Crowd Source: A company that provides fake paparazzi, supporters and protesters

I have mixed feelings for this. At first I thought shills are always dishonest and evil. Then at the end of the article there is the comment about the targets being aware but still enjoying it. I guess it could be looked at as live theatre.

Well, this would be useful for EA back when they were marketing Dante's Inferno. They could have got someone else to set up the fake protest.

It also reminds me of how a lot of people start up forums and community sites, by 'hiring' users from elsewhere to make the place look more active than it is. In the online world, this sort of service has been in existence for years.

The perfect alternative to SWATting someone.