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Askville by Amazon

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by efusco, Apr 10, 2007.

  1. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    I got an e-mail from Amazon.com inviting me to participate in Askville, a resource promoted as providing "answers" to any question by live people.

    To me the implication was that they had experts in multiple areas that would answer questions in their area of interest. I thought I'd post a simple question about Prius and whether it was a good choice. Turns out this is basicly an anything goes answers by anyone kind of thing. The first two responses I got were both full of incorrect information and recommendations for diesels as better choices.

    I think we need to establish some sort of presence to be available to provide a bit more of a 'fair and balanced' response to genuine questions like this in the future.
    http://askville.amazon.com/askville/Answer...questId=1710432
     
    #1 efusco, Apr 10, 2007
  2. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    i couldn't see the answers... but i guess my 2 cents is that you can't escape the fact that people are going to pawn off their opinion as fact, and back it up with a bunch of stuff they have made up or pulled from something like that cnw report or whatever.

    there are a number of question-answer sites like this popping up now, and i see no experts anywhere.
     
    #2 galaxee, Apr 10, 2007
  3. Skwyre7

    Skwyre7 What's the catch?

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    I hope my answer was satisfactory.
     
    #3 Skwyre7, Apr 10, 2007
  4. thepixiesarah

    thepixiesarah New Member

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    I like to scan the prius questions on the Yahoo! Answers service. One poor girl asked how to start a prius and all four answers were to turn the key in the ignition...and I got there too late to answer. I don't understand people who like to talk to much that they'll give incorrect information.
     
    #4 thepixiesarah, Apr 10, 2007
  5. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    When Amazon was beta testing it internally, it was no different. There is no requirement that the respondent be credentialed in the topic they're responding to. However respondents were encouraged to provide URL's or quotes (with references) where possible to back up answers. And of course... links to Amazon products were always encouraged as a way to "upsell".
     
    #5 HTMLSpinnr, Apr 10, 2007
  6. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(htmlspinnr @ Apr 10 2007, 03:20 PM) [snapback]420999[/snapback]</div>
    IMO this site isn't officially any better. The only reason it is better is because it is populated by people who are more knowledgeable and are willing to share it.
     
    #6 JimN, Apr 10, 2007
  7. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Apr 10 2007, 10:22 PM) [snapback]421280[/snapback]</div>
    Huh! First sentence you say this site isn't better, second you say it is.

    The point is that when someone comes here for an answer they're asking a group of people with specific and deep knowledge of the subject. They may get a variety of opinions from this group, but we'll temper and correct one another, provide good links, offer counter arguements to misinformation and generally reach a well informed concensus.

    The Amazon type site is wide open to any yahoo that read an out of date article, formed an opinion and quit thinking about the subject any further after that, but who likes to pontificate their ignorance none the less.

    No one is saying that opinions are bad, but they need to be informed. When a site promotes itself as a source for "Answers" (presumably accurate ones) you'd hope there'd be some sort of screening process to assure that those submitting answers are speaking from a position of knowledge, not one of ignorance.
     
    #7 efusco, Apr 10, 2007
  8. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    I "attempted" to answer the question a bit more fairly. Probably didn't help in the end though. There's a bio-diesel zealot lurking in the comments though who won't hesitate to point out every flaw in the Prius to make his TDI look better ;-)
     
    #8 HTMLSpinnr, Apr 11, 2007
  9. Bill Merchant

    Bill Merchant absit invidia

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    Fortunately, I am saved.

    [attachmentid=7429]
     

    Attached Files:

    #9 Bill Merchant, Apr 11, 2007
  10. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill Merchant @ Apr 11 2007, 12:35 AM) [snapback]421335[/snapback]</div>
    I got the same thing. :D
     
    #10 Godiva, Apr 11, 2007
  11. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Apr 10 2007, 09:41 PM) [snapback]421287[/snapback]</div>
    Evan, on this site I believe everyone is free to post their opinions and advice on any topic regardless of their qualifications. I've seen tax advice from non-accountants. I've seen legal advice (and given it) from non-lawyers. I may even be able to start a thread and get medical advice from non-doctors. Is there a screening process in place here that I don't know about?

    I haven't been to the Amazon site and I'm not going to go anyway. Do they recruit "experts" to act as reference librarians or are they providing a chat room for anyone to give their two cents?

    The point I'm trying to make is that neither site sets qualifications for those giving advice. The difference is that we have "better experts" here.
     
    #11 JimN, Apr 12, 2007
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