GENERAL REVIEW SITE CHATTER

You know what drives the internet...

The Polar One — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 16:37:54 GMT

... when you write a review called 'Big Pants and Thong Save the Day' and it gets 3 times as many views as most of your other material.

What makes a crown worthy review ?

Thingywhatsit — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 13:16:18 GMT

With new members in mind, let's discuss what it takes to get crowns on dooyoo.

Recycle your holiday reviews with our free prize draw

twig — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:32:02 GMT

Hi Everyone, this is a great way of getting even more out of any holiday reviews you may have written or could be about to write.. Our holiday review free prize draw finishes on the 30th April and we've only had a low number of entries to date (< 30) so anybody entering is in with a great chance of winning. The prize is a �50 amazon.co.uk voucher. To enter, all you need do is write a review of a holiday you've been on recently - could be an easter break, last years summer holiday, ...

Getting Paid for Writing...finally!

helencbradshaw — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 10:06:23 GMT

I have been commissioned to write an article in a Swiss Travel and Lifestyle Magazine - based on an article I did for Ciao!

At least I will earn a bit of cash for writing this month..!

MOST USEFUL REVIEWS FOR THE PUBLIC

Thingywhatsit — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 06:18:32 GMT

I was looking statistics wise around the site, and it seems that practical household type products, and pets really get more reads by the public than other things (at least in the area I looked at). What areas of your reviews (non specific of course), get the most public reads. Just wondered what the busiest area of dooyoo is from the public point of view.

Ciao or dooyoo?

dididave — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:40:47 GMT

Considering current events on both sites which if any do you favour? I still pick dooyoo due to its payments, layout and product suggestion system. Despite its problems at the mo its a more rewarding site in every respect for me. What are your views?

CONSISTENCY IN RATING REVIEWS AND QUICK REVIEWS

jesi — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:34:39 GMT

A HELPFUL REVIEW ? Now people must have at least one "HELPFUL" review in order to rate or comment, l have noticed a marked increase in RUBBISH Quick Reviews being rated as "helpful" (ie "thumbs-up") rather than "thumbs-down" ("somewhat helpful") ~~~ Yet, those same members rating will give out SH on a standard review which is On topic Contains more useful information lf a Quick Review is saying "l ordered x and ...

Are lengthy reviews always the best?

lisa2062 — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 19:29:28 GMT

Now before I start, I know that say travel reviews need to include a lot of info, and so would be longer than a review on Toilet roll. Lately I've been reading lots of VH reviews I must add, but ones that tend to be giving the bible a run for its money in terms of length. While when reading a book review it's useful to know a little about the author and other books they've done, I don't think it's necessary to overally pad the review. Here is a made up example : - A review on Tesco's My ...

Tazbar

lisa2062 — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 16:21:07 GMT

This is a rival to ebay, and some of you may have seen the adverts for it recently. I just wondered if any of you were had joined, and what are your thoughts on it.
It was set up back in August 2006 and at the moment is steadily growing in business.

Fake Reviews and bloggers to be prosecuted

atticusuk — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 19:44:53 GMT

Article at the bottom of page 4 in todays Times detailed the possibility that businesses who post reviews or blogs under a false identity that show themselves in glowing terms could face prosecution from next year under an EU directive. This includes authors who praise themselves on Amazon and Trading Standards will name and shame. Sounds a good idea to me and presumably will impact on Dooyoo and Ciao. I know Dooyoo do not accept reviews from people about their own businesses or sites.

How Efficient a Reader are you...

helencbradshaw — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:29:02 GMT

http://www.readingsoft.com/index.html

How fast do you read, and what is your comprehension??

Try this once!

I got 448 WPM at 91%

Writing a review on music CD.

scream4bruce — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:31:03 GMT

In the future I have many plans.

One of these is to write reviews on music CDs.

I know by a track by track is one way of doing this but I don't plan to do it like this, I would like ideas to flow into one another.

What signifies at least a 'Helpful' review in your eyes? Do you feel it is necessary to say something about each of the songs?

How do you choose a catchy title?

WendyBull — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:28:51 GMT

I really struggle with this aspect of review writing. How do you choose a catchy, yet meaningful title for your review?

Wandering Reviews

Frankingsteins — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:58:03 GMT

Wow, this is so strange and kind of flattering. Try typing your Dooyoo/Ciao/whatever username into google and seeing where some of your reviews have ended up, you might be surprised. I've been writing on Dooyoo for a few years now, and it turns out some of my reviews have ended up on peoples' personal websites, MySpaces, and fan sites for obscure TV shows (all credited to my username and to dooyoo.co.uk). Because the kind of people who like the kind of things I write about are the kind of ...

Which are the easiest reviews to write?

duskmaiden — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:10:09 GMT

Which categories do you find easier to write than others? I find it easier to wrtie about a hotel or a service as it seems there is a logical order to the review, Plus ou know when you have had good oe bad service.

I tend to find the more basic a product is the more difficult it is to review. Something like bread would be a nightmare

Traffic on Dooyoo and Ciao

duskmaiden — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 21:03:08 GMT

I think all Dooyoo and Ciao people should look at these graphs and statistics when writing their reviews. it seems the average visitor looks at 2 pages an does not look at both Cioa and dooyy. (Ie they are not members) only 9% of total traffic goes to the members page. it's interesting Cioa is doing a lot better http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?site0=ciao.co.uk&site1=dooyoo.co.uk&site2=eopinions.com&site3=urateit.com&site4=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.helium.com%2F&y=t&z=3&h=400&w=700&range=5y&size=Large&url=ciao.co.uk

How do you write?

berlioz — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 21:59:55 GMT

A thought occurred to me just now. What kind of manners or stylistic habits do you have when you write your reviews? Everybody writes a certain way that is their style, so what do you consider as something that is habitual to your style; a structural approach, a certain mannerism that often repeats itself from review to review, the way you write... in essence what is your style? Or do you take each review individually ("I wouldn't write about a DVD like I would about a bath bomb"). ...

CHOSE A NEW NAME

Thingywhatsit — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 06:46:34 GMT

Okay imagine you are starting on opinion sites for the first time. What name would you chose now and why ?

REVIEWING A PRODUCT ON LIMITED USAGE.

Thingywhatsit — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:59:40 GMT

This is perhaps hypothetical, but I wondered what members thought. Supposing you get a free sample of something, use it and then write a review. Do you really think that your experience of the product is sufficient to review it ? Personally I don't as I would like to know how someone feels about a product after experience of it, and a free sample would not do this, or limited use of a product could not give experience of reliability over a period of time.

What do you think ?

Cafe/Speakers Corner debate

berlioz — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:33:14 GMT

duskmaiden wrote:Loke most of the speakers Corners reviews on Dooyoo I enjoy reading them in a car crash, glutton for punishment way. I like to read them because i know they will be appalling! Hey, I do that too sometimes. Though usually I just log off before doing it. [Admin Note - This is taken from the product of the week thread as it went WILDLY off topic but this could still be debated here.....]

Question(s) from a newbie

greff — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 22:49:56 GMT

Hi everyone, I am certainly glad that I stumbled upon this interesting group. As a preface, I will say that I do a lot of writing for my local paper here in Illinois, USA, and on the web for various purposes. My question now is this: can I use any reviews posted here or at Helium with the permission of the author? I am looking to open a blog with movie reviews and quite possibly other types of reviews. Certainly what I read here appeals to me. So, give me the thumbs up or down, ...

Rewards for referring new members

SaschaT — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:44:17 GMT

When I learned today that Helium offers 5% of the earnings of friends you invite to join I was a bit surprised and I felt like making a little overview of what different communities offer. Here's what you get: Ciao -50p as a one-time payment -50% of your friend's earnings, but only for 6 months Dooyoo -no referral program as far as I know Trivago -30% ongoing (+additional 10% for "mentoring" of your friend, if eligible) Helium -5% ongoing Feel ...

USING REVIEWS TO SLATE OTHER MEMBERS.

Thingywhatsit — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 19:56:12 GMT

This does not concern any particular review, and I hope people have the sense not to make it concern any particular review. I wondered what action members take on any review site where they find a member of that site has been slighted in a review

Discuss.

BELFAST MEET ORGANISED BY CIAO'S FAVOURITE MEMBER.

Thingywhatsit — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:55:03 GMT

Aaron is arranging this one for late February/March. Please only answer on the thread if you are interested in attending.

Ciao/Dooyoo payments

Louise90 — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 11:22:27 GMT

Ciao & Dooyoo pay in very different ways. Dooyoo have the miles & pay (I think!) a fixed amount on every review you write. Then once you have acquired the miles, you can cash in. With Ciao they pay different amounts on some reviews and you can ask for payment after �5. Do you think that Ciao should be more like Dooyoo in their payment methods, or vise versa? Or are you happy with the way both sites have their payment schemes? Louise

Here I go again!

berlioz — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:32:54 GMT

Another though just dawned itself on me. It is an inevitable consequence that one of these days all of us will have to give up the review sites (the most extreme being of course death >knock on wood<). I'm just wondering, how would you want other people to remember your virtual reviewer selves after your virtual deaths (of course hoping that anything like that is still decades away)? Sorry for being a bit macabre here. I'm just a bit

WHAT AM I REVIEWING ?

Thingywhatsit — Fri, 19 May 2006 18:03:03 GMT

I lost 2 stone this week, and didn't even have to try that hard.

DILEMMA - FILM SECTION CIAO OR DOOYOO.

Thingywhatsit — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 14:11:07 GMT

Imagine the scenario. You buy a film and pay a darned good price for it based upon your experience of previous films with the same actors. Half way through it, you really cannot watch any more because it is so boring. Purists would argue that you cannot review the whole film if you haven't watched it, but I would argue that if you do not tell the public about your disappointment and we all turn our backs on film reviews on films that were so bad we did not watch them all the way through, we are ...

How much thought...

dididave — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 08:13:22 GMT

do you put into your rating? I have found myself having a look at the claims made in reviews for say an Internet site before pressing the rating button (i.e if it says free subscription and no registration and then requires both). Is this taking rating too far?

Site Motto

steerpyke — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 08:01:41 GMT

I think the site should have a motto, something that sums up what its all about. Maybe we could have it translated into latin to make it more highbrow and have some tee-shirts made up. Any ideas?

how about:

You stab my back and I'll stab yours

or

To err is human, to forgive...is not site policy

over to you guys....

London Meet - November 2006

lizkempo — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 13:09:16 GMT

I want to give every one time to get over the Manchester meet I am sure you are still all recovering, so I propose Saturday 4th November 2006, for the London Ciao Meet. Hopefully everyone will have had their summer holidays by then and it is before the Christmas frenzy, but could have a Christmas theme if people wish. If you are coming from a far you can even tie it in with some shopping on Oxford Street. I have a few ideas of things that we can do and would like hear what people think ...

HOW COME THERE IS MORE MISCHIEF AT CIAO THAN DOOYOO

Thingywhatsit — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 08:47:04 GMT

Was wondering. These are both review sites, but the differences seem to stem from one being community based and one being a review site without the frills. On ciao there is so much mischief but rating the same number of reviews on dooyoo, I don't find this. Yes to the odd copier, but none of the personal vendettas that seem to go on on ciao. What are your views on it ? Is dooyoo a safer site ? Do they have better control over members coming back to create havoc ? What is it that is different ?

Spoilers in film/book reviews

mattygroves — Fri, 26 May 2006 12:47:19 GMT

How would you rate a review that stated that if you have not seen the movie, do not read the review because it may spoil it.

MODERATED BY ADMIN>

The ciao/dooyoo difference?

dididave — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 07:17:09 GMT

Does anyone see a difference in the way their reviews are perceived, the ratings they are given and the reads they receive between the sites? My reviews seem to get a better reception on dooyoo than ciao ratings wise perhaps dues to the difference in layout or perhaps due to an inherent popularity factor on ciao? I certainly think that the same reviews a few years ago would have received higher ratings than they do now. I like this fact as people are probably being more honest with me now ...

STATS

Thingywhatsit — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 05:40:24 GMT

Not interested in particular reviews so please don't mention them, but the most interesting stat to me is how much the public read the reviews that I wrote on any website. It was interesting to note that in certain areas, dooyoo get a lot less hits than ciao do, whilst in others they excel. I suppose that the way in which we can make our reviews more helpful to the public is to keep an eye on stats and see which get read on dooyoo, epinions and ciao the most. Books do well on ciao. Lifestyle ...

Dilemma

berlioz — Fri, 19 May 2006 07:58:19 GMT

Okay, I suggested a CD on Ciao and Dooyoo and both have added them, but both added the wrong CD that however has the same title. I provided accurate links for both from the page of the distributor (and in Dooyoo's case even provided a link for the picture) and still both messed up in putting the wrong thing there. Now should I just try again by suggesting for both should they manage to get the thing right (what a bother), or should I just weather it and risk going off topic (Not a good thing ...

EXPERIMENT

Thingywhatsit — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 13:01:08 GMT

Lets try with adjectives to describe taste. I can't do it. I am hopeless and many members have the same problem.

Take for example a typical food like macaroni

What words would you use to describe the taste ?

General review site chatter

Thingywhatsit — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 19:48:33 GMT

This is a new area to discuss in general review sites, as requested by a member. Feel free to add your posts that are general review site chatter here.

Why is the posted time on threads and posts on reviewwritrsf

ben100100100509 — Mon, 22 May 2006 16:16:27 GMT

Why is the posted time on threads and posts on reviewwritrsforum in French?

Apostrophe Abuse

mattygroves — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 10:14:41 GMT

Does it bug ANYONE else how the apostrophe is abused not just on Ciao and Dooyoo, but in books, ads and newspapers? How hard is it for people to remember that its is possessive and it's is 'it is'? Even a book I was reading earlier today (ok, it's an episode guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that's besides the point - it just proves what an anorak I am) used it's for the possessive. Now, I've done it myself on occasion, but as a typo, rather than because I didn't know better). Or ...