What will I learn about: Online reviews have historical precedents, evolving from early expert systems like the Michelin Guide to crowd-sourced platforms like Zagat and Yelp?

Online reviews have historical precedents, evolving from early expert systems like the Michelin Guide to crowd-sourced platforms like Zagat and Yelp.

What will I learn about: Effective feedback must be tailored to the recipient's experience level; novices need praise to stay committed, whereas experts prefer direct, negative critique to improve?

Effective feedback must be tailored to the recipient's experience level; novices need praise to stay committed, whereas experts prefer direct, negative critique to improve.

What will I learn about: Online rating systems are often noisy and confusing because users apply vastly different subjective scales and frequently share comments stripped of their original context?

Online rating systems are often noisy and confusing because users apply vastly different subjective scales and frequently share comments stripped of their original context.

What will I learn about: Driven by the financial power of consumer ratings, a massive illicit market has emerged where companies actively buy, sell, and fake positive product reviews?

Driven by the financial power of consumer ratings, a massive illicit market has emerged where companies actively buy, sell, and fake positive product reviews.

What will I learn about: Internet anonymity and highly curated social media profiles fuel a culture of cyberbullying and narcissism, leading users to falsely compare their real lives to the airbrushed highlights of others?

Internet anonymity and highly curated social media profiles fuel a culture of cyberbullying and narcissism, leading users to falsely compare their real lives to the airbrushed highlights of others.

Reading the Comments

Likers, Haters and Manipulators at the Bottom of the Web

Joseph M. Reagle Jr.

★ 3.3 / 5(25 ratings)

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Categories:

Society & Culture Technology & the Future

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Why do experts in online communities, like Linux developers, actually prefer negative feedback over the praise-heavy "sandwich technique" favored by beginners?
💡How does the ancient Greek story of a shepherd's invisible ring perfectly explain the psychology behind modern cyberbullies and internet trolls?
💡Why did researchers find that staring at your own Facebook profile boosts your self-esteem, while looking in a regular mirror actually lowers it?

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Key Takeaways from Reading the Comments

✓Online reviews have historical precedents, evolving from early expert systems like the Michelin Guide to crowd-sourced platforms like Zagat and Yelp.
✓Effective feedback must be tailored to the recipient's experience level; novices need praise to stay committed, whereas experts prefer direct, negative critique to improve.
✓Online rating systems are often noisy and confusing because users apply vastly different subjective scales and frequently share comments stripped of their original context.
✓Driven by the financial power of consumer ratings, a massive illicit market has emerged where companies actively buy, sell, and fake positive product reviews.
✓Internet anonymity and highly curated social media profiles fuel a culture of cyberbullying and narcissism, leading users to falsely compare their real lives to the airbrushed highlights of others.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Reading the Comments

Mind Map

Reading the Comments

History & Evolution+

The Nature of Feedback+

Noise and Context Issues+

Review Manipulation+

Anonymity's Dark Side+

Self-Image and Narcissism+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7

According to the text, what was the first guide to offer a star-based rating system for services like hotels and gas stations?

A. The Zagat Survey
B. The Michelin guide
C. The New York Times Book Review
D. London's Monthly Review

Question 2 of 7

Why do expert communities, such as Linux developers, tend to prefer negative or purely critical feedback compared to novice communities?

A. Experts have higher self-esteem and are immune to the emotional impact of harsh criticism.
B. Novices lack the technical vocabulary to understand complex critical feedback.
C. Beginners need praise to stay committed to a goal, while experts focus on finding ways to progress and improve.
D. Expert communities are naturally more anonymous, which leads to a harsher tone in their communication.

Question 3 of 7

Educational psychologist Valerie Shute found that effective formative feedback should be:

A. Focused on the learner's personality to build character, and delivered face-to-face.
B. Focused on the task, and communicated in writing rather than via conversation.
C. Delivered using the sandwich technique regardless of the learner's expertise level.
D. Given anonymously to ensure the reviewer is completely honest and unbiased.

Question 4 of 7

What is one major reason why online commentary channels, such as review systems, are often considered 'noisy' and difficult to interpret?

A. Users rely on vastly different subjective scales when evaluating products or events.
B. Most platforms do not allow users to rate or rank other people's comments.
C. Only negative comments are made visible to provoke user engagement and site traffic.
D. Users are legally required to leave a review, leading to a high volume of apathetic comments.

Question 5 of 7

How did sociology professor Trevor Pinch observe some companies being dishonest regarding product reviews?

A. By legally threatening users who posted negative reviews of their products.
B. By copying a positive review from a competing product and posting it for their own.
C. By hacking into the CAPTCHA system to automatically delete negative feedback.
D. By paying users to downvote all competitors' products on platforms like Slashdot.

Question 6 of 7

According to linguist Susan Herring, what is the primary goal of an online troll?

A. To systematically destroy a specific author's reputation through organized negative reviews.
B. To hack into anonymous comment boards to reveal users' true identities.
C. To send seemingly sincere messages designed to provoke responses and start pointless arguments.
D. To leverage an imbalance of power to belittle weaker individuals in an online community.

Question 7 of 7

In the study by psychologists Amy Gonzalez and Jeffrey Hancock, why did participants who looked at their Facebook profiles report higher self-esteem than those who looked in a mirror?

A. Facebook profiles allowed users to see the high number of 'likes' they received from peers.
B. Looking in a mirror forced participants to confront the reality of their offline social isolation.
C. Participants were able to control, curate, and modify their self-image on their Facebook profiles.
D. Facebook's algorithm automatically hides negative comments, creating a purely positive environment.