The App Store Needs a Spam Button on Reviews

Reviews are a mess, as are public comments on most sites. We know that. Cranky customers that resent paying $0.99 for an app, and then expect the world from the developer because of their "investment" are bad enough. What's worse? This:

Everyone that runs a blog with public comments knows what a problem spam is, but at least the App Store (by requiring a download before you can comment) shouldn't have that problem. But it does. Here's someone blatantly advertising a competing app, one that looks like a mess at best, by trying to flatter Instapaper and then say why they like their app better. In a review of Instapaper that actually gives it 4 stars. Right.

The App Store has many problems, but this is a major one. We need a spam button on App Store reviews. Apple apparently doesn't want developers to reply directly to reviews or remove reviews to keep shady developers from taking down critical reviews, so fine: crowdsource it. Plenty of app fans would be glad to flag spam comments like this.

Sadly, I have to wonder how many normal people browsing the App Store for a good app get confused by junk like this.

Thoughts? @reply me on Twitter.