Review the Reviews

[J Man]

It really burns my butt when someone writes a review for a product that aggravates me more for reading it than the reviewer likely felt about reviewing the product to begin with.

Is it really too much to ask that when you write a review, don't tell me that the reason you didn't like something is because you basically thought so?

To add to it even more, to then not even be capable of offering a constructive criticism that could improve the product?

To make it even worse, to then expect me to follow "your advice" and not consider buying the product in question just because you didn't like it?

Imagine that I took a good long look at you and summed you up by saying "Well, your hair looks ok, but you're dressed rather awkwardly, your shoes are so-so, your eyes are just... whatever, and you're basically just lame. My advice to you? Stick with the comb."

How would you take that? What would you think about me if you heard me say that to someone else?

I motion to start reviewing the reviews, not just on this site, but anywhere else also. Even if you think someone has done a lackluster job on something, at least make the attempt to be professional when criticising it. Am I alone on this?

But that's just my opinion, of course.

 

[Crothian]

Well, if you want to go ahead. Personally, I trust Psion's reviews the most. We had a thread about reviews, its around somewhere. I read many reviews. If you have a question or a concern, e-mail the guy. I have no idea if he'll answer you, but at least give him a chance to respond.

I don't know how people feel about calling out reviewers. It's not like they are getting paid for this stuff. Some are better then others, that's a given. But I don't think we need to showcase the bad ones. It might stop some people from reviewing works.

 

[J Man]

Psion's and Simon's I like. They both do a good job. It's just some of the other folks who write reviews (not most, but a few).

It's just when someone gives a review that can basically be summed up as "you stink. I'm not gonna say why, but everyone else, stay away from this," it really kicks me in the pelotas.

 

[Crothian]

I can understand that, but I just never read them again and feel sorry for those few minutes I just wasted. If you want to call people out and quote them and stuff, go ahead. I sure can't stop you. I just hope it's at least done in a polite manner. So many things can so easily turn into flame wars on message boards. Luckily, I rarely see that here. So, I try to keep things to a small cinder. A lot of people read the reviews and may be willing to discuss the merits and demerits of them. Who knows?

 

[omedon]

I don't know if these are the reviews that you are thinking of but after a book has had two or three detailed reviews people tend to basically just make a short comment such as I liked it disliked and then give it a rating.

I think the reason for this is that the initial reviewers have done such a good job at detailing the features and problems with the book that those reviewing it later feel their is very little that they can add.

Hence they just say they like it or dislike it and then give it a rating. I think that they expect the reader to read the other reviews to get an idea of what is right/wrong about the book. The short comment and rating is just their two cents.

I could be way off base though.

 

[bramadan]

I posted a thread a while ago asking for general coments on my reviews and got a single response.
If anyone feels a need to coment or criticize my stuff by all means do so either publicly here or through the email. It helps me improve what I do.

 

[Rhialto]

And fleas have fleas, have fleas...

Go ahead!

And when you're done, someone can do a review of the review of the review!

And then someone can do a review of the review of the review of the review!

And then....

 

[Ron]

Although the comments section could be used to help improving the reviews, I found that they are very underutilized. Two of my reviews were criticized/commented. Despite that I answered my critics they never posted any feedback. I found the experience a little bit disapointing.

 

[MythandLore]

Re: And fleas have fleas, have fleas...

Go ahead!

And when you're done, someone can do a review of the review of the review!

And then someone can do a review of the review of the review of the review!

And then....

someone can do a review of the review of the review of the review of the review?
Good point.
You know that would be kinda funny if you could review and review on the site, I think rather quickly there would be more people reviewing eachother rather then reviewing the products.

 

[MythandLore]

I found the experience a little bit disapointing.

Yeah, most of the time people aren't going to give you good feedback.
Most people don't even know how to give good feedback, it's harder to do then one might think.
I NEVER look at the reviews (go figure - it's the only thing I don't look at) so I don't know how it works, but maybe it needs a button to click, where you can let people review what you wrote, but only IF you want to let people.
Is that how it works now?