tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post7455094314179317601..comments2023-07-03T03:23:49.863-07:00Comments on MisoHungry: How to Destroy an Online CommunityPookieSouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836909889919955074noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-42449099200445342042012-04-02T01:54:02.660-07:002012-04-02T01:54:02.660-07:00Kick back. Yelp is just a foodie website.
For tho...Kick back. Yelp is just a foodie website.<br /><br />For those that take too much meaning into badges and what they represent are just missing the whole thing. I am an avid yelper in California and do participate daily on these threads.<br /><br />Yelp HQ may not be perfect, but they do their best to weed out those not deserving to be Elite. Well it was a great article but let it be known things come and go. Yelp is here to stay and it is just evolving into a medium we all utilize whether we dislike it or not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-3749588791959512112011-01-11T20:58:14.082-08:002011-01-11T20:58:14.082-08:00I'm on the verge of getting banned for suggest...I'm on the verge of getting banned for suggesting someone save their money instead of getting tacos. I guess it wouldn't be a big deal unless they were trying to keep a pregnancy on the DL.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-865583626362719572011-01-07T08:19:59.526-08:002011-01-07T08:19:59.526-08:00If a user is spending hours a day fomenting hate, ...If a user is spending hours a day fomenting hate, I can't believe I can't think of who they are, as I'm usually pretty active in talk threads. Maybe I'm reading the wrong topics!Colin T.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-70974574222282629062010-09-10T22:28:28.586-07:002010-09-10T22:28:28.586-07:00Thanks for this post... I like Michelle C's r...Thanks for this post... I like Michelle C's reviews and she truly does lots for yelp. Their ban on business owners or people who work for companies from the elite ranks sounds like an incredibly bad idea. Why wouldn't they just make their TOS prevent reviewing your own business or your competitors...wait, they already do that...so why de-elite their best members who stay inline with tos... And YES...they should delete the wack job's account...hate his posts.David Flashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16238601910432785590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-54676129074543051982010-08-26T13:01:35.739-07:002010-08-26T13:01:35.739-07:00Yelp in Austin has become a collection of trolls a...Yelp in Austin has become a collection of trolls and unknowns mixed in with the few "faithful" remaining. Even a few of the original "Old Guard" have become little more than trolls in the Yelp threads - instantly pouncing on anyone asking a legitimate question with a bowl of fresh snark waiting. Very sad. When I started with Yelp Austin there were maybe 15 of us total. It was like a mini family. Now it's like a headless mob.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-51209609556462005452010-08-26T12:41:28.281-07:002010-08-26T12:41:28.281-07:00Thanks, Jennie, for talking about this. I had no i...Thanks, Jennie, for talking about this. I had no idea. If Michelle's not elite, I don't want to be. She was encouraging me just Saturday to nominate myself, so I did. Now I just don't care. Wow. I have considered this to be a real resource, but crappy policies can really bring down a good thing.Lil Evelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05326753754825238560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-89544636297473800822010-08-26T12:30:19.127-07:002010-08-26T12:30:19.127-07:00Hi Anonymous(es),
Thanks for the feedback. If y...Hi Anonymous(es), <br /><br />Thanks for the feedback. If you'd like, feel free to email me privately. I can't tell who you really are by your comments, but I'd love to connect again.PookieSouphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836909889919955074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-1455336186513652902010-08-26T12:28:18.832-07:002010-08-26T12:28:18.832-07:00Hi Jennie,
This is a great post and much appreciat...Hi Jennie,<br />This is a great post and much appreciated. I agree with the issues you raised here around inconsistency. <br /><br />I was a regular Yelper & earned Elite badges in '08 and '09. I can't say that I was a super-poster, but I would like to think that I took the time to actually review places I'd visited with insightful tips, recommendations and critiques. I noticed a change in Yelp in mid-2009 when reviews seemed to be rewarded for snark instead of actual reviews. Additionally, is EVERYTHING in this town really worth 4-stars? I mean...really??? <br /><br />I don't think that Yelp is useless, but I do believe that you actually have to mine through a lot of craptastic commentary to find out if you can get a good slice of pizza somewhere. That, or become intimately familiar with a few reviewers whose taste you trust. Based on my most recent Elite parties, I can't say that the "group" was one whose opinions much mattered to me.<br /><br />I do want to personally thank you for ALWAYS providing excellent insight. We met a few times at different Yelp events and while I no longer participate in Yelp, I hope to see you around!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-52632971476854645252010-08-26T12:15:38.413-07:002010-08-26T12:15:38.413-07:00Wow, as a Yelper (although not Elite) this makes m...Wow, as a Yelper (although not Elite) this makes me so very, very sad. Sad that Yelp is apparently suffering from the inflated ego of its upper echelon of management that they cannot see the damage they're doing to their own little people, the Yelpers themselves. Michelle is one of Austin's most widely respected Foodie voices---Yelp has shot themself in the foot by taking away her Elite status. I completely trust Michelle's opinions and ethics but now, not Yelp's.Kay Marley-Dilworth @ATXFoodnewshttp://www.twitter.com/ATXFoodnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-89826495341311001342010-08-26T12:03:49.545-07:002010-08-26T12:03:49.545-07:00Wow - this post was fascinating. Thank you, Jennie...Wow - this post was fascinating. Thank you, Jennie. I've had my own issues with Yelp that has turned me off to contributing reviews. This includes a post asking about Yelpers Twitter addresses (mysteriously deleted) and I've been flagged for linking to other websites that I was in no way affiliated with. Yelp got it right at the beginning but they are now becoming reactive and are punishing people with the best of intentions (like Michelle who is AWESOME) and letting the negative flamers stay. It will be interesting to see how this transpires as more Yelp competitors (like bloggers) share honest reviews without big brother's oversight.Jodihttp://tastytouring.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-54063461244130654382010-08-26T11:15:46.405-07:002010-08-26T11:15:46.405-07:00Jennie, thank you SO much for this thoughtful and ...Jennie, thank you SO much for this thoughtful and supportive post! Your insight from a social/psychological perspective is invaluable. I know that our community and others have raised awareness about some of these issues, and I am hopeful that Yelp will re-consider their policy on allowing those affiliated with local businesses to be Elite. Thanks again for everything you do! <3Optimistahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08296803853405328949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-30701806967598883412010-08-26T11:10:01.114-07:002010-08-26T11:10:01.114-07:00I was also the victim of "business harassment...I was also the victim of "business harassment" by a competitor who posted a fake negative review. I flagged it and opened a case with Yelp. I explained that if they would just look at the IP address of that user that they would see they were in a different time zone and nowhere near me or my services. The really sad part is that to make their account look legit they also gave a 4-star review to another local provider, damaging her 5-star rating a bit. <br /><br />Yelp couldn't "prove" the person wasn't real, so the refused to remove it. Eventually, it fell off the radar and my page. Yelp has almost brought me enough business to warrant the hassle. Almost.<br /><br />I so very badly wanted Google to buy them!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-82487037224848211312010-08-26T10:54:46.837-07:002010-08-26T10:54:46.837-07:00Business owners who did review other businesses in...Business owners who did review other businesses in the industry or themselves were flagged by the community and removed. The problem is that Yelp didn't really enforce it too closely, so instead they decided to just de-Elite any business owners. That still doesn't prevent non-Elite users to engage in that behavior. <br /><br />It wasn't made public before, but I was also reprimanded for making the link to Keep Austin Dog Friendly available one Yelp just a single time in a talk thread. Many people used to post the link to it often, but I had my wrist slapped for it as well.PookieSouphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836909889919955074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-48313193907298075172010-08-26T10:52:36.236-07:002010-08-26T10:52:36.236-07:00Great post Jennie. Such a shame that they are wast...Great post Jennie. Such a shame that they are wasting all of the loyalty they once had.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-33414527636320983242010-08-26T10:49:51.207-07:002010-08-26T10:49:51.207-07:00Great post.
Exact same thing happened to me that ...Great post.<br /><br />Exact same thing happened to me that happened to Coffee Vancouver. Weirdly the exact same process. My account was killed. I asked about a warning because I was fairly new. I saw a lot of other posters that had link backs to their sites and they still had their accounts. I questioned their enforcement and didn't hear a thing.<br /><br />I created a different account to get back in then decide against it. I have not gone back.N Flowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13351625245700803994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-50163031117443728952010-08-26T10:46:13.999-07:002010-08-26T10:46:13.999-07:00Nicely written. I would hope that smarter minds w...Nicely written. I would hope that smarter minds will prevail at Yelp HQ someday.bazehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03407885423447779474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-62225111056167087002010-08-26T06:51:42.474-07:002010-08-26T06:51:42.474-07:00This is so interesting, Jennie. I was never a Yelp...This is so interesting, Jennie. I was never a Yelp Elite (I've only posted 4 reviews :), but I WAS consistently impressed, last year in particular, with the tight-knit community Yelp had built.<br /><br />Who in the world made that rule about not being Yelp Elite, if you're affiliated with a local business? Well, who ISN'T affiliated with a local business in this town? It makes me think that was a new condition borne from one of their lawsuits. However, Yelp communities are most active in cities where there are an abundance of local businesses (like San Francisco, where it started), so I'm not sure how sustainable that rule is.<br /><br />Couldn't they make a rule that local business affiliates can't review other businesses in their industry? Or else they get flagged?Austin Eavesdropperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09089689495366272459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522686108908060245.post-27173442698925647302010-08-26T06:15:19.712-07:002010-08-26T06:15:19.712-07:00Thanks for posting this, Jennie. I was an active Y...Thanks for posting this, Jennie. I was an active Yelper and 2009 Elite, but stopped reviewing around November 2009. So I naturally wasn't a 2010 Yelp Elite - which was fine, because I didn't earn it. But then I received an invite to become an Elite again in June or July.<br /><br />I hadn't posted a single review in over six months. Definitely get where you're coming from.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com