Megaphone desktop tool

Last updated
Screenshot of Megaphone Desktop Tool Megaphone screenshot.jpg
Screenshot of Megaphone Desktop Tool

The Megaphone desktop tool was a Windows "action alert" tool developed by Give Israel Your United Support (GIYUS) and distributed by World Union of Jewish Students, World Jewish Congress, The Jewish Agency for Israel, World Zionist Organization, StandWithUs, Hasbara fellowships, HonestReporting, and other pro-Israel public relations organizations. The tool was released in July during the 2006 Lebanon War. By June 2011, the tool was no longer available through the GIYUS website. An RSS newsfeed is available. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Software

The Megaphone Desktop Tool acted as a wrapper around an RSS feed from the GIYUS website. Originally, it gave the user the option of going to a particular site with a poll, and if the user chooses to go to the site, the software then casts a vote automatically, when this is technically feasible, but that feature had been discontinued.

Giyus tries to save you the time and effort of locating the voting form inside the website, a seemingly simple task that may prove quite confusing at certain sites. Whenever we technically can we direct you straight to the voting action. If you have arrived at the poll results, it means that you were directed straight to the voting action and have already successfully voted. If for some reason you don't care to vote, you can always use the "No Thanks" link in the article alert popup. [8]

In later versions, the voting concept was removed entirely and the tool directed users to anti-Israel websites, giving users and option click a button labeled "act now!" which would direct the user to a poll or email address.

The software license provides for remote updates: "You understand and agree that Giyus.Org may provide updates, patches and/or new versions of the Software from time to time, including automatic updates that will be installed on your computer, with notice to You, as needed to continue to use the Services, and You hereby authorize such installations." [9]

Press coverage

According to The Jerusalem Post , Amir Gissin, head of the Public Affairs Department of the Foreign Ministry of Israel, has expressed support for the tool's use. "The Foreign Ministry itself is now pushing the idea, urging supporters of Israel everywhere to become cyberspace soldiers in the new battleground for Israel's image." it reports. [10] Computing website The Register has described use of the software as "highly organised mass manipulation of technologies which are supposed to be democratising" and claimed Megaphone is "effectively a high-tech exercise in ballot-stuffing" [11] The Register also reported that the BBC History magazine website "noticed an upsurge in voting on whether holocaust denial should be a criminal offence in Britain. But the closing date had already passed and the result had already been published, so the votes were invalid anyway." Stewart Purvis, former editor-in-chief of ITN, has noted that an independent panel reviewing the BBC's Israeli-Palestinian coverage received a large number of letters from North America which accused the BBC of being anti-Israeli. He states there was evidence of "pressure group involvement". [12]

Commercialization

Following the success of the Megaphone tool, the developers formed the company Collactive. [13] In 2007, Collactive released their "Web Assistant", a general-purpose commercial version of the Megaphone tool. [14]

Reception

The tool has received a wide range of reactions, from praise to criticism. Amir Gissin, head of the Public Affairs Department of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, praised the tool,[ citation needed ] noting its efficacy during the Adnan Hajj photographs controversy in obtaining an admission from the Reuters news agency that a photograph by Adnan Hajj had been improperly edited with photo editing software. [10] The tool has similarly been praised by a number of pro-Israel organizations[ citation needed ] for helping to fight what they perceive to be anti-Israel media bias. At the same time, it has been criticized by Independent Television News, and others for stuffing the ballot of online polls, generating excessive comments and 'spam' on internet message boards, and stifling online discussion and what is seen by some as a mass, participatory form of propaganda. [11]

Present

As of June 2011, the Megaphone Desktop Tool was unavailable for download from the creators website. Currently,[ when? ] alerts are displayed only through the GIYUS website RSS feed.

See also

Related Research Articles

Spamdexing is the deliberate manipulation of search engine indexes. It involves a number of methods, such as link building and repeating unrelated phrases, to manipulate the relevance or prominence of resources indexed in a manner inconsistent with the purpose of the indexing system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UserLand Software</span> U.S. software company

UserLand Software is a US-based software company, founded in 1988, that sells web content management, as well as blogging software packages and services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RSS</span> Family of web feed formats

RSS is a web feed that allows users and applications to access updates to websites in a standardized, computer-readable format. Subscribing to RSS feeds can allow a user to keep track of many different websites in a single news aggregator, which constantly monitor sites for new content, removing the need for the user to manually check them. News aggregators can be built into a browser, installed on a desktop computer, or installed on a mobile device.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Outlook</span> Email and calendaring software

Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager software system from Microsoft, available as a part of the Microsoft 365 software suites. Though primarily being popular as an email client for businesses, Outlook also includes functions such as calendaring, task managing, contact managing, note-taking, journal logging, web browsing, and RSS news aggregation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BonziBuddy</span> Former freeware desktop assistant

BonziBuddy was a freeware desktop virtual assistant created by Joe and Jay Bonzi. Upon a user's choice, it would share jokes and facts, manage downloads, sing songs, and talk, among other functions, as it used Microsoft Agent.

Israel uses public diplomacy to communicate directly with citizens of other countries to inform and influence them so that they support or tolerate the Israeli government's strategic objectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Desktop</span> Computer program

Google Desktop was a computer program with desktop search capabilities, created by Google for Linux, Apple Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows systems. It allowed text searches of a user's email messages, computer files, music, photos, chats, Web pages viewed, and the ability to display "Google Gadgets" on the user's desktop in a Sidebar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Web 2.0</span> World Wide Web sites that use technology beyond the static pages of earlier Web sites

Web 2.0 refers to websites that emphasize user-generated content, ease of use, participatory culture and interoperability for end users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Genuine Advantage</span> Anti-infringement system by Microsoft

Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) was an anti-infringement system created by Microsoft used to validate the licences of several Microsoft Windows operating systems upon accessing services such as Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">News aggregator</span> Client software that aggregates syndicated web content

In computing, a news aggregator, also termed a feed aggregator, content aggregator, feed reader, news reader, or simply an aggregator, is client software or a web application that aggregates digital content such as online newspapers, blogs, podcasts, and video blogs (vlogs) in one location for easy viewing. The updates distributed may include journal tables of contents, podcasts, videos, and news items.

This is a list of blogging terms. Blogging, like any hobby, has developed something of a specialized vocabulary. The following is an attempt to explain a few of the more common phrases and words, including etymologies when not obvious.

Rogue security software is a form of malicious software and internet fraud that misleads users into believing there is a virus on their computer and aims to convince them to pay for a fake malware removal tool that actually installs malware on their computer. It is a form of scareware that manipulates users through fear, and a form of ransomware. Rogue security software has been a serious security threat in desktop computing since 2008. An early example that gained infamy was SpySheriff and its clones, such as Nava Shield.

<i>Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land</i> 2004 American film

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land is a 2004 American documentary film directed by Sut Jhally and Bathsheba Ratzkoff which—according to the film's official website—"provides a striking comparison of U.S. and international media coverage of the crisis in the Middle East, zeroing in on how structural distortions in U.S. coverage have reinforced false perceptions of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict" and which "analyzes and explains how—through the use of language, framing and context—the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza remains hidden in the news media". The film argues that the influence of pro-Israel media watchdog groups, such as CAMERA and Honest Reporting, has led to distorted and pro-Israel media reports. It features Noam Chomsky, Robert Jensen, Hanan Ashrawi, Sam Husseini, and Robert Fisk, among others.

Collactive Inc. was an Israel-based privately held start-up company which marketed software designed to influence ratings on sites which allow users to rate articles or other items. Collactive launched publicly in May 2007, with US$2 million in startup funding from American venture firm Sequoia Capital.

Change detection and notification (CDN) is the automatic detection of changes made to World Wide Web pages and notification to interested users by email or other means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doodle (website)</span> Swiss online calendar tool

Doodle is an online calendar tool for time management and coordinating meetings. It allows users to schedule and make arrangements collaboratively, among other features. Doodle is available on desktop and mobile platforms. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in Zürich and has offices in Berlin, Belgrade, Atlanta and New York City.

EmailTray is a lightweight email client for the Microsoft Windows operating system. EmailTray was developed by Internet Promotion Agency S.A., a software development d.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Docs</span> Cloud-based word processing software

Google Docs is an online word processor included as part of the free, web-based Google Docs Editors suite offered by Google, which also includes Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Forms, Google Sites and Google Keep. Google Docs is accessible via an internet browser as a web-based application and is also available as a mobile app on Android and iOS and as a desktop application on Google's ChromeOS.

Act.IL is a social networking service used by supporters of Israel to oppose online "anti-Israel content" such as the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS). Its activities have been referred to as "an online propaganda campaign" and "a virtual situation room of pro-Israel experts".

Streamlabs was founded in 2014 and is a software company headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company distributes a variety of software centered around live streaming and content creation.

References

  1. ↑ Give Israel Your United Support - Official Website Homepage
  2. ↑ Give Israel Your United Support - About Archived 2009-02-16 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Give Israel Your United Support - Partners
  4. ↑ The New 24HR Megaphone Download Page Archived 2009-01-01 at the Wayback Machine by HonestReporting
  5. ↑ Download an AZM Megaphone to Receive Instant GIYUS and AZM Alerts! Archived 2008-06-28 at the Wayback Machine by AZM
  6. ↑ Farago, Yonit (July 28, 2006). "Israel backed by army of cyber-soldiers". The Times . London. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  7. ↑ Purvis, Stewart (November 20, 2006). "Israel ups the stakes in the propaganda war". The Guardian . Manchester.
  8. ↑ "I clicked 'Vote Now' in and alert and reached results instead of the voting page". giyus.org. 2006-08-02. Archived from the original on December 25, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  9. ↑ "Community Member Services and Software License Agreement". giyus.org. Archived from the original on 2008-05-18. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  10. 1 2 Linde, Steve (November 28, 2006). "Israel's newest PR weapon: The Internet Megaphone". Jerusalem Post . Jerusalem.
  11. 1 2 Williams, Chris (September 8, 2006). "Pro-Israel lobby targets BBC online poll". The Register . London.
  12. ↑ Purvis, Stewart (November 20, 2006). "Israel ups the stakes in the propaganda war". The Guardian . Manchester.
  13. ↑ Singel, Ryan (December 14, 2006). "Spammer Slammer Targets Politics". San Francisco: Wired. Archived from the original on 2008-10-13.
  14. ↑ Hines, Matt (May 16, 2007). "Blue Frog reborn as traffic hoarder". InfoWorld.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.