A counter argument is that if Google doesn’t care enough to manipulate its reviews because the stakes are too low, then they might also turn a blind eye to restaurants, businesses, and other listings manipulating the system themselves (again assuming it’s too small time for Google to care).
But I don’t have a better solution either, my wife and I have followed almost your exact same pattern of relying on Yelp until it became untrustworthy and then Google Reviews (which is what I still use now).
I've personally seen my (and others') negative google reviews removed. I reposted mine since I'd saved it; we'll see how long it stays up.
My previous employer would just sent requests to delete negative reviews on Google Maps because the reviewer didn't use their real name, and poof, it was gone. Easy as pie.
Re:A warning about Glassdoor
by heavyset_go on Friday October 16, 2020 @12:29AM
(#24797477)
Google reviews are gamed by companies that have thousands of accounts to throw positive reviews at their clients pages.
I'm not at all surprised that Glassdoor is playing similar games.
The following isn't necessarily meant to disagree with you.
A common thread is that Yelp and Glassdoor directly make money based on their reviews. That's their core product. Other comments about how trust should be a core product are relevant, but that doesn't seem to be what's happening.
My wife and I started using Google reviews. To be clear: we are by no means starry-eyed Google fans. We're quite aware of many their problems and WTFisms.
In this case, though, unless I'm mistaken, Google reviews are at most very indirectly a product for them.
This is important, because in my mind, that makes it far less likely for them to meaningfully/substantively fuck around with the results.
It would be easy (and perhaps fun!) for me and anyone else reading this to inject doubt into this assertion.
I'm happily open to additional illumination here, particularly as far as a practical daily use review system.