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 it never came" (with or without adding "despite e-mails" etc) it is only "Somewhat Helpful" to a prospective buyer ~ so it should receive a THUMBS-DOWN!

I have even seen totally Off Topic quick reviews with an overall "helpful" ~ and all this does is to allow someone license to rate and comment on reviews, totally sidestepping the safeguard of requiring at least one helpful review.



l have started reading and thinking, "lf this was a Quick Review, would l give it "thumbs-up" ?" And, on quick reviews, "Has this mentioned enough to tell me basis of product, or even the range covered by website reviewed?


What do others think?


Anyone can check the members rating by clicking the overall-rating link.

Sorry, Adam. l should have consulted you before posting.

l thought l'd missed a choice out . . .

l don't think l can alter the poll, now, though.

Am I the only one who hates quick reviews?

Whenever I want to buy something, car seat, mobile, car, pram, holiday etc, the first thing I do is go onto Ciao and look up if anyone has wrote a review on the product.

While some reviews I find are too long and are telling me everything other then what I want to know, I find quick reviews never tell me enough.

I do sometimes rate them (more often then not it tends to be a thumbs down) but tend to spend my time reading the longer reviews.

It's a funny one, as they are intended to be quick, and therefore if they have a couple of sentences of useful information that would confirm or sway a buying decision, then by definition that's useful.

I don't rate them at all - that should be an option on your poll.

With QRs I expect the member to dive into their thoughts of the product (this doesn't always happen).

I like QRs, but unfortunately on Ciao - as you have seen for yourself - there are QRs which are clearly Off topic averaging a H rating. Indication indeed that the standards of reading and rating on the site are poor.

Generally I don't feel enough is done with them - I want to see efforts which are closer to 100 words then they are to the 20 word min.

I for one don't care about the visibility of review and would be surprised if anyone did. And I don't see why a member should not write a Quick Review for a product which already has numerous reviews to it - it contributes to the average product rating does it not? In cases where there is a drastic difference of opinion, a couple of words is sufficient enough to point out several flaws (which may or may not be covered in the other reviews), which would be helpful enough.

you can view by circle of trust? Blimey I have never done that..!

I thought it was automatic - when you look at a topic it's supposed to show you the reviews by people in your COT automatically.
I've never tested it though.

Well I was joking but now I have tried it, it definitely doesn't work..another ciao bug..

I have the message "trusted by" and level 2 etc against people I have never met, never mind trust..!

Perhaps it proves that "six levels of separation" theory..

Well, l tend to use Ciao! to research products in which l'm interested ~ or to write ~ and because l appreciate finding updated material, l update my reviews when l feel the need.

And l try to write my 'paying' review each month.