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UPDATE 4/14: Following backlash over its plans to affix real names to reviews that previously only included an anonymous username, OpenTable has reversed course and will instead only use real names on reviews going forward.”Following feedback from our diner community, and in line with our continued commitment to trusted reviews, we are making refinements to our restaurant reviews program,” OpenTable says in a statement. It still plans to do away with anonymous restaurant reviews “to increase transparency.” But real names will not be applied to someone’s existing reviews library. And people can edit or delete existing reviews at any time.These changes also won’t happen on May 22, but “later this year,” OpenTable says. “If diners choose to leave a review, their first name will be included with that review, alongside their OpenTable profile picture, if they’ve chosen to upload one.”Original Story 4/12:If you’re in the habit of trolling or trashing local establishments on OpenTable, you may want to clean up your account because the service will soon update profiles with real names.Starting May 22, reviews will feature a user’s first name and profile picture instead of a username. “At OpenTable, we strive to build a community in which diners can help other diners discover new restaurants, and reviews are a big part of that,” OpenTable wrote in an email seen by BleepingComputer. “We’ve heard from you, our diners, that trust and transparency are important when looking at reviews.”
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The change affects existing reviews, which means all of the company’s 136 million reviews will soon show the writer’s real first name and profile picture. In addition, the reviews will display the specific date the person dined at the place being reviewed, so restaurants will be able to more easily decipher who posted the write-up.If you’d prefer not to have your cranky diatribes, or eating habits, on full display, OpenTable lets you remove old reviews and change profile pictures. OpenTable has a list of requirements for profile photos, but pics of food and other items are allowed, so you don’t necessarily need to use a selfie.Job site Glassdoor made a similar move recently. When Glassdoor acquired Fishbowl, a professional networking app, it began requiring all users to be verified with personal details like their full name. As Ars Technica reports, the service still allows you to remain anonymous publicly, but since the real names are stored on Glassdoor, there is the risk that a user’s real name could be leaked. Also, it’s a little more troubling to have your rant about a former boss revealed online than an OpenTable complaint about cold egg rolls or a lost reservation.
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