Thread

Does Reddit have an astroturfing problem? What the data suggests

312 points · 408 comments · p-s-v

PyWoody · 1790603374 · focus · HN ↗
I gave up on any product related reviews on Reddit a decade ago. It can still be useful for guides that may describe what type of products you should look into, e.g., woodworking tools, skincare, etc.
For product reviews, I've been using GearLab (<a href="https://www.techgearlab.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.techgearlab.com/) for years with pretty reliable results. I have no affiliation with them.
1. losvedir · 1790604046 · focus · HN ↗
  What's their business model? A priori, I don't trust them because there's no reason for them to give out all that information for free. I assume it's a affiliate marketing / referral revenue stream? I suppose it could be fair within those parameters, but it would mean there's no incentive for them to test products that don't have such a program.
  I pay for Consumer Reports, since you actually need a paid subscription to access the data, which makes sense structurally. I don't really know if the reviews are any good, though I've been relatively happy with it. I also paid a subscription for an independent supplement testing lab, but I forget what it's called at the moment.
  1. PyWoody · 1790604169 · focus · HN ↗
    Man, this comment is getting way more attention than I expected lol
    Yes, they work on an affiliated model. From their About[0] page:
    How We Make Money GearLab is a free service that is entirely reader-supported. We select and review products objectively and independently. We only make money when you click on our affiliate links and buy products we've reviewed, which helps support our testing work. If you click on a retailer's link on our site and make any purchase, the retailer will contribute a portion of the sale to help support this site. It won't cost you anything extra, and it's a simple way to help us fund our gear reviews. Thanks for your support of our work!
    [0] <a href="https://www.techgearlab.com/about" rel="nofollow">https://www.techgearlab.com/about

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.