A Good Use of the Internet
The dek read: “What inspires someone to write more than 1,200 Yelp reviews in a year? For Robert Siu, it’s a labor of love.” I was curious — I think a lot of people write reviews because they have a very negative or very positive experience, but few people write reviews simply to pass along knowledge to people who come after you to a business or place.
Even though that would be one of the best ways to use the internet. I love it when we leave behind information for other people to use as they’re doing research and making decisions.
I love this thought: “Over the years, Siu has perfected his version of the ideal Yelp review, where brevity is paramount and anything can be deserving of feedback.”
That’s exactly it: I want to hear about someone else’s experience with everything and want it to be quick and to the point. What do I need to know so I can have a positive experience? What do I need a heads up about so I’m not disappointed because I’ve assumed something?
I especially love that this person adds businesses to Yelp: “Places that I think people would like to know about … I add the address, I add the hours they are open and information about it, and then I write a review.”
Helpful Yelp reviews (vs. the ones that you know are just people venting) are one of the nicest ways to use the internet.
2 comments
That was a lovely read. I adore that he is spending his time making the world just a little bit more knowledgable about the mundane.
I used to write reviews on Tripadvisor, and write the type of review that I want to read, with the information I want to know. I still do – but I rely on it much less than I used to, simply because there are so many clearly fake reviews from accounts that have only written one or two reviews. I only ever take notice of reviews from someone who has written tens of reviews!