This actually warrants a longer, more thoughtful essay, but since I'm flying to Denver tomorrow morning and this is timely, I'm going to make it short. As I pack for my trip, I have been watching the local news and it ran a story on the consumer review website, Yelp. The integrity of consumer reviews has always been questioned, but apparently Yelp solicits local businesses to take "enhanced accounts" that will push negative reviews to the bottom of a heap and highlight a business's favorite positive ones. They have 10 million users and apparently a great deal of influence over the locales they cater. For more details, please go to:
http://cbs5.com/wrapper_consumer/seenon/Yelp.Internet.ratings.2.787400.html
I have to admit the nature of this Razzberry Lips business grates on me. (I'm not thrilled about little girls doing adult makeup.) I'd be inclined to give Razzberry Lips a negative review just for the concept.
This article is clearly slanted in the favor of local businesses, but the Yelp spokeswoman did raise some valid points (the owners and friends of the owners posting glowing reviews their businesses). Regardless, these enhanced accounts Yelp offers appear unethical without further research and at face value I'm inclined to believe the local businesses are being extorted.
As far as I know Epinions and Shopping.com doesn't offer "enhanced accounts" for businesses, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.
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