Unless I am missing something, I note that this service, like many Web 2.0 services, is loathe to share data. Of course many assume that Open Data Access is inversely related to business model success, but this remains a fallacy based on a lack of understanding of what Open Data Access delivers when you engage the Semantic Web vision.

(link) is an example of an Open Data Access model based Review Service. I can query this data from outside the network while the network continues to grow and provide value added services.

Like Om says, I need something that is easy for users to use and that already has a large audience that can leveraged/cross-pollinated. Even better is if Amazon leveraged the S3 to independently store ‘my’ reviews while they are able to present them in the aggregate.

Sincerely,
Ben

Ben Watson - VP, Collaboration
Thomson NETg
ben.watson@thomson.com

Interesting post. Reviews and ratings continue to be central to decision making for most users and there is definitely an opportunity to deliver a “dead simple” experience to the users, as Om commented.

We have taken a different approach at iNods (http://www.inods.com), where we are aggregating, consolidating and presenting reviews and ratings in a structured format to the end users. While Amazon has the largest amount of valuable review content, we believe that it will be difficult to replicate that model on a single site or on a syndicated platform. Also, most of the “new” user reviews and feedback are appearing on personal sites and blogs and so on. iNods aggregates and structures all this content, including Amazon’s, and users just have to search or browse to a product thet are interested in. Let me know what you think.

Cheers!

Also, don’t forget about RateItAll in this space. RateItAll is a long tail consumer ratings site in which consumers create, promote, and manage their own top ten style lists of products, people, places, etc, which can then be posted on their blogs or social networking pages via a variety of widgets. Publishers share in the revenue associated with their contributions, and reviewers own all of their reviews, profiles, and rating lists - which they can remove at any time.

We are unfunded and running on cash flow.

I find the challenge to be giving relevant and useful information to the onlookers before you hit the saturation point needed to get good amount of user contributed data. Its a challenge I am struggling with on my project as well.

Nobody wants another toolbar but having an aggregation of quality review content would be great if it could be done. Getting the content however seems to demand some creative methods and incentives.