Image via Boston Globe
Image via Boston Globe

They’re some of the most powerful presences on the Internet: Amazon’s top product reviewers.

And now, thanks to this Boston Globe article, you get to meet the top one, known as “Ali Julia.” Or better yet, a Boston woman who is currently the “No. 1 ranked reviewer on Amazon.com, which makes her the queen of an elite — and very secretive — club that wields huge influence over the nation’s shopping habits.”

A very powerful club, indeed.

It’s widely known that Amazon’s top product reviewers are awash in enough schwag to make any Oscar-going celebrity jealous. Not much is known about the top reviewer, as the article states, but that she’s an engineer and has written over 2,800 reviews on the retail giant’s site, covering everything from aquarium lights to anti-aging serums.

It’s a weird, creepy subculture,” said  Los Angeles-based Mandy Payne, who is No. 10 in the rankings. “I get hate mail. I’ve had death threats. But then I also have fans who seem to follow everything I do. It’s bizarre.

Julia, or “the Roger Ebert of battery chargers,” posts about “three to four reviews a day,” which promise “a thorough, snark-free review of how a product actually works, and works in your life.”

As Payne says, the reviewing system is highly addictive: “It’s like smoking,” Payne said. “You keep saying you’re going to quit tomorrow.”

How dependent on Amazon’s reviews are you?

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