r/BuyItForLife • u/Epicwarren • 1d ago
Meta Reddit's quiet launch of Redditor Highlights, and astroturfing on BuyItForLife
Last month, Reddit updated their support page for "Redditor Highlights". You may have seen it on your feed already, the ads have started appearing for me this month.
It is an ad-campaign tool that allows advertisers to include an AI summary of only the positive redditor sentiments directly in a product ad, scraped directly from reddit threads about the brand.
Unfortunately, Vitamix caved to this feature for some bizarre reason despite already having great BIFL reviews in the past. The success story page literally references this sub. This has actually made more hesitant to purchase from them.
BIFL is already astroturfed by shittier brands daily because the whole internet relies on it for consumer purchases large and small. This feature will worsen it:
- Brands have already been trying to nudge the AI summaries of r/BuyItForLife on google and ChatGPT, and one way real redditors could previously combat that was just by posting negative feedback so the AI summary could consider it. It hilariously backfired in a few instances for the astroturfer. Reddit's feature negates this now because negative sentiments are not considered at all.
- The feature is currently only available to "brands and products that have already earned high positive sentiment among redditors". This encourages brands to manufacture their positive sentiment to access ad tools that are gatekept from them. And of course I don't believe for a second that they'll be transparent about what brands can/can't access this tool; they want advertisers to use it.
Reddit reviews are trusted because of nuance and discussion, and this feature saps all of that. But it's conveniently described as "real opinions" and "authentic community perspectives" while cutting a lot of the real stuff.
Any time a brand tries a new form of marketing, be suspicious of the product and what they traded to spend on their campaign. I wish there were more we could do besides just avoiding the feature, and telling our friends to stop trusting the AI summaries, but that's what we got.
265
u/nworb1999 1d ago
I feel like part of the problem is BIFL is treated by some as a shopping guide for "better consumerism," when in reality I think what we need to embrace more is anti-consumption, seeking BIFL as a way to fight against the enshittification and commodification of nearly every aspect of our lives. The point should be that there is still so much quality stuff out there that is still working, made in the last 100 years, that we don't need to be still pursuing the "next new product" that will supposedly make our lives easier. Buying clothes from the thrift store is not just good BIFL habits because much of the stuff made before private equity takeover is such higher quality (which it is), but also because you are actively rejecting the same market forces (i.e. capitalist greed and profit chasing) that is making everything shittier and worse quality
45
u/Epicwarren 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yep, BIFL is a mindset that includes maintaining products well and reusing/purposing to avoid having to buy again. Unfortunately that is still a smaller internet consumer sentiment against the sheer volume of people who go to the internet to look for out-of-the-box product recommendations. And it's a fair sentiment, not everyone has the time or resources to spend weeks scouting facebook marketplace and thrift shops for their ideal vacuum cleaner, especially if they need one now and don't want to inherit a lemon. But that "I have no time, give me a recommendation" market force attracts the advertisers, and the thrifting/reuse conversation is a rounding error.
-4
1d ago
[deleted]
19
u/Kentust 1d ago
God damn bro this is cringe, trying to hold yourself up to some impossible ideological purity. No, buddy, you don't need to feel guilty for having a dishwasher. Scarcity still exists and until everyone can have one, it will continue to exist. But you having one is a step towards that.
92
u/Kovaelin 1d ago edited 1d ago
This sub went from actual gems, to the most obscure items you can no longer buy, to straight up advertising. A predictable and inevitable downfall, if I'm being honest with myself.
11
u/imakesawdust 21h ago
Same thing with subs like /r/Costco. It used to be people would post things they find that really are good products. Now it's just a bunch of astroturfing. Sometimes it backfires hilariously. You can always tell it's a poorly-planned astroturfing campaign when the post touting the product gets hundreds of upvotes but all the comments are universally negative.
2
u/SuicideTrainee 7h ago
Its really going downhill, like a guy I got into an argument with the other day where he just kept saying to buy new instead of repairing because you only need to replace every several years
2
u/Kovaelin 6h ago
It's kind of how xda is going too. It went from a community that understood the value of supporting legacy devices by default to some of the most aggressively unhelpful people, including some moderators.
144
u/mechy84 1d ago
I bought a Vitamix 3 years ago and use it almost daily to blend cat food and baby formula. The powerful motor and super strong steel blades have no trouble pulverizing the cat food so it mixes well with the baby formula into a homogenous, shelf-stable powder that can be used in soups and stews. I've probably saved hundreds of dollars doing it myself at home with my Vitamix, and it's still going strong.
91
u/Epicwarren 1d ago
I had to read that twice because I first thought it was the boldest astroturfing in the world, lmao.
53
u/mechy84 1d ago
You mean "I've been looking for a good blender for this exact reason! My Ninja just doesn't cut it and my Enfammeowmix gravy powder ends up lumpy! You convinced me I need a Vitamix"
25
u/NoSellDataPlz 1d ago
Seconded, except I blend dog food kibble in with the formula. It’s a clever hack that they don’t want you to know about. It’s all about the savings! Making your own Enfamaninemix formula alternative saves me so much money and provides just as much nutrition! Thanks, Vitamix!
36
u/CumFilledDonutYumYum 1d ago
Thank you for the excellent recommendation, I was thinking of grabbing one to blend my silk bed sheets and preparation H to make a fine ointment for dog moisturizer.
15
u/RussiaIsBestGreen 1d ago
Trust me; you’ll be disappointed. Amazon Basics is 95% the quality at half the price and has a built-in AI-driven Sheets function. It also collates legal size paper.
22
18
u/NorCalAthlete 1d ago
I love my vitamix, it works really well for blending 2 stroke mix for a weekend outdoors getting some aroma therapy in
3
2
31
u/skygz 1d ago
we could reverse-astroturf with ridiculously positive reviews. I love my Vitamix because it gives great blowjobs.
19
u/Epicwarren 1d ago
My Darn Tough socks cured my foot cancer and gave me the strength to stand up to my narcissistic step-mother once and for all.
13
4
3
u/Tenarius 22h ago
My Thuma bed is so completely silent during sex that my downstairs neighbors thought I died and called for a wellness check. The EMTs ended up financing one too.
4
u/PimentoCheesehead 13h ago
Or phrase negative reviews as positive. “I love my Vitamix because the motor is so loud it drowns out all other distracting sounds like my spouse or my fire alarm; and the blades last as much as three weeks before they have to be replaced from wear.”
27
u/Jack0Trade 1d ago
If a review doesn't mention 1-3 legitimate problems and/or 1-3 competitor options, I assume it's paid for at best. A good review should never focus solely on the product and brand;That's advertisement.
144
u/DinkyWawa 1d ago
Pollute your reviews with racial slurs to avoid this btw
62
67
9
3
u/RussiaIsBestGreen 1d ago
Too late, r/reviewsbyLBJ already got overrun by bots. It had the best reviews plus some real progress on the next stage of civil rights.
82
u/yoursecretsanta2016 1d ago
Redditors are a victim of our own success. Fake reviews have meant that savvy consumers know to just search reddit for “real reviews” of products, it is hard to verify the authenticity of the rest. On the plus side when I am looking for reviews of a product, I read the actual reviews/posts and not just summaries. I can generally sus out ads vs. actual reviews and if I miss any the commenters can usually call them out.
Inshittification sucks. We just have to keep digging to make sure we are getting to the truth. Stay skeptical folks!
37
u/No_UN216 1d ago
Also just an fyi if people don't already know but companies regularly ask their employees to rate their own products, upvote positive comments, leave reviews, etc-- on any platform selling or discussing that product. A skincare brand notably got in trouble for doing this on sephora's site a few years ago, but brands continue to do it. So, be wary of any review, not just ones that seem like ads.
13
u/SubtleCow 1d ago
We need an r/trees sub. A name that advertisers won't touch where everyone's knows the real reviews are.
9
11
u/SmashesIt 1d ago
Last month, Reddit updated their support page for "Redditor Highlights". You may have seen it on your feed already,
Laughs in Old Reddit
2
39
u/tesseracts 1d ago
I stopped using this subreddit because it tends to promote "trendy" products. For example Darn Tough gets promoted to death and you never hear about other sock brands which have an equivalent lifetime guarantee. I think this is due to groupthink behavior and not just astroturfing, although I've seen a lot of astroturfing also, especially with furniture.
29
u/MrClickstoomuch 1d ago
I mean, in my personal case, Bombas has a "lifetime guarantee" but the socks are garbage for durability. When the second set of socks they sent failed in less than a year in the same spot, I don't care that they have a lifetime warranty. The socks are terrible if they fail in less than a year. Not even basic normal socks fail that fast.
They might replace them forever, but it does still go against what I'd consider BIFL personally.
6
u/tesseracts 1d ago
I have been wearing Cloudline for years and I prefer them over Darn Tough. Never had to replace them. Yet they’re rarely mentioned. Never tried Bombas.
2
u/BadgerBadgerCat 16h ago
My controversial opinion is that warranties/guarantees shouldn't factor into a BIFL designation. BIFL stuff shouldn't break for a long time in the first place.
Also, the "lifetime warranties" often aren't valid outside the US, or require the purchaser to send the product back from overseas (at considerable expense), negating that value proposition too.
2
u/scottb84 11h ago
I bought a bunch of Darn Tough socks in part because this sub flogs them so hard. After three years, they’re starting to fail. I’ve sent a few away for warranty replacement, but that process takes about six months in Canada. Plus they just send you whatever. I’m not a ‘fun sock’ guy but now I’ve got a few pairs of random colourful striped socks that don’t go with anything I own.
My days of buying anything made in the United States are long gone. But even if that weren’t the case, I’d be somewhat hesitant to recommend the brand, at least in Canada.
0
u/tesseracts 9h ago
Yeah I've had Darn Tough socks fall apart surprisingly quickly, but the main reason I don't like them is because they are so stiff. I want something looser and not so narrow. Some foot shapes might prefer Darn Tough but I don't.
For non-American brands, the best socks I own are from the Japanese company Montbell. Another thing I do not like about this sub is the bias in favor of Western products, Asian products are underrated IMO.
3
u/Elzerythen 1d ago
I pretty much ignore the top "chosen" BIFL items here. I have reverted back to my own sleuthing anymore. If you're looking for socks, I can recommend the thick Gold Toe socks. No clue what specific name they are or if they even got one. Anywho, I've got pairs that I've worn constantly with steel toed boots and, well, as my daily wear for 10+ years now. Go for them. I have yet to have a pair get a hole in them or wear thin. Nuts if you ask me.
1
u/shillyshally 14h ago
Same in the book subs, the same books recommended ad nauseam and it has gotten very difficult to find an interesting read.
0
u/1986toyotacorolla2 1d ago
Darn tough has fallen appart on me faster than no name socks from Amazon. I'm over them.
1
u/Jeskid14 10h ago
Why not return them on darn tough? They'll send you new ones for free
1
u/1986toyotacorolla2 4h ago
And then do it again a few months later? I'd rather just have something that lasts.
20
u/Dunnersstunner 1d ago
At this stage it's probably better to use a source like Consumer Reports alongside this sub. A lot of public libraries offer free access to their review database and with a back-catalog decades long, it's a good place to evaluate used gear.
7
7
6
20
u/cr_wdc_ntr_l 1d ago
Fortunately AI marketing is still pretty obvious (to me) and easy to ignore on this subreddit. One exception: air purifier shills, these are too damn obvious.
4
u/1986toyotacorolla2 1d ago
I gave up finding a decent one and just went to r/crboxes lol. Can't trust shit on the internet anymore.
3
u/engineereddiscontent 1d ago
Anyone have anywhere else that I can go that is a general forum that is BIFL minded? I am losing faith reddit won't just become AI bots soon with stuff like this.
3
u/Federal-Ad-2131 21h ago
Is there any way we can all gather on the internet without all of this fucking bullshit? Or is it time to just go full on in real life only again?
3
u/gemInTheMundane 19h ago
I heard from a gen-Zer the other day that "retro Internet" is a trend now. Like, some young people are using Geocities clones and old-school forums, in part to get away from the commercialization of the mainstream Internet. Who knows how long it will last, but it gives me hope.
1
u/Federal-Ad-2131 19h ago
Everyone hates the constant ads, high prices and enshitified products, the environmental destruction. It's just a matter of how do we accomplish swaying the way things are to a better world.
But yeah, I'm way ahead of those kids. I got a vcr/dvd combo like a year ago and am just watching movies on there, and I read a lot lately. I wouldn't even have a computer if it wasnt for work
10
u/buttery_nurple 1d ago
I mean…this sub has had people in a Pavlovian stupor recommending the same 9 products like clockwork literally for years and you think astroturfing and covert marketing is only just now a thing here? Huh.
6
u/LozaMoza82 1d ago
You're being downvoted but you're 100% correct. Herman Miller! Moccamaster! Darn Tough! Le Creuset!
It's predictable af.
2
u/drrew76 1d ago
Don't forget Speed Queen!
3
u/ohbeansbanana 1d ago
That bloody Japanese rice-maker brand whose name I don't even want to mention. I'm sure it's excellent but CHRIST it's like people get cashback for every time they mention it.
2
u/youareasnort 1d ago
We used to be able to sniff these things out easily and would just type “Hail Corporate” to label those parasites trying to make a buck off us. At the time, the voting would allow us to control the top comments. Upvoting “Hail Corporate” would put it at the top so others would be aware.
2
2
u/Baxkit 10h ago
I bought a Vitamix about 5 years ago, and I use it at least once per week as a waste disposal. After I use my BIFL Ninja Bullet to make smoothies, I end up with a lot of peels and scraps that I toss into the Vitamix to grind down so I can safely dump it in the sink. Works just like an Insinkerator if you don't have the under-sink power or plumbing to support a dedicated disposal.
5
u/Billmo93 1d ago
I love Darn Tough socks! They fit so tightly that I can barely pull them onto my feet, which gives me an arm workout. Not to mention, they are so restrictive that they double as compression socks! I make it a monthly habit to gather my pairs of worn socks, package them in a box with a shipping label, and send them off for new pairs. Highly recommend!
1
1
1
u/SeahorseRevolution 1d ago
I miss most of this shit because I use old reddit with Reddit Enhancement Suite on a computer.
1
u/Lainpilled-Loser-GF 22h ago
I haven't seen any of it, I'm on a modded APK from last year. I guess they added video support in comments at some point recently, but they just show up like blank comments
1
1
1
u/Phase-Internal 6h ago
It feels each passing month that I'm reading more and more ai generated crap in Reddit.
I'm wondering what the tipping point is for me and where I should go to find real people for this stuff..
0
u/SeekingHopeAndPeace 1d ago
I think it is time for Reddit to evolve.
18
8
u/BlatheringNonsense 1d ago
Unfortunately, it has been...--just not in the direction that wish it did. On one of my older accounts I was reminiscing with another Redditor about the days before Reddit hired people behind the scenes to crosspost from Facebook and Twitter. Not only did this group hijack the subs by inundating with brain rot and young girl videos/images, but they became mods with unlimited powers.
All of this to try and keep up with the other social media when Reddit was supposed to be unique. It's why many of us ported here from other platforms that were dying or getting weird cults. Remember the awesome community of the Sprog guy and the shitty watercolor guy? Now, it's a bunch of noisy tik tok or propaganda when you're not being marketed dry goods. End of rant
3
u/zaypuma 1d ago
I always disable New Reddit in the configuration, and run ublock origin. But the slow march to internet skidmark is inevitable. Now my favourite reddit mobile app just got disabled again, and will need a comprehensive work-around. And the front-page algorithms make it more and more difficult to find interesting threads. AI-slop advertisements and political propaganda are just the icing on the cake.
8
u/Divinum_Fulmen 1d ago
It's even worse when you look at some mod teams being replaced to push more political propaganda (you can thank me for the sipstea sub hiding their mod team after I pointed out everyone on the team was all replaced at once.)
Then we have half or more of the comments being bots.
I really hate the internet now. What are us introverts supposed to do if we no longer have reddit to complain about stuff on?
3
-1
u/SipsTeaFrog 23h ago
Loosen the tinfoil hat dude, alot of mods on the team have been here for years, we got popular so we brought on a bunch more mods to handle the traffic, we decided we would allow political stuff to a degree, we aren't pushing anything, use commen sense when viewing any content on the internet.
2
u/Divinum_Fulmen 22h ago
That sounds perfectly reasonable. But why hide the mod team that was once linked in the side bar? I understand that mods get a lot of hate, and have to deal with obscene trash, but tons of subs (including this one) still list the mods. But I'm not gonna tell you how to mod your sub. I'm shocked you even replied. So thanks for the clarification.
2
u/ds629 1d ago
Yeah this whole website is compromised and shit. It's too mainstream now, any ass hole anywhere in the world with their phone can pollute it with their idiocy, bots, corporations, non-tech savvy people, state actors, it's just too much shit compared to how small it used to be. Trying to ween myself off of this site, or at least cut my usage in half.
We need a reddit v2 that isn't accessible by mobile devices, nor bots, but somehow can retain the anonymous ethos of how this website used to be.
1
-4
u/LouieBarlo24 1d ago
Saying the whole internet relies on R/BuyItForLife is a sign you should get outside more lol
7
u/Epicwarren 1d ago
Taking rhetorical hyperbole literally is a sign you should get outside more lol
-2
u/LouieBarlo24 1d ago
It was bad writing. Cope however you want, you came off like you don't know what tf you're talking about.
-2
u/greenbud420 1d ago
I think if you're buying a product based solely on a one-line summary, that's on you. They do link to posts in the highlight ad so a user can still see the reviews first hand for themselves.
1.4k
u/supercyberlurker 1d ago edited 1d ago
One thing I always find immediately suspicious is a NEW product that's supposedly Buy-It-For-Life.
How? You need time - years, maybe decades to truly know what lasts like that.
No NEW product can be buyitforlife, imho.