Very interesting opinions everyone - keep them coming!
The problem with the reputation system is that it would need to be built into the system and I don't see it listed here. Another issue with this is that I don't think we'd be able to tie the phpBB user database into the user database of this system without some heavy mods... 8O
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But for a review system to really be useful, there probably needs to be some type of reputation system in place.
That's a great idea, in my mind... that way I could look at the user reviews, and perhaps sort by "reputation" or something to help filter out the junk? Or maybe only look at user reviews submitted by people with a certain level of rep.
Isn't that exactly what is happening with the Thought's review team? With each review that one of them posts it builds their reputation...with you and me....The best way to build your own buyer confidence is to have confidence in the people who are advising you. The way that is done is by reading reviews from people you have become familiar with, and trust. You build their reputation in your mind. Reading reviews from people you are not familiar with, or are rated by people you are unfamiliar with doesn't build that confidence.....IMHO
I am sorry, I had to chime in. I am Chris of Aximsite.com, PocketpcThoughts.com used to be my favorite site (still is :wink: ) Jason does a super job here.
My opinion on the subject is simple, Once our engine gets so many "user" submitted reviews then there will be a baseline for a product from "users". Now I am no programmer and I am not really much more than a "user" myself, but I believe that software should be "user" proof. If 10 "users" review a product and 7 of 10 say they had troubles installing the software (instructions read or not) - Then I am going to believe that this software is not real "user" friendly.
I agree 95% on your thoughts (Chris) that "proffesional" reviews my uncover hidden trouble or test a product with a sharper eye. The other 5% seems to think that a "pro" reviewer also takes things the "user" may not know for granted.
As for a "user" review having a HUGE impact on sales... (If any of my advertisers are reading this, sorry - but it is my opinion) If a vendor/developer has a great product it will get great reviews and if it is an inferior product it will not. Something I am learning to deal with is that vendors do want their products reviewed but they do not want them to be candy coated. If a product is sub-par, a "pro" reviewer will mention it but tend to reference the short coming to something that is good for some, but not all....etc. All I have to do is remind myself often that I am not really selling anything.
The main point as Jason and others have mentioned is that they both SHOULD co-exsist. There is a pro opinion and multiple user opinions. I believe it will prove to be a super resource for my site and Jason's.
I do not personally mind the hosting costs of paid reviews as long as I do not pay hosting costs with my babies formula money...hehe.
<< --- Like Chris said earlier... these are not the opinions of Jason and his site or Aximsite as a whole.... Just mine as Aximsite's owner.... --- >>
BTW - Chris ! I am gonna be in Nashville in May, What is there fun to do there for a week?
The problem with the reputation system is that it would need to be built into the system and I don't see it listed here. Another issue with this is that I don't think we'd be able to tie the phpBB user database into the user database of this system without some heavy mods... 8O
One could probably create a database alongside the phpBB user database, so that when phpBB is upgraded you wouldn't break everything. However, it's definitely not a trivial job. Would be cool to happen, but you're talking a month or two of heavy development, I think.
They (Shareware Developers) are hungry for professional, published reviews. In fact, they'd almost kill for them. Professional Reviews used to be all over the Internet.
A lot of this depends on one's definition of 'Professional'. Unfortunately, 'Professional' all too often equates only to 'Paid', and has little to do with 'Quality'. I've read far too many 'Professional' reviews that left me knowing as little about the reviewed product as I did before, and feeling as though the writer was simply compiling words to draw a paycheck.
Now that said, I would throw in the caveat that I wouldn't apply that criticism to anyone at this site. In fact, it *is* the very 'Professional' approach that keeps me coming back here.
So, in general, I guess I'm in agreement with the notion the current setup here works great as is. But one thing that makes that especially so is the 'Discuss This Story' link attached to each article/review. No matter how hard a 'professional' reviewer might try to do a thorough review, it's virtually impossible for one person to test a product in the myriad different ways a hundred different users might. And I frequently find additional useful info in the followup discussions.
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I can't tell you how many times I've been asked to help users unscrew their computers because they either installed an app that modified core OS DLL's or applied updates to apps that access core DLL's.
And how many of those apps and/or updates provided *ANY* kind of warning they were replacing or 'updating' core DLL's. In my experience, that almost never happens. And for that, developers are just as guilty, IMO, as are those who never bother to read the install intstructions and/or readme files. Any app that significantly alters *core* DLL's should be questioned *VERY* closely.
User reviews tend to be hot and cold, black and white; and don't, in my humble opinion, offer much value.
I agree with this in part, there will always be a place for more professional reviews and reviewers. However, when a larger group of users give their opinions, I value the combined result far more than any one person, professional or otherwise
I've got an idea - what if you started a new forum category called "Member Reviews" or something like that? It could be a place where we post reviews, or link to reviews on our own sites, but it wouldn't be a major/prominent part of PPC Thoughts, just something we could avail ourselves of if we wanted. That way it wouldn't be much work for you guys, and we could have a specific place to put our reviews.
User reviews tend to be hot and cold, black and white; and don't, in my humble opinion, offer much value.
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Originally Posted by Chris Spera
I agree that if 50-100 users say something doesn't work then I'm going to back away from the app, however, I really have to wonder how many of those users installed the app correctly. I have to wonder how many of them read the installation instructions.
I agree. It's hard to tell if the user had a problem with the software or the user just didn't install the software correctly. Professional reviews offer so much more value and information than user reviews.
Hi folks! My name is Young and I am in charge of the Aximsite.com review team.
I believe inviting regular users to leave their opinions about related products should be the first priority of any user community site. Sure, those sites, including Aximsite.com, have select number of dedicated review editors and they spend a lot of time testing products. However, they never get the experience that beginners or casual users get. I've written many review articles and it is very hard to think like novice because I am not. I think I read all my articles at least 20 times and make modifications before I publish just to make them more understandable to new users. But I still fail a lot of times.
The best way to address this problem is to let regular users leave their own experiences and opinions about the product. Many of them are not as experienced as review editors so they follow different steps when they try out products. And results are always surprising and valuable to both other users as well as vendors/developers. I am a lead web developer and I am always shocked by how Quality Assurance folks find bugs that I'd never thought of.
If vendors and developers are not willing to listen to users, then they will eventually fail. Marketing will give them needed exposures to users. But I believe it is post-sales support that will determine their success in the end.
Aximsite.com currently has a separate Staff Review section where articles written by review editors are hosted. At the end of each article, links are provided to invite readers to leave their own ratings and short reviews. This still gives our users professional opinions while giving them chances to leave their own words about the product.
Oh, BTW, I would like to thank Jason and all Thoughts staff for creating an excellent site. This site is THE source of PPC news for me!!
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