carguy84 - 11:16 pm on Jan 29, 2008 (gmt 0)

You need to mix in both types of reviews, but the quality of the review is what will dictate whether or not it turns the opinion of the buyer.

We have a general rule for allowed reviews, and they have to answer the who, what, where, when, why and how questions. If they don't meet these simple arguments then the review is not accepted.

It's possible for a product to have all positive reviews, without any of them being shills, just as much as it's possible for a product to have all negative reviews without it being anti-shills. However, just remember, a person with a negative experience with something is MUCH more likely to write about it then some one who was satisfied with an experience. So as always, take what you read with a grain of salt, and maybe visit a brick and mortar shop if it's a big enough purchase.

I just did this recently with a GPS receiver as reviews were all over the place. I went to a shop where I knew the employees were well versed with them and ended up taking the employee's advice after he outlined all the pluses and minuses of the 3 I was looking at.

Chip-