Caveat emptor applies today as always. In college we learned how to evaluate sources. It was called "The CRAAP Test". https://researchguides.ben.edu/source-ev

Caveat emptor applies today as always. In college we learned how to evaluate sources. It was called "The CRAAP Test". https://researchguides.ben.edu/source-evaluation https://researchguides.ben.edu/source-evaluation It behooves every consumer to make use of available sources of information, but to weight them appropriately and consider the components of "CRAAP" to evaluate them. There is a lot of good signal that can be gleaned, even from a fake or negative review. Do not discount the inherent subjectivity that posters introduce. I don't weight reviews heavily, unless some aspect is a real standout. The preponderance of reviews can sometimes tip the balance in my decision to buy/not buy, but they're often more helpful in learning comparative features/quality of similar items. If I'm shopping in unfamiliar territory, the knowledge of reviewers is invaluable to help me know more about such a product line. Often, if enough reviewers complain about a specific defect or flaw, it will not hinder me from a purchase, but I'll be aware and informed that this product may be problematic in that specific way, and if reviewers have focused on a cosmetic or non-essential defect, I count it as an advantage that they didn't find any "showstoppers".