Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
blogs.wsj.com
Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
1–10 of 40 posts
Re: Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
#2I've deleted the Yelp app from my iPhone. It seemed like a good idea early on, but I don't feel that I can trust the results any more, and it's not worth the trouble.
It's a bummer because I travel a lot for work, so it was nice to be able to find local businesses.
Re: Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
#3I've deleted the Yelp app from my iPhone. It seemed like a good idea early on, but I don't feel that I can trust the results any more, and it's not worth the trouble. It's a bummer because I travel a lot for work, so it was nice to be able to find local businesses.
i've found locale-specific sites to always be better. unfortunately that does require knowing what they are if you travel.
Re: Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
#4I've deleted the Yelp app from my iPhone. It seemed like a good idea early on, but I don't feel that I can trust the results any more, and it's not worth the trouble. It's a bummer because I travel a lot for work, so it was nice to be able to find local businesses.
It's really too bad Google didn't buy them; I don't fundamentally trust Google that much more, but I do trust that Google doesn't care more about the pennies it would get from hard-selling small business than it does about the avalanche of cash it gets selling advertising to everyone.
There is, however, a special place in hell reserved for the people whose business model revolves around squeezing mom and pop businesses. It is an endless Wal Mart, stretching as far as the eye can see, inhabited by zombie greeters armed with 24-can value packs of flaming caustic Dow distinfectant spray.
Re: Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
#5I've deleted the Yelp app from my iPhone. It seemed like a good idea early on, but I don't feel that I can trust the results any more, and it's not worth the trouble. It's a bummer because I travel a lot for work, so it was nice to be able to find local businesses.
It's really too bad Google didn't buy them; I don't fundamentally trust Google that much more, but I do trust that Google doesn't care more about the pennies it would get from hard-selling small business than it does about the avalanche of cash it gets selling advertising to everyone. There is, however, a special place in hell reserved for the people whose business model revolves around squeezing mom and pop business…
you know - these rumors were already flying by then... wonder if they had any impact on the outcome.
Re: Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
#6I've deleted the Yelp app from my iPhone. It seemed like a good idea early on, but I don't feel that I can trust the results any more, and it's not worth the trouble. It's a bummer because I travel a lot for work, so it was nice to be able to find local businesses.
Can anyone recommend an alternative?
Re: Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
#7I've deleted the Yelp app from my iPhone. It seemed like a good idea early on, but I don't feel that I can trust the results any more, and it's not worth the trouble. It's a bummer because I travel a lot for work, so it was nice to be able to find local businesses.
Even if there were some improprieties going on...If it was empirically useful, for you, why stop using it? This behavior would probably harm Yelp's business clients far more than their users.
Or do you feel is was important to make a statement?
Re: Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
#8There is definitely room in the market for a new Yelp, one that is trusted and won't erase bad reviews. I'd like to see something where reviews decay over time though, similar to the HN frontpage. Once a review is "off the frontpage" long enough, it shouldn't be publicly accessible anymore. This would allow small businesses to regain their online reputation after a bad period.
Anyway, too bad for Yelp that there isn't somebody in the gov't they could pay $300/month to make this bad lawsuit go away...
Re: Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
#9I've deleted the Yelp app from my iPhone. It seemed like a good idea early on, but I don't feel that I can trust the results any more, and it's not worth the trouble. It's a bummer because I travel a lot for work, so it was nice to be able to find local businesses.
It's really too bad Google didn't buy them; I don't fundamentally trust Google that much more, but I do trust that Google doesn't care more about the pennies it would get from hard-selling small business than it does about the avalanche of cash it gets selling advertising to everyone. There is, however, a special place in hell reserved for the people whose business model revolves around squeezing mom and pop business…
There is, however, a special place in hell reserved for the people whose business model revolves around squeezing mom and pop businesses.
I don't know why mom-and-pop businesses should get a free pass on everything. They seem to think that because running a small business is not particularly profitable, that they shouldn't have to pay taxes, they shouldn't have to provide customer service, they shouldn't have reasonable hours, and that I should worship them for providing me with such a valuable service.
I like local businesses, but it was nice to see the last recession kill some of the crappy ones off.
(The ones I frequent that have good ratings on Yelp are the ones that deserve good ratings. The people working there tend to be super-nice, and that makes people want to rate them highly. The places with low ratings deserve the low ratings.)
Re: Real People. Real Reviews. Real Extortion Scheme?
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's really too bad Google didn't buy them; I don't fundamentally trust Google that much more, but I do trust that Google doesn't care more about the pennies it would get from hard-selling small business than it does about the avalanche of cash it gets selling advertising to everyone. There is, however, a special place in hell reserved for the people whose business model revolves around squeezing mom and pop business…
There is, however, a special place in hell reserved for the people whose business model revolves around squeezing mom and pop businesses. I don't know why mom-and-pop businesses should get a free pass on everything. They seem to think that because running a small business is not particularly profitable, that they shouldn't have to pay taxes, they shouldn't have to provide customer service, they shouldn't have reasona…
They don't deserve a free pass on anything. They do deserve not to be bullied by businesses with massively more resources in ways that don't improve market efficiency.
I have no problem with Wal Mart killing off neighborhood True Value hardware stores; that has a demonstrable benefit (though perhaps not one I'd choose) for consumers.
I have a clear problem with a parasitic business extracting cash from a neighborhood cafe. I don't benefit from that at all; in fact, nobody does except for the parasite.