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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sotterraneo" data-source="post: 868604" data-attributes="member: 3296">PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS?I have read too the column of James Ward and I seriously considered his points of view. I agree with him that there is a certain number of reviewers not reading the products they receive for free, but this problem is common in the entire reviewing 'business'. The existence of a professional reviewing community is not, per se, a guarantee of better reviews or independent ones. I have seen many times reviews of books I bought where the writer seemed having read a book far different from mine. More, there are very often reviews, especially in big money industries such as video games or movies, that are no more than glorified advertising. How many times did you see a TV 'special' on some juggernaut movie? I have seen this so many times that I don't listen to them - I just watch the pretty pictures and attempt to form an opinion of mine. More, a professional reviewer gets to be known in the field, if working in some big newspaper for example,  so he/she is flooded by review copies. How could he/she read everythong sent hm/her? Some choices need to be made. The reviewer's prejudices and preferences so will influence not just his/her writing, but the very choice of books (or else) to read (or see or whatever) and review. Having said this, I must repeat again that in my eyes the difference between a good piece of writing and a bad piece of writing is not the fact that the writer lives from this. The difference is the seriousness, the time and the energy the writer uses in writing. We had already the debate during the launch of the Journal, so I'll not repeat everything here. I had the impression too that James Ward's column has been caused by some bad reviews. I have no Fast Forward books, so I can't comment on their quality. But I empathize with Ward because seeing a product costing many, many hours of work trashed by Mr. Nobody is really irritating. I feel less inclined to share Ward's comments about the need to 'use' the products before reviewing them. I approve the theory, but in practice I see this as unfeasible. How could I review, for example, a new setting in a timely fashion if I need spending some months at least 'playtesting' it? I am reading now the SnarfQuest world book for a review on Kaos On Line, but I have no time and inclination to stop my regular campaign, start again and 'playtest' everything contained there. My impressions will have to suffice.Lastly, I'm really happy about the fact that 'amateurs' can voice their comments and opinions about the products they love or are simply interested in.  Perhaps they may have misguided or ill informed opinions, but I prefer - by far - a misguided opinion than a corrupt one.</blockquote>

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