Comments on: Internet anonymity and the higher law of Wall Street http://www.likelihoodofsuccess.com/2007/07/17/internet-anonymity-and-the-higher-law-of-wall-street/ Ron Coleman’s retired general topic blog Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:32:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Erik Schmidt http://www.likelihoodofsuccess.com/2007/07/17/internet-anonymity-and-the-higher-law-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-1416 Erik Schmidt Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:21:35 +0000 http://likelihoodofsuccess.com/2007/07/17/internet-anonymity-and-the-higher-law-of-wall-street/#comment-1416 I know many owners of small software companies would love the ability to hunt down some pseudonymous participants of user reviews at download sites. It is difficult enough to start up a new business. When you start seeing suspicious patterns in user reviews, it can make your blood boil. It is widely known in Silicon Valley that some unscrupulous software companies use review sites as a means to bash their competitors. Still, I'd rather see the market sort those sorts of things on its own. It doesn't seem too much to ask for Internet users to show some discernment when reading information online. After all, would you make business decisions on the basis of what someone wearing a mask told you? I know many owners of small software companies would love the ability to hunt down some pseudonymous participants of user reviews at download sites. It is difficult enough to start up a new business. When you start seeing suspicious patterns in user reviews, it can make your blood boil. It is widely known in Silicon Valley that some unscrupulous software companies use review sites as a means to bash their competitors.

Still, I’d rather see the market sort those sorts of things on its own. It doesn’t seem too much to ask for Internet users to show some discernment when reading information online. After all, would you make business decisions on the basis of what someone wearing a mask told you?

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