it hysterical that republicans in New York have to resort to faux grassroots communications efforts. If anything, Caputo has been doing what Spitzer should have done all along --use grassroots measures in order to tackle the monstrous roadblocks to reform.
• No internet deed goes on anonymously and/or pseudonymously for too long. If you give recourse for someone to out you because you've pissed them off, believe you me, you will be outed in a New York minute.
• If it smells like astroturf, tastes like astroturf and feels like astroturf, you will probably find a political or corporate interest behind the plastic and manufactured grassroots dissent.

In short, there is nothing like transparency. Own up to your opposition research and/or shenanigans from the start and build your grassroots support the old-fashioned way : networking.

Anyway, it's nice to see the guys do some investigative reporting for a change.

Of course, it's not that we want journalists' jobs. It's just that we have to sometimes step in and do the work they almost invariably fail to do ---to ask the right questions. It's something that is becoming tragically common when it involves local news and politics.

Here's a recap of what's behind the resent astroturf war :

The strange case of the anonymous emails

Brand Spitzer

The Strange Case Of Michael Caputo

Bruno, Stone and Caputo: Emailgate

Caputo Responds

Emailgate hits the MSM

About the W. J. Mahoney Club