some people just never learn

I don't think its a question of being up our own arses. I think its a question of priority. We all have limited time online. I chose to read people that rate others, and many of the major SU writers don't bother reading anyone at all. Up to them of course, but also up to me who I read, as my time is every bit as valuable to me as theirs is to them. New members are the exception because they don't know how sites like dooyoo work, but if i see pages of SU reviews, and no reads from that member of other members then I will read others that participate more.

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So you only read authors who write VU or U reviews?

Sorry stu, didn't see the question before now. No, that is not what I am saying. I read everyone, but if someone writes a quick succession of SU reviews, I read them, suggest things, and if its ignored and people make no effort to produce better reviews, and read no one else, then they get a lesser priority. There is actually a fight with conscience here because being a "cup half full" person, I always hope that people will write more useful reviews so would never dismiss anyone and always give people a chance, but some seem to be happy just writing SU reviews and then leaving the site.

I always strive to write VH reviews although as I've learnt you'll never please everyone. I can understand why people consistently churn out SW helpful reviews especially over here as you get 3p per read, but as Rachel has said they must understand that if they continue to post short and SW helpful reviews, people will soon remember them and no longer bother to read and therefore lose 3p that they would've got otherwise. I usually although I should do more often let the person no why I rated so low and hope they take on board some of my advice and that of others, but once I realize that they aren't even trying then I don't bother checking out their reviews anymore.
The funny thing I find is that if those same people wanted info on a particular product, but all those reviews on it were rated low and therefore not much help, I'm sure they'd be pulling their hair and screaming that the reviews haven't helped in their decision making! Lisa x

I wouldn't tar em all with the same brush though. Some actually do read members. It's the ones that post and run that I shan't bother than much with because I don't like take take take and give very little. Same in life really. If someone gives a little then that's fine by me.

They are giving a little. They are filling up the database with accessible and brief information - the insular community might deem it less useful, but it isn't always. Dooyoo is a BUSINESS. They are paying for work carried out. I really do think it's disgraceful that members view their rating habits like this. It's not YOUR place to judge who's worth 3p and who isn't, Rachel. It's YOUR place to decide what rating to give to the reviews you read. No more, no less.

If you want your reading/rating habits to reflect the site's design intentions, then open up the new in lists, ignore the names on it and read according to the SUBJECT(S) in which you're interested. The sites were designed for 80-90% of your reading to be done like this. The remaining 10-20% should be from your alerts - the dozen or so people whose writing you like so much, whose interests are so close to your own, that what they say will be USEFUL to you.

I don't think you should feel obliged to read like that, so if you don't want to, don't. But don't criticise people and talk about witholding income from them because they don't fit YOUR criteria of the how the site should be - it's bloody hypocritical as YOUR criteria are even further away from the original intentions of the site than the people filling up the database with short reviews.

Gah. This is really getting up my nose.

Again, this is why it is good to take a sabatical away from review sites now and again, to stop feeling like your way is the only way.

I think that SU reviews can have their place on an opinion site - as Jill said it does give brief and accessible info - not all consumers do have the time to read through a whole pile of long reviews so a short piece saying how fab or dire something was can help a buying decision... so from a consumer point of view (which is what I thought the site was kind of about) it isn't all bad - just from a dooyooer point of view resenting helping to pay 3p for what s/he doesn't approve of

If I was going on holiday and looking into a destination (for example) I would find it interesting to read not only an in depth covers everything review but also some of the shorter "wow I had a fab time there" type reviews

Obviously I'm not including totally NU/abusive/drivel reviews in this, but I have seen a few where people have apparently been stimulated and written in a mood of either joy at what they experienced or utter disgust and found these ops to be SU, but still of some use as they do give one person's seemingly genuine reaction

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Gah. This is really getting up my nose

Okay never meant to get up anyone's nose Jill. I have seen criticism on other sites about grammar, about things like punctuation, on things like asking for rerates. I have time for people. If someone asks me for a rerate and it's changed, I never begrudge it. I am not some snot nosed ratbag that doesn't care. I do very much.

I'd be interested to know though how you feel about someone that for example writes 50 reviews, gets hundreds of reads and reads no one. I am not the only one to notice this and just asking, so dont bite my head off with your reply.

I don't feel anything about them, Rachel. I couldn't give a rat's arse. People choose what they choose. I'd find them less irritating than those who wanted a site full of clones writing cloned reviews in an incestuous rating pool where only those who behaved in a certain way were worthy, if that's what you mean.

Nah, its not what I meant Jill at all. There are established writers that do not bother reading anyone at all, and I always thought that the reading was all part of the experience. As for cloned reviews, no one wants that or would even suggest it. I think that many members including me perhaps have the ciao leftovers syndrome. We know for example that people on ciao do not get paid for bad reviews, but they do on dooyoo, although I take the point that every review on dooyoo adds hits to the site and also the point that by giving everyone the same payment for whatever rating they get, that dooyoo don't get the amount of abuse reports that ciao do. Which works out better ? Not sure on that. Dooyoo seem more efficient and that is perhaps because they are not clogged up with reports of bad ratings like ciao is.

Why does anyone wory about other writers? We are here for the cash.Theres millions of places to post up if your not into money and rewards.J ust use it as a training ground for greater things..

I have said before and will say again, the value of dooyoo and ciao comes in the collective experience. For example, 83 reviews telling me the hilton hotel in Barcelona is terrible, is valuable. One has no value whatsoever. It is merely the opinion of one person. Dooyoo and Ciao are actually very weak in many areas.

So 100 reviews which might be of the four line length which attracts SH are actually of more use than the one member who might have a reasonable stay, might not be used to hotels of a certain star and is definitely of more use than even the esteemed writer (e.g. I think I can do hotels, I work in em) who writes ONE review.

so in my mind those cr@ppy SH reviews PROVIDING they have chosen an appropriate STAR rating), are extremely invaluable indeed, and it is that reason I have a problem with RATING member reviews.

Off high horse again...

Thats actually a good way of looking at it. Lots of small opinions create a valid concensus of the masses that one or two long winded, yet eloquently writen pieces, dont provide. As I said before its all "horses for courses" both on the part of the readers and the writers.

Jill Murphy wrote:

I don't feel anything about them, Rachel. I couldn't give a rat's arse. People choose what they choose. I'd find them less irritating than those who wanted a site full of clones writing cloned reviews in an incestuous rating pool where only those who behaved in a certain way were worthy, if that's what you mean.

Spot on Jill.

Rachel, I can tell you the format for alomst 50% of reviews on Dooyoo without reading them, they are almost clones of their last reviews and it drives me mad.

short reviews can be useful, as helen said but rarely in the rating system will they achieve higher than a SU from me unless I feel they have made me learn something I did not already know.

If more people cared less for the rate and more for their writing, it would be so much more enjoyable.

Here's the other thing - surely you should worry less about what other people are doing, and concern yourself with what you are doing.

Here at work, the sales guys say "I don't know why account management are doing such and such" or "so and so is sick a lot" or whatever - frankly, it's none of their business - what's important is what YOU are doing.

So I really do believe people should stop trying to dictate what exactly is good for dooyoo. Demonstrate by example, rather than whinging about how other people behave.

Angus wrote:

Rachel, I can tell you the format for alomst 50% of reviews on Dooyoo without reading them, they are almost clones of their last reviews and it drives me mad.

I know what you mean -I have been finding reading on dooyoo pretty tedious lately as so many ops are so much alike in the format and layout etc - it was one of the (many) things that led me to leave ciao - I got bored reading all those clones - I like a review with real personal experience that shows through and is more individual in presentation

Which is why I have decided to take a bit of a break from reading as much as I usually do – the writing side is a whole other thing – lack of inspiration!

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So I really do believe people should stop trying to dictate what exactly is good for dooyoo. Demonstrate by example, rather than whinging about how other people behave.

Ha !!! after your whole thread on apostrophe abuse, that's the kettle calling the pot black isn't it.

Proper English usage is part of the language - language by definition needs rules.

Dooyoo has rules, and abuse of those rules is dealt with. It is not against the rules to write a bunch of SH reviews.

So there. Pwwwthththththwwww

I don't see any problem with people writing reviews that I consider SH/SU as long as they don't have a problem with me rating them that way. Other people might rate differently that is the point of a peer reviewed site.

Some people might not want to try and get higher ratings and that's fine. The site overall will benefit from all different types and quality of review.

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So there. Pwwwthththththwwww

And I don't see anywhere in the rules about correct use of apostrophes. The point was that we all complain from time to time dependant on the way we feel at the time and no one is excluded from this. So the person that put up this subject went through one of those days, and we responded, but by talking things through, understand better what use the SH reviews serve.

I was only kidding about the apostrophes but trying to show that we all have different likes and dislikes which is normal on any opinion site. Someone else said they didn't do re-reads if improvements were made, but personally I do. We are all different in our approaches and what's to say whose approach is right and whose is wrong. Again, it's just discussion.

the discuss it and stop bloody arguing!

I don't mind reading SU reviews if that person reads others but it does annoy me too if they write a load of SU reviews and don't read others.

For me I write on Dooyoo becasue I enjoy it but mostly becasue it pays for me to get those DVD Box Sets etc that otherwise I couldn't justify paying cash for, so the miles are important to me.

I put the effort into a two way street on there and if others don't it annoys me.

Simple in my eyes anyway!

I have it in my about me, if you do not rate then I will exercise my right not to read either, whether you write VU or SU reviews it si no difference to me.

Not saing my attitude is correct but it works for me.

To be honest, I used to get het up about all these things but when you take a step back and remind yourself that it is not really important and that the rating system, used fairly and honestly, will sort these people out anyway.

Focus more on what you want from places like Dooyoo and enjoy that bit, you will always get the post and run crew, the SU crew and the VU crew so just accept it.

I learnt from my Ciao days never to try and fight the shit, as soon as you take one shovel full, some other bastard has shit in the gap.

I'l tell you why people still continue to right short, crap (in my view) film (and other subject) reviews. It is cos people will still continue to read them even though the writers name can quickly become associated with these kind of reviews. There are three people that write, again in my opinion only, completely pointless film reviews that tell no more than the back of the DVd would, tyet they will still get 20 odd rates for every one that would take them 5 minutes to write.
Hey if I was doing the review writing JUSt for the money i would take that.
Rush off a quick review a day and get 20 reads a day for not much would do me just fine. I think that most people who join a site like this are in it for the writing as well as the money.

If you dont like the reviews being too short by the same person all the time. stop reading them, if everyone did that then they would soon change the way they write or leave as they wouldn't be earning anything.

I dont bother reading the ones by people i know churn out short, bad reviews so I dont really care if they keep writing them, if them doing it brings in the hits that makes Dooyoo financially viable then I'm all for them doing it, i just will not read them )