Althouse: "A complex and secretive algorithm chooses which reviews to display on Yelp.com."

May 22, 2013

"A complex and secretive algorithm chooses which reviews to display on Yelp.com."

"Some small business owners say they feel pressured to advertise with Yelp for favorable filtering."

20 comments:

TosaGuy said...: Welcome to the Internet.; 5/22/13, 5:51 PM
rhhardin said...: I doubt it's a complex algorithm.; 5/22/13, 5:52 PM
Methadras said...: This was their first day on the internet. It didn't go well.; 5/22/13, 5:56 PM
Baron Zemo said...: I was told this flat out by a Yelp representative.

If I bought ads the good reviews would be out front and the poor ones buried.

It's extortion plain and simple.; 5/22/13, 6:37 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Yelp has to do something to keep businesses from putting in their own good reviews. The businesses that complain might have gotten caught playing games. That wouldn't justify offering to put them back for a price.

If Yelp really was a scam, wouldn't it go out of business?; 5/22/13, 6:51 PM
edutcher said...: What's Yelp?; 5/22/13, 7:10 PM
bagoh20 said...: "If Yelp really was a scam, wouldn't it go out of business?"

You're so cute. Just adorable.

~~~~~

We need to stop worrying about the contrails. It's the algorithms. They are all around us, calculating us, measuring us, selecting our seats on the silver seed.; 5/22/13, 7:34 PM
Mumpsimus said...: An algorithm may be secret, but it cannot be "secretive."; 5/22/13, 7:46 PM
Once written, twice... said...: Ann Althouse says...
"Do what I do! Go to some small local mom and pop retail store, lets say a camera shop, look over and handle their merchandise, ask a lot of technical questions of the owner, and then go home and order it from Amazon and save fifteen bucks! And PLEASE do it though my Amazon portal so I can make some cheap cash by being their whore!"

You know it's true Annie.; 5/22/13, 8:05 PM
MadisonMan said...: I find a lot of yelp reviews kinda tedious to read. Too many people trying to out-clever the other yelpers.; 5/22/13, 8:25 PM
Known Unknown said...: Yeah, Yelp is really what's wrong with Amy's Baking Company.; 5/22/13, 8:52 PM
Known Unknown said...: Jay is just jealous he can't pad his income with Amazon tips.; 5/22/13, 8:52 PM
paminwi said...: Angie's List does somethinging similar. Someone we know owns a business and got favorable reviews. Then Angie's List called them and said we will move you up in the rankings if you advertise on our site. They said no thanks and some of their favorable reviews disappeared. Imagine that!; 5/22/13, 9:41 PM
Once written, twice... said...: Yes EMD, I am jealous that I can not whore myself like Annie for some big international corporation for some "tips." Annie is like some Amway nutjob hawking Tupperware.

Classy Annie baby! Classy!; 5/22/13, 10:23 PM
Popville said...: Yelp horror stories are Silicon Valley legend. This is not new news. DO NOT fall for Yelp's denials.

Even liberal Ronn Owens (w/two N's!) on KGO 810 (50K watt clear channel AM news talk station, heard up & down the west coast) has run several intensely participatory segments on Yelp's evilness.

Hilarious that Yelp corp comms' Vince Sollitto comes off as a absolute creep. Would you trust that guy with anything?

The only honest & solid Big Time review site I trust is the travel site Trip Advisor. Likely because it is more a forum/community, with old school civility.; 5/22/13, 10:49 PM
SteveR said...: Jay Retard stay stupid; 5/22/13, 10:56 PM
Peter said...: "Yelp horror stories are Silicon Valley legend."

Indeed. Are there still people who make decisions based on what they read on Yelp?; 5/23/13, 8:27 AM
Rliyen said...: Not to mention, most Yelpers seem to be petty, shallow assholes. I do use the service and get incensed when I see a damn good local business get trashed by a no nothing Yelper who seems to think that unless they're being catered to hand and foot, that the businesses get one star.

I call them out every chance I get in counter reviews.; 5/23/13, 9:47 AM
Rliyen said...: Not to mention, most Yelpers seem to be petty, shallow assholes. I do use the service and get incensed when I see a damn good local business get trashed by a no nothing Yelper who seems to think that unless they're being catered to hand and foot, that the businesses get one star.

I call them out every chance I get in counter reviews.; 5/23/13, 9:49 AM
Baron Zemo said...: One of the many things the Nutty Perfessor knows absolutely nothing about is small business.

Yelp is a scam and a lot of people play along. They figure it is money well spent.

All advertising is a scam in fact. Several newspapers and magazines have offered favorable reviews if you take out advertising. That is how it works in the real world which is different from college. Just sayn'; 5/23/13, 4:58 PM