Do you trust online reviews? Now that Amazon is suing more than 1,000 people who allegedly offered to write glowing product reviews for cash, you might reasonably be concerned.
Turns out, deceptive reviews are commonplace online—and so are doubts about them. The research organization Mintel found that 57 percent of surveyed consumers are suspicious of companies or products that only have positive online reviews. And 49 percent believe companies probably give incentives for online reviews.
Fortunately, there are a few good techniques that can help you tell truth from fiction.
The article lists several ways to tell the difference. What are yours?
(Score: 4, Funny) by aristarchus on Thursday October 22 2015, @06:52AM
Instead of expected item, box contained bobcat. Would not buy again. Mandatory and obligatory and not at all a bobcat linK: http://xkcd.com/325/ [xkcd.com] Deal with it, those of you who still use Lynx.
(Score: 5, Funny) by zocalo on Thursday October 22 2015, @09:29AM
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 22 2015, @12:33PM
Predictable canned replies and overused catchphrases ("Obligatory XKCD") are proof of a real poster desperately looking for validation. Because they work at obtaining upvotes wihout actually contributing anything new to the discussion.
It's the linkbait of commenting :D
Props to parent poster for actually adding an original joke.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Thursday October 22 2015, @06:55PM
I ordered some personal validation, and instead received complaints about cans and catchphrases. A bobcat would have been better. Or at least a link to some bait that could lure a bobcat into a box that could then be sent "return to sender. COD." Would not comment again.