Hogging the 'First Opinion Bonus'.

I have written most of my reviews on video games, you could say that category is my forte, but I'm sure you are aware that there is usually a demo of a game out there before final product release.

You'll know that the first review published gets in on what is the 'First Opinion Bonus'. Okay the money is not a lot but it still counts.

What infuriates me is that people publish their review of a demo of a new game, thus taking up that bonus. If you ever come across a game demo you'll notice never to take the demo as an account of the final product.

Now it could be that their review is poorly put together, but on a later date they could request a re-read to their review on the actual product, so they have tactically hogged the 'First Opinion Bonus'.

I thought I might get this 'exploit' out in the open, am I OTT in doing so?

Sorry if this has been posted before!

Good Point, well said Bruce

Personally I think games demos should have their own slot and not be in the main category for the game that people buy. I think the other grey area was when people reviewed DVDs before they were on release but ciao got over that one by putting film only into the options. Perhaps there should be a demo only option on games reviews.

I guess it can spill over to what people saw in the cinema to DVD, but I have yet to make advancements in this category.

Saying that does the 'First Bonus Payment' include the works in Ciao Cafe?

I don't believe so. Most cafe pieces do not pay, but there are occasional slip ups.

I agree. I get annoyed when people review a film as film only when the product is a DVD for a 2 disc special edition, purely because no one has reviewed it yet and so double up the money.

Again, that's a ciao given option. What I guess would be right in those circumstances is to suggest a category just for the film or simple DVD

but there isn't an alternative, if you cannot review a film only in another category, when the film comes out...

as for games, the few demo games I have seen, would not make a decent review, there is usually only a level or two isnt there?

Usually, but the important thing is that is should not be taken as a part of the real thing. How the game plays from there could be open to further tweakage.

I usually rate down in the DVD category when I see sentences like:

I don't have this special edition box set but own the normal edition one but it doesn't matter as I'm only reviewing the programme/series/season of this particular TV series.

Another 'favourite' of mine is:

I don't have the 100 complete season box set but each season individually so I know what I'm talking about.

My answer to that, NO, you don't know what you are talking about and unless you review the DVD box set you should not post in this category but in the TV series one.

I think box sets for TV shows should not have a 'film only' option as it's a) not a film and b) people are looking for info on box sets as Ciao have a TV series category to cover the rest.

I have noticed this a few times. It is frustrating when you have a good quality review in the pipeline and someone beats you to it with half a dozen lines.

I once suggested a DVD that I had seen and really loved it and couldn't wait to publish it only for someone else to publish a review which was copied. The writer is still a member and changed the review to their own words but I really had the hump at the time! I do get a bit miffed when people write in the Special Edition DVD category or 2 disc DVD category to get the 1st opinion extra pennies when there is also a plain old DVD bit they could have published in. That, I consider real cheating and rate people down for it.

The funniest game reviews are those by the people who haven't actually played them at all, though claim to have 'watched' their partner/relative play it for long durations of time, that always cracks me up - its like doing a film review based on what your mate thought of it when they went to the cinema.

anonymili wrote:

I once suggested a DVD that I had seen and really loved it and couldn't wait to publish it only for someone else to publish a review which was copied.

Don't ciao give you a day or two head start when they send you the product proposal email with the link? I can remember it used to be, the product is not showing up in the database until much later and can't be searched when doing a general or advanced database search.

I don't normally request a new product unless I've got the review waiting in the wings ready to be placed. And the speed Ciao are adding suggestions is neckbreaking. I often suggest last thing at night just before I shut down my computer and when I log in the next morning the product suggestion email is waiting for me.

I know they arent searchable for a day or two, but they tended to go in the New Products list right away - I thought.. That said, I have only been pipped to the post once or twice so not a big problem for me anyway, plus I stick in travel most of the time so it would be pot luck that someone would have been to the same place.

Sometimes I write and wait but most of the time i get the category added first - I think this stems back to the summer when nothing got added for about eight weeks!

helencbradshaw wrote:

I know they arent searchable for a day or two, but they tended to go in the New Products list right away - I thought.. That said, I have only been pipped to the post once or twice so not a big problem for me anyway, plus I stick in travel most of the time so it would be pot luck that someone would have been to the same place.

Sometimes I write and wait but most of the time i get the category added first - I think this stems back to the summer when nothing got added for about eight weeks!

But you will find that members (in particular new ones) don't know about the New Products in Member Centre - lots of members don't even know it exists or if they do know what's on it. I can't recall how many people never knew about the archive accessible from that page.

When I was new on the site, I pipped a few people to the post unwittingly. I had no idea that others proposed products but simply searched the database for the review topics I needed and wrote reviews. If ciao were to initial a fee that they pay for the person nominating a topic like dooyoo does, then this problem may not arise.

I'd been watching a product without review for weeks now and had planned to post a review. When I logged on yesterday I saw someone got in first and posted. But I'm not angry, I didn't suggest the product, just had it on my watch list (in the back of my mind) and the first opinion bonus would be have mine had I not taken my time and posted when I first clapped my eyes on the empty product.

I think I pipped someone to the post once, but I found it after it was searchable. If people suggest and wait forever to post then what is their loss is my gain.

Minnitee wrote:

helencbradshaw wrote:

I know they arent searchable for a day or two, but they tended to go in the New Products list right away - I thought.. That said, I have only been pipped to the post once or twice so not a big problem for me anyway, plus I stick in travel most of the time so it would be pot luck that someone would have been to the same place.

Sometimes I write and wait but most of the time i get the category added first - I think this stems back to the summer when nothing got added for about eight weeks!

But you will find that members (in particular new ones) don't know about the New Products in Member Centre - lots of members don't even know it exists or if they do know what's on it. I can't recall how many people never knew about the archive accessible from that page.

Perhaps, but the smart ones know about it (and lets face it, it is easy to find). I think at one time there was a spate of no alerts, and it was the best way of finding out what was getting added. It is right there with all the other "New" lists so it's pretty easy to locate. And now Ciao is promoting this new list of new products without reviews so again alerting people to lists...

thingywhatsit wrote:

When I was new on the site, I pipped a few people to the post unwittingly. I had no idea that others proposed products but simply searched the database for the review topics I needed and wrote reviews. If ciao were to initial a fee that they pay for the person nominating a topic like dooyoo does, then this problem may not arise.

But I would argue is it really a problem and so what if you or anyone pipped people to the post...? It happens and on an average review someone might lose out, what 30p or so?? If anyone is that bothered about losing that they can write first to minimise it happening. If they paid a fee doesn't that conflict with the other debate about people being helpful and adding products for some ridiculous financial gain??

As I said it has happened to me once or twice (albeit I don't generally write about FMCG, where it is more likely to occur) but if it happens twice to a member of six years was anything like typical, then surely it cannot be a major issue.

Quote :

But I would argue is it really a problem and so what if you or anyone pipped people to the post...? It happens and on an average review someone might lose out, what 30p or so?? If anyone is that bothered about losing that they can write first to minimise it happening. If they paid a fee doesn't that conflict with the other debate about people being helpful and adding products for some ridiculous financial gain??

<My thoughts exactly although twice since being a member of ciao, I have had really nasty messages shouting at me for pinching someones categories. Not recently but ages ago, and that was when I learnt about the extra payment for first reviews.

Thingywhatsit wrote:

<My thoughts exactly although twice since being a member of ciao, I have had really nasty messages shouting at me for pinching someones categories. Not recently but ages ago, and that was when I learnt about the extra payment for first reviews.

They only have themselves to blame if they can't get their behinds into gear and post. You snooze you loose.

He who hesitates is lost.

Thingywhatsit wrote:

He who hesitates is lost.

Yep. I think the clue is in the title...

Quote :

Thingywhatsit wrote:
He who hesitates is lost.

Yep. I think the clue is in the title...
_________________

You mean the "he" bit ? LOL My husband is one that always hesitates.

Thingywhatsit wrote:

He who hesitates is lost.

One slight aside that's come up in other threads. Sometimes Ciao adds a category that you request but they won't pay for it. If you wait a few weeks they realise they've got it wrong and a little £ sign magically appears. So once in a while I decide that I won't write if they won't pay. After all a first opinion bonus that's double nothing isn't worth having.

Someone mentioned dooyoo 'initialling' the requested categories for the person who requested them. What's that about?