Why did my review get deleted?

[TeaNut]

I am semi-new here and have a question. (Apologies if this is not the appropriate forum.)

A few weeks back I did reviews on at least 4 tea rooms that I had recently visited to discover later that the only uncomplimentary review I did was removed. My wording was thoughtful and non-inflammatory so I have NO idea why it would be erased. Considering it was possibly an error, I once again added my review - only to find it missing again this morning. I looked for an email to contact an administrator at regarding this and could not find one. Hopefully this is the correct path to resolving this.

I would so love to understand why this review continues to be removed if that is indeed the case. Thanks in advance. TeaNut

[chris]

Thanks for the post.

My guess is that it was Ilya who deleted it. He's been walking around the office all day with a big eraser in his hand and a devilish smile on his face.

Yes, I think it may be time for an intervention.... anyone who sits and stares at HTML code that often is bound to go bonkers.

Sympathetically,

Chris
Adagio Maestro

[ilya]

We remove less than 1% of all posts on TeaMap. The only reasons your post would have been removed is either your IP shows you have filled out more than one review per tearoom, or the review said something like, "This tearoom was so dirty, I didn't even bother walking in".

If you still believe we were unfair in removing your comment, please email me at ilya@adagio.com

[TeaNut]

Actually my post did say that.... which I thought was an honest critique. For this particular tea room, to be more exact...there was actually an animal "bi-product" at the front door which was quite disturbing and flies all around. I didn't even enter the door.

But I am disturbed that that would be removed. It is a website for critiquing tea rooms....

I think anyone would want to know if the outside of an establishment is so unclean that you would not even enter. I would be interested in knowing what rating the health department has given them.

Can you tell me why this comment was not allowed?

Thanks again for your swift attention to this matter. TeaNut

[ilya]

That's a fair question.

Although most reviews filled out on TeaMap are legitimate (positive and negative), we have found that there is a small percentage of tearoom owners that use it to discredit their competitors. At first we did not remove any reviews, but quickly found out that tearooms were demanding to be taken off the directory because someone had made an outrageous remark and the owner felt helpless to the attack.

We institued a manual review process that consists of us reviewing the posts for anomalous reviews. When we find these, they are purged. I think that has allowed us to maintain the integrity of the reviews (99% are left untouched), while avoiding the frantic phone calls to Adagio with the phrase, "My lawyer will be contacting you".

An imperfect solution, but one that will hopefully keep our legal bills down.

[Lana Y]

My Mom always told me....
and I agree...
"If you don't have anything nice to say,
don't say anything at all."
If we've visited a tea room that was wonderful,
share it...Maybe we like some better than others.
Great, but to discredit is very damaging and rude.
and actually mean and unessesary.
I know I can make my own conclusions....
and I'll bet everyone else can too.

[TeaNut]

I agree with your mother's assessment about not saying anything unless you have something nice to say - with the exception...

that a person is ASKED he/her opinion...which is the purpose of a review. It would not be a "review" if we all just assumed that all tea rooms were wonderful and worthy. If we made those assumptions, there would be no point of a review or the website in general.

Also, I have seen other reviews that were less than complimentary about other tea rooms - and have the common sense to take it for what it's worth - which is - someone else's opinion. Reviews serve to show a "tendency" if nothing else. If I see that a particular tea room has had adequate input and the majority are not favorable...I may visit one that has had more "good" reviews first. Hope that makes sense. If I see one that has had a majority of negative reviews, I will weight that with the reasons for the negative critique and decide on my own what to do.

Still, I am disturbed that my review would be removed whether or not my critique was agreed with. That doesn't seem like the society that we call America. TeaNut

[Lana Y]

I do understand where you are comming from, this is America.
BUT..All reviews are nothing more than an opinion, and we should all take them as "just that", but some people take them as nothing less than gospel...and the damage that could be caused by a comment can be devastating, to an owners new business, especially when it comes to a health issue.
look at the damage that Las Vegas Women did to Wendys.....

[TeaNut]

I'm glad that you can understand my perspective at least.

I think to compare this to the Wendy's Woman/Las Vegas is comparing apples to oranges, however.

I think FAR more damage would be done if we disallowed people, through censorship of something as simple as a review of a tea room, to speak their minds.

I highly doubt that those persons who frequent tea rooms and review sites of tea rooms, don't have common sense enough to distinguish reviews.

If I had to call this...I would say that there is something quite afoul going on here if reviews continue to "disappear" simply because they are not favorable. That is flat out wrong. TeaNut

[chris]

Thanks for the post.

Let's not overlook the most obvious point here, TeaNut... Being that you did not actually enter and, therefore experience, the tearoom, you cannot provide a comprehensive review of their offerings!

For this reason alone, it would be unfair to keep the post.

Not judging books by covers,

Chris
Adagio Maestro

[ilya]

TeaNut, I understand your frustration, and I hope to alleviate your concern by assuring you that only a tiny portion (less than 1%) of reviews are removed. The reason yours was purged is because you indicated that you never stepped foot into the actual tearoom.

[chris]

They say great minds think alike.... guess it is true for us, too, Ilya.

[TeaNut]

Thank you for your reply, but I must say that it is unreasonable that I would have to have entered the door (that had animal waste right outside of it) and actually consumed tea in order to be able to review it. That just doesn't make sense. I never would try to say I TRIED something there and didn't like it, that would be dishonest..but I should be able to say what I did without it being stricken. Censorship, plain and simple.

Still, I would be interested in knowing what this woman's health dept. rating is/was.

TeaNut

[Mike B]

I must say that it is unreasonable that I would have to have entered the door (that had animal waste right outside of it) and actually consumed tea in order to be able to review it.

While, okay, things may be a lot different out there in the business-owning world than what I've been led to believe by my healthy dose of television (oh, television: let me rest my weary head on your antenna-shaped bosom), but I'm pretty sure the business didn't place the dog poo ("animal waste" seems silly since (a) we're not talking about a crumpled tissue and (b) the dog didn't waste it) outside the business as some kind of promotional come-on.

Everybody poos and some of us do so outdoors. It's hoped, of course, that those who do are quadrapeds. And, based on a completely unscientific study conducted by, well, me: 1403 down the hall never picks up after her dog when she walks him in the parking lot; yet, because of this, I would not give a bad review to the little market that appears to be some kind of outdoor poo spot for her pet.

If you're going to review a dining establishment, you have to eat at the dining establishment. Unless you're reviewing the architecture of said establishment. Then, of course, it's totally BYO-dining experience. If the dog poo was inside the tea house -- or if you were offered dog poo as an aperitif -- then you can bad-review away.

And, as a p.s.: your freedom of speech isn't constitutionally protected on a privately owned message board. It's totally up to the editors of said website/message board. You're totally free to open your own message board should you be so inclined.

[TeaNut]

Oh my. I don't think there is such a call for such snyde tratment of a fellow poster. Truly.

While I love your sense of humor, I think your intention was less than flattering and uncalled for.

If only the dog "waste" (my preferred term for it on said private board) outside the door - were the only problem cited in my first post . No need to cite each "issue" I had as it seems they could possibly be stricken as well.

No one begrudges said "dog" (or other animal) from having eliminated his/her waste.....but it is not unreasonable that the owner or employees in charge would have cleaned it before it had been smeared and dried for quite some time.

Surely you would not enter an eating establishment where you had to step over animal waste and dodge flies in order to still dine. If so, I hope you are not the entrepeneur of an eating establishment that I might visit.

When it comes to people, I do not judge a book by it's cover. However, when it comes to dining facilities...I'm afraid the risks are to great.

Just my 2 cents! TeaNut