As the trope goes, if the author asks a question in the title of their article, the answer is "no, not really."
I'd counter that online reviews still have pretty much the same value they ever have had, and that we're more aware of what the limits of that value is.
Lot's of real-person reviews exist on many platforms, and reading through a few often gives you a decent idea of what you're getting yourself into.
Paid-for reviews are certainly a scourge, and one business getting loyalists to down-vote a competitor is also a problem. But that's been a thing since the beginning of recommendation features, and we should celebrate a little bit that we're more hip and conscious today to these operations.
I'd counter that online reviews still have pretty much the same value they ever have had, and that we're more aware of what the limits of that value is.
Lot's of real-person reviews exist on many platforms, and reading through a few often gives you a decent idea of what you're getting yourself into.
Paid-for reviews are certainly a scourge, and one business getting loyalists to down-vote a competitor is also a problem. But that's been a thing since the beginning of recommendation features, and we should celebrate a little bit that we're more hip and conscious today to these operations.