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Can we trust the article that it is the internet that is becoming low trust, or is it reflecting society's trends? Trust has been fading in societies for decade

Can we trust the article that it is the internet that is becoming low trust, or is it reflecting society's trends? Trust has been fading in societies for decades [1] and apparently millenials are the most cynical [2] https://ourworldindata.org/exports/trust-attitudes-in-the-us_v2_850x600.svg https://ourworldindata.org/exports/trust-attitudes-in-the-us... https://img.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/files/2014/03/pew-millennial-trust.png https://img.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/files/2014/... First, the internet has opened up, and its prominent platforms (which were always predominantly american-culture oriented) are now global and thus reflect low trust cultures as well. Second, Goodhart's law, the internet metrics exist mainly to be gamed, thats why they should change. Reviews worked for a while, when the internet had a very different audience , they no longer work, that's normal wear and tear. Third, it's time platforms start paying specialists for crucial things like product reviews. Crowdsourcing no longer works. (Which explains why wikipedia should maintain a very conservatiove editing policy from now on)

HNLurker2 7y ago
Where is the footnotes?
- Wildgoose 7y ago
  The first and second link I presume.
chongli 7y ago
Third, it's time platforms start paying specialists for crucial things like product reviews Given that platforms earn a commission on every sale, why should they be trusted to procure specialists' reviews? Maybe they would prefer to hire professional charlatans to boost the reviews on everything, in order to drown out the legitimate opinions of aggrieved customers?
- buboard 7y ago
  Sure that's a great recipe to lose your customers. Shops have an interest in having honest reviews, and if they are gaming them, someone else will provide more honest ones.
  - chongli 7y ago
    Classically, you're right, but Amazon seems to operate by a different set of rules. Prices, availability, and recommendations change constantly according to some internal algorithm. In effect, no two users are shopping in the same store. This disrupts the ability for users to communicate about what's going on at Amazon. The whole thing is a big mystery and most people just see what they think is a good deal and snap it up before it's gone.

HNLurker2 7y ago

Where is the footnotes?

Wildgoose 7y ago
The first and second link I presume.

chongli 7y ago

Third, it's time platforms start paying specialists for crucial things like product reviews Given that platforms earn a commission on every sale, why should they be trusted to procure specialists' reviews? Maybe they would prefer to hire professional charlatans to boost the reviews on everything, in order to drown out the legitimate opinions of aggrieved customers?

buboard 7y ago
Sure that's a great recipe to lose your customers. Shops have an interest in having honest reviews, and if they are gaming them, someone else will provide more honest ones.
- chongli 7y ago
  Classically, you're right, but Amazon seems to operate by a different set of rules. Prices, availability, and recommendations change constantly according to some internal algorithm. In effect, no two users are shopping in the same store. This disrupts the ability for users to communicate about what's going on at Amazon. The whole thing is a big mystery and most people just see what they think is a good deal and snap it up before it's gone.