7/15 (Sat.) Internet Reviews: A Guide or A Gospel (Host: Alice)

[mandy chen]

Today, the reliance on Internet information has become increasingly prevalent in our lives. It's fascinating to witness how even my friends refuse to visit a restaurant or shop at a store without first consulting Google reviews. This trend caught my attention, particularly due to a unique personal experience I had with such reviews.

Moreover, the eye-opening documentary film titled "The Shed at Dulwich" sheds light on some intriguing phenomena related to this subject. Therefore, I sincerely invite you to join me this coming Saturday for a gathering where we can discuss and share our perspectives on the influence of Internet information.

Session I: My Memorable Encounter with Google Reviews
During the spring of 2022, I joined a delightful 2-day trip to Keelung organized by Tashi. While exploring the vibrant 基隆廟口 market, Iris and I had a strong craving for dou-hua (豆花). Responding promptly to our yearning, our YoYo fellow travelers began searching the internet for dou-hua shops nearby. They quickly located one.
Filled with excitement, Iris and I eagerly decided to visit the shop without a second thought. However, our thoughtful friends soon reminded us that this particular food stall only had a meager 2-star rating on Google reviews. They suggested we explore other options instead.

Unfortunately, the alternative shops were located quite far away, leaving us with a dilemma. After some hesitation, Tashi, Iris, and I made a collective decision to take a chance. Iris and I were just to indulge ourselves in our favorite dou-hua. Tashi was curious about how a shop could receive such a low rating.

Guess what? To our pleasant surprise, the dou-hua tasted absolutely refreshing! The harmonious blend of sweet yet light sugar syrup, coupled with the bliss crushed ice, created a delightful sensory experience. Moreover, the dou-hua itself was incredibly smooth and silky. It left us wondering how a shop with such remarkable flavors could only garner a meager 2-star rating.

Upon further observation, we discovered that the entire shop was managed by a single woman. She had a hard time attending to each customer. Customers were nudged to make their toppings selection swiftly. It became apparent to us that perhaps the low 2-star rating on Google reviews was more a reflection of the shop's service rather than the quality of the food itself.

In retrospect, we were glad that we made the bold decision to give it a try. It was a testament to the fact that sometimes, hidden gems can be found even in the face of mediocre ratings.

Session I Questions for Discussion:
a) Are you an avid user of the Google review system? To what extent do you rely on it as a valuable resource? Does the Google review system effectively cater to your needs, and do you find it satisfactory?
b) Have you ever shared your feedback or rated a place you visited on Google reviews? Were your reviews generally positive or negative comments? What motivated you to write the reviews? Was it truly from your appreciation and sincere experience sharing or was it because of receiving additional incentives and freebies?
c) In the Airbnb platform, there exists feedback and scoring system in which both owners and tenants are encouraged to provide reviews after a property rental. This process offers valuable references to both parties within the system. However, it's important to note that Airbnb imposes a 12% service fee on the owners, resulting in increased costs for them and subsequently higher prices for the renters.

Some owners would “steal” customers from Airbnb platform and deal with these potential renters privately to bypass the 12% charges. If you were the renters, would you like to take the “better deal” with the owner directly and bypass the Airbnb platform? What does this kind of business practice imply in the market?
d) Do you have any tips or suggestions for optimizing the use of the internet review system effectively? Can you envision any potential enhancements or improvements that could be made to the system?


Session II: The Shed at Dulwich
Please refer the clip below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqPARIKHbN8

"The Shed at Dulwich was the number one rated restaurant in London, with foodies, celebrities and bloggers trying to get a table. The main obstacle for them, however, was that it didn't exist. Over the course of 8 months VICE's Oobah Butler used an assault of fake reviews to get his 'restaurant' to the hallowed top spot on TripAdvisor."


Session II Questions for Discussion:
a) How was it possible for the ranking of this fictitious restaurant to advance from #18149 to the top spot within a very short time, even though no actual visitors had ever dined there?

b) What specific marketing approach did the business plan of "The Shed at Dulwich" employ? How does this strategy impact you and your perception of online platforms?

c) In light of the "The Shed at Dulwich" experiment, what ethical concerns arise regarding the manipulation of online platforms and reviews? Should there be stricter regulations or guidelines in place to prevent the proliferation of fake reviews? What strategies should you employ to ensure wise internet usage and safeguard yourself from the influence of fake news?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agenda:
3:45 ~ 4:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
4:00 ~ 4:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
4:10 ~ 4:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
4:50 ~ 5:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
5:10 ~ 5:15pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
5:15 ~ 5:55pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
6:00 ~ 6:20pm Summarization (20 mins)
6:20 ~ 6:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements

Meeting Date: As shown on the Subject Line
Meeting Time: 4:00pm – 6:30pm
Meeting Venue: 丹堤咖啡 Dante Coffee (Minimum Order $80)
Address: 台北市濟南路三段25號[MAP]-捷運忠孝新生站3號出口步行3分鐘

Important Notes:
1. We advise participants to print out the discussion questions and bring them to the meeting for reference. As for the supporting articles, feel free to print them out, as well, according to your preference.
2. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
3. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion. The host may also ask you to give brief feedback about the meeting at the conclusion of the meeting.
4. We conduct the entire meeting in English. All participants should have at least moderate English-conversation skills and be able to articulate your ideas for each discussion question.
5. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely for two times. After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1500 lifetime membership fee, or NT$1000 for students.