3 ms·

Sites like these have been popping up everywhere through the years. Why not simply use Yelp or Google? What are the moderation and verification challenges? What

by lxe 3y ago

Sites like these have been popping up everywhere through the years. Why not simply use Yelp or Google? What are the moderation and verification challenges? What about legal/defamation issues? How would one trust each review?

diogenescynic 3y ago
Yelp and Google are not reliable--no review website I've seen really is. For instance, Makras Real Estate in San Francisco is a horrible property management company (i.e. slumlord) where the owner was even concvicted of crimes: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/jury-convicts-san-francisco-broker-and-investor-victor-makras-fraud-real-estate-loan https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/jury-convicts-san-franc... but only after the news of this became public did the ratings on those site show Makras Real Estate as anything less than a 4/5 star company and most of the one sentence reviews were from accounts with generic profile pictures and only a handful of other reviews--they were clearly faked. I reported it multiple times and nothing ever happened. Facebook even responded saying the accounts looked legit and still shows Makras as having 4.9/5.0--what a joke!
- notfed 3y ago
  Why would an alternative rating site be more trustworthy?
  - diogenescynic 3y ago
    I don't think any of them would be unless they verified an ID to make sure each account was actually unique--but currently none of them have any incentives to limit their user count. Users = growth! So they just turn a blind eye to it.
    - awesome_dude 3y ago
      For me, I don't think any review/reference site is really much use. The problems are: * Is the review accurate * Is the reviewer someone who has similar standards as I * Is the review looking at aspects I rate * Does the reviewer have a bias (good/bad) * Was the review based on a representative sample It's the same for job references, service reviews, product reviews. It's almost random.
vaporary 3y ago
What about legal/defamation issues? In the U.S., Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects the operator of the website.
woodruffw 3y ago
> Why not simply use Yelp or Google? My landlord isn't a company or a management agency, but the guy who owns the house I live in. Google and Yelp probably aren't great venues for reviewing him, except in the "infamy" sense.
weatherlight 3y ago
You're right, there are quite a few similar platforms out there. However, a website specifically dedicated to reviewing landlords could offer more targeted and relevant information for tenants than more general sites like Yelp or Google. Besides, a little competition never hurt anyone, right? As for moderation and verification, these are indeed important challenges. But with the right combination of community-driven moderation and automated systems, it's possible to create a trustworthy environment. Legal and defamation issues can be addressed through clear guidelines and by fostering a culture of constructive criticism. Of course, blindly trusting every review isn't recommended. The key is to use these platforms as a tool, not the ultimate authority. By looking for patterns and corroborating information, tenants can make more informed decisions. It's about empowering people with information, not providing a definitive verdict.

by lxe 3y ago

diogenescynic 3y ago

Yelp and Google are not reliable--no review website I've seen really is. For instance, Makras Real Estate in San Francisco is a horrible property management company (i.e. slumlord) where the owner was even concvicted of crimes: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/jury-convicts-san-francisco-broker-and-investor-victor-makras-fraud-real-estate-loan https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/jury-convicts-san-franc... but only after the news of this became public did the ratings on those site show Makras Real Estate as anything less than a 4/5 star company and most of the one sentence reviews were from accounts with generic profile pictures and only a handful of other reviews--they were clearly faked. I reported it multiple times and nothing ever happened. Facebook even responded saying the accounts looked legit and still shows Makras as having 4.9/5.0--what a joke!

notfed 3y ago
Why would an alternative rating site be more trustworthy?
- diogenescynic 3y ago
  I don't think any of them would be unless they verified an ID to make sure each account was actually unique--but currently none of them have any incentives to limit their user count. Users = growth! So they just turn a blind eye to it.
  - awesome_dude 3y ago
    For me, I don't think any review/reference site is really much use. The problems are: * Is the review accurate * Is the reviewer someone who has similar standards as I * Is the review looking at aspects I rate * Does the reviewer have a bias (good/bad) * Was the review based on a representative sample It's the same for job references, service reviews, product reviews. It's almost random.

vaporary 3y ago

What about legal/defamation issues? In the U.S., Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects the operator of the website.

woodruffw 3y ago

> Why not simply use Yelp or Google? My landlord isn't a company or a management agency, but the guy who owns the house I live in. Google and Yelp probably aren't great venues for reviewing him, except in the "infamy" sense.

weatherlight 3y ago

You're right, there are quite a few similar platforms out there. However, a website specifically dedicated to reviewing landlords could offer more targeted and relevant information for tenants than more general sites like Yelp or Google. Besides, a little competition never hurt anyone, right? As for moderation and verification, these are indeed important challenges. But with the right combination of community-driven moderation and automated systems, it's possible to create a trustworthy environment. Legal and defamation issues can be addressed through clear guidelines and by fostering a culture of constructive criticism. Of course, blindly trusting every review isn't recommended. The key is to use these platforms as a tool, not the ultimate authority. By looking for patterns and corroborating information, tenants can make more informed decisions. It's about empowering people with information, not providing a definitive verdict.