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WTO - paranoia before Quatar

The Yesman | 31.10.2001 20:34

In addition to global protests, the WTO has been subject to attacs of the Yesman. The renowned communication guerillero explains why the WTO is getting nervous 10 days before Quatar.

Hi there! We run  http://www.gatt.org/. Here's what the WTO--that's the World Trade Organization, of course--has been saying about us on their front page at  http://www.wto.org/:

"Warning: Fake WTO website -  http://www.gatt.org - deceitful and a nuisance to serious users"

They go on to describe how gatt.org interferes with "serious users" looking for "genuine information"
( http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news01_e/gattdotorg_e.htm):

We think the WTO is acting just a little bit paranoid, don't you?
After all, this is less than TEN DAYS before the start of the WTO's big hooplah in Doha, Qatar.

Maybe they're nervous--in Qatar, any form of protest is strictly illegal, and VERY heavily punishable (depending on the King's mood).
How will people react when the first hundred protesters get their heads chopped clean off? Morocco doesn't like that sort of extremism, and neither do France or Nepal. Lots of beheaded peaceniks is likely to annoy almost everyone!

Funny thing, the WTO acted this way just before Seattle as well:
 http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres99_e/pr151_e.htm . It probably
is just a bad case of nerves.

See you on the chopping block!

Your friends at  http://theyesmen.org/


p.s. Here is the text of the WTO's Halloween news item:

WTO NEWS: 2001 NEWS ITEMS
30 October 2001
Warning: fake WTO website

A fake WTO website -  http://www.gatt.org - has been created
to deceive Internet users by copying the entire official WTO
website. While the design is identical, the texts have been
distorted. The fake site also uses the email address
 enquiries@gatt.org

The use of WTO designs, logos and materials is strictly
unauthorized. Worse, some pages on the fake website could
cause unsuspecting visitors to reveal their email addresses
and other information to the site's operators. The fake site
could also be picked up by search engines, a nuisance for
serious users looking for genuine information.

The only official WTO site is www.wto.org.

(In an e-mail sent today to subscribers, they went even further,
claiming "it uses a form which will reveal your e-mail address to the
fake site's operators, who may then make use of it to send you
misinformation in the name of the WTO.")

The Yesman
- Homepage: www.gatt.org

Comments

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Website makes national news

01.11.2001 04:43

The satirical WTO website was reported on national public radio news in Canada today. The report did quote the WTO as saying this was a "dirty trick"--but still, it got reported. Didn't list the website address, but no doubt this will send people there. All publicity is good publicity?

SP