The Big River Review
Ethical Standards and
Reviews on Amazon.com
|
Trusted? "E-fluentials have gotten savvier about online dialogue since we first identified them in 2001. They are increasingly frustrated about commercial activity on discussion boards and opinion Web sites intended for consumers," said Ame Wadler, Chief Strategic Officer of Burson-Marsteller. "Their mounting concern calls for complete transparency because arousing suspicion among e-fluentials can trigger negative word of mouth as opposed to the intended positive buzz." The Power Reviews study of 2010 asserted that 35% of researchers don’t trust online reviews, especially when they seem too positive, or are not accompanied by similar reviews. |
In 2007, advertising and marketing agency Burston-Marsteller released results of a survey of a group it called “e-fluentials . . . the most powerful and influential online consumer segment.”
A study by the consulting company Power Reviews found that of the review sites used by consumers for purchasing decisions, the most influential were an aggregate of retailer and brand sites, but the most important single source for one-third of researchers was Amazon.com.
For readers, authors and publishers Amazon books is the largest meeting place for the exchange and marketing of intellectual property. The integrity of its descriptive content and review process, the forum by which all parties can exchange information and ideas about the product they have in common, can be justifiably monitored.
In February 2004, the New York Times reported that a glitch in the Amazon Canada website had revealed the true identities of anonymous book reviewers in the United States. Many were found to be authors of their own or competing books, some of them well known.
“The weeklong glitch, which Amazon fixed after outed reviewers complained, provided a rare glimpse at how writers and readers are wielding the online reviews as a tool to promote or pan a book -- when they think no one is watching.”
--
Under Amazon's system, any user may submit a review without publicly providing any personal information (or evidence of having read the book). The posting of real names on the Canadian site was for many a reminder that anonymity on the Internet is seldom a sure thing.
''It was an unfortunate error,'' said Patricia Smith, an Amazon spokeswoman. ''We'll examine whatever happened and make sure it won't happen again.''
But even with reviewer privacy restored, many people say Amazon's pages have turned into what one writer called ''a rhetorical war,'' where friends and family members are regularly corralled to write glowing reviews and each negative one is scrutinized for the digital fingerprints of known enemies.
In response, Amazon replaced anonymous reviews with a “Real Name” process that still allowed reviewers to remain anonymous by choosing pen names. The fix was criticized in an unsigned Times editorial, which concluded “In the end, it's probably easier just to go to the library and browse.”
The problem was not solved. Instead it has grown with the understanding that Amazon reviews are an important marketing tool worthy of manipulation.
" . . .from April 21st to April 25th, you can pick up a copy of Minimalism: Essential Essays for free. "
"If you enjoy this book, please leave a positive review on Amazon (top secret reviewers hint: the more stars, the better). Those reviews help us to reach more people through Amazon's recommendations."
November 2011
“Raw opinion, no matter how deeply felt, is no substitute
for argument and evidence. The democratization of reviewing is synonymous with
the decay of reviewing." Morris Dickstein, from a discussion about book reviews in the digital age.
January 2011
- Gaming the System
In his e book The Day the Kindle Died, author Thomas Hertog describes how he was able to move a previous book to the top of the Amazon best seller list in the category of personal finance through a combination of buying the book, reviewing it numerous times and commenting on those and other reviews. The book, critical of the Amazon process, was temporarily withdrawn from sale by Amazon.
Subsequently, Thomas Hertog continues his argument that Amazon’s process, as represented by treatment of his book, is problematic. “. . . The Day the Kindle Died exposes Amazon's flawed sales rankings and customer reviews and is condemned by Amazon. The hypocrisy is palpable when Amazon claims they ‘will not tolerate efforts to manipulate’ their data, but they do nothing to prevent it and even make it difficult for authors to get ‘reviews’ removed.”
He also provided links to job announcements seeking professional writers for posting of positive reviews on Amazon.com.