Jo Mackiewicz - Assertions of Expertise in Online Product Reviews
Online reviews have become on of the main features on most shopping websites. This articles asks the question, what determines a reviewer’s credibility. Mackiewicz’s article explores the different way reviewers establish ethos in their reviews. Some of the specific methods that Mackiewicz found are reputation systems, assertions of experience, and the use of specialized terms. Reputation systems allow people to give reviews ratings. Overtime, these rating accrue into an overall score for the reviewer. This allows potential customers to see whether or not a reviewer can be trusted. Assertions of experience are simply statements that establish why the reviewer is qualified to review the product. This can be through having used the product, having advanced knowledge of the subject, or other reliable means. The use of specialized terms that only someone with advanced experience in the field would know adds to the credibility and ethos of a review.
I thought this article was the most interesting of the ones I read because it directly relates to my life. As an avid video gamer, I rely on online reviews in order to determine whether or not I should invest time and money into a new video game. I find myself gravitating more towards reviews from experienced professional gamers as well as reviewers generally thought of as reliable in the gaming community. This article helps explain why I gravitate towards these reviews even though I sometimes do it subconsciously. When I see reviews that overly criticize a game, I won’t take it seriously until I see that the reviewer is knowledgeable about the game and gaming in general.
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