Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Anti-vaxxers are weaponizing Yelp to punish bars that require vaccine proof; Negative spam reviews are destroying bars and restaurants as they attempt to re-open safely.
MIT Technology Review ^ | June 12, 2021 | Tanya Basu

Posted on 06/13/2021 8:49:16 PM PDT by DoodleBob

On the first hot weekend of the summer, Richard Knapp put up a sign outside Mother’s Ruin, a bar tucked in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. It had two arrows: one pointing vaccinated people indoors, another pointing unvaccinated people outdoors.

The Instagram post showing the sign (above) quickly went viral among European anti-vaxxers on Reddit. “We started receiving hate mail through the Google portal,” Knapp says, estimating he’d received about a “few dozen” emails: “I’ve been called a Nazi and a communist in the same sentence. People hope that our bar burns down. It’s a name and shame campaign.” It wasn’t just the emails. Soon, his bar started receiving multiple one-star reviews on Yelp and Google Reviews from accounts as far away as Europe.

Spamming review portals with negative ratings is not a new phenomenon. Throughout the pandemic, the tactic has also been deployed to attack bars and restaurants that enforced mask-wearing for safety. As pandemic restrictions have lifted, businesses like Mother’s Ruin have sought to ensure that safety by requiring proof of vaccination using state-sponsored apps like New York’s Excelsior Pass, vaccine passports, or simply flashing vaccine cards at the door — practices that have instigated a second surge of spam reviews.

These spam one-star reviews can be extremely damaging. The default mode for viewing reviews is in chronological order, from newest to oldest, which means a spam attack places fake reviews up top, making the most recent reviews that much more influential if you’re the victim of a concerted campaign.

While some companies have gotten around this issue on their own sites by verifying that reviewers are actual customers by reaching out to them via email and matching them with what they have on file, industry-leading platforms like Yelp and Google let anyone.. rate and review a business.

(Excerpt) Read more at technologyreview.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: dickknapp; thevirtuevaxx; vaccinescovid19; virtuevaxx; yelp
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-114 next last

1 posted on 06/13/2021 8:49:16 PM PDT by DoodleBob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob
Richard Knapp: “I’ve been called a Nazi and a communist in the same sentence..."

Apparently, "Dick" Knapp doesn't understand that there's such a thing as a "NaziCommie", and he's it.

2 posted on 06/13/2021 8:51:30 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

GOOD!

Time to nut up!


3 posted on 06/13/2021 8:55:29 PM PDT by Salamander (Salamander has barbaric tendencies.../Gundog)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kiryandil

And this is bad, why?


4 posted on 06/13/2021 8:55:54 PM PDT by oldplayer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

Maybe if they didn’t ask about your customers vaccination status, they wouldn’t be having any trouble. It’s none of their business! Hopefully they find themselves out of business real soon and whoever buys them will not repeat the same mistake.


5 posted on 06/13/2021 8:56:19 PM PDT by Reno89519 (Buy American, Hire American! End All Worker Visa Programs. Replace Visa Workers w/ American Wo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

So maybe just serve whoever comes in the door without provoking them.


6 posted on 06/13/2021 8:59:18 PM PDT by lurk ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

Interesting how media and sycophant Freepers would call people who have taken most all vaccines but are reluctant to take the covid injections - due to obvious lack of time testing - are ‘antivax’. It must help them is some distorted way to tell themselves this.


7 posted on 06/13/2021 9:00:09 PM PDT by week 71
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Salamander

8 posted on 06/13/2021 9:00:14 PM PDT by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

Go woke, go broke. While I wouldn’t go online to post a review or send an email about wearing face diapers and other senseless ChiCom Flu crap I do note which businesses enforce such crap. I do not and will not frequent those businesses.


9 posted on 06/13/2021 9:00:22 PM PDT by ConservativeInPA (“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” ― Thomas Jefferson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

I guess Karens really don’t like being Karen’d.


10 posted on 06/13/2021 9:02:48 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

I’m more surprised that Yelp continues to be taken seriously by most retail customers and employers.
Yelp is notorious for unprofessional bordering on shady practices just to spead their influence.


11 posted on 06/13/2021 9:05:22 PM PDT by lee martell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: oldplayer

I know that I’m liking it that old “Dick” is getting it for his NaziCommie attitude about his Virtue Vaxx.


12 posted on 06/13/2021 9:06:11 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee

Ping.


13 posted on 06/13/2021 9:06:13 PM PDT by Jane Long (America, Bless God....blessed be the Nation 🙏🏻🇺🇸)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

Honestly they can open up any way they like. Inhave no problem with their decisions.

I also have zero problem with people making others aware of what businesses are doing, what policiesthey are enacting. Saves many people a trip. Also, may make others go out of their way to visit the place.


14 posted on 06/13/2021 9:06:58 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

Now the smaller drinking fountain is out by the gutter.


15 posted on 06/13/2021 9:09:15 PM PDT by Arcadian Empire
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

I love a happy ending


16 posted on 06/13/2021 9:09:21 PM PDT by RockyTx
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

This isn’t even new. BLM was threatening to give businesses negative reviews as racist if you didn’t give them money. The only reason there was so push back by authorities is because BLM was extorting HISPANIC businesses.

Cuban community plans rally at NuLu restaurant in response to Black Lives Matter demands
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2020/08/01/louisville-cuban-community-rally-support-la-bodeguita-de-mima/5562669002/


17 posted on 06/13/2021 9:10:24 PM PDT by tbw2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lee martell

This isn’t even new. BLM was threatening to give businesses negative reviews as racist if you didn’t give them money. The only reason there was so push back by authorities is because BLM was extorting HISPANIC businesses.

Cuban community plans rally at NuLu restaurant in response to Black Lives Matter demands
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2020/08/01/louisville-cuban-community-rally-support-la-bodeguita-de-mima/5562669002/

That is especially harmful on Yelp which is giving “racist” businesses a bad rating ...


18 posted on 06/13/2021 9:11:14 PM PDT by tbw2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: tbw2

Thanks for posting that. Turn about isn’t fair play, when libs are whining.


19 posted on 06/13/2021 9:11:50 PM PDT by Jane Long (America, Bless God....blessed be the Nation 🙏🏻🇺🇸)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

Sure, get mad at the spammers and griefers who are able to game the review system to hurt businesses that disagree with their worldview. Ignore the fact that big tech was allowed to put a review system in place that became so central to restaurant traffic but was also, even after years of this tactic being used, is still extremely vulnerable to being exploited by spammers and griefers.

If Yelp changed their algorithms this problem would evaporate overnight.


20 posted on 06/13/2021 9:12:18 PM PDT by jz638
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-114 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson