QUICK DELETION OF COPIES.

I noticed today on going through the archives that copied reviews from yesterday have already been removed. That really is an improvement on the norm.

I reported one yesterday on DIY playdough (I hope Im allowed to mention it as it's been deleted) and it has already gone.

I think it's essential that deletions are done quickly or cheats have time to change their reviews before Ciao gets to them.

I know some people seem to think it's OK to change a review after you've posted a copy but to me it's no less cheating if you cover it up afterwards.

I'm zero-tollerant on plagiarism.

I think all members of opinion sites should have that attitude, and report what they find as a copy rather than just jumping on the bandwagon and assuming that sites like ciao know they are copies from the ratings.

The thing which really astonishes me is that people can read a review with a whole slew of NH ratings and not go to the comments to find out why. I know there's an argument that says you shouldn't be influenced by other people's ratings BUT you should be suspicious if they are unusually bad.

I've recently stopped writing COPIED all over the comments and just gone straight for reporting the cheats instead. It's one way to avoid the retaliation but it's not so satisfying!

Yes, I am an evil bear!

The problem with that is that you may be letting a cheat get away with it because many members do not check. If you google and find its a copy, then pasting the link before reporting is proof to other members and to ciao, then report to back it up.

yes, but when ciao remove it, they lose all the points and rates, don't they?

I got wary after someone got really nasty with me when I pointed out that they'd copied most of their hotel review straight from a hotel website (how do they think they'll get away with it? Nobody but a professional hotel cliche copy-writer describes things as 'exquisitely appointed luxury suites' do they?

I spotted it on a Saturday and by the time the ciao folk were at work on Monday, the review was down to about 30% copied instead of the original 90% and there were shirty messages about me flying around.

koshkha wrote:

.......Nobody but a professional hotel cliche copy-writer describes things as 'exquisitely appointed luxury suites' do they?.

I would, but then I would, wouldn't I!

I understand your point though, I once rated a blatantly copied review from someone in the in crowd as NH as it was verbatim from wikipedia or something. The amount of members on line friends who left an E afterwards was amazing. And it happens a lot.

hcb, I agree - are people completely blind?

I know there's an ethical issue that says 'I shouldn't look at the rates because it might influence what I give' but SURELY a reader should notice a string of NH ratings and wonder why? But it seems not.