Methodology

Algorithms do not operate independently of users. As Ananny (2016) argues, algorithmic systems rely on user queries and data generation, which must be processed and aggregated before algorithms can define what information is included and how it is transformed. Building on this understanding, this project treats user interaction not as background noise but as a constitutive element of algorithmic operation.

 

To examine how negative evaluations circulate and gain economic meaning on digital platforms, this project employs a mixed-method digital ethnographic approach. The research is conducted from a reflexive position as a Chinese international student in London and a long-term RED user, acknowledging how this situated perspective shapes access and interpretation.

 

Digital participant observation formed the primary method. Over a sustained period, I followed posts and comment threads related to London Haidilao, focusing on how negative evaluations emerged, circulated, and accumulated visibility through interaction and debate. This was complemented by semi-structured conversations with three RED users from different backgrounds, exploring how they interpreted negative posts and how such discussions influenced their consumption decisions.

 

Offline observation was conducted at a London Haidilao location. Field notes and photographs documented spatial arrangements, service structures, and promotional formats. These materials function as ethnographic records that situate online discourse in relation to embodied dining experience.

 

All interactions were conducted with informed consent, and materials were anonymised and paraphrased to reduce searchability.