On parle beaucoup en ces temps numériques d’une économie de la réputation. La plupart des sites de vente en ligne de biens culturels (grossistes et autres) usent et abusent des commentaires et autres revues d’opinion de "ceux-qui-ont-acheté-et-aimé-le-livre-disque-machin-truc". La dernière livraison de First Monday nous livre un article sur les usages et les détournements des sites dits "de recommandation" :
- "We explore several cases in which book and CD reviews were copied whole
or in part from one item to another and show that hundreds of product
reviews on Amazon.com might be copies of one another. We further
explain the strategies involved in these suspect product reviews, and
the ways in which the collapse of the barriers between authors and
readers affect the ways in which these information goods are being
produced and exchanged. We report on techniques that are employed by
authors, artists, editors, and readers to ensure they promote their
agendas while they build their identities as experts. We suggest a
framework for discussing the changes of the categories of authorship,
creativity, expertise, and reputation that are being re–negotiated in
this multi–tier reputation economy."
Avec en parallèle de cette mise à jour d’un bidonnage bien organisé une intéressante réflexion sur les notions d’autorité et d’expertise.