CHAPTER 8
The Snarky Web
Ioften find myself in conversations with people who have been jaded by the negativity that they have found on the web, and often refer to it as the “snarky web.” Usually these conversations are driven by their experience with consumer review websites, complaint sites, or other items that they found while searching the web. These sites are a natural evolution tied to the experiences that Customers have had with companies they have done business with. After having limited say, Customers now have their turn to broadcast their thoughts.
One of the best examples of this is a website called the Consumerist. The website was founded by Gawker Media in 2005 to discuss consumer experiences. Since that time, they have opened the door to a variety of conversations about various companies. Among my favorites is the grocery store shrink ray. One of my local grocery stores, an independently owned franchise, still has old-fashioned signs for different products. One of the signs is in the ice cream section advertising “HALF GALLON ICE CREAM.” When is the last time you saw half gallons of ice cream? First, ice cream companies went down to 1.75 gallons, then some tried to go to 1.5 gallons. It now seems to be coming back up, but the only place that I have seen half gallons has been at a local ice cream shop that makes and packages their own ice cream. The Consumerist highlights this type of faulty advertising.
Some of the stories that they post seem outlandish, especially ...
