TRAVEL BLOGThe Linkery: ‘The Nation’s Only Anti-Tipping Laboratory’New Addition to the Travel Lexicon: ‘Vagabond Neurosis’World Hum’s Most Read: Oct. 4-10What We Loved This Week: Bajofondo, Rattlesnake Cake and Leaf Peeping
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Love Herring in SwedenFrom artery-clogging casseroles to a fermented concoction that smells alarmingly like vinegary flatulence, Lola Akinmade digs in to a smörgåsbord of herring and explains how to best appreciate Scandinavia’s favorite fish. BOOKS
The Water Is WideBronwen Dickey considers Tim Butcher’s “Blood River: A Journey to Africa’s Broken Heart,” which takes readers deep into the Congo SPEAKER'S CORNER
Vagrant Ruminations of a Compulsive TravelerWhere does the urge to hunt for that “fleeting fix of elsewhere” come from? Peter Wortsman recalls a life of travel inspiration. Q&A
Rolf Potts: Revelations from a Postmodern Travel WriterHis new book “Marco Polo Didn’t Go There” includes his best stories from the past 10 years. Michael Yessis asks him how travel writing has changed in the last decade—and what he sees for the future. AUDIO SLIDESHOW Notes From an Unofficial Tourist GreeterSummer is over, and so is Julia Ross‘ season as an ambassador to travelers in Washington, D.C.’s Woodley Park neighborhood. She’s happy to be off duty. THE LIST
10 Great Travel Race MoviesSlow travel is well and good. But there’s something irresistible about a great travel race movie. World Hum Travel Movie Clubbers Eva Holland and Eli Ellison share their favorite vicarious thrill rides. ASK ROLF
How Should I Spend My Time in Spain?Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel |
TRAVEL BLOG6.1.07
Tips on Using TripAdvisor, or How to Not Get the Room Next to the Jackhammering at 5 a.m.
* Some study where reviewers live to gauge their sensibilities. While one Boston man says he doesn’t trust any reviews written by New Yorkers, a Manhattanite trusts other Manhattan residents because, she says, they share “certain standards.” * Others look at previous reviews by particular writers to gauge their sensibilities. “The jackpot [for one user]: Finding someone who has reviewed a property where she’s also stayed so she knows if they’re in sync,” Keates writes. * Some even make judgments about a review based on a reviewer’s username. One user thought a review by “crzy4cncun” was likely trust-worthy because the reviewer probably had a lot of experience in Cancun. Keates suggests that TripAdvisor can be particularly helpful in breaking news about hotels. “When certain key words (’hurricane’ or ‘construction’) pop up, TripAdvisor is at its best,” she writes. “It is one of the few places to find indications that a recent event has affected the hotel’s quality.”
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Photo by Brandon Pajamas via Flickr, (Creative Commons). Categories: Weblog • Hotels • Travel Tips 
Permalink • Comments (4)
COMMENTSIt was an interesting article, but by delving in to the “strategies for how to read reviews”, the reporter seemed to be missing two key observations: 1) that for the consumer, the process of reading through all these reviews is extremely time-consuming, 2) that user gen and social networking sites have a real problem on their hands with reviews by interested parties and fake profiles. Time for some user authentication! By Carter Nicholas on 6.1.07 at 08:10 PM
Carter - In the interest of user authentication, what’s your role with Trip Connect? By Andrew on 6.5.07 at 12:09 AM
TripAdvisor is providing a valuable service, where else can you get such wealth of information before travelling to a location and booking your hotel? Personally I check TripAdvisor reviews for the hotels I know and I try to understand how subjective the reviewes can be and how all the reviewes for one hotel should be “interpreted” as a whole. So make up your own system to understand reviewes for a hotel though there is no guarantee! By Bob's Hotel Directory on 8.18.07 at 02:10 AM
You have to keep in mind that there’s only a certain type of person that will contribute to such services. Few are coming home after a vacation and writing reviews. ...just like surveys are inherently biased, because the only people that participate in surveys are those that participate in surveys. For each bad review, there are sure to be a dozen or more that won’t comment on a pleasant experience. By Craig of Travelvice.com on 11.18.07 at 09:54 AM
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Most experienced travelers are well aware of the potential pitfalls of making hotel decisions based on 
