11 ms·

I basically stopped reading Amazon and Yelp reviews. They do more harm then good. Now it's all about human-curated information. Find someone you trust - on soci

I basically stopped reading Amazon and Yelp reviews. They do more harm then good. Now it's all about human-curated information. Find someone you trust - on social media, a new site, or a newsletter. Get the info from them. Should I eat here? Should I buy this product? Etc. With restaurants it's tricky - sometimes you just need to take a chance. There is some old-school magic in that.

astura 3y ago
>Find someone you trust - on social media, a new site, or a newsletter. Get the info from them. OMG please don't do this - it's more gamed/scammy than online reviews: people will routinely post sponsored content disguised as personal recommendations. The FTC occasionally cracks down on it (or sends warning labels) but it's still so ubiquitous.
- renegade-otter 3y ago
  If you are following an "influencer" peddling products, yes, but there are plenty of good resources available. The choice is between "scam" and "bias".
  - astura 3y ago
    If you think this is only a problem with "influencers peddling products" then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
onemoresoop 3y ago
> I basically stopped reading Amazon and Yelp reviews I've done that too and am sure many people here on HN realized how gameable and gamed they are but sadly it still works for the masses who fall into these traps like flies to a candle. When these this kind of deception will stop working we will have reached a total trust of 0.
kelnos 3y ago
> With restaurants it's tricky - sometimes you just need to take a chance. There is some old-school magic in that. Absolutely agree, and I try to do this more often now. A visit somewhere new and untested for lunch or dinner isn't like a product purchase, where I might regret a bad purchase for months or years. If a restaurant doesn't work out, I've only lost an hour or two of my time, and a bit of cash that likely still went to providing me sustenance, even if the experience and taste was poor. And if it turns out to be great -- well... great!

astura 3y ago

>Find someone you trust - on social media, a new site, or a newsletter. Get the info from them. OMG please don't do this - it's more gamed/scammy than online reviews: people will routinely post sponsored content disguised as personal recommendations. The FTC occasionally cracks down on it (or sends warning labels) but it's still so ubiquitous.

renegade-otter 3y ago
If you are following an "influencer" peddling products, yes, but there are plenty of good resources available. The choice is between "scam" and "bias".
- astura 3y ago
  If you think this is only a problem with "influencers peddling products" then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

onemoresoop 3y ago

> I basically stopped reading Amazon and Yelp reviews I've done that too and am sure many people here on HN realized how gameable and gamed they are but sadly it still works for the masses who fall into these traps like flies to a candle. When these this kind of deception will stop working we will have reached a total trust of 0.

kelnos 3y ago

> With restaurants it's tricky - sometimes you just need to take a chance. There is some old-school magic in that. Absolutely agree, and I try to do this more often now. A visit somewhere new and untested for lunch or dinner isn't like a product purchase, where I might regret a bad purchase for months or years. If a restaurant doesn't work out, I've only lost an hour or two of my time, and a bit of cash that likely still went to providing me sustenance, even if the experience and taste was poor. And if it turns out to be great -- well... great!