Cable companies have been astroturfing the net neutrality issue for years. In the Boston area in 2006, a Verizon astroturfing scheme was blown out of the water when a local blogger became suspicious after receiving a strange email from a local college student (1). Comcast has also employed professionally run astroturfing campaigns to serve its own ends (2). It would not surprise me if both companies have their anonymous shills drop by HN from time to time to pollute the waters.

1. http://borderlinenewtonwaltham.blogspot.com/2006/09/lies-cab...

2. http://stopthecap.com/2011/11/15/comcasts-snake-oil-astrotur...