Yes, someone who promotes a product while hiding the fact that they've been paid to promote the product. Streamers generally say "this is a sponsored stream" to avoid lawsuits.

[–] Lv_InSaNe_vL@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

someone who promotes a product while hiding the fact that they've been paid

Streamers generally say "this is a sponsored stream"

So by your own definition streamers are generally not shills?

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

If someone starts off saying "this is a sponsores stream" then yes, that is correct. It's illegal to not disclose when media is an advertisement in most of the world. I'm pretty sure it's against the TOS of most streaming sites, too.

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world -2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Isn't it though? They're being paid to promote a game right? That seems like a shill to me. I'm not sure I understand the difference to you.

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

A shill doesn't disclose that they're being paid to promote a product. The secrecy is what makes them a shill

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world -1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Well I've certainly never heard that before and that's not what the definition of the word is from what I'm seeing but I guess I can understand using that as a distinction.

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

A shill, also called a plant or a stooge, is a person who publicly helps or gives credibility to a person or organization without disclosing that they have a close relationship with said person or organization, or have been paid to do so.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shill

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world -1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Shill verb

:to act as a spokesperson or promoter

Shill noun

:one who makes a sales pitch or serves as a promoter

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shill

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Shill has primarily been used as an insult for the past 50 years in the way I'm defining it here. I don't believe you've never heard it used to mean that.

one who acts as a decoy (as for a pitchman or gambler)

Literally on that same page.

a person who poses as a customer in order to decoy others into participating, as at a gambling house, auction, confidence game, etc.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/shill

a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/shill

someone who helps another person to persuade people to buy something, especially by pretending to be a satisfied customer

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/shill?q=shill

shill n informal, US (person planted to lure customers)

https://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=shill

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world -1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I think everything you quoted there would accurately describe influencers being paid to play a game. As to whether you believe me or not, don't really care. Why you keep digging this hole for no reason whatsoever seems rather odd to me, as does being so unnecessarily hostile for no reason. Have a good one.