384706 Sun Mar 25 08:34:31 -0700 2007 3 33 Food Media and News 0 2418808 Today's SF Chronicle features a lengthy article on food blogs and message board, including discussion of pros and cons. It includes a photo of Sam Breach at work, and includes the interesting nugget that CURBED will be opening a San Francisco blog this spring. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/25/MNGV9ORDSH1.DTL Sun Mar 25 08:34:31 -0700 2007 10255 Gary Soup 1 2418972 It was an interesting article. The owner of Senses comes across as being whiny and unscrupulous (ie. offering free meals for better online reviews). Sun Mar 25 10:00:42 -0700 2007 2418808 14143 Philip 2 2419158 Perhaps. On the other hand, as soon as you read the opening review in the SFGate article [Botched Biloxi Facelift], you immediately know it is a yelp review ... the reviewer is motivated by clawing for "cool points" rather than producing an evenhanded reviews of a place. I've mentioned before i know people who have posted "reviews" of places they have not even been to, to get a "1st review' gold star. [Which isnt to say I havent read some preposterous discussions here, like somebody saying "Nothing on the menu looked good to me so I walked out ... is this place going down hill or was it just an off night? ... when it seemed pretty clear based on the fact that not a single dish was taasted that evening [and plenty looked good to me] that "it's just you" ... a theory that was not offered by the non-sampling "reviewer" ... admitedly that wasnt a review, but the uncharitable downhill conjecture seem pretty lame. Curiouslym it was probably a good thing the "example" of "such a boring menu" was included, since a number of people weighed in with "hey a bunch of things look good there. BTW, I havent even been to the restaurant in question, so I have no personal here, just some thoughts "on principle"] I like comments like "the portions were too small". "We were seated 45min after our RSVP time." "The staff accomodated special request X." "Error Y was made and here is how it was handled." etc. Often those *observations* with pedestrian phrasing are more valuable than the content-free flights of fancy to flex your comp lit degree. Sure, maybe there is scope for "creative writing" in a review, but it shouldnt get in the way of the review. And of course yelp has no negative voting like say AMAZONG or Slashdot etc. Sun Mar 25 11:28:39 -0700 2007 2418972 16770 psb 3 2419228 I think the worst strategy was, or is, sfsurvey.com's policy of having lotteries for free meals for two, with your chances based on your post count. It led to a lot of completely meaningless one-sentence "reviews" by people just to kick up their post counts. It was interesting in that it revealed which restaurants felt the need to "paper the house" though. Sun Mar 25 11:57:11 -0700 2007 2419158 10255 Gary Soup