So is it basically true that there is no objective information out there anymore, because anyone running a successful site gets corrupted with money?

That's a big broad brush you just swiped with, but yeah, I kind of agree with it.

Blind seems somewhat OK?

I’d say Consumer Reports and NYT wire cutter are pretty objective…

Their bigger issue is that company quality doesn’t change much from year to year, so the pans that were good in 2019 are probably still good now, which is boring.

Wire cutter is hardly objective - check out their bike lock reviews. Every single recommended product is from Kryptonite.

To be fair, most of the alternatives are garbage, but also most of Kryptonite’s own products are garbage. There are ~3 worthwhile bike locks on the market. 2 of them are made by Kryptonite. The rest provide the same value as the TSA. Mostly theatrical.

On youtube there are videos from an expert lockpicker, I can't remember the name, where he goes on lockpicking kryptonite locks. He explains in great detail what he expected more from the high end, but his recommendation by the end was still a kryptonite lock, not necessary the ultimate, and said that unless you are ready to lose the bike, unless it's in sight, there is very little you can do. And with an angle grinder you are doomed either way

That would be the Lockpicking Lawyer.

That's the one indeed!

Wirecutter is not objective.

https://www.xdesk.com/wirecutter-standing-desk-review-pay-to...

Previous discussion on this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22141719

It depends on where they get their money, and how devoted to being ethical the place is. Consumer Reports is a good example of how to do this right.

I think it has to be a nonprofit or individual who isn't doing it to make any money, though. If it's a money-maker, you can't trust it.

The only good source is a network of people you know in person. If you don't have one, working on open source projects is a good way to bootstrap one.

Only way to get something useful is to read between the lines. If there are full text reviews. But that takes time. Glassdoor, tripadvisor, anything.

It’s only a matter of time before generative AI makes even that type of analysis impossible