Have you ever wondered what an independent observer thinks about the conversations that go on over at QuixtarBlog forums? Read on and find out.

In my commentary about the new site Quixtar Conversations I mentioned the possibility that Quixtar had been “Scobleized“. Scobleizer is a blog by ex-Microsoft employee and general tech geek/guru Robert Scoble. In the post I referenced, Robert mentioned that he had been meeting with Quixtar staff and advising them on how to go about “engaging” people on the internet, both IBOs and critics. Both Beth Dornan from Quixtar PR and Eric Janssen of QuixtarBlog posted comments on the blog, however what struck me was a post from a fellow called Allan Tui.

Allan mentions he is being introduced to the world of blogs by a friend who is an expert in the field. One evening they started at Robert Scoble’s blog, and taking his suggestion checked out the websites by Nestle and Quixtar and also reviewed the comments. He states –

There were some obviously emotional comments about Quixtar and a long post from a Quixtar consumer advocate named Eric Janssen.

Did I read that correctly? Eric Janssen a Quixtar consumer advocate? Yes indeed – in his comments Eric says –

I started an independent consumer advocate blog about Quixtar in November, 2002.

Allan continues with some interesting comments on this claim, the QuixtarBlog forums, and the so-called Quixtar “google-bombing”. Details below the fold.

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What he found out about Quixtar

My tutor showed me how to go to his site and the front page talks about a Quixtar web strategy to drown out the other side. After a five minute lesson on Google bombing we went to Quixtar’s home site and then spent the next hour on other corporate sites affiliated with Quixtar. I discovered they were part of a multinational company that sells billions of dollars a year in product that appeared to be mostly consumables with an emphasis on their nutrition line. They appear to have a good standard in consumer protection via a substantial return and refund policy for those that are dissatisfied. Quixtar is actually a successor company to Amway in North America while Amway operates in most of the rest of the world. In short, if I was interested in purchasing or involvement I could find the information.

On “google-bombing”

My expert explained to me SEO and showed me how Quixtar and the other sites optimize for better search engine ratings but said he could see nothing they were doing that was not industry accepted. Admittedly, I know nothing of this field but it is his field.

On QuixtarBlog

We then went back to the site that represented themselves as a Quixtar consumer advocate and waded through the blogs. After thirty minutes I realized I was back in the town square again. Most everyone is screeching about Quixtar with little of no substance and it appears a few Quixtar people trying to respond rationally and getting trashed for their temerity. Quixtar needs to be exposed to Google, they need to be shut down, etc. I felt like I was reading the transcript of a late night talk show. I finally concluded that if this is a consumer advocate site then Ralph Nader is a capitalist.

So there you go.

Ever wondered what someone in the “real world” thinks about our conversations on QuixtarBlog? Now you know.

The critics are “screeching … with little of no substance”

and

The Quixtar supporters are “trying to respond rationally and getting trashed for their temerity”

Thanks for the kind words Allan, good to get independent confirmation of what we already knew.

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