Is the death of "user generated" content coming? And soon?

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjoro/

All good things must come to an end. So goes the saying. And is the end of user generated content heading that way?


I think it probably is likely where unmoderated and validated user generated content is heading. 


I believe that as social media, blogging, twitter and review sites have become more and more mainstream, it has and is becoming less and less powerful, insightful and helpful. This is because instead of a few really passionate people, with deep understanding and knowledge of a topic or area carefully crafting and writing about a topic, there has is a growing trend for people to post reviews and content that lacks depth and balance, and tends to either "gush" or "vent". This makes for less powerful, and less helpful, advice and comment to guide and to get help from.


A Nielsen study showed that 90% of people trust recommendations from people they know, and about 70% trusted recommendations from trusted online reviews. The key being "people they know" and "trusted online reviews"...


The time for more validated and "expert" reviews is coming. I believe that this will grow in importance. The "experts" will still be passionate amateurs who have experiences and knowledge to share, but there will increasingly be some form of credentials or validation about their capability and expertise. This may be ratings, volume of postings or some form of 3rd Party endorsement or confirmation. It will help to cut through the increasing noise and volume of data being pushed out. It will also help to ensure the honesty and accuracy of the information and advice.


The experience with one of the biggest user content generated sites, Tripadvisor, illustrates the need for this. There have been many discussions and reports of the use of false reviews on hotels, and even reviewers trying to blackmail hotel and restaurant owners into giving freebies in return for favourable reviews. There is though, I believe, as equally frustrating and annoying trend that makes the user content less valuable and meaningful. The "gush" and "vent" syndrome as I call it..


For example, some friends who run a Guest House in Cape Town, who are usually the #1 or #2 rated in hotels in that city, are finding that TripAdvisor is becoming less helpful and powerful for them. This is because the reviews now tend to be less in depth, less considered and less helpful. They are seeing reviews that are just a few words or sentences gushing about how lovely it is, or a few lines on what they hated. The reviews lack substance and lack depth of content. Unlike years ago where more geeky and passionate people would invest time in their commentary, reviews and try and be more helpful and informative.


I have found when trying to research a problem - or find out about an area I need some help with - be it how to chose the right Apple Mac or solve a problem that you have to wade through piles of "stuff" and nonsense. There is a lot of noise that has to be waded through, and much of it is not very helpful (or accurate) ideas and suggestions. Increasingly you need to find experts with history and time of doing things.


I have found that my various blogs and even my videos of travel and hotel rooms on YouTube are growing in traffic and usage. I have been running them since 2005 and so there is history and so people (I suspect) are coming as they know there is depth there.


I think that the huge explosion in social media which encourages everyone to post and comment is the new SPAM! Just like it ruined email, it is ruining user generated content. Increasingly it is clogging up the system, and opening ways to a new way to emerge. More likely more validated and expert screening, and emeregence of more monitored and expert content.


What do you think? Post a thought and comment in the blog.