When to trust crowd wisdom

This item in Technology Review reports on research into how online customer review sites can be distorted by small numbers of very active users, etc.

For me, it’s important to be able to read the comments from reviewers, rather than just rely on a star rating.  It’s pretty easy to see when a reviewer is just cranky or picky, whether abnormally good reviews are reliable, and so forth.

People of Walmart blog

This is a new blog that has provided some chuckles for me recently.

Japanese market for luxury goods is hurting

This McKinsey report provides an outlook.  The New York Times linked to this in its story on the growth of discount retailers in Japan.

Changing economic and social status of hostess work

An interesting article in the New York Times about the greater social acceptability of hostess work in Japan, and higher competition for the available jobs, as other career opportunities for young women dry up in the bad economy.

The next stage of the housing crisis?

On the MSN Top Stocks blog, Anthony Mirhaydari reviews some recent research about the housing crisis, and puts forward the possibility that large numbers of homeowners with Alt-A and Prime mortgages will go into foreclosure or walk away due to unemployment and being underwater on the loan.

Maybe you can go home again–to Guatemala

This is a really interesting story in Sunday’s Washington Post about a Guatemalan guy named Carlos Sanchez who came to the DC area about 13 years ago, lived in Arlington and worked as an illegal, got married and had a kid, and recently returned to his rural hometown because of the lack of work.

From the things he was able to do for his family and town by sending back money and in-kind contributions (e.g. trucks), to his readjustment experience (some reverse culture shock at first but he and his family seem to be doing pretty well), to his attitudes and aspirations, the article covers quite a bit of ground.

One interesting throw-away factoid in the article is that thousands of illegal immigrants are apparently leaving the DC area because of the bad economy. Since immigration authorities don’t hassle them when they leave, there will be no real accounting of the exact numbers.

Japan’s demographic crisis

Japanian provides a readable, succinct overview of Japan’s demographic crisis in three parts: The Numbers, The Implications, and The Solution. Interesting back and forth in the comments, too. Via Japundit.

McDonald’s in France

In Slate, Mike Steinberger explains how McDonald’s overcame cultural resistance and organized opposition in France, to the point where it is the chain’s most profitable market outside the U.S.

Facebook vs. Google

Wired gives the background of sniping between the two companies, and previews their emerging battle over the future of the Internet.

Economics: Charting the recession

On the Atlantic Business channel, Derek Thompson compares charts from the current economic downturn with those from the Great Depression. It’s not real encouraging.