Your future, in the stars

Throughout history there has been a group of people who believe that stars and planets could predict their future (although with Pluto gone I would question the accuracy). However, the stars I am referring to are not in the sky, not even in a Starry Night. These are the stars that are presented to you in your internet search engines when you search for reviews on stores, designers, contractors, or just about anything or anyone.

These new stars, although smaller, are almost as important as the older ones you see above on a clear summer night. But unlike astronomical bodies, Internet stars must be interpreted for their accuracy, because they are subject to manipulation by unscrupulous stargazers.

I found that Houzz and Angie’s List seem to have the most reliable feedback and, interestingly, for two completely different reasons. All comments sent to Houzz their Review Department carefully checks their accuracy before posting comments. They confirm that the submissions are actually related to actual projects in the proper location and that the sender’s IP address (their location in the clouds) is also accurate and authentic.

Angie’s List differs from most review sites in that you have to pay to be a member, making it an expensive proposition to publish a multitude of fictitious reviews. The reviews posted come from people who are willing to pay to see legitimate reviews posted by other people who have made their own financial commitment. This gives them a high degree of authenticity.

Other sites will accept reviews from anyone with limited or no verification. One site (which says “Help”) claims that it has a computer algorithm that determines whether a review is legitimate or fabricated. This site has been taken to court many times by companies who claim that when they refused to advertise on the site, their good reviews disappeared. Management claims that the algorithm made the decision to remove those reviews and that they do not have the ability or inclination to challenge the decision. However, it seems that when the money changes hands, the reviews reappear.

Google reviews can be very helpful, but they need to be carefully evaluated. Anyone who creates an email account can post a review on Google. Although I’m sure most of the reviews on Google are legitimate, anyone who is determined can create ten or twenty new email accounts for free and post whatever they want. Who would do that? Perhaps a crooked and corrupt vendor, who has a lot of low star reviews to push.

And let’s not forget the good Better Business Bureau. I always thought they were blameless, until I got a phone call and they told me they had only heard good things about my company and had decided to do it. invitation to become part of your auspicious community. I was so moved, since I had always held them in high esteem, that I said I would be proud to be part of such an organization. Until I was informed that I had to pay them $ 600 a year and, in return, they indicated that I met their “accreditation standards.” I said, “No thanks.”

So like everything else in this world, it’s best to use your common sense when evaluating the stars. Just like Nick Copernicus did when he mapped the stars above, you must evaluate the sources of your information when reviewing the stars below. If your future has you Swinging on a star * And when making your choice through reviews on the Internet, remember, the more legitimate the stars, the better.

* Crosby, Bing. “Swinging on a star”. Composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. Oscar for the best original song. Going my way 1944.