New "Bold" Text Appearing in Reviews

[Jennifer1421]

Previewing my listing this morning, and have just noticed that each of my reviews now have lines of text highlighted by bolding. I think it's a great initiative to highlight particular aspects of each guest's stay! Each bolded line draws attention to different positive aspects of the listing.

Not sure how long this experiment will last, but it's one that I hope will stick.

Anyone else seeing this?

[Helen350]

@Mark116 I'm seeing it on my laptop.

[Sandra126]

I am guessing that this is machine made, and sentences would be highlighted that contain certain trigger words: ''amazing'', ''highly recommend'' etc. This way no random sentence will appear that is negative.

[Sarah977]

@Sandra126  If they are using a computer algorithm to pick out words like "amazing", that's potentially pretty scary. What if the guest writes "It's amazing that someone is actually charging money for such a filthy dump"?

[Sandra126]

Yep, @Sarah977 , no doubt that is coming. I really don't think they are reading our reviews and manually picking things.

[Helen350]

Indeed @Sarah977 ! (& @Sandra126 ) Whilst perusing  a CC member's London listing, I spotted a couple of negative statements in bold, eg. "Not the best of locations." (Sparked no doubt by use of "best" & "location", by an algorithm which can't interpret the "NOT!)

[Sarah977]

@Helen350 Oh, that poor host! I would be furious. 

Airbnb must be striving for some "Most faulty algorithms" award. That they have people designing these who appear to have zero ability to foresee how they could result in achieving the exact opposite of the intention behind it is outrageous to me.

[Mika8]

@Jennifer1421  .. thanks a lot for your detailed info!

@Wende2  ... this was exactly my first thougt 🙂

@Sandra126  ... there's some hope ...

Nevertheless .. WHY ... could we not write in bold in our listings?? .. this is not rocket science to install and would lead to much less disappointed guests!

[Helen350]

Yes, @Jennifer1421 @Lizzie , I noticed it yesterday. @Valerie192 also posted about it on Friday. I gave a reply as to my incomplete theories!

N.b. - Even OLD reviews now have bits in bold! - Seem to relate to location, clean, value, "will book again", communication, friendly.... (but some mentions of friendly get bold, some don't.)

BUT, it all seems random... The best review I ever had, has no parts highlighted in bold. Whereas some of the more mediocre ones have stock phrases in bold, bland compliments that almost anyone would say.... 

[Beth269]

I find this issue to be particularly disturbing.  First, since when does Airbnb legally have the right to alter a guest's review?  By bolding/underlining, etc, the context of that review is being altered by a party that did not write the review.  Second, since when does Airbnb know what is important in each individual's mind about places to stay that they decide which sentences should be bolded?

I'm going to discuss with legal counsel...this really smells.

[Helen427]

@Lizzie @Jennifer1421 @Sarah977 @Helen350 @Ann489 @Beth269 

These highlighted words and mixed up order of Reviews has also hit New Zealand shores.

To be honest I don't like my review order to be muddled up out of chronological order as it doesn't always reflect a listing for what it currently is.

The bold words is not OK and makes for laziness of Guest not reading listings prior to booking which may lead to other issues arising.

[Robin4]

@Helen427  Typical of me, I only noticed it this morning Helen, and like you I have mixed feelings about it.

I said on another thread, reviews are not appearing either chronologically or by language any more, they are just randomly placed now and I don't think that is a good thing.

As a host I would hate to suddenly see on my first page of reviews one from 2017 which detailed a problem that has been long since fixed. Our hosting evolves as time goes by, we become more polished at what we do and what we offer. Reviews from a few years ago don't reflect who we are now as hosts.

As to the bold text, I had not thought about your angle Helen you could be right.....I do at this point like it because it does seem to be focused on the guests complimentary stay aspects.

Anyway we will give it a go and study it a bit more fully before passing judgement on it! 

Cheers.......Rob

[Jacqueline156]

highlighted a bad portion ("extremely uncomfortable bed!") of an overall good review not happy with this! I'm wondering if airbnb thought it was a good comment since it said extremely and had ! at the end? But it's also older and appears first - but i was told by airbnb support order changes depending on guest location. 

[Jennifer1421]

That's awful, @Jacqueline156 ! Have you given feedback, or contacted Airbnb to try to get this changed?

[Zappa0]

FINALLY!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!

[Zappa0]

Oh..nevermind. I thought this was about the ability to allow US to BOLD THINGS in the listing. Jumped the gun.