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I respect (and pay for) Consumer Reports, but their scoring system is unnecessarily confusing. CR only 'Recommends' products they consider to be exceptionally g

by gamble 16y ago

I respect (and pay for) Consumer Reports, but their scoring system is unnecessarily confusing. CR only 'Recommends' products they consider to be exceptionally good. It's like receiving an A+, not a C-. Unfortunately, no one who isn't a subscriber is going to understand the distinction. The mainstream media reported the story as if by not 'Recommending' the iPhone 4 CR had told people not to buy one. It's still their highest-rated smartphone.

drunkpotato 16y ago
You have pointed out a problem with mainstream regurgitation of Consumer Reports recommendation, not with Consumer Reports. CR are doing the right thing by only recommending exceptional products. That should be what a recommendation is. "It's not total crap" and "it's better than the other total crap that's out there" are not recommendations and shouldn't be. (For the rhetorically impaired: I realize there are several levels of quality between total crap and exceptional.)
- gamble 16y ago
  The term itself is inherently confusing. If only the best products are 'recommended', are the rest 'not recommended'? That's how it was interpreted, by the mainstream media and blogs alike. They could just as easily label them as 'Outstanding' or 'CR Choice' products and avoid the confusion.
  - mattmanser 16y ago
    How is recommend a difficult term to understand? They don't recommend it. Simple. I find the idea refreshing that someone can still speak plain english as well as hold up high standards.
    - DLWormwood 16y ago
      > How is recommend a difficult term to understand? Because Consumer Reports is using the term with the correct denotation, while being oblivious to the media and population at large using this term connotatively. Most people think the word “recommendation” is a binary term, similar to “good” versus “bad,” when it really is meant to be relative term referring to a continuum. If you tell somebody that something “is best of breed, but still not recommended,” they would either look on you with suspicion or even accuse you of being contradictory, even though you technically aren’t. http://itsfiveoclocksomewhere.blogspot.com/2006/09/grammar-moment-denotation-vs.html http://itsfiveoclocksomewhere.blogspot.com/2006/09/grammar-m... A connotation mutates a word’s original denotation over time, as anybody who has heard of the “euphemism treadmill” can attest. (FWIW, I have no intention of buying an iPhone, just not for this reason...)

by gamble 16y ago

drunkpotato 16y ago

You have pointed out a problem with mainstream regurgitation of Consumer Reports recommendation, not with Consumer Reports. CR are doing the right thing by only recommending exceptional products. That should be what a recommendation is. "It's not total crap" and "it's better than the other total crap that's out there" are not recommendations and shouldn't be. (For the rhetorically impaired: I realize there are several levels of quality between total crap and exceptional.)

gamble 16y ago
The term itself is inherently confusing. If only the best products are 'recommended', are the rest 'not recommended'? That's how it was interpreted, by the mainstream media and blogs alike. They could just as easily label them as 'Outstanding' or 'CR Choice' products and avoid the confusion.
- mattmanser 16y ago
  How is recommend a difficult term to understand? They don't recommend it. Simple. I find the idea refreshing that someone can still speak plain english as well as hold up high standards.
  - DLWormwood 16y ago
    > How is recommend a difficult term to understand? Because Consumer Reports is using the term with the correct denotation, while being oblivious to the media and population at large using this term connotatively. Most people think the word “recommendation” is a binary term, similar to “good” versus “bad,” when it really is meant to be relative term referring to a continuum. If you tell somebody that something “is best of breed, but still not recommended,” they would either look on you with suspicion or even accuse you of being contradictory, even though you technically aren’t. http://itsfiveoclocksomewhere.blogspot.com/2006/09/grammar-moment-denotation-vs.html http://itsfiveoclocksomewhere.blogspot.com/2006/09/grammar-m... A connotation mutates a word’s original denotation over time, as anybody who has heard of the “euphemism treadmill” can attest. (FWIW, I have no intention of buying an iPhone, just not for this reason...)