Solved: Honest Online Reviews – No More Fake

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Fake reviews are a plague and hard to counter.

Even if purchases are verified, it is not hard to fake – pay them back and don’t deliver the product.

So the first step is to accept that fake reviews cannot be stopped.

The problem is not fake reviews – it is a lack of honest reviews. Fake reviews are highly motivated, while honest ones are not. Because people look at the average rating, the ratio is what matters.

So how can we encourage honest reviews? With cash of course.

A) Discount. People who give a positive review (4 or more) get a discount on future purchases. This has zero value to anyone who has no desire to eat/shop there again. But it encourages honest reviews.

B) Commission. If you purchase and a social friend left a positive review, they get a commission. If there is more than one friend, they split it.

Both models provide the business with extra sales. Both create a culture of reviews. Neither benefit fake reviewers. Honest reviews will outnumber fake reviews… at least the mix would be a lot better than today.

AI can now rule the world

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I have often wondered about how Artificial Intelligence can be its own person, with money and control, a very scary proposition.

The problem is that ownership can only be assigned to people. Yes, a business or trust can own something, but neither can exist without people controlling them.

But now… Australia has decided that AI can own a patent. That means that AI can get an income, on its own. I can see future court cases arguing that if an AI can receive an income, it must be able to open a bank account, own property and so on.

Robot overlords are not far away.

(Note, a US court said no to an AI system owning a patent)

UPDATE: Ruling overturned in Australia, so currently nowhere lets this happen. In South Africa AI has been provisionally approved… but that just means they haven’t really looked at it yet.

Forced Transience

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There are two very clear, recent trends;

  1. Work from home
  2. Fewer physical possessions

Combine these with a pandemic and anti-vaxxers, and we can order all of those people to move to the same city and infect each other.

Literally, WFH people can be ordered to live somewhere if they have unacceptable ideas, that aren’t quite illegal, but putting them all in the same place makes sense.

Licensed Marketing

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For local businesses (restaurant, hairdressers etc) the exact same (winning) marketing can be used in different countries to make it more affordable.

So, in 200+ countries you can have a hairdresser called Knot Just Hair or Head Office. Each can use the exact same:

  • logo
  • ad copy
  • social and search marketing
  • video

One really good agency creates the above, and 200 salons split the cost. The agency gets 5x the income, and the salons get it for 2.5% of the normal cost.

Because the work is brilliant, the salons that expand (they are unlikely to want to go international) will pay on a per location basis, at a discount.

 

The Rights of Stupid People

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Rightfully so, many formerly marginalised and discriminated against people now have laws and movements to give them equality. Most prominent in recent times has been support for the rights of gay and transgendered people.

Along with such progresses has been laws and/or public shame addresses words that can be used in hateful ways. I don’t need to mention them, you know the words you cannot and should not say.

One that was common when I was a kid, and is totally forbidden today, is retard – even though that word became a common way of not saying offensive words like “moron”, “idiot”, “cretin” and “imbecile”.

Now we are meant to say disabled, or some version of that. Which is all fine, I’m disputing this at all. I am a futurist, and so I am wondering what happens next.

Intelligence is a spectrum, and it is a luck of the draw (plus genetics) that decides where each of us are on that spectrum, from genius to mentally disabled.

I think next up will be the removal of the word stupid. And the word crazy. Both are used casually to describe not just people but also situations and activities. That was a stupid decision, based on a crazy idea. When stupid or crazy people hear such words, even when not directed at them, it is hurtful.

Instead we will say that was an unwise decision, based on a misguided idea.

Expect this before 2030, and happening this or next year wouldn’t surprise me at all.

Internet Nomads on Friendly Farms

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(In/Off)

Simple concept that could take off.

WWOOF has been around for decades, where you work for a few hours each day on an organic farm, in exchange for food and somewhere to sleep.

Less strict about organic/farms are HelpX and workaway.info.

None are specifically for internet professionals, and listings merely state if the Internet is available. In many rural locations the speed might be very slow. Also, a professional would prefer a quiet spot, with a desk and accessories like printers and large monitors.

A network that guarantees support for digital nomads can get a work/life balance that includes fresh air and nature.

Setting it up isn’t hard, simply a free directory where hosts detail the Internet capabilities that have. Maybe even set up a charity that helps them get the necessary gear.

Restraining Order Attack Support Team

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Restraining Order Attack Support Team (ROAST)

  • Neighbourhood Watch is a very generalised community effort to deter crime
  • Restraining Orders don’t work very well went the bad guy decides to break the rules. They are typically gone or have done harm before the police are informed or arrive.
  • There are too many people who are fearing for their lives for the police to actively protect

We can combine the above to create a community-based response to potential violations of restraining orders. A hyper-focused mission to protect those who are scared of a particular individual, and vulnerable.

Here’s how it works:

Only for people where a restraining order is in place, and there is an indication things could turn bad. So not when the bad guy is living in another state and has made no contact.

Community members who live nearby have an app. The frightened person can trigger an alarm and everyone gets the alert.

Temporary, borrowed security measures can be put in place – cameras and door/window alarms. These could also be connected to the app.

The community would be supplied with photos and car details of the bad guy. Where legal, license plate readers could be set up on that street.

The bad guy is informed that the frightened person is protected, and where legal could even show a photo of community members with their weapons.

Podcast / Navigation

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People listen to podcasts while driving.

People use navigation apps while driving.

Combine them. The voice of the podcast interrupts the podcast to announce you need to make a turn. Casually, conversationally, like a passenger who knows the way and was telling you a story.

Unlikely to happen if the podcaster needs to record all the navigational words.

Can easily happen if that voice can be synthesised.

Receptionist / Security Guard

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Problems to solve:

  • Security is expensive
  • Many receptionists are bored
  • Security guards gets bored

Solution – for video security:

Bored people, like some receptionists, or someone on the train, get to watch security cameras for a short time, say 30 seconds on average, but you never know how long.

There are buttons they can push at the end of the viewing – nothing happened, maybe suspicious or alert. You have just a moment to click on one, it proves you were paying attention.

The same security feed gets seen by multiple people, and if two or more click an alert button, it is considered genuine.

In-between videos there are tasks to perform like Mechanical Turk. That keeps people awake and focussed.

Paid by the minute. Stop start whenever you want.

Free Help You Buy

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This is a variation on an idea I once presented to the CEO of Dell Computers, twice.

Scenario – you want a iPhone 7 cover with purple flowers, delivered within a week.

You – search for 10 minutes, get frustrated, give up.

We – search on your behalf, provide recommendations, no charge.

Business model

We provide the best solution, not the best price.

We provide links to preferred suppliers.

There is no obligation to buy – you can look elsewhere for the same product.

We receive commissions from businesses that offer commissions. This influences where we recommend you buy from, but not the product/solution we recommend.

We are upfront about out business model.

We publish the ratio of solutions we do not benefit from.

Employees are global, cheap, and paid per solution, with a share of any commissions.

Advantages

First mover advantage.

Scales well – all solutions stored in a database, to make it easier next time.

Solutions can be published online.

Because we cater for all categories, we can bid (Google Ads) on only high intent keywords, like +buy+ delivery