Six Degrees of Reputation: The Use and Abuse of Online Review and Recommendation Systems

@article{citeulike:2659891, abstract = {This paper reports initial findings from a study that used quantitative and qualitative research methods and custom-built software to investigate online economies of reputation and user practices in online product reviews at several leading ecommerce sites (primarily Amazon.com). We explore several cases in which book and CD reviews were copied in part or in whole from one item to another and show that hundreds of product reviews on Amazon.com might be copies of one another. We further explain the strategies involved in these suspect product reviews, and the ways in which the collapse of the barriers between authors and readers affect the ways in which these information goods are being produced, and exchanged. We report on techniques that are employed by authors, artists, editors, and readers to ensure they promote their agendas while they build their identities as experts. We suggest a framework for discussing the changes of the categories of authorship, creativity, expertise, and reputation that are being re-negotiated in this multi-tier reputation economy.}, author = {David, S. H. A. Y. and Pinch, Trevor J. O. H. N. }, citeulike-article-id = {2659891}, comment = {also at http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue11\_3/david/}, journal = {Social Science Research Network Working Paper Series}, keywords = {murugesanweb20chapter, online\_reputation, reputation}, month = {November}, posted-at = {2008-04-12 12:03:27}, priority = {2}, title = {Six Degrees of Reputation: The Use and Abuse of Online Review and Recommendation Systems}, url = {http://ssrn.com/abstract=857505}, year = {2005} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:2659891 L3 - citeulike-article-id:2659891 N2 - This paper reports initial findings from a study that used quantitative and qualitative research methods and custom-built software to investigate online economies of reputation and user practices in online product reviews at several leading ecommerce sites (primarily Amazon.com). We explore several cases in which book and CD reviews were copied in part or in whole from one item to another and show that hundreds of product reviews on Amazon.com might be copies of one another. We further explain the strategies involved in these suspect product reviews, and the ways in which the collapse of the barriers between authors and readers affect the ways in which these information goods are being produced, and exchanged. We report on techniques that are employed by authors, artists, editors, and readers to ensure they promote their agendas while they build their identities as experts. We suggest a framework for discussing the changes of the categories of authorship, creativity, expertise, and reputation that are being re-negotiated in this multi-tier reputation economy. JF - Social Science Research Network Working Paper Series TI - Six Degrees of Reputation: The Use and Abuse of Online Review and Recommendation Systems KW - murugesanweb20chapter KW - online_reputation KW - reputation N1 - also at http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue11_3/david/ AU - David, SHAY AU - Pinch, Trevor PY - 2005/November/25/ UR - http://ssrn.com/abstract=857505 ER -