The record business is a cruel and shallow trench,
a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free,
and good men die like dogs. Then, there's the negative side...
                                                                                                                                                         Hunter Thompson
 
If you missed Seth Godin's blog, you missed a coruscating piece. Godin observes, for twenty years the Billboard charts were easy to manipulate. By paying radio stations and some retailers, labels could push their act up into the top 40, which increased sales. People liked buying what they heard on the radio, and radio played what they thought people were buying.
 
Billboard changed their methods about twenty years ago, and overnight the acts on the list changed, reflects Godin. Suddenly it became clear that what we were listening to wasn't what we thought it was, and as a result, the marketing of music changed forever.
 
Godin opines "The New York Times bestseller list is even more easily manipulated than Billboard ever was. It doesn't cost much to scam it and it's pretty straightforward to buy your way onto the list." Godin claims, "I know authors who've done this, and consultants who sell the service."
 
Apparently in this rush of brigandage one can hire a bunch of old ladies who will go to the 'right' stores and buy books on the right day. As a result of this distortion, the books on the list get more promoted, and thus sell more copies, says Godin.
 
The Times is well aware this is taking place and that the list isn't accurate, but they persist in publishing lists that are demonstrably wrong. Godin proclaims, "I still find this amazing, but it's true."
 
Manipulating social networks is even easier still. Says Godin, "There are firms that manipulate which stories are posted and which blogs are linked, and for years there have been firms that have worked to 'manage' which links come up higher on search results as well." 
 
As these processes become more and more important and the stakes ever greater, there's a significant market opportunity for someone who can, like Billboard did, clean up the "charts" negating the rising payola, or at least make them more transparent. In the meantime says Godin, "Be skeptical."
 
More from Seth Godin: blogmailfromseth@yahoo.com