1hughes, again, you are attributing something to TA which is not within their control. All reviews are the view of only one person and it is subjective.

You are correct though that they are worthless. But ALL reviews are worthless to YOU unless it is YOUR review or by someone with whom you have found yourself consistently agreeing.

The problem lies in people thinking that reviews are going to tell them how THEY will find something. Everyone has different expectations, taste, standards, etc. If mine differ from yours then clearly my review will differ from yours.

I grew up in Toronto. In 2012, there were 1308 new restaurants opened in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Do you really think anyone has tried them all and then picked which is their number one? Is there an objective list of criteria that all reviewers use to judge each one?

Relying on reviews by strangers is no better than simply judging a restaurant from what you see through the window and what you see on the menu posted at the door. In fact, I would say the latter is probably a more reliable way of choosing where to eat.

ALL reviews of anything are subjective. Books, destinations, theatre, film, dance, food. They are ALL subjective.

Which does not render them without value.

Reviews are valuable if they are factual.

I remember reading about what ended up being my favorite Waikiki hotel (sadly now closed) during an early trip to Hawaii. People made negative comments because there was "rust on the bathroom mirror" and "stains on the carpet". Both things that did not trouble me (considering the low price I was paying). So it was valuable for me to read their comments going in, to know what to expect, even though they did not change my decision.

Yes suze facts can be useful. So what?

The topic is not about anything objective in a review it is about subjective opinions in reviews.

The OP is saying that TA (of which I am not a fan at all by the way) gets it wrong when it rates a restaurant 'No. 1' etc. The OP is trying to say that s/he thinks TA is supposed to be FACTUAL when in fact it is not.

Blaming TA for what users think of a restaurant is pointless. What might make sense is to suggest to TA that they stop ranking subjective data and simply list reviews by individuals by date.

But then all those people who think reviews are a good thing and blindly follow such subjective ratings would moan about that no doubt.

Funnily enough, on re-reading the OP, the OP says s/he in fact does not follow reviews and is actually saying don't follow them. The OP has tried to describe why they are not worth following but hasn't done a very good job of doing that.

Nevertheless, to the question asked, 'Why do people bother with TripAdvisor' the answer isn't that difficult. In fact, the OP has answered it already. "The numbers make life simple because now there is no need to think. Just follow the rail of breadcrumbs."

"... the rail of the breadcrumbs"! Sorry dulci - your typo made me smile :)

Since the time Popov described Regent's street in London as a 'shopping mall' I have been interested in his interesting opinions. But that's just me, a mere woman.

About TA: after one fairly bad experience in a little family-owned hotel in Prague with amazing, awesome and glowing reviews, I have learned to be more critical of a place that receives ONLY wonderful reviews.

TripAdvisor used to be good. But now it gets too much attention from companies and they use their representative to offset people's comments. I wouldn't try too much on their reviews.

When I need a fast reply, I go to TA.

When I want to find reviews, I go to TA and first of all look at the names - how many reviews do they have? Skip those with 1 or 2, the rest is accurate.

I use TA as an easy place to check prices on a hotel from a variety of sources.

I also look at the travelers' photos, compared to the professional photos.

Then I can link directly to the hotel via TA.

I don't pay a lot of attention to the reviews, except the extreme ones.
Out of curiosity more than for decision-making.

I have to take back my comment about restaurant reviews.. such I just wrote one after a particularily good meal at a small place just outside my city.
However... as stated by others.. reviews are subjective .. and usually have few FACTS ( exceptions would be opening hours and prices) .. its someones opinion after all. I have read reviews by folks who honestly think Applebees has good food... they are not lieing.. they are stating their opinions. So .. restaurant reviews are trickier then hotel reviews.. which will generally have a few more facts.. ie , location, room size, decor style, amenities offered.. etc. but even so.. hotel reviews are subjective too.. some folks will decide a room is "too small".. and yet I have stayed in same place and though room size was average for location.. etc.

When I mentioned "facts" above I was referring to hotel reviews. Specifics about the conditions of the room.

It's not "someones opinion" if the shower curtain is torn, the mirror is rusty, the carpet is stained, people are smoking in the common area outside your room, etc.

I use TA regularly. As a frequent visitor to Bermuda for over thirty years I post in the forum. Same for the town where I live.
When I head to a new town I read the reviews for hotels and restaurants. The rankings are not significant. I booked a hotel in early Sept for a stay in April. I kept going back to see if the reviews noted any issues. Several complained of noise so I contacted the hotel GM. He moved me to a floor which he said was the quietest. I very much appreciated having an opportunity to identify a potential problem and resolve it before my stay. I also like the pm feature.

My use of TA is similar to cmcfong's above.

I do think the strength at Trip Advisor is in the Destination Forums and the PM feature so people can contact each other directly. If I needed to know if my favorite bakery in Puerto Vallarta was going to be open this Sunday or what time the parade starts downtown (for example) I could easily find that out just by posting in PV (that's not going to happen here on Fodor's).

In the hotel reviews section and as several people have mentioned I think the actual traveler photos you can post are incredibly valuable. To see what you actually get in comparison to the hotel's website photos.

Person to person harassment is deleted if someone flags it, just like Fodor's.

The difference is that Fodor's is moderated, whereas deletions in TA seem to be automatic. That is how the forums cliques manage deletes of opinions negative or contrary to the group-think. And how some forums wind up the domain of Destination Enthusiasts.

I have not experienced anything like that on the 5 TA forums where I actively participate. Pretty much daily and for the past 10 years.

I use Virtual Tourist where you may ask questions of people who live where you are inquiring about.

John, That also happens on Trip Advisor. I live in Seattle and regularly answer questions on the Seattle forum.

correct! Remember 1% reality.

migb, it has been a few months since you submitted your post, but I have been paying closer attention to TA since then, and your observation seems spot on to me. For some time I have wondered why the Trip Advisor forum sites are so uneven in quality. Some of the boards -- Germany, for instance -- still have regulars who actually offer advice, but some are dominated by five or six highly opinionated individuals; the latter have very little useful information yet have an inordinate number of blank spaces for deleted posts. Some of the posts on their UK board are like that. Now I know why. Anyway, I go back to places where I can get good information and avoid the others.

Volunteers respond. Each forum is as good as the folks who respond for each board. Some are good. Some are bad. Some are dead. It is what it is.

I started using TA when we moved from Florida to Portland, Oregon. I got so much help .. from neighborhoods to look in for our home, restaurants , everything .. and while we lived there, I knew I could go on those forums at any time and ask a question and someone would help.
After that, I was on there a lot, and then we moved with the help again of TA to Buenos Aires.
The people on those forums were SO great ... you always get a couple of people who are there more for personal entertainment than to help anyone but you can ignore them and focus on the people that are helpful and nice.
I ended up meeting people who posted on the forums .. I am still in touch with a few and of course, one of my very good/close friends I met on the Portland forums .. and now we are real life friends.
I think one of the best things about TA is the editors really edit .. if there is a complaint, it is dealt with and fairly most of the time.

<Volunteers respond.>

Actually you need to be nominated by someone & then accepted by TA if you're talking about "Destination Experts" on each forum. The rest of the posters are "volunteers" just like here that's true.

Besides tight editing I love having the PM feature. That's how I've gotten to know and sometimes met in person, posters on Trip Advisor more than ever will happen here at Fodor's.

As I said previously, I have mixed feelings about TA, primarily because of the uneven quality of their forums, and sometimes the more localized parts of otherwise worthwhile forums. It is very easy to manipulate a site where "destination experts" have to be nominated by others. That is how cliques are formed, and once a clique develops for an area, state, country or subject, they stake out their turf and turn it into a chatroom restricted to themselves. And virtually useless for everyone else. Just because someone lives, or says he does, in a certain locale, or works in a given travel industry, such as aviation, does not mean that person has a clue about the travel needs or issues of someone from another continent.
On a related note, while this conversation has been going here, the UK forum has been carrying a discussion, "Ignore Rick Steves," that, at least for now, seems to have run its course. I have not seen anything so far on the Rick Steves site or Trip Advisor sites against Fodor's. I think it is good that we have all three sites, warts and all.

<turn it into a chatroom restricted to themselves>

That doesn't happen because TA deletes non-travel related posts pretty darn pronto. Posts that get chatty are closed down.

<have not seen anything so far on the Rick Steves site or Trip Advisor sites against Fodor's>

Because Fodor's is not a threat to either Mr. Steves or Trip Advisor.

suze doesn't seem to understand that TA moderators do not patrol the forums and remove posts unless they are first flagged by someone. If your forum seems "tightly moderated" that is because someone (not a TA mod) is doing that.

And it does not have to be a DE.

<stake out their turf and turn it into a chatroom >

Echo chamber was the term I meant to use. Not chat room.

"Actually you need to be..."

Actually, everyone is a volunteer - DEs and just folks posting. At least, I'm not aware of anyone being paid by TA to post on the forums.

"suze doesn't seem to understand that TA moderators do not patrol the forums and remove posts unless they are first flagged by someone"
I agree. I do like the flagging process on TA and the immediacy of the response.

Re cliques or posts about Rick Steves -
Life is life. TA is free and free to everyone to post. I agree that folks talking amongst themselves is tiresome and I've suggested to newbies that there is a TA forum set up just to chat.

You get what you pay for. You're paying nothing so any good information one can glean is gravy. There have been plenty of anti-Rick Steves posts on Fodors through the years. People are people, no matter the forum. ;)

I don't use TA - at all. Each time I have decided to check out a hotel (or whatever) there, there have been so many reviews that seemed "planted" that I had to check for other reviews by each poster, etc. and it took way more time than it was worth. Here on Fodors I've been posting long enough that I know (or at least know the screen names) of most of the regulars, so have some basis on which to judge a review. I've gotten lots of good info here on Fodors and given lots of info, especially on less usual destinations in Asia.

And, as others have noted, the rankings on TA are worse than useless.

I just discount the "onsies". I assume they are plants. I scan and read the reviews of regular posters. Totally agree that the rankings can't be trusted - skewed by onesies. I think the forums are as good as the folks posting there and that varies widely by destination. It's a tool. A resource. Use it accordingly.

I know how Trip Advisor works. As far as me not "seeming to understand".

I love TA and use it all the time. Enough said...

One thing to note about TA is that quantity does not always equal quality. Some with thousands of posts are clueless but virtually live there, posting dozens of times a day. Others with far fewer posts actually give good advice, and I look for those.

Also take the Destination Experts with a grain of salt. As long as they are giving specific advice about a destination, it is often worthwhile. Some, however, go overboard with crackpot opinions or simply wrong information about subjects they know nothing about. Again, it is a case of sorting out the fools from the good ones, those who consistently give good advice. Still, the fools are a PITA at times.

I use tripadvisor mostly for the hotel pictures that regular people post. I have avoided hotels due to too many gross pictures by people. A hotel can sound good but pictures can show a different side of it.

The beach could be altered on "official" hotel pictures and it may not look like those pictures on a daily basis. People can post pics of a "free breakfast" that shows it's sparse. When rooms are less than clean or have chronic problems, people post this too. I find this to be helpful.

I take the written reviews with a grain of salt but I try to read multiple reviews and find themes in them. It's just one more place to find info. I prefer to have a Fodorite give a recommendation but there are so many places and not everyone here writes trip reports.

I use TA all the time and always carefully read all the reviews. It is easy to separate the 20-something honeymooners from the seasoned travelers and often easy to spot the plants.I travel many times a year and post often on TA.I found extraordinary guides in Prague and in Budapest from that site,although the only guide rated higher than the one I used in Prague was "Segway" which I thought was a joke.I take my own reviews very seriously and review hotels and restaurants in great detail.I am a luxury traveler and find TA has often been extremely helpful

I agree that top #10 lists are not the best things to plan your trips, but it gives you some orientation if you don't know anything about a place. I always consider other resources as well before going somewhere. That's my opinion.
But there also may be people who find it easier to have a list, do/see these things and that's it. Whatever you think, TA has lots of users (http://www.statista.com/statistics/2...ors-in-the-uk/) and that gives them the right to exist. Fair enough.

TripAdvisor policies regarding listing properties are enabling fraudulent bookings. We had an unknown person steal our pictures and descriptions of one of our villas and list it on TripAdvisor and Holiday Lettings. When we notified both firms that this advertisement was unauthorized and that this person had no permission to rent the property or to use our content, they would do nothing about removing the ad. This house was being offered with online booking. The year prior we had guests arrive, who had booked online and paid for the villa, but did not have a reservation and the owners were never paid. In this case this family lost their money and had no place to stay.

Contrast this with our experience with YouTube, where someone had posted one of our videos without permission. Within a few hours of our notifying them, YouTube had removed the video and required the poster to show proof that they had permission to use the video. This is the correct procedure according to international copyright and IP law and it protects users and owners from potentially fraudulent activity.

It is up to guests, owners and legitimate agencies to expose these bad policies and to make potential guests aware of policies like those of TripAdvisor and Holiday Lettings, which put renters at risk of losing money.

Nina Burns
Adriatic Experience

So, let me see if I get this correct: Tripadvisor's reviews, advice, etc is poor and should not be trusted. Yet, the reviews and advice on this forum should be. Got it...

Yet, the reviews and advice on this forum should be. Got it...>>>

But not any reviews or advice from women.

I like TA, and generally read the bad reviews first and work my way up figuring that people who are unhappy will be more interesting.

When I write a review on TA and I'm happy, it's the same boring things.

The bed was comfortable and the place was clean... blah blah blah.

Which is what I want to read, over and over again.

I like to see why people were unhappy; maybe they were just expecting something different for the price and if that's the case that's fine. I might not mind if there's not a great view or it's not right in the center.

If they are unhappy with the desk clerk, who cares? They may be hard to get along with. If everyone is unhappy with the clerk, then that's saying something.

As I said.. I like and use TA,, but I do not trust every DE.. I have met several.. and they often do not even agree with each other!!! I have also seen a few with very strong bias.. fight with each other openly. That said.. THEY ARE ALL VOLUNTEER posters and nothing is that special about any of them other then experience and time to post and post and post.. lol . They are not paid.

I love the review sections and use them a lot.. if you can't figure out a plant then perhaps you should stay home .. or buhy that bridge for sale in New York.. lol
The photos by reviewers are awesome too.