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Online reviews vs Evidence of expertise

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Let’s say you are looking for a method book, eBook, DVD or video on playing a musical instrument such as the Guitar. There may be many factors in deciding but poll this focuses on comparison between the following two particular factors: A) Online customer reviews on retailer websites such as Amazon etc. and B) Actual evidence of the authors skill, such as videos of them playing their instrument (including to an advanced level).
If both were available for the same book, how would they matter in comparison?
Online customer reviews would matter more
Evidence of skill would matter more
Both would matter equally
If you were a beginner and looking for a book for a beginner, would the author showing evidence of their skill above beginner level, contribute to your confidence that it would be a good book?
Yes
Somewhat
A little
No
Don’t know
Between two different books, which would be more attractive to you?
A book with only positive online customer reviews and no evidence of author skill
A book with only evidence of the author’s skill and no online reviews
Neither would be more important / Can’t decide
If a book had a poor review or reviews, but the author had evidence of their own skill, would this affect how valid you perceive the review(s)?
Less believable
More believable
No effect
Between two different books, which would be more attractive to you?
A book with only positive online customer reviews and no evidence of author skill
A book with negative online customer reviews by an author with evidence of their skill
Neither would be more important / Can’t decide
Do you believe online customer reviews posted over the internet in general are by actual genuine customers giving you their honest views?
Yes, always
Mostly
Some
Not many
No
This poll was created on 2014-05-11 15:29:55 by Arpeggio