Comments on: Will Amazon click with photography reviews?

Some ardent followers of Digital Photography Review are worried new owner Amazon.com will hurt editorial independence.

[Zimm2]

Sure it will...

Although a great source of information, Digital Photography Review
has never been particularly objective. Like most people, they have
their favorites. Amazon's deep pockets should help DPR to get
reviews done in a much more timely manner. Plus, to date, DPR
has been rather selective in when and what they choose to review.
That practice in itself adds bias (you go to their site and see a
glowing report about camera X but nothing about camera Y... how
is that going to influence purchasing habits?). Maybe Amazon can
help eliminate this problem.

[nicmart]

Amazon user reviews are censored already

My experience suggests that Amazon's user reviews are not so
independent as is commonly believed.

In a review of a Philips defibrillator that Amazon sells, I noted
that, according to medical experts, most people vastly
overestimate the effectiveness of defibrillators. It isn't commonly
understood that people on whom the devices are used are often
left with brain damage and other deficits, and most of them
don't live long. I included a short quote from a major medical
journal article titled "Medical futility," which detailed the sad
truth about people who have been resuscitated after cardiac
arrest.

The review was soon deleted. I reposted it and it was deleted
again. When I phoned Amazon to inquire about the reason for
the deletion I was told by the rep that she would call me back
with an explanation, but that didn't happen.

It is important to note that the opinion I expressed is the
consensus view among cardiologists, and I offered specific facts,
not merely my viewpoint.

I suspect that my review was deleted either because Philips
objected to their product being criticized, or other customers
objected to the posting of a pessimistic assessment of a product
which is almost sacred in the eyes of many. They really want to
believe, whatever the science may say.

On another occasion I poked fun at a slight book about the iPod,
and the reviewer so objected to my review that he had it
removed by Amazon.

In my experience, Amazon sometimes censors user reviews.

[Zimm2]

You bring up an excellent point...

I remember the last presidential campaign. Reviews were censored
heavily along party lines.