[idspispopd]

Thank you for pointing out this obvious PR campaign.

The whole point of highlighting this exchange, the surrounding publicity, the custom url/etc is to raise the profile and get people to pick sides to generate discussion.

This PR technique is as old as the sex tape and about exhausted as it gets. It's the online equivalent of reading "britney spears vs lindsay lohan".

[deskamess]

If you want to call it a PR campaign that is fine. However, lets not forget that this campaign was made possible by the statements and responses from ZenDesk and an associate.

[teyc]

This is what makes it masterful. It is a campaign in any sense of the word because he worked his ass off on this site.

However, it doesn't detract the truth of what he said. In fact, even as I deconstruct it, I still find myself siding with FreshDesk. Mind control at its best.

[jbail]

Buying a domain and slapping together a one-page website hardly qualifies as working your ass off. This whole thing is childish on both ends and a crappy website just illustrates this overall immaturity.

[vnchr]

Oh, that my own childish efforts and crappy web development would develop this much brand awareness, customer education and unpaid publicity!

[jbail]

You missed my point. A couple of kids name calling on the playground generates a lot of attention too, but it's not the right kind of attention. The brand awareness you tout is counter-productive to building a brand that I want to interact with (read: give my money to).

I'm aware of Freshdesk because they made a retaliation website in response to something stupid that somebody said on Twitter. It doesn't inspire confidence in their ability to provide help desk software. They are spending time worrying about what other people think of them and say about them instead of just rocking out their product. I'm not impressed by that at all.

[larrys]

"I'm aware of Freshdesk because they made a retaliation website in response to something stupid"

I know and so am I (aware). But that's the point. You are aware and so are others. And a % of those people don't feel the same way and they have exposure now that they didn't have before. Net it will be a win. Not the strategy for everyone of course but in this case it's a win.

[larrys]

"custom URL"

which was just created yesterday (12/3/11):

Domain ID:D164025278-LROR

Domain Name:RIPOFFORNOT.ORG

Created On:03-Dec-2011 14:26:48 UTC

[user24]

well yeah, it's not like they're going to have been preparing to be called a rip off for the last 6 months.. Of course they registered it in response to this... ?!?!?

[larrys]

What is obvious to you is not obvious to everyone on HN. And by the way what conclusion would you come to if the domain was registered 3 months or 3 years ago?