WIRED: more on "why digg failed": herding (mob manipulation)

[urlwolf]

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.03/herding.html

[app103]

I have never trusted Ebay and so far nothing has been able to change my mind about it.

I have only ever made one indirect purchase (I gave the money to a friend and told him what I wanted to buy him as a gift and had him make the purchase for himself), and I was a bundle of nerves while doing it.

Sure, many of you have had good experiences with it as both buyers and sellers, but that isn't enough for me. With my luck, I would be one to get burned and I can't afford that.

I have had friends suggest that I only purchase from those that have a high seller rating, which as this article says, can be manipulated quite easily.

I believe in the stupidity of crowds...I have seen it happen too many times. It's called the 'sheep effect'...and I don't trust the wisdom of sheep.

So if you are one of those that thinks they can trust sheep, be careful that none of them are really wolves.

And if one of you are one of the sheep, be careful that the sheep in front of you that you are following isn't a wolf, too.


^{(And this is my 1000th post!)}