May Diamonds

Looks like the Diamonds have been issued for May although the list is not up yet. Looks like it is the same old, same old........as far as I can see none of them are what I would call exceptional...d'you think they just put them all in a hat and pull them out at random ???

I've stumbled across a few of the Diamonds and I found some of them made for some really poor reading. But I rarely agree with their selection anyway.

Not seen any of them at all yet, I've given up more than ever after one last month (month before?) that was for a film review that, although very well written, gave away the complete plot of the film!

That was the final straw for me.

Even if Ciao's diamonds mirrored Ciao's own description of good review writing (as seen in the member centre), we'd all have our own ideas about what was a diamond and what wasn't.

I still think what they're awarding and rewarding now is taking the urine though.

I thought diamond reviews were awarded due to the people who sponsor Ciao, so depend on the topic really. Therefore I wrote my phone review expecting to get a diamond, so wasn't particularly surprised to find that I have been awarded one.

On the other hand though aside from one negative rating from yourself, my phone review actually has had some excellent feedback. I realise that some might say that it is because people have friends and give each other Es regardless. I don't think that is really true. But if it is, then I'm really happy as i must be popular to have that many friends, because I certainly don't give out as many Es as I receive!

The best quality reviews in my opinion are the ones written in the Ciao Cafe. Well, they're the ones I enjoy reading anyway! I know that Ciao is a consumer site and someone is unlikely to want to consume a portion of the A-Z about me....but then it's rare that I consult a website before trying a can of Coke either!

Although saying that, I have £15 to spend now - wonder what next week's POW will be!

Wow. You wrote a review expecting to get a diamond? That's impressive. Although to be fair, your review did follow the template that seems to blight the Diamond list every month.

It's interesting that you say that my feedback is useless just because I gave you a lower rate than most other people? Is the rating itself feedback or the comments left in support of the rating?

I don't think the over-rating is specifically to do with 'friends' per se. It's more a case that members are afraid to give out lower ratings probably for any number of reasons. Aggrieved ratees coming to your GB spouting ridiculous accusations is a prime example. For those that take their ratings seriously (but notably, not the peer review system), revenge rating is the fear factor for rating high. Some people simply don't have the backbone to stand out from the herd and some are too stupid to do so.

moooooooo!

Since you brought up your review for discussion, I will leave this however please be aware that you are not allowed to discuss specific examples.

However, since you have, I have gone on and had a look at the diamonds and it just re-affirms why I don't use the site any more. If you deliberately wrote this in that style, after figering out how the PF works, then fair play to you but that just isn't how informative, experience driven reviews should be.

Sorry.

marymoose99 wrote:

I thought diamond reviews were awarded due to the people who sponsor Ciao, so depend on the topic really. Therefore I wrote my phone review expecting to get a diamond, so wasn't particularly surprised to find that I have been awarded one.

On the other hand though aside from one negative rating from yourself, my phone review actually has had some excellent feedback. I realise that some might say that it is because people have friends and give each other Es regardless. I don't think that is really true. But if it is, then I'm really happy as i must be popular to have that many friends, because I certainly don't give out as many Es as I receive!

The best quality reviews in my opinion are the ones written in the Ciao Cafe. Well, they're the ones I enjoy reading anyway! I know that Ciao is a consumer site and someone is unlikely to want to consume a portion of the A-Z about me....but then it's rare that I consult a website before trying a can of Coke either!

Although saying that, I have £15 to spend now - wonder what next week's POW will be!

You EXPECTED to get a diamond...WOW !!! so that's it then we should ALL write phone reviews !!!!

As for the popularity thing, what complete rubbish..that is where Ciao is findamentally flawed, it is NOT a popularity contest but a consumer site, although a lot of the members think to the contrary...and that is where the E's come into play, they rate highly expecting people to rate them highly in return, so of course if someone spoils that trend by giving a perfectly respectable H then they are attacked for it.

I don't care what anyone says...the Diamonds are a lottery !

I never said your feedback was useless. Your comments merely illustrated that you hadn't read my review properly.

Your message now implies that the 98% of people who rated my review VH or E were doing so because they were scared or stupid. Now that is a ridiculous accusation! It was many of the long-standing and well-respected (in my opinion) members of Ciao (I realise that I am still reasonably new) who gave me Es and such fantastic comments. It is those ratings and comments which I value above all.

I an curious as to why you stay a member of Ciao when you clearly have a problem with so many of the other members?

As for revenge rating, I don't think that this is as big a problem as some people make out, as I think it's certainly the minority who revenge rate. I certainly never have.

And yes, I did write a review expecting to get a diamond. I don't see the problem with that. I understand that diamonds are rarely awarded for the best reviews, but according to topic - so I chose a topic which would be a candidate, and I wrote an exceptional ( a note added after the initial post! PLEASE NOTE I DO NOT MEAN BY THIS THAT MY WRITING IS IN ANY WAY SUPERIOR - I mean that it is a review of a standard that I personally would rate as Exceptional if someone else had written it - I write reviews how I would like to read reviews - therefore it is inevitable that I will like the quality of my reviews - otherwise I would write them differently!) review about it. I know that you do not agree, but that is a matter of personal opinion and I respect that.

I realise that perhaps in the past I have not reacted well to lower ratings than I am used to. In the future I will endeavour to not let it worry me, as I am confident in my review writing ability as are the vast majority )

Sorry, for mentioning a specific review. Feel free to delete.

marymoose99 wrote:

and I wrote an exceptional review about it. I know that you do not agree, but that is a matter of personal opinion and I respect that.

I'm sorry but do you actually believe you wrote an exceptional review? I can't believe you actually wrote that for people to see and comment on.

I have seen a large number of members on Ciao who write truly exceptional reviews and are still waiting for a diamond years later.

marymoose99 wrote:

It was many of the long-standing and well-respected (in my opinion) members of Ciao (I realise that I am still reasonably new) who gave me Es and such fantastic comments. It is those ratings and comments which I value above all.

I also know of a number of long-standing and well-respected members of Ciao who constantly overrate and write fluffy comments. But that doesn't make it right. Of course you prefer those ratings and comments to those who actually give you real feedback and tell you why they rated low/er.

I agree with you that many exceptional reviews aren't rewarded, which is what I've said all along - I realise that diamonds aren't awarded for the best reviews. It's about writing a good review on a topic that Ciao are likely to give a diamond for.

I do think that my phone review was one of my best efforts on Ciao (not my best though), and I am proud of it. And yes I do think it is exceptional by Ciao standards - had I been rating the review i would have given it an E. But I appreciate that not everyone will think the same. Of course, as this discussion shows we all have different opinions, and that is fine!

Yes I know that some people do overate, and give Es without reading the reviews. But I am confident that not every single person who rated my review did that. And the comments I have received illustrate this.

I think that everyone should take pride in what they write and write to the best of their ability, and I don't feel that it is wrong to take pride in it.

Yes I wrote for a topic that I thought was likely to be rewarded (I never said I was certain I would get it - as only Ciao really know how it works), but I wrote to the best of my ability. And it was an informative experience driven review, not just written for financial gain!

Mobile phone reviews have always attracted a far higher chance of getting a diamond. There's nothing new there. Good on yer for exposing the inadequacy of the Ciao system. I reviewed a phone that I'd never even owned once and I got a diamond for that. Tee hee.

There is certainly nothing wrong in taking pride in your work but to publicly declare that your own review was exceptional is bound to attract negative comments, most of us know that the Ciao selection process is dubious at the best of times and I personally feel that there were many other reviews along the same theme that were far more deserving of a Diamond in regards to quality than those that received them.

I have never been denying that! I have no idea who else has got diamonds this month though so haven't yet seen who else was rewarded. No doubt another one on passing the driving test - I can't work out who sponsors that though!

This conversation has clearly illustrated how i need to make myself clearer in what I am saying. I wasn't declaring my review to be exceptional in order to sound cocky. Surely everyone write reviews that they perceive to be exceptional (it makes no difference what ratings they actually get rated as) at the time of writing? Otherwise I would have thought that they would put more effort into writing them.

What I am saying is that I write things how I would like to read them. Therefore inevitably anything I write is exactly going to be to my taste, and therefore to me it is going to be fantastic! TO ME! Not necessarily to you!

I am not and have never been trying to imply that I am better or my writing is better than anyone elses as I know that it's not.

People really do seem to be getting upset here, and I hope I haven't caused any offence at all. I realise that we all want different things from Ciao, we all like different writing styles, and most importantly we all have different views on what makes a good review - at the end of the day I would prefer to make a consumer decision based on a review similar to mine - BECAUSE THAT IS THE WRITING STYLE THAT I LIKE!

I am really having a great time on Ciao, and have felt my writing skills develop. Can't we all just enjoy ourselves? At the end of the day there are far more important things in life - that reminds me, I must get back to work!!!

I love the idea of writing to win a diamond. Maybe you have the lottery numbers for Saturday too?

I pretty much expect NOT to get a diamond because my reviews are probably of limited interest (having said that some of my travel reviews have had massive numbers of reads) ; I write lotsof travel ops but usually about independent travel and I imagine Ciao would rather I was writing about a hotel.

Having said that, I have hd two diamonds for travel ops but if I had won a diamond for every review that had a couple of members saying "excellent review, deserves a diamond" - I would be twinkling like Tiffany's.

To be honest, I don't even look to see what gets a diamond these days; if i cared at all about the money I would be writing in more lucrative categories.

I have to say that it is a bit arrogant to say you were expecting a diamond but its much more bonkers!

Your day job must be even less strenuous than mine!

Well, I think all of my reviews are exceptional and should have received Diamonds. So there! Maybe it's time to go twist Ciao's arm by threatening them with legal action... and a hot fudge sunday.

That'd be a waste. Give me the Hot Fudge Sundae on a cold day

I fear my comment is going to haunt me forever!!! Perhaps after years of self-hatred maybe I have got too cocky for my own good - although I have to say I was never trying to give the impression that I thought I (or my writing) was exceptional. And I can only apologise that I didn't make what I meant clearer!

Can I join you two for a Sundae in the Cafe?

Of course, suppose that'll have to be on a boat between here and Finland then

I love Finland, it's a beautiful place......of course that is partly due to the European Elk there.....although when I went I only saw reindeer.......

Hometime now - what a productive day!