That said, there is a huge difference between writing a negative review and being a snarky jerk. Negative reviews are helpful. Nasty, rude comments in the guise of negative reviews only show that you are the one who needs to make some changes, even when your point, if phrased differently, was a valid one.

This is a point lost on too many.

The internet has become a haven for people trying too hard to be clever and caring too little about the content of what they write and the weight those words can carry. In a big city useless reviews will get buried by quality ones, but in smaller towns, where a restaurant may only have a handful of reviews, a bad review can be very damaging. 

 
I’ve always figured the insincere snarky reviews and the insincere shill reviews probably cancel each other out at a 1:1 ratio.