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Internet ratings get only 3 stars from me
Nudges towards relentlessly positive feedback distort our ability to measure real customer experience
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Online reviews depict a world in which everything appears wonderful except when it is atrocious, the writer says.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PIXABAY
Jemima Kelly
There are three kinds of lies on the Internet. Lies, damned lies, and 1- to 5-star ratings.
I am not just talking about the kind of ratings that can be bought from a fake reviewer for US$5 (S$6.60) a pop (though those are indeed a plague). I am talking about the supposedly real ratings that we give by mindlessly tapping our thumbs on all five stars when we are prompted to review yet another nausea-inducing cab ride or mediocre fitness class – not because this is a true reflection of our views but because it is the fastest, most frictionless and guilt-free option.
