PRODUCT SPECS

I've just stumbled across an old topic I think we may have discussed in the Ciao section but I wondered what constitutes as correct Product Spec used in reviews without constituting the idea of it being copied? This has been a grey area for most members who either prefer no product specs at all or one which is based on the experience of the owner (ahem, like I do on most of my product reviews)...

Its just that recently on Dooyoo I've come across a new member who is using a product spec (copied from the company site which makes the product) and very little other ownership experience. Should I down rate a NU rating because the spec appears from the official site or just leave this alone, turn a blind eye and take the worded content into consideration??

<rant>Quit with the "down rating" already.

If a review is NU, it's NU. If it's U, it's U. You're not "down rating". You're rating!
</rant>

If a posted review contains only the product spec, then it's going to be SU or NU, but that's dependant on the content. I don't consider listing product specs to be plagiarism, just lazy/bad review writing.

I would NU it if the genuine content did not add enough to make the review worthwhile. The product specifications do not effect my rating either way if the content is there although I do wish that if people feel the need to cut and paste, they would tag it onto the end of the review.

Would have to agree that if the writer feels it necessary than tag them on at the end of the review. I certainly wouldn't rate a review lower than if they didn't have it, as long as the majority of the review was about their opinion of the product and ultimately whether they found the product specs to be a true account. Lisa x

I don't think a product spec is anything to do with personal experience so a review based solely on that would be NU for me.

these are a typical example where less is more...review three miles long...and three quarters is copied..there might be some decent review content (usually not, sometimes there is), but it is completely unnecessary to copy screeds of "info" like this.

I personally find it is ok to bring it in to experience e.g. "the quoted MPG for car is xxx, I have driven it over 10,000 miles and find I achieve yyy" sort of stuff.

but if reviewers cannot incorporate the spec into reality, then there is precious little point copying it!

plipplop wrote:

I don't think a product spec is anything to do with personal experience so a review based solely on that would be NU for me.

A product spec has everything to do with a review if for example Apple quote the new iPod battery's life as 30 hrs and you found you got less than half of that out of the product. Product specs all the whole should be fully incorporated into the body of the review in my opinion. I don't see anything wrong in the reviewer adding the manufacturers specs list at the bottom of the review as some find that handy, but if that list made up the majority of the review then I would rate appropriately. Lisa x

lisa2062 wrote:

A product spec has everything to do with a review if for example Apple quote the new iPod battery's life as 30 hrs and you found you got less than half of that out of the product.

But that's personal experience which is an entirely different thing?

I agree.

I dont see the point in adding specs - purchasers can (and will have) found the specs already.......

As long as you ahve compared the spec though.... surely that is relevant?

I'd certainly want to know peoples experiences compared to the specs. What I wouldn't like though is if the specs were just listed and just a couple of words comment was put next to them.

At the end of the day I would prefer as I've said that product specs were worked into the body of the review. However if someone added the list at the end of the review (as there will always be readers who will want it), then I don't see the problem. Lisa x

lisa2062 wrote:

I'd certainly want to know peoples experiences compared to the specs. What I wouldn't like though is if the specs were just listed and just a couple of words comment was put next to them.

At the end of the day I would prefer as I've said that product specs were worked into the body of the review. However if someone added the list at the end of the review (as there will always be readers who will want it), then I don't see the problem. Lisa x

I would have absolutely no confidence in the ability of your average consumer to validate technical specifications and would rather they didn't bother. Few reviewers actually understand what they're typing half the time.

plipplop wrote:

lisa2062 wrote:

I'd certainly want to know peoples experiences compared to the specs. What I wouldn't like though is if the specs were just listed and just a couple of words comment was put next to them.

At the end of the day I would prefer as I've said that product specs were worked into the body of the review. However if someone added the list at the end of the review (as there will always be readers who will want it), then I don't see the problem. Lisa x

I would have absolutely no confidence in the ability of your average consumer to validate technical specifications and would rather they didn't bother. Few reviewers actually understand what they're typing half the time.

I agree

a bit of well worked spec into the body is fine, as long as it is in context e.g. findings on MPG, battery life etc...however lists of information, well is completely pointless and frankly distracting. I am car hunting at the moment, and I REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYdont want to read lists of specs. I know what is on the model of the damn car I want, I dont need a list to back that up (or even worse, read three reviews on the same site about the car where they all LIST the tech spec!!!)

You're a girl. Surely you only need to know if a car is pink or not?



Seriously though, spec worked into a review is good because it provides the review with two of the most important aspects of a review IMO: personal experience and real world usage.

Ciao's Favourite Member wrote:

You're a girl. Surely you only need to know if a car is pink or not?

Naughty naughty, Helen will slap you for that .

I agree that a list as long as the river Nile probably isn't necessary, but say for example we were looking at a hoover review than things such as length of cable and bags used would be useful.
So if a review was VH in terms of content and easy to read e.t.c would you rate it lower if it had a list of specs at the bottom? Lisa x

If the list is at the bottom? I don't think I'd reduce my rating on that alone.

I don't think they belong there, mind you. If you want a manufacturers specs, go to the website.

To me, the likes of Ciao, Dooyoo etc. is a last stop when researching. By the time I get to Dooyoo or Ciao, I've already made a shortlist and probably already have a preference in mind.

What I end up looking for is that something that will make or break the deal, none of which is achieved by quoting technical specs or skipping over personal experience. The same goes for "instruction manual" reviews that tell you how to do stuff with the item, but not what the item is like.

Specs listed at the end of a product don't really bother me as long as the rest of the review is good. Iwouldn't rate down if a spec was included but I would rate down if the rest of the review was rubbish.