Revenge Raters: Thanks for the Penny. To all others: Thanks for your LoyaltyOct 19 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Having a bigger web of trust will translate into more ratings and more money. But that's only half the story.
This is a General Comment and is not intended to be Helpful. It is an observation I am making after taking a day to reflect on my web of trust -- which will need to be refined with some members added and some removed -- and rating trends at Epinions. Having just eked passed the 500 mark on the total number of members at Epinions who "trust" me, I thought it appropriate to remark on this small achievement. I want to thank some members for their support and help, and to provide some general information on matters concerning the Web of Trust feature at Epinions. Having reached this milestone, I spent a day to compile some information about the ratings that my reviews have received (I have never done this before), so that I can better understand how people use the site and how my reviews are being rated. The Numbers ---------------------------------------- Although over 31,000 member visits have been counted on the total body of my reviews, the total number of ratings is actually much smaller. As of October 18, 2001: 26,177 ratings. Here's the breakdown. 977 - Most Helpful (3.73%) 24,457 - Very Helpful (93.43%) 637 - Helpful (2.43%) 57 - Somewhat Helpful (0.22%) 49 - Not Helpful (0.19%) An Explanation: a number of ratings posted by some members who closed their accounts are no longer displayed in rating summaries. That means, of course, that some ratings by very active old-timers who quit the site when Epinions launched its "Beta" redesign in January are no longer displayed. Also, I deleted a half-dozen or so of my old reviews that just weren't any good. The count of member visits is preserved in my data, but the rating information is lost forever. The not-so-sad news, of course, is that ratings made by abusive members who had their accounts terminated and removed are no longer displayed, either. That is probably a good thing, in most instances, because these members were -- in many instances -- revenge raters. The strange thing -- and I know others complain about this sometimes: not every member who reads a review will rate. Their visit is counted, but they don't click a button. By the way, I know some of my old reviews are not great. Indeed, some are of very marginal quality. I am a little surprised by the number of "Not Helpful" ratings I have received. I really expected a little more from revenge raters. Many must have got tired and have left the site, as the practice of revenge rating seems to have quieted significantly in recent months. Thanks to my Regular Readers ---------------------------------------- By way of this review, I want to thank those members who have added me to their Web of Trust and who have read a significant number of my reviews. I was surprised by three things: (1) The number of readers who have read and rated more than 100 of my reviews. (2) The number of readers who have read more than 50 of my reviews, rated them Very Helpful, but have not added me to their web of trust. (3) The number of readers who have read fewer than 3 of my reviews (and no more), but have added me to their web of trust. Including the mysterious "hidden" member(s) -- who I shall lump together as being one person for the sake of simplicity -- my reviews have been rated by 1,776 unique members. Ignoring the anonymous member variable for the moment, my reviews have been rated thusly: Number of Members who have rated fewer than 10 of my reviews: 1,316 (673 members rated just one of my reviews and no more.) Number of Members who have rated TEN or more of my reviews: 460 (25.9%) Members in my Web of Trust: 504 (28.4% of all readers). As you can see, there is a pretty close correlation between the size of one's web of trust and the number of members who read and rate more than 10 of one's reviews. That was an awkward statement; what I mean to say is this: People who add you to their web of trust are more likely to be regular readers of your reviews. That's a pretty obvious statement, but an important one to consider. Members Who I Want to Thank ---------------------------------------- I value the opinions, assistance, and helpful words of advice from all members in my web of trust. Some members are new-comers and have not read very many of my reviews. Some members will only read certain reviews that I write -- wine reviews, for example -- and will skip reviews about cigars, music, or beer. I appreciate the fact that not everyone is interested in everything I write. Indeed, I even acknowledge that most of the stuff I write about is of no use to some members. More than half of my reviews are about such things as beers, wines, or spirits. I regularly have members read my material, rate my material, and comment: "I don't smoke, I don't drink, but this was helpful." And to those members: I thank you very much. There are some members who have read more than 150 of my reviews. I was pretty surprised by this fact. Although I try to reciprocate reads on an even basis, I feel that I will need to revisit a number of accounts and review older material that I have not accessed during this current year. I feel almost an awful sense of obligation. Some members I wish to spotlight for their loyalty: --------------- 300 or more ratings 344 midoyle 322 ptiemann --------------- 201 - 250 294 lpny216 287 bruguru 287 surferdude7 277 andaryl 256 brendametcalf 235 bryrrose 234 nanct 217 parislemon 216 aliventiasylum 201 cntaur5 --------------- 151 - 200 199 gerper 194 dantesguide 194 latakiahaze 191 purplewiz 188 gooberpyle 187 james23 187 tbrown 169 tuggy 167 roymeo 166 naomi7835 165 surgrn911 162 mawsqaw 161 jo.com 160 jayne016 159 aeschines 154 tibullus To these members, and to all regular readers, I just want to say that I am truly honored. I thank you, truly, for all your advice, help, and for your loyalty. Because two fellow members have rated over 300 of my reviews, I feel compelled to say a few small things in their praise. For those who don't know midoyle: Mike Doyle is one of the best music and beer writers at Epinions. He is a big fan of Pat Metheny, and has written over 160 reviews on a variety of subjects -- virtually all rated "Very Helpful," and many that should be now be re-rated as the "Most Helpful" in their category. He deserves more attention and I commend his reviews to all members. As to ptiemann: Peter Tiemann -- not that he needs additional exposure at Epinions -- is the undisputed superstar member at Epinions. Not just because he has the most member hits and the largest web of trust at Epinions, but because he is genuinely helpful and polite. Moreover, now that I am returning to his older reviews (the one's written before I joined the site in June 2000), I am learning that Peter's early reviews are often filled with humor, are almost always the Most Helpful that I have read in a particular category, and are always well-reasoned, practical, persuasive, engaging and written on a level that a reader will respond to. Dare I say... it is almost like hearing the advice from a friend. Both Mike and Peter are fair and honest raters, and I have even received a few "Somewhat Helpful" ratings from them. And, because I respect their opinions, I learned where I needed to make changes and how I could write to improve my reviews. So, to Mike and Peter, I send a heartfelt "thank you." Utilizing Your Web of Trust ---------------------------------------- According to Epinions: "The Web of Trust, when built judiciously, ensures that you see the opinions of your friends, family, and trusted advisors. How have you used The Web of Trust to your advantage?" That's a pretty vague statement, but permit me to translate it to my understanding: When you add people to your web of trust, you are broadcasting to them that you honor their opinions -- even if they are different than yours -- and that you are interested in reading more reviews from them in the future. You are saying: "Hey, I see your point. You express yourself pretty well. If I am looking for information concerning a product or service -- and I see your name next to a review's link -- I will consider reading what you have to say before making a decision." And so I do.  |
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