4 ms·

For a while now I've been kicking around the idea of a "Trusted Social Reviews" website, where you get item reviews only from 1 maybe 2 degrees of separation of

by Mumps 5y ago

For a while now I've been kicking around the idea of a "Trusted Social Reviews" website, where you get item reviews only from 1 maybe 2 degrees of separation of your social graph. Various problems and challenges exist - no need to point out the obvious. But I wonder what HN would consider, if the presumed positives would actually pay off?

bush-bby 5y ago
I’d use that, I hate the fact that people can just be paid to lie and actually effect choice. This sounds like a great attempt at a solution that I’d give a go
- Mumps 5y ago
  Well, I can see people still lying (and taking payment) -- but in that case you should probably get better friends ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
jaclaz 5y ago
I don't know. Your idea seems nice, but the "proximity" of reviewers is not (IMHO) a good metric. I mean, let's set aside for the moment the internet/web aspect, and let's talk of the small circle of your (or mine) friends (not actually "friends" and not people you simply know, people with whom you have a continued relationship, that you meet from time to time that you know enough). How many of them would you actually trust being actually objective in their review? And how many of them would you actually trust being good at reviewing a certain item (and not another)? The only "guarantee" that you would have by the 1/2/3 degrees of separation would be that the person making the review would be existing/real and that (possibly) the review was written in good faith, but nothing about the "validity" of the review.
- Mumps 5y ago
  Interesting point about trusting your friends/family to make objective reviews - I was thinking about my close network, whom I'd absolutely trust. But I have a maybe a strong expectation of my friends. Do you really have so little trust in your immediate network to review items? Especially if you knew specifically who posted each review?
  - jaclaz 5y ago
    The very close network is so close (and small in numbers), at least in my case, that one wouldn't actually need a web/internet site for it, they are people you talk to or possibly meet often, when you go at the 2 or 3 level, you have a lot more people but you don't actually know them. >Do you really have so little trust in your immediate network to review items? What I personally have is "selected mistrust", i.e. (example) if I want a (trustable/reliable) opinion on (say) a vacuum cleaner I wouldn't ask it to my friend "A" whom I know has a definite preference for any gadget that is new and shiny/esthetically pleasing, whilst if I want an opinion on (still say) a car, him would be the person I would trust the most, on the other hand, my friend "B" would be very reliable on the vacuum cleaner, but he would be not as much reliable on the car, and of course I can do this kind of selection only for "level 1" people.

by Mumps 5y ago

bush-bby 5y ago

I’d use that, I hate the fact that people can just be paid to lie and actually effect choice. This sounds like a great attempt at a solution that I’d give a go

Mumps 5y ago
Well, I can see people still lying (and taking payment) -- but in that case you should probably get better friends ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

jaclaz 5y ago

I don't know. Your idea seems nice, but the "proximity" of reviewers is not (IMHO) a good metric. I mean, let's set aside for the moment the internet/web aspect, and let's talk of the small circle of your (or mine) friends (not actually "friends" and not people you simply know, people with whom you have a continued relationship, that you meet from time to time that you know enough). How many of them would you actually trust being actually objective in their review? And how many of them would you actually trust being good at reviewing a certain item (and not another)? The only "guarantee" that you would have by the 1/2/3 degrees of separation would be that the person making the review would be existing/real and that (possibly) the review was written in good faith, but nothing about the "validity" of the review.

Mumps 5y ago
Interesting point about trusting your friends/family to make objective reviews - I was thinking about my close network, whom I'd absolutely trust. But I have a maybe a strong expectation of my friends. Do you really have so little trust in your immediate network to review items? Especially if you knew specifically who posted each review?
- jaclaz 5y ago
  The very close network is so close (and small in numbers), at least in my case, that one wouldn't actually need a web/internet site for it, they are people you talk to or possibly meet often, when you go at the 2 or 3 level, you have a lot more people but you don't actually know them. >Do you really have so little trust in your immediate network to review items? What I personally have is "selected mistrust", i.e. (example) if I want a (trustable/reliable) opinion on (say) a vacuum cleaner I wouldn't ask it to my friend "A" whom I know has a definite preference for any gadget that is new and shiny/esthetically pleasing, whilst if I want an opinion on (still say) a car, him would be the person I would trust the most, on the other hand, my friend "B" would be very reliable on the vacuum cleaner, but he would be not as much reliable on the car, and of course I can do this kind of selection only for "level 1" people.