Slashdot Mirror
Restauranteurs Say Yelp Uses Extortion To Ply Ad Sales
Readers Mike Van Pelt and EricThegreen point out a story in the East Bay Express alleging that online restaurant review site Yelp is doing more than providing a nice interface for foodies to share their impressions of restaurants. Instead, says the article, representatives from the site have called restaurants in the Bay area to solicit advertising, but with an interesting twist: the ad sales reps let restaurant owners know that, if they buy advertising at around $300 a month, Yelp can "do something" about prominently displayed negative reviews of their restaurants. If the claims are true, it sure lowers my opinion of Yelp, which I'd thought of as one of the good guys (and a useful site). I wonder how many other online review sites might be doing something similar.
So the restaurants would be buying protection from negative reviews? Interesting . . .
Paying protection money . . .
Wow.
As a note; *imagine* if Slashdot were to succumb to that.
CmdTaco calls MS: "For one meallllionn dollas we'll post Pro-MS articles"
MS Drone: "Deal, cash or licenses?"
Bored at work? Play Game!
In related news, Yelp has announced that it has reached a $300 cross-advertising relationship with Slashdot to "do something" about a prominently displayed news item.
We all now know what the ... step is: Extortion.
"And for another one, we'll hide the bad reviews dropped by angry /.ers."
"We'll pass, it would be suspicious if those articles end up with no comments at all."
They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security. --Ben Franklin
How is this article 6 pages long? I cannot help but snicker reading the first paragraph. I get the image of a restaurant owner cringing every time the phone rings, dreading the voice of Henchman Number 24 on the other end.
"Would you like to purchase advertising on our site? We can rearrange the order of your ratings. The Monarch Mobile will be right over with the paperwork."
The cancel button is your friend. Do not hesitate to use it.
Maybe you wants them to go away, Precious?
Free Martian Whores!
the kitchen manager was making very rude sexual comments
Is-a no fair!
Avete dato al mio ristorante una revisione difettosa per formulare le osservazioni sessuali inadeguate.
Ma ho dato alla vostra mamma cinque stelle per il sesso caldo della scimmia!
Okay, babelfish translated this as:
You have given to my restaurant a defective review in order to formulate inadequate the sexual observations. But I have given to your mother five stars for the warm sex of the monkey!
"Warm sex of the monkey" was about how the food tasted...
Founder, Americans Allied Against Alliteration
Anyone else have this experience?
Of spending Valentine's day with a female? No, sorry...
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
This reminds me. I need to start cold-calling restaurants, claiming to be yelp.
For extra credit you can, with just a touch of spin, use the "overzealous staffer" defense at one end, and the "just following orders" defense at the other, at the same time!
omg I knoe u didnt just dis wikipedia!!!!!