Credibility and the Clique →
Anthony Kay on feeling burned after purchasing a highly regarded e-book and the credibility found within the top-tier technology blogosphere that recommended it:
“I found that the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth and put me off the author’s future work. But more than that, it made me question the credibility of the sites that wrote such glowing initial reviews about an inferior product. I was left wondering if this wasn’t a case of bloggers supporting one of their own rather than being honest and calling it like it is. Although there’s nothing wrong with being supportive when it’s warranted, if you ignore reality and deliver a false impression to your readers you aren’t doing yourself any favours, you’re just damaging your credibility as an author or blogger in the long term.”
I’ve had similar experiences to Anthony and now take all recommendations about particular products (software, books or otherwise) that appear in my feed from these sites with a grain of salt.
The main issue here is objectivity, or more precisely, a lack thereof within the independent tech blogosphere. A clique has emerged that’s akin to the cool kids’ lunch table or a good ‘ol boys club. And just like those kids at that lunch table, the clique sticks together to create an echo chamber of glowing positivity for products that oftentimes do not warrant such esteemed accolades.
It’s hard to be completely honest when critiquing the work of a friend, but that’s what this scene desperately needs.
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