RV Park reviews

[gmc70]

I have used RV park review web site a number of times and it is very frustrating as if I go and look at a CG in a certain area and then want to look at the ratings on another and hit the back button it takes you all the way back to the home page and not where you were. Am I doing something wrong or are others having this problem also?

[keymastr]

Same for me, I just got used to it and it only slows me down a little. After you find one you think is good plug the name in https://www.campsitephotos.com/ and you can see each site and whether it has a tree that is in the way or is right next to the bathrooms, etc. I do the same with Youtube and see if there is drone footage of the area. Pretty helpful.

[BTFT]

Despite being hard to use, which it is, it is also whats known as a "Mob" site. In other words a site, like Trip Advisor" where anyone can write anything about anyplace. This whether or not they are a competitor or an actual guest.


Most sites like RVPR are gamed by those with economic interest, like the owner writing his own positive reviews or competing parks posting negative reviews .Many times employees are encouraged to post for their employer.


Or even professional companies paid to make a place look good or the opposite.



Doubt that? Don't. For ten years I owned a resort hotel in a SE Asian Beach Resort and I was contacted nearly DAILY by companies offering just that service.


After a long battle with Trip Advisor over a negative review of my hotel posted by a competitor, for which I had indisputable, verifiable computer data as proof, I had a conversation with Steven Kaufer head and founder of Trip Advisor which was refusing to take down the review, And learned this: NO SITE as they are currently configured can control this problem and any statement to the contrary is just so much baloney. (Now this is not a quote from him but rather the result of what he was so careful to say and not say under my questioning)


So my point is; do not rely on these sites. The reviews come from a biased point of view in every case. People often have grudges and axes to grind with a business. Yes there are those that post honest reviews. but this well is contaminated.



But more important; be your own judge and remember that other peoples experience will not be your experience.

[DeWat]

If you're using a Windows computer (opposed to a phone), hold the control key [CTRL] down when you click on the campground of interest. This will cause the link that you clicked on to open in a new tab. When you're finished reviewing, you can keep that tab open for comparisons sake or close it, but then go back to the original tab, and you're still at the same location where you started. Sort of like the back button, but you never left in the first place. If you kept the campground tab open, you can do the same for other campgrounds to open each in its own tab so you can compare the campgrounds against each other.

[wingnut60]

Biased and false reviews can be found on just about any review site on any subject--up to the individual to look at enough reviews to get a feeling about them. Yes, have found glowing reviews to be wrong and some 'so-so' to be understated. And one can check the number of other reviews by a single person to see if they seem to be giving a valid evaluation. Use of RVCampgroundRewiews/CampgroundReviews has proven its worth to me for several years.

[JpalmerCass]

Originally Posted by BTFT

The reviews come from a biased point of view in every case. People often have grudges and axes to grind with a business. Yes there are those that post honest reviews.

You're contradicting yourself.

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by BTFT

Despite being hard to use, which it is, it is also whats known as a "Mob" site. In other words a site, like Trip Advisor" where anyone can write anything about anyplace. This whether or not they are a competitor or an actual guest.


Most sites like RVPR are gamed by those with economic interest, like the owner writing his own positive reviews or competing parks posting negative reviews .Many times employees are encouraged to post for their employer.


Or even professional companies paid to make a place look good or the opposite.



Doubt that? Don't. For ten years I owned a resort hotel in a SE Asian Beach Resort and I was contacted nearly DAILY by companies offering just that service.


After a long battle with Trip Advisor over a negative review of my hotel posted by a competitor, for which I had indisputable, verifiable computer data as proof, I had a conversation with Steven Kaufer head and founder of Trip Advisor which was refusing to take down the review, And learned this: NO SITE as they are currently configured can control this problem and any statement to the contrary is just so much baloney. (Now this is not a quote from him but rather the result of what he was so careful to say and not say under my questioning)


So my point is; do not rely on these sites. The reviews come from a biased point of view in every case. People often have grudges and axes to grind with a business. Yes there are those that post honest reviews. but this well is contaminated.



But more important; be your own judge and remember that other peoples experience will not be your experience.

RV Park Reviews (recently changed name to Campground reviews.com) is NOT your average gamable site. Reviews are moderated by a team of volunteer rvers. Campground operators and their employees are not allowed to post reviews and site admins work hard to make sure that reviews are real. Park owners are not allowed to edit or remove content.

Campground reviews is a sister site to irv2 (RVLife) and we pride ourselves in the neutrality of reviews posted by real rvers. Please don't lump it in with Trip Adviser and similar. The site was started by an rver and is maintained for rvers.

[twogypsies]

Campground Reviews - YES

Trip Advisor and similar - NO

[BTFT]

Originally Posted by Janet H

RV Park Reviews (recently changed name to Campground reviews.com) is NOT your average gamable site. Reviews are moderated by a team of volunteer rvers. Campground operators and their employees are not allowed to post reviews and site admins work hard to make sure that reviews are real. Park owners are not allowed to edit or remove content.

Campground reviews is a sister site to irv2 (RVLife) and we pride ourselves in the neutrality of reviews posted by real rvers. Please don't lump it in with Trip Adviser and similar. The site was started by an rver and is maintained for rvers.

Every review site is gamable. The professionals who do it for money will not only tell you that but demonstrate it. Some sites may take a bit more time and effort but they are ALL vulnerable. NO site can guarantee with any certainty that a given post was actually written by someone who actually stayed at a given property. Period.


As for "moderated" reviews. Anyone who spends a few days poring over a site could easily decipher the unwritten rules and write around them. Additionally moderators, as we all know from being on this site and others, carry their own biases both conscious and unconscious. And has been proved with Facebook, Twitter et. al. those vaunted algorithms they love to talk about are only as good as the folks who wrote them and are often biased too.


I am sorry. I have had this discussion many times before about RV Park R. and it is naive to think that your site cannot be gamed and is not being gamed. To put it bluntly there is too much at stake (economically) for the players involved.


For every safeguard you can name I can counter with two ways or more around it, simple ones anyone can do.


I just think it is important that people undrstand the reality of these sites when using them.

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by BTFT

....and it is naive to think that your site cannot be gamed and is not being gamed. To put it bluntly there is too much at stake (economically) for the players involved.


For every safeguard you can name I can counter with two ways or more around it, simple ones anyone can do.


I just think it is important that people undrstand the reality of these sites when using them.

The site has moderators for exactly this reason. While it is likely there are those who will try to get around their efforts, the site team works pretty hard to weed them out. Probably not perfect, but a better go at the issue than most review sites. As with most things some judgement is needed when making choices about where to camp.

If there are a pile of mediocre reviews for a park and then a glowing one from a brand new reviewer - consider the trust factor when making decisions.

All that said, review sites have enormous value when planning a trip and most folks are able to factor in the obvious pitfalls when making choices.

[BTFT]

Originally Posted by Janet H

The site has moderators for exactly this reason. While it is likely there are those who will try to get around their efforts, the site team works pretty hard to weed them out. Probably not perfect, but a better go at the issue than most review sites. As with most things some judgement is needed when making choices about where to camp.

If there are a pile of mediocre reviews for a park and then a glowing one from a brand new reviewer - consider the trust factor when making decisions.

All that said, review sites have enormous value when planning a trip and most folks are able to factor in the obvious pitfalls when making choices.

Note: Bold text is my action.


Your faith in your site is admirable if misplaced. And if anything recent history with Facebook data breaches and misuse of users data should give you pause. Most people that use review sites and Facebook had/have no idea what the possible consequences and fallout could or would be. Therefore I think your faith in the average computer user is misplaced.



I have warned people for years of the dangers of using Facebook and the possible data misuse that could occur. Finally, though sadly, I have been vindicated.


Facebook has put million's of dollars into trying to stop what is in effect the gaming of their site for both financial and political purposes and have failed time and again. I honestly do not think your moderators can succeed where real professionals with all the money they could spend and all the best tools at their command failed. Granted these are different problems in scope and type, but essentially the same problem.



I applaud your efforts. But as I pointed out moderation and moderators come with their own pitfalls and biases.


I think review sites should first and foremost be viewed for what they are; a commercial enterprise.


I truly believe you are wanting to do the right thing and doing the best you can. But you are up against extremely clever, tech savvy individuals with an agenda. You are underestimating your opposition...a deadly mistake.


Remember after Hubris comes Nemesis.


I am not disrespecting your site. I just think more education and skepticism needs to be brought to the use of Review Sites.

[1982]

I'm a full-timer who travels widely throughout the West. I've used RVParkReviews for over ten years now. I look for factual information--- are the roads dirt/gravel/paved, are the sites dirt/gravel/paved, can you hear the near-by highway/train tracks/airport, are the sites back to back, do they have shared hook-ups, a lot of permanent residents, etc. I have usually found this information very accurate over the years.

[USMCRET]

Originally Posted by BTFT

Every review site is gamable. The professionals who do it for money will not only tell you that but demonstrate it. Some sites may take a bit more time and effort but they are ALL vulnerable. NO site can guarantee with any certainty that a given post was actually written by someone who actually stayed at a given property. Period.


As for "moderated" reviews. Anyone who spends a few days poring over a site could easily decipher the unwritten rules and write around them. Additionally moderators, as we all know from being on this site and others, carry their own biases both conscious and unconscious. And has been proved with Facebook, Twitter et. al. those vaunted algorithms they love to talk about are only as good as the folks who wrote them and are often biased too.


I am sorry. I have had this discussion many times before about RV Park R. and it is naive to think that your site cannot be gamed and is not being gamed. To put it bluntly there is too much at stake (economically) for the players involved.


For every safeguard you can name I can counter with two ways or more around it, simple ones anyone can do.


I just think it is important that people undrstand the reality of these sites when using them.

In spite of all of that, the damned thing works. I’ve been using the site for nearly a decade now, and it has never painted a false picture of anywhere I’ve been.

[gmc70]

I DID NOT mean to start WWIII here, all I was wondering is if anyone else had the same situation as I was having. I am still and will continue to use the web site in the planning for trips. If I make the wrong decision on the campground it is my fault, no one else's.