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"The enemy within strikes again" by Chris Murphy After some digging around, we finally got to find out who we reckon is behind the Fairplay.com campaign - one works in the Isle of Man government's IT department, the other is a journalist who writes for computer magazines. The former is also a one-time core machine player - as I first guessed a couple of eeks ago. And unlike the Murphy's, he seems quite bitter. The motivation for Fairplay is not all it seems. As I, and a number of others, predicted, this campaign is not fuelled by philanthropy and a need to enlighten the UK's fruit machine players. This is about grabbing publicity and headline chasing. It is ego-driven. To put it in perspective the pair made a vain attempt at campaigning for cheaper video games only last year. OK, we all want things to cost less - I'd personally like a plasma TV for £9.99. It would look great in the living room, but I suspect Bang & Olufsen wouldn't concur with my take on pricing policy. That particular crusade fell flat on its backside and if there is one atom of common sense in the world the same sorry fate will befall this latest exercise in foot stamping. But what is really behind Fairplay and its take on the touchy subject of AWP integrity? I suggest the only reason, other than publicity, that this site exists at all is to poke the manufacturers with a sharp stick. Our IT friend appears to have had his wings clipped, epaulettes torn off and sword broken in two. Machines don't play quite the way he likes them to so it's time to indulge in a few spoiling tactics. The fact is, every so often there will be a campaign like this aimed at damaging the otherwise sound reputation of the business.
What is unusual in this case is that it has been instigated by a former
professional player rather than a bunch of nice old dears with too much
time on their hands. Let's hope it doesn't herald the start of a worrying
new trend. Resentment can often be more dangerous than reality. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, it's certainly a pretty spiteful little attack. We're a touch disappointed, though not too surprised, that the tame "journalists" on CoinSlot would clamour so desperately to defend the fruit-machine industry in the face of revelations that those in charge of it are quite possibly involved in a gigantic, multi-billion-pound fraud which could shatter the reputation of Britain's gaming industry forever - the words "shooting the messenger" spring irresistibly to mind. That aside, though, the attack is more amusing than wounding. Firstly, Mr Murphy seems rather confused. On the one hand, he's had to apparently "dig around" to "uncover" the names of those behind the campaign. Yet a mere paragraph or two later, we find that the campaign is seemingly motivated by "ego" and "publicity-chasing". We're rather hurt at Mr Murphy's implication that, were the campaign driven by a desire for ego and publicity, we'd be so bad at it that he'd have to go "digging around" just to find out information as basic as our names. The factual errors littering the piece - Alex Maroney, for example, had no connection whatsoever with the previous FairPlay campaign - also cast some doubt over Mr Murphy's credentials as a determined, fearless and investigative newshound. Still, we quite liked the mixed "wings, epaulettes and swords" metaphor, so we'll forgive him this once.
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