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Jan 10 2008

Bloggers behaving badly: Gizmodo messes with CES flat screens

The Gizmodo kids pulled a good stunt at CES: they fired TV-B-Gone remotes at walls of shiny new monitors on display and during press conferences, much to the displeasure of booth staffers.

No colors anymore.

(Credit: Gizmodo)

The video is funny. The ramifications of prank will not be. The CES organizers only grudgingly gave bloggers press credentials to the conference, and even then kept them segregated into a working lounge that was a step down in amenity and luxury from the "press" lounge and work area. This prank will not endear the blogging class to either the CEA, which produces CES, or the companies that paid dearly for the right to occupy CES floorspace and show off their products.

I would not be surprised to see Gizmodo banned from the show and possibly sued by either the CEA or the companies its bloggers harassed. For journalists (in my mind, all bloggers are journalists), legal and constitutional protection does not extend to mischief or sabotage. Publishing news reports, opinion, and satire are protected acts. Physical interference is not.

I asked Gizmodo publisher Nick Denton if he was going to fire the Gizmodo crew for their prank. "No," is all he said in an instant message. He did not reply to followup questions.

Gizmodo added this apology after the post first ran, but I don't think it will mollify the victims.

It was too much fun, but watching this video, we realize it probably made some people's jobs harder, and I don't agree with that (Especially Motorola). We're sorry.

There are other likely outcomes of the prank. From now on, no one with an infrared-controlled device at a tradeshow is going to leave it exposed. A few tabs of black electrical tape will thwart TV-B-Gones. Beyond that, as our security expert Robert Vamosi said about this incident, expect TV manufacturers to think seriously about building encryption into their remote controls.

Posted in: Televisions
Tags: CES 2008, flatscreens, video, bloggers, TV-B-Gone
 

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) 7 comments (Page 1 of 1)
Embarrassing.
by JustinGN January 10, 2008 3:05 PM PST
While parts of the video were humorous (Turning off walls of TVs was kind of funny), as well as the fact that, even if Gizmodo hadn't done it, someone eventually would have anyhow, I'm still rather miffed that these so-called 'journalists' had the audacity to pull the prank during conferences and demos; honestly, that's something I did during High School to my teachers, but that's not the behavior I'd expect from a technology journalist. I hope everyone involved gets banned from CEA-sponsored events, and I'm glad that other web sites like Crave are immediately distancing themselves from the children of Gizmodo; afterall, the maturity of the staff here at Crave and Engadget are the reasons I continue to read your articles on a daily basis. Gizmodo's journalistic integrity, as far as I'm concerned, was thrown out the window because of this little prank.
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Great post, I hope they get banned
by ssjmichael January 10, 2008 3:28 PM PST
This whole thing might seem funny if you're in the 3rd grade, but can they show some professionalism? No wonder people can't take blogs as seriously, and this comes from someone who writes for one (DAPreview.net). There should be consequences for stupidity like this, and I hope CES looks into suspending their press paasses. I could understand a regular vistor to CES doing this, but a well known site that's there for business? Gizmodo you should be ashamed
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Kinda Childish, but funny
by Kev50027 January 10, 2008 6:46 PM PST
Okay, so they got their fun, but i think a lot of people are being harsh on them. After all, the company that made the devices to turn off TVs gave them to the bloggers to use at CES, they didn't come up with the idea on their own. If I could do the same thing at an Apple presentation, I would, but to do it while they were presenting products is extremely rude and childish.
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Getting banned? They deserve to be SUED!
by KaplanMike January 10, 2008 9:13 PM PST
Yeah, yeah very funny stuff. But seriously, this is people's jobs on the line, possibly even careers. Why not just run around pouring cans of Coke on all the keyboards? How about pulling a fire alarm? Hah! That'd be fun, right?? While I fear I may be told I've got a stick up my ass, I think this was way out of line for people who so desperately want to be taken somewhat seriously. Pulling this stunt on a friend or family member is one thing. Doing it at a trade show that people spend a year preparing for is strictly amateur hour. Bottom line: the Gizmodo gang acted like a bunch of assh*les, and I hope -- now that they've identified themselves -- that they face the consequences.
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Disappointing
by miltonchiu January 11, 2008 3:12 AM PST
As someone who's been in charge of a company's showing at a large exhibition in Las Vegas, watching this video of Gizmodo's prank was disappointing to say the least. It really shouldn't be downplayed as a "prank" or a blog being "mischievous". Companies invest literally hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to stand out from the rest and put on a good show for real journalists. You would not believe the amount of planning that goes into designing a booth (if you can call it a "booth", it's more like a small store that has a lifespan of about a week). You pay for the space, design it, build it, pay for utilities, rent equipment, ship your products to the location, fly employees to Vegas, pay for their accommodations, etc... all for it to be ruined by some kids with a gadget. You have to understand how much pressure the people who work those booths are under, to make sure everything runs smoothly. Before Gizmodo revealed they were behind these disruptions you can bet a good number of hard working innocent tech guys got chewed out. There's a good chance those guys were once Gizmodo readers and this must've been devastating for them. In the end what is particularly disappointing and disturbing is that Gizmodo's editors consciously chose to show everyone the footage. They planned it, filmed it, edited it, and posted it. They knew what they did was disruptive, crossed a line, and could effect the future of blogging as a new form of journalism. They weighed the pros and cons of releasing this footage and in the end decided this was the image they wanted to promote. Wow, they sure are internet bad boys. "Disappointing" is an understatement. *Disclosure* I did something like this with my old Casio watch. It was incredibly funny and I was a hero to my peers. I was in Junior High and we were 13 years old.
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What would they sue for?
by EBone12355 January 11, 2008 3:56 PM PST
Nothing destructive happened. Pouring coke on a keyboard is destructive. What damages would you sue for? Can you prove loss of revenue? America has turned into such a nanny state. "I stubbed my toe - I'm going to sue!" It was a dumb prank, and they'll probably get banned from CES in 2009 for it. That's about all.
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by sammyb33 April 23, 2008 10:19 PM PDT
You would think people would grow up and realize they are at a serious meeting. Must have been frustrating if you were putting on the presentation. Glitter Graphics Myspace Layout
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