Yelp and Chowhound

The Boston Foodie ©

Apparently, and not to my dislike, I have been caught up in the Yelp/Chowhound controversy in a Boston newspaper article today. I tried and abandoned both of these post sites due to erroneous information and the time-consuming frustration spent sorting out fact from rants. It's kind of exciting to be involved in social media in the many levels of the Boston food atmosphere. Technology, content and people connections. You need all three and that's why people read here. Anyway, here's the quote:

Some restaurateurs and staff who do not have a favorable view of these sites spoke to me under condition of anonymity. “There’s sometimes a faceless nastiness on the sites,’’ says one. “People will sometimes attack chefs personally in a way that’s baseless and cruel.’’ A well-known restaurateur who refused to put a Google sticker on his door says, “They collect personal information and sell it. Why should I help? They can manufacture popularity with these sites, but it can go the other way.’’

Talented civilian reviewers who outgrow review sites are creating alternatives. Successful writers on Chowhound and eGullet (a popular bulletin board for food discussions), have gone on to create compelling food and restaurant blogs. In this area, there’s North Shore Dish (www.northshoredish.com), Eat Boutique (www.eatboutique.com), The Boston Foodie (www.thebostonfoodie.blogspot.com), Fork It Over, Boston (www.forkitoverboston.blogspot.com), and Table Critic (www.tablecritic.com).

Here is a link to the full article: Boston Globe