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David Streitfeld reports at the New York Times that people routinely use the Internet to review services from plumbers to hairdressers but now the tables are turned as companies like Uber are rating their customers, and shunning those who do not make the grade.
"An Uber trip should be a good experience for drivers too," says an Uber blog post. "Drivers shouldn’t have to deal with aggressive, violent, or disrespectful riders. If a rider exhibits disrespectful, threatening, or unsafe behavior, they, too, may no longer be able to use the service." It does not seem to take much to annoy some Uber drivers. On one online forum, an anonymous driver said he gave poor reviews to “people who are generally negative and would tend to bring down my mood (or anyone around them).” Another was cavalier about the process: “1 star for passengers does not do them any harm. Sensible drivers won’t pick them up, but so what?”
In response, some consumers are becoming more polite and prompt. "The knowledge that they may be rated is also encouraging people to submit more upbeat reviews themselves, even if the experience was less than stellar," writes Streitfeld. "When services choose whom to serve, no one wants to be labeled difficult." The result may be a Barney world says Michael Fertik referring to the purple dinosaur who sings, “With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you/ Won’t you say you love me too.”
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 04 2015, @05:23PM
It also kept kids safe when they played outside alone, reminded teenagers that jumping in the bed too early could be trouble, kept overweight people from getting morbidly obese, discouraged many guys (not enough) from beating up their family, kept the boss a hair below full abuseness, and reminded couples that one bad argument isn't always grounds for divorce...
The fact that 100% of your examples have no basis in reality is revealing.
Just so no one thinks I'm just inveighing without cause, here's one example:
In 2010, the birth rate for girls ages 15 to 19 in rural counties was 43 per 1,000, nearly one-third higher than the rate for metropolitan counties (33 per 1,000)
-- Rural teens at high risk for pregnancy, analysis finds [usatoday.com]
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday February 04 2015, @06:18PM
It seems that you might have missed the past tense used in both previous posts...
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 04 2015, @06:59PM
Are you saying that small towns are no longer places where "everyone is constantly rated by everyone else?"
Because if that is your thesis, you didn't make any effort at all to even mention it. Instead what you wrote sure looks like a straightforward defense of that very principle. If you would like to clarify your remarks, please do so.
(Score: 1) by In hydraulis on Wednesday February 04 2015, @11:34PM
He could also be arguing that everyone is still being constantly watched and rated by everyone else, but it no longer has the exemplified positive effects.
Not that this alternative is any better, though.