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The only people I trust for recommendations nowadays are obsessive specialist subreddits and Stiftung Warentest. I haven't trusted Wirecutter since they were o

The only people I trust for recommendations nowadays are obsessive specialist subreddits and Stiftung Warentest. I haven't trusted Wirecutter since they were offering recommendations for kickbacks.

KennyBlanken 3y ago
90% of the stuff written is just utter trash. I'm not joking when I say the hairdryer article amounted to "trust this person because she's used hair dryers for a long time." She was measuring airflow speed out of the hair dryers but not volume. Absolute moron.
- sushid 3y ago
  That's the impression I get from Wirecutter. They're not unethical per se, but these reviewers appear to have picked up a task from their long list of products to reviews and have done the bare minimum at best.
- annexrichmond 3y ago
  And now they want you to be subscriber for their trash content that likely only reviews products from companies with affiliate programs
- somat 3y ago
  I am not really arguing as you are correct about the low quality, however, that is how you measure air volume. Measure the air speed and multiply it by vent area. Hopefully(i doubt it) they included how big the vent was. Additionally. I am a bit weak on my physics but I think air speed has a direct relationship with evaporating liquids. I would have to see some controlled tests. but hypothesis: given the same volume of air per minute. a higher speed will evaporate water faster, with specific testing on high surface area targets(like hair) for example: them stupid dyson dryers that project a super high speed low area stream of air
LeanderK 3y ago
> Stiftung Warentest does something like this exist outside of germany? Having a Stiftung Warentest subscription always strikes me particularly german.
- Tijdreiziger 3y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_European_Consumer_Organisation#Members https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_European_Consumer_Organisa...
- haizhung 3y ago
  On the one hand, yes. On the other hand, if you want unbiased, quasi-scientific tests, who is gonna pay for it? It is actually in your best interest if YOU are paying for it, since then you are the customer and not the product. That said, it isn’t even that expensive. When I buy a washing machine, I just buy the Warentest article on washing machines first which makes the overall purchase, like, 0.5% more expensive.
  - epups 3y ago
    I think the problem for people who are not in Germany is that manufacturers often release different versions for each market. So, for example, you might find that >50% of the models being tested by Stiftung Warentest exist only in Germany or other parts of Western Europe.
- odiroot 3y ago
  Which? in UK is sorta like it.
- LeonidasXIV 3y ago
  Tænk[1] in Denmark is a bit like that, which is not surprising given their customer is the consumer, not the advertiser. However they're not quite as much of an institution as Stiftung Warentest is in Germany. [1]: https://taenk.dk/ https://taenk.dk/
progbits 3y ago
Unfortunately many subreddits are already being targeted with astroturfing. It still works for niche things but be careful and review the account age and posting history of those who praise a product.
crazygringo 3y ago
> I haven't trusted Wirecutter since they were offering recommendations for kickbacks. Do you have a source for that? I don't think that's ever been true. They've always had affiliate links, but they've also always been clear that doesn't affect their recommendations. You might be referring to this: https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to-play-model https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to... But it was pretty totally debunked. The NYT made a lengthy reply explaining: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/our-response-to-nextdesk/ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/our-response-to-nextdesk/
- chpatrick 3y ago
  Can you call it a debunking when it's written by the accused? That reply just says "no we don't, trust me bro".
  - crazygringo 3y ago
    The reply says a ton more than that. It goes into quite a lot of detail. Of course you're free to come to whatever conclusion you want. But I don't really know what more you could ask for.
    - chpatrick 3y ago
      I think the very fact that the CEO of a review site contacted the makers of a reviewed product and asked for money is bad enough.
      - metadaemon 3y ago
        As someone who had zero knowledge of this and isn't trying to be snarky, do you have a link to that? I searched around and found some stuff, but it's pretty old.
        chpatrick 3y ago
        The same thing linked above: https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to-play-model https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to...
thaumaturgy 3y ago
You might be thinking about Wirecutter pre- and post-NYTimes acquisition, although it's a bit more complicated than that: https://archive.is/5JDw0 https://archive.is/5JDw0 (I also like Project Farm, although I don't think of them as comprehensive.)

The only people I trust for recommendations nowadays are obsessive specialist subreddits and Stiftung Warentest. I haven't trusted Wirecutter since they were offering recommendations for kickbacks.

KennyBlanken 3y ago

90% of the stuff written is just utter trash. I'm not joking when I say the hairdryer article amounted to "trust this person because she's used hair dryers for a long time." She was measuring airflow speed out of the hair dryers but not volume. Absolute moron.

sushid 3y ago
That's the impression I get from Wirecutter. They're not unethical per se, but these reviewers appear to have picked up a task from their long list of products to reviews and have done the bare minimum at best.
annexrichmond 3y ago
And now they want you to be subscriber for their trash content that likely only reviews products from companies with affiliate programs
somat 3y ago
I am not really arguing as you are correct about the low quality, however, that is how you measure air volume. Measure the air speed and multiply it by vent area. Hopefully(i doubt it) they included how big the vent was. Additionally. I am a bit weak on my physics but I think air speed has a direct relationship with evaporating liquids. I would have to see some controlled tests. but hypothesis: given the same volume of air per minute. a higher speed will evaporate water faster, with specific testing on high surface area targets(like hair) for example: them stupid dyson dryers that project a super high speed low area stream of air

LeanderK 3y ago

> Stiftung Warentest does something like this exist outside of germany? Having a Stiftung Warentest subscription always strikes me particularly german.

Tijdreiziger 3y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_European_Consumer_Organisation#Members https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_European_Consumer_Organisa...
haizhung 3y ago
On the one hand, yes. On the other hand, if you want unbiased, quasi-scientific tests, who is gonna pay for it? It is actually in your best interest if YOU are paying for it, since then you are the customer and not the product. That said, it isn’t even that expensive. When I buy a washing machine, I just buy the Warentest article on washing machines first which makes the overall purchase, like, 0.5% more expensive.
- epups 3y ago
  I think the problem for people who are not in Germany is that manufacturers often release different versions for each market. So, for example, you might find that >50% of the models being tested by Stiftung Warentest exist only in Germany or other parts of Western Europe.
odiroot 3y ago
Which? in UK is sorta like it.
LeonidasXIV 3y ago
Tænk[1] in Denmark is a bit like that, which is not surprising given their customer is the consumer, not the advertiser. However they're not quite as much of an institution as Stiftung Warentest is in Germany. [1]: https://taenk.dk/ https://taenk.dk/

progbits 3y ago

Unfortunately many subreddits are already being targeted with astroturfing. It still works for niche things but be careful and review the account age and posting history of those who praise a product.

crazygringo 3y ago

> I haven't trusted Wirecutter since they were offering recommendations for kickbacks. Do you have a source for that? I don't think that's ever been true. They've always had affiliate links, but they've also always been clear that doesn't affect their recommendations. You might be referring to this: https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to-play-model https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to... But it was pretty totally debunked. The NYT made a lengthy reply explaining: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/our-response-to-nextdesk/ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/our-response-to-nextdesk/

chpatrick 3y ago
Can you call it a debunking when it's written by the accused? That reply just says "no we don't, trust me bro".
- crazygringo 3y ago
  The reply says a ton more than that. It goes into quite a lot of detail. Of course you're free to come to whatever conclusion you want. But I don't really know what more you could ask for.
  - chpatrick 3y ago
    I think the very fact that the CEO of a review site contacted the makers of a reviewed product and asked for money is bad enough.
    - metadaemon 3y ago
      As someone who had zero knowledge of this and isn't trying to be snarky, do you have a link to that? I searched around and found some stuff, but it's pretty old.
      - chpatrick 3y ago
        The same thing linked above: https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to-play-model https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to...

thaumaturgy 3y ago

You might be thinking about Wirecutter pre- and post-NYTimes acquisition, although it's a bit more complicated than that: https://archive.is/5JDw0 https://archive.is/5JDw0 (I also like Project Farm, although I don't think of them as comprehensive.)