The Phenomenon of Online Reviews and Their Usefulness
Online reviews have become a central part of modern society, acting as an essential tool for evaluating products and services. From e-commerce platforms to social media, reviews are a trusted way for consumers to navigate a wide range of offerings.
The strength of reviews lies in their ability to provide a shared view from multiple users based on real experiences. In sectors such as purchasing tech products, choosing a restaurant, or evaluating customer support services, reviews offer objective, measurable information. For instance, we can compare the performance of two smartphones or assess the quality of service in a hotel based on features like functionality, responsiveness, customer care, and so on.
In these contexts, reviews work because the product or service being reviewed has fixed, replicable characteristics that can be compared across different users with similar experiences. Reliability, quality, and effectiveness are measurable and therefore reviewable.
The Differences in the Trading Sector
However, when we move to the trading sector, the value of reviews begins to falter. Unlike a physical product or standardized service, trading is an activity characterized by a strong subjective component. Although there are techniques, strategies, and knowledge that can be taught, each trader operates based on personal variables that make individual experiences difficult to compare.
Here are some key differences:
- Individual knowledge: Each trader has a different level of expertise, built through years of study, practice, and market experience. Two people with different educational backgrounds will approach the same trade in distinct ways.
- Psychology and risk management: The ability to handle stress, react to losses or gains, and tolerate risk varies greatly from person to person. What may be a positive experience for one trader could be stressful and unsuitable for another.
- Financial goals: Every trader has different goals, both in terms of profit and time horizon. For some, trading is a long-term activity with low risks, while for others, it’s a highly speculative and high-risk venture.
These differences mean that there are no universal trading experiences: each trader faces a unique reality, shaped by their approach, knowledge, and psychology. Even two traders following the same strategy might achieve completely different results, due to personal decisions made at different times or diverse reactions to the same market events.
Why Reviews Are Not a Useful Tool in Trading
Given these considerations, reviews cannot provide meaningful insights into trading experiences. The main reasons are:
- Extreme subjectivity: Every trading operation is influenced by a series of individual and unrepeatable factors, making it impossible to compare two traders’ experiences objectively.
- Review manipulation: Reviews can easily be manipulated, either by those trying to promote their activities or by those looking to discredit them. In trading, this risk is particularly high, as results can vary drastically even within short periods of time.
- Unrealistic expectations: Relying on others’ experiences may create misleading expectations. What worked for one trader may not work for another, leading to false hopes or unnecessary fears.
Unlike other sectors, there is no fixed “product” to evaluate in trading. Every strategy, every decision, and every trade is highly individual and tied to the trader’s personal context. Offering reviews in this area would be misleading and could create a distorted view of the potential and risks involved in trading.
