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Why posting reviews has become a dangerous sport?

by neshaword
17 replies
There've been a couple of threads recently discussing the troubles of people getting into for posting reviews. These guys were literally petrified that they're going to be sued that I felt sorry for them. On the other side, I saw comments where warriors were actually condemning them rather than supporting them.

Why?

OK. There's a huge difference between a review and something called defamation (I really hope that's the right term). If you take it to the personal level and accuse someone with no evidence, then you don't deserve to hide behind a "review immunity."

However, there's something else that worries me a lot, and no one seems to notice. Can you see that the "industry" is gonna take an advantage of this situation? They're gonna say, oh nice, let's scare off all people thinking about negative reviews.

My point is, if you think twice before posting a review, if you measure twice every single word you're gonna put in your review, then THEY have won. When I'm posting a review, I see it as a duty to contribute to the truth and wellbeing of other potential users and customers.

A product, service, company, or whatever, with no single negative review, or at least a criticizing one is a very, very suspicious to me. So, the next time someone asks for a help here, because of the potential lawsuit for an alleged defamation how about a helping hand and a little bit of support.

Just take this guy as a perfect example:

#dangerous #posting #reviews #sport
  • Profile picture of the author LicenseStore
    Hello,

    I agree with you.

    One should post reviews for helping one another and learning from other's experiences, rather than getting the negative vibes in the forum.
    If you have content that will help the thread, go for it or else just move on to other things.
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    • Profile picture of the author amalrichard
      I Agree with this. Forum is just for Knowledge Sharing. We don't want to take anything personal.
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    • Profile picture of the author neshaword
      Originally Posted by LicenseStore View Post

      Hello,

      I agree with you.

      One should post reviews for helping one another and learning from other's experiences, rather than getting the negative vibes in the forum.
      If you have content that will help the thread, go for it or else just move on to other things.
      Right, but we aren't talking only about the threads. I'm talking about a much larger picture. The whole IM industry. The latest threads I'm referring to were related to Amazon products and the other one, huh I forgot. So, when I'm writing a review, I do my best not to think only about my own interest. Maybe, with my review I'm gonna help someone do the right thing. Especially, if a product/service/company or whatever isn't what is supposed or advertised to be, I simply have to warn other potential customers and users. In a professional and truthful way, of course.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    It's clear people answering have no idea what you are talking about.

    My point is, if you think twice before posting a review, if you measure twice every single word you're gonna put in your review, then THEY have won. When I'm posting a review, I see it as a duty to contribute to the truth and wellbeing of other potential users and customers.
    It's not about beating someone - winning or losing - it's about conducting business in an ethical and legal way.

    The tough talk is ridiculous on this topic. Any site owner can do as they please - and take whatever consequences come their way. If you post some of vicious reviews that were in the other threads on this topic - it's a risk you take. Doesn't hurt me - but I wouldn't take legal advice from a forum, either.
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    • Profile picture of the author neshaword
      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      It's not about beating someone - winning or losing - it's about conducting business in an ethical and legal way.
      Absolutely KK. This doesn't mean that I would support a review, which wasn't professional among other things. Someone has worked hard to give or provide you something for you to buy/use etc. So, respect that. Share your opinion. Criticize if you have to, but not on a personal level and some with some ridiculous accusations.

      Just wanted to give a word of encouragement to all honest and professional warriors, who'll give a review in the future. The conclusion of these threads about lawsuit threats was unacceptable for me. You make people think, oh forget about reviews, this kind of thing can get you in trouble, leave it to someone else. Someone else will do it instead and for me is a very dangerous thought.

      Let's support reliable and professional reviews. Let's say no to...what was the word, ah defamation. Let's also encourage people to write reviews.

      Cheers,
      N
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  • Profile picture of the author EPoltrack77
    Thats why we need to do our research and understand before we run at the mouth via keyboard. That is a big problem in this internet space and that is why it is good to explore different results and even different search engines to get a bigger idea of what people are talking about.
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  • Profile picture of the author AnniePot
    I do quite a bit of reviewing (although not as much as I used to).

    With each product, I try to present a 'bigger picture'. I do this with a lot of research, reading feedback on the manufacturer's site, Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Best Buy, etc. Then I compile and expand upon a list of pros and cons, as well as several paragraphs of review (nothing cut and pasted ).

    Often, in the feedback, someone will mention what they see as a fault with the product, then someone else will refute this by explaining what the first person was doing wrong. All great material for a detailed, unbiased review.

    If I come across a product that, from its feedback is just plain bad, I don't include it. What's the point?
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    • Profile picture of the author neshaword
      Originally Posted by AnniePot View Post

      With each product, I try to present a 'bigger picture'. I do this with a lot of research, reading feedback on the manufacturer's site, Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Best Buy, etc. Then I compile and expand upon a list of pros and cons, as well as several paragraphs of review (nothing cut and pasted ).

      Often, in the feedback, someone will mention what they see as a fault with the product, then someone else will refute this by explaining what the first person was doing wrong. All great material for a detailed, unbiased review.
      Thx Annie,

      Imagine the world without reviews. Where would you go, what would you do, what to use, where to buy? It would be such a gamble even for the most basic things.

      Ah wait, wait. What's a freelancer without his/her review? I will tell you - NOTHING!! Do you know how many times I got reviews with the sole purpose of damaging my reputation? Too many. What did I do about them? Nothing. I had to work even harder to prove them all wrong. So, when you see one negative review among hundreds of positive ones, you don't ask what's wrong with a freelancer, but rather what was client's problem with this guy.

      The same principle should work for companies too. Let the reviews speak for themselves. Just like we do with the comments here. Let people decide who's right or wrong. I know it can be a little bit different in the business world, but some basic things are all the same.

      Thx,
      N
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  • Profile picture of the author Gambino
    Originally Posted by neshaword View Post

    There've been a couple of threads recently discussing the troubles of people getting into for posting reviews. These guys were literally petrified that they're going to be sued that I felt sorry for them. On the other side, I saw comments where warriors were actually condemning them rather than supporting them.

    Why?

    OK. There's a huge difference between a review and something called defamation (I really hope that's the right term). If you take it to the personal level and accuse someone with no evidence, then you don't deserve to hide behind a "review immunity."
    It seems as if you've answered your own question. At best, those reviews bordered on possible defamation and the "reviewer" said they didn't even use the product they were "reviewing".

    If I started a blog called neshaworldstinksatwriting.com, even though I've never hired you to write for me or seen your writing outside of this forum, would you not be upset and seek legal action?
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    • Profile picture of the author neshaword
      Originally Posted by Gambino View Post

      It seems as if you've answered your own question. At best, those reviews bordered on possible defamation and the "reviewer" said they didn't even use the product they were "reviewing".

      If I started a blog called neshaworldstinksatwriting.com, even though I've never hired you to write for me or seen your writing outside of this forum, would you not be upset and seek legal action?
      No Gambino, I'm not upset by your comments. I don't need to take a legal action. I leave it up to warriors to decide what's the situation here.

      Don't have time for negative thoughts and feelings.

      My writing sucks from the first to the last letter. I have to improve. I have to write more. I have to write better. This attitude is the only guarantee that my writing has the future.

      Cheers!
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      • Profile picture of the author Gambino
        Originally Posted by neshaword View Post

        No Gambino, I'm not upset by your comments. I don't need to take a legal action. I leave it up to warriors to decide what's the situation here.

        Don't have time for negative thoughts and feelings.

        My writing sucks from the first to the last letter. I have to improve. I have to write more. I have to write better. This attitude is the only guarantee that my writing has the future.

        Cheers!
        So, let's pretend your freelance name is Neshaword.

        I create a site at "NeshawordSucks.com" with a tagline "Neshaword is a thief, don't hire him!!!"

        Then I proceed to talk about how bad you are as a writer and why nobody should use your services. Even though, I've never personally used your services. But, I have read a few of your posts and just think you're horrible and can't write very well.

        You'd be okay with me creating that site? Even when people who may hire you on a freelance website search for you, then come to my site, then read my reviews of you and think you're a horrible writer, then go out and hire someone else instead based on my reviews that say you stink?
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
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    Originally Posted by neshaword View Post

    So, the next time someone asks for a help here, because of the potential lawsuit for an alleged defamation how about a helping hand and a little bit of support.


    Why, so you can be part of the lawsuit?

    My advice is stay away from those lawsuit threads because odds are you're only getting 50% of the story.
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  • Profile picture of the author desley
    Very interesting thread. From where I sit, my erstwhile opinion all of 2 cents worth is - avoid writing a review when you have not tried the product or service; then when you do write a review remember to include the pros and cons. Alternatively at the very least state right up front you haven't used the product/service however have undertaken indepth research and be prepared to quote your sources.

    Writing a review whilst not having utilised the product or service in my erstwhile view is dodgy, fraught with potential legal hiccups and potentially just as unethical as the product/service vendor that the negative review is written about.

    Anyway hope this assist.
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  • Profile picture of the author silveroaks
    Posting reviews has become dangerous because nowadays it seems like people who are posting reviews are doing it just for the money or just for negative criticism. they just do not realize that their negative criticism is going to break a product. or too much of positive comments can make someone lose their money by buying the wrong product.
    The reviews are very important in today's world where many people depend on websites to buy their products online.
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  • Profile picture of the author davismiller097
    Originally Posted by neshaword View Post

    There've been a couple of threads recently discussing the troubles of people getting into for posting reviews. These guys were literally petrified that they're going to be sued that I felt sorry for them. On the other side, I saw comments where warriors were actually condemning them rather than supporting them.

    Why?

    OK. There's a huge difference between a review and something called defamation (I really hope that's the right term). If you take it to the personal level and accuse someone with no evidence, then you don't deserve to hide behind a "review immunity."

    However, there's something else that worries me a lot, and no one seems to notice. Can you see that the "industry" is gonna take an advantage of this situation? They're gonna say, oh nice, let's scare off all people thinking about negative reviews.

    My point is, if you think twice before posting a review, if you measure twice every single word you're gonna put in your review, then THEY have won. When I'm posting a review, I see it as a duty to contribute to the truth and wellbeing of other potential users and customers.

    A product, service, company, or whatever, with no single negative review, or at least a criticizing one is a very, very suspicious to me. So, the next time someone asks for a help here, because of the potential lawsuit for an alleged defamation how about a helping hand and a little bit of support.

    Just take this guy as a perfect example:

    The Nerd³ Ultimatum - YouTube
    This video could hurt their feefees and by extension be seen as harassment against them.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Originally Posted by neshaword View Post

    Imagine the world without reviews. Where would you go, what would you do, what to use, where to buy? It would be such a gamble even for the most basic things.
    I don't have to imagine it. I'm old enough to have lived in that world. If you wanted to know about a thing, you found a friend or acquaintance who had the thing and asked them. Or you read the pitch and used your brain.

    As far as fearing the consequences of a negative review, I don't. Not because I'm all that macho about it, but more because I understand the difference between talking about a thing and talking about the creator of that thing. I'm also very careful to make sure what I say is labelled as opinion, which in the USA is protected speech.

    I'm free to say "Product X is crap", even "I think the creator of Product X is a scammer and a thief." I can't say "the creator of Product X is a thief" because that's couched as a statement of fact. If I get sued, I'd best be able to back up the claim.

    There's also risk for the person filing the lawsuit. It's called a countersuit. Give a hungry contingency lawyer a whiff of a settlement, and I believe you'd have to beat them off with a stick. (See what I did there?)

    All that said, I agree with Kay and others. A forum like this one is a lousy place to get specific legal advice. And before I took any from the "tell'em to eff off" crowd, ask them to put up a bond indemnifying you if they're wrong. (That means they agree to cover your butt for any losses/expenses)
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  • Profile picture of the author nicheblogger75
    I don't feel threatened at all when I write reviews.

    Why? I write honest reviews and I ALWAYS own the product I review.

    I don't engage in these type of "affiliate reviews" where people review products that they have never even seen.

    How can you review a product that you have never used?

    You can't.

    If you write honest reviews and include all TRUE statements and don't make things up, then you have nothing to worry about.

    The review that this guy made was true at the time. The company can write and tell him that they corrected the issues and ask if he will make another video notating that, but I don't think they can go and ask him to remove a video where he told the TRUTH in the video.

    Personally I wouldn't have made a video like the one he made. It's not worth my time. I probably would have just made some notations on the original review video letting people know that the bugs had now been corrected.
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