Great Business Idea

[d000hg]

+1 for it being a fast track to threats of writs for libel

The web's full of review sites for products, couldn't manufacturers complain in the same way if everyone writes 'this TV is crap'?

Run the site through an off-shore company if needs be. Highlight (and exercise) a policy of moderating excessive reviews. Give agents a chance to respond to reviews. Etc. But, it's the individuals I'd say would need tracking, not the companies.

I had an idea for something along these lines but it was much more profit oriented, a tool which helps contractors (and agents) but is intended as a business. Maybe one day when I have a web-dev going spare...

[darmstadt]

There used to a great site like that over here but it too seems to have disappeared however Gulp do in fact have a 'whitelist' which gives you an indication of which agencies are good (a numerical rating) so you can probably take that agencies not mentioned are no good. There is a very long questionnaire you have to fill in and you can also make comments about the 'black sheep.' All in all a very detailed analysis of which agencies are any good.

[MarillionFan]

A much better idea would be to set up a site where you rate ex-lovers. You could set up your account, and then list your conquests, associating their nicknames with their email accounts!!!!

Oh hang on a second. I'm suggesting this on an IT Contracting website, which has 20,000 members with an IT bias.

WTF am I thinking!

FAIL

[MaryPoppins]

A much better idea would be to set up a site where you rate ex-lovers. You could set up your account, and then list your conquests, associating their nicknames with their email accounts!!!!

Oh hang on a second. I'm suggesting this on an IT Contracting website, which has 20,000 members with an IT bias.

WTF am I thinking!

FAIL

Two of my (dubious) male friends did this.

[SueEllen]

One of the reasons it wouldn't work is that on every forum or review site where companies are slagged off they either log on at Head Office with different names or get the managers in the branches you are complaining about to write comments about how wonderful they are.

If they can't generate enough comments they then sue the site for libel..........


Until the UK libel laws change a site like that isn't viable.

[MarillionFan]

Two of my (dubious) male friends did this.

and what was your rating Mary? 10 out of 10, or needs to try harder?

[The Wikir Man]

what if it is moderated or you try and keep it scientific e.g. numeric ratings rather than actual comments?

If it's moderated, and you include comments, then you are potentially opening yourself up to even more problems - you knew there was a chance that it could be libellous, but didn't do enough to stop it => legal problems.

Numeric ratings are meaningless - one particularly bad rating from one person might skew things. Plus, I would want to know exactly WHY people were giving a bad rating, rather than just their scores.

[The Wikir Man]

Tell me about it!
I know this one knob of an agent, who we'll call "james". Different girl every week, although they do seem to see sense and dissappear.
He's always "going abroad" but can never say what for cause it "secret like".
Last time I saw him I was at a mates barbeque... the tosser turned up in a ******* tuxedo!

So, which one are you - Mitchell or Webb?

[Spacecadet]

So, which one are you - Mitchell or Webb?

Ah! Someone with taste

[Peoplesoft bloke]

The biggest issue I see with this is that pimp's and clientco's interests and ours aren't always the same.

If clientco has an agreement with pimpco, then bad reviews won't make any difference - if you want the gig there, you have to work via badpimp.