Crowdsourcing is amazing isn’t it? I think without realising it users have cut costs for companies by becoming advocates and marketers for companies and their products.
Does the fact that we can read a review on a product by John Smith necessarily make it any more accurate, reliable or trustworthy than a review written by the company itself? While browsing through some online sports shoe stores I realised all the reviews I read gave the shoes a good to great rating. I started to think surely not all of these shoes fit comfortably and have great arch and heel support. Are these reviews, written by regular people, really unbiased and reliable?
Crowdsourcing helps put the power back into the hands of the users, right. So why do I have such a mistrust for it when related to peer reviews of sports shoes? I think it is because boundaries still exist. For example, which reviews get published on the web site, censorship of reviewers, accuracy of information and the fact that if I read something in a review which turns out not to be true I can’t blame the company and ask for a refund.
The development of crowdsourcing has helped give access to information users might not normally have and give an unbiased opinion on products etc. Companies aren’t stupid though and we as users should be careful not to allow marketers and companies to use us to do their work. I think it takes some responsibility away from them and puts it on our shoulders to be smarter users and consumers.
Crowdsourcing is great though it’s just a matter of searching through the information, finding what it is you want and extracting it from the pool.
