Bias

[Mico]

In my line of work, we try to omit bias from our daily activities and become objective in our analysis of what is before us, as well as when conveying these topics to those who depend on our opinions.

What are your thoughts on PS lately? Do you feel there is a bias, or have you witnessed bias towards promoting certain vendors?

Does PS provide un-biased opinions (outside of objective recounts of personal experience)? Do you believe some members provide bias in their recommendations - if so, what do you think their objective is?

My interest was recently sparked on this topic as I was scouting for recommended vendors for a project I have in mind.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Everyone has bias. It is impossible to avoid. I say this as a scientist

 

[diamondseeker2006]

On a consumer forum, personal experience is a better reference than random recommendations by people who have never dealt with a company, as far as I am concerned. I have chosen the vendors I work with from recommendations here, and I happily recommend them to others when I have the chance. There are vendors that I would never work with or recommend from reading here, as well, so it works both ways! I read reviews on Amazon before purchasing certain items as well.

 

[Karl_K]

There will always be biased opinions on boards like this as long as they are balanced out and from time to time someone steps in to keep it real it works out.
When it is a problem which it has been at times in the past when a large group is biased towards one vendor.
Right now there is a very good balance I think.
Some of the ones that had a very large group bias for them are in a lot of pain.
In RT I see a lot of judging of stones by their merits rather than vendor fanism which is a great thing.

 

[Dancing Fire]

i only recommend vendors whom i had good experience with in the past.

 

[04diamond<3]

I am biased but on places that offer the same great quality stuff at a lower price. It's DH rubbing off on me in the last 9 years. Before him I wanted the most expensive things and for the labels like Tiffany...now though, instead of paying 50k for a 2ct, I will do a lot more research to get a great quality and in some cases better quality 2ct for maybe 15k...people are always going to have opinions/biases towards anything.

 

[monarch64]

There's always bias here, imo. It ebbs and wanes with every novel vendor. Fact of PS. No big deal. Stick around long enough, and you'll see cycling-through of vendors, same way you see popular posters come and go.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I'm going to agree with Karl. In the past White Flash was the most popular vendor. I used to get annoyed because i thought PS was so biased, they were not effective for me. That has abated and PS is definitly more varied in their recommendations now.

People recommend vendors although they have never used them. They repeat what others have said.

I also will admit that I would not recommend two vendors simply on their personalities. But i would state that.





Annette

 

[chrono]

It is normal for humans to have bias. This bias comes from having a good experience with a particular product, vendor, etc. I have seen the shift of promoting a specific vendor to different ones over the nearly 9 years I've been here, in both RT and CS.

 

[SB621]

Of course there is bias...we are human

On that note I ONLY recommend vendors that I have worked with or at least had communication with.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Of course there is bias...we are human

On that note I ONLY recommend vendors that I have worked with or at least had communication with.

Yep, I try and recommend vendors I have worked with, except I've only worked with WF, so I may have sounded biased in some of my recommendations, but the reality is I know what their diamonds look like in person, so it makes most sense I would recommend them. Now, I bought from them years ago and the sales gal that helped me now works at BGD so I would say, I could comfortably suggest them, as well.

 

[Harpertoo]

Of course we're biased!
In my line of work it's called "talking your position", and I think it's unavoidable on a consumer forum.
I don't think it's mercenary or even intentional in most cases.

 

[kenny]

Everyone has bias. It is impossible to avoid.

+1

It's annoying how so many people pretend they don't judge or have bias.

When it comes to many things, like vendors, bias and judging are excellent things !!!!!
Are you suggesting Zales, Robbins Brothers and Whiteflash and Goodoldgold are identical, and to post otherwise is bias?
Gimmeabreak!

If person A gives me a 100 dollar bill and a kiss on the cheek and person B gives me a kick in the face and robs me ... I'm biased in favor of person A.
That is wrong because it is bias?

Bias and judging other people and things is healthy and essential.
It puzzles me how any belief system teaching otherwise ever made it past anyone's reasoning filter.
But then people vary, and zillions believe tons of stuff that reason does not support.

 

[yssie]

Everyone has bias. It is impossible to avoid.

+1

It's annoying how so many people pretend they don't judge or have bias.

When it comes to many things, like vendors, bias and judging are excellent things !!!!!
Are you suggesting Zales, Robbins Brothers and Whiteflash and Goodoldgold are identical, and to post otherwise is bias?
Gimmeabreak!

If person A gives me a 100 dollar bill and a kiss on the cheek and person B gives me a kick in the face and robs me ... I'm biased in favor of person A.
That is wrong because it is bias?

Bias and judging other people and things is healthy and essential.
It puzzles me how any belief system teaching otherwise ever made it past anyone's reasoning filter.
But then people vary, and zillions believe tons of stuff that reason does not support.

Bias isn't a problem but blinding bias can be.
But I'll dive in and say that IMO blinding bias is inevitable on a consumer forum like PS - by any definition of the word "blinding".
And I still think that's okay - everything's a trend of some sort, at the end of the day, right?

 

[Mico]

[

Bias isn't a problem but blinding bias can be.
But I'll dive in and say that IMO blinding bias is inevitable on a consumer forum like PS - by any definition of the word "blinding".
And I still think that's okay - everything's a trend of some sort, at the end of the day, right?

I think I agree with this the most. Bias such as racism, or bias that is for personal gain is wrong, IMO. However stated bias where people share their experiences and don't judge others on their choices is what I think is the best balance.

 

[rubyshoes]

Yeah, I do think some PS posters have biases. It's very obvious after a point, you can't miss it. Personally, I only recommend vendors I have worked with (which would be WF, DBL, GOG and Sally from Heart of Water) and I kinda ignore posters who recommend or diss vendors from whom they've ordered nothing... like how can they have an opinion? The answer - groupthink. Hehe.

 

[CharmyPoo]

I don't think it is necessary to buy something from a vendor to have a bias. I think it is important to have some level of experiernce. For example, I have never purchased from Whiteflash but have recommended them to my friends because of a very positive experience I had with their sales person.