General feedback
Sep 20 '03 (Updated Sep 22 '03)
The Bottom Line Oh yes, I almost forgot. Scratch the "bottom line".
(OK, so I'm still no good with titles.)
I've posted some of these before....
but this section makes it more appropriate. Perhaps someone at Epinions.com will read these. I should also point out that all my suggestions are to improve helpfulness to the consumer or the contributors, with consumers coming first if there's a conflict. I'm not considering the costs to Epinions/Dealtime. Epinions should do so.
Gripes fist.
Communications
All abuse reports should be acknowledged with at least an excerpt of the abuse reported. There have been times when a search of the Just In led to the discovery that a majority of the first 25 were plagiarized.
For all abuse reports, a follow-up should be made to the reporter when disposition has been performed. Possible dispositions include "Found unjustified", "Corrected", "Ticketed", "Review Blocked", "Member's reviews blocked", "Member blocked", "Member removed", etc.
All alleged abusers should be informed of the nature of the complaint against them: possibly after investigation, but (in most cases) before action is taken, and, in any case if action is taken.
Given the present "blocked by the community" structure, a member should be able to find out if he is blocked by the community. I think that "blocked by the community" flag and "blocked by member" flag would be appropriate on any display of the member's name where the "new" flag might appear, but that's a secondary effect.
Allow members to "subscribe" to the "News and Announcements" by E-mail.
Inform the members when the Best of the Best is updated. (This may be included in the previous improvement).
Inform users (subject to some version of the regular notification rules) when a review they've rated is updated.
Subject to possible blocking by the recipient (reported to the sender), Epinions should allow a member to send a message to another member, even if that member doesn't list an E-mail address. Whether that's done to an Epinions-sourced mailbox or as a separate mailing to the member is open in my mind.
Explanation: If I feel that a review needs improvement, and I believe that the member would actually update the review if he only knew that the review needs improvement, I prefer to E-mail the member, before placing a low rating and a comment on the review. I've been mistaken at times, but I'm still somewhat optimistic.
Search engines
I've frequently had to go to google to search Epinions. The least you could do is supply your own google-like search of the site, including users "blocked by the community", which google shouldn't include.
For books, additional search fields should include author name, ISBN (which gracef assures me is now in place, but not documented), publisher, publication date, and probably a few more I hadn't thought of.
For Music, additional search fields should include artist name, publisher (label?), publication date, and certainly a few more that I haven't thought of.
For any category where you use the Muze database, you should allow Epinions users to do a Muze search to find the correct item. (Books, Music, ???) This is, of course, dependent on there being such a thing. I can't tell without a Muze account.
For most categories you should be able to perform a review search specifying product keywords (as noted above) and/or title keywords and/or submitter name and/or submitter ID. (I mean, the search should include options for all four.)
Product placement
At least two of my book reviews are pointing to the wrong item at this time -- one because the correct item had a typo in the Muze database, and the other because the entry was later merged with that of a new edition. I can't speak about missing products, because I haven't looked for very many, but I'm sure they exist.
For Personal Finance, at least, in some cases, the "traditional" and "internet" subcategories should be merged -- I mean, if you're looking for a mortgage company, or tax preparer, do you really care if they're internet-only. For a bank, you might care, but it doesn't really matter if they're internet-only or if their nearest branch is 600 miles away (which could still be in the same state). Even if you care for the individual products, the essay categories should be merged. I should add that, if these categories were merged, I'd want to know about it so I could correct my Off Topic ratings to reviews for which the correct topic had been moved.
A special item of interest to me would be a subcategory within Computer Software for Tax Software. The current breakdown is "Tax and Accounting Software", I believe. It was there under V1, at least as seen by the Open Directory Project.
Display improvements
Reinstall sort by date. It's sometimes there, but (as far as I can tell) not in product or essay categories. (Fixed before I posted this essay the first time.)
Reinstall filter or sort by category in member's review displays.
Install sort by title and by member in product and essay categories. (Possibly unnecessary if the search by title or member are done.) Sort by member (author) installed before I posted this essay the first time.
Install sort by title and by topic (or possibly category/topic) within a member's reviews. (Possibly unnecessary if some of the search improvements are done.)
Possibly only for Leads and Advisors, but include an indication in most review lists of whether you have rated the review, and, if so, how. (This was in Epinions V1.)
Add (or re-add) a Date Updated field, in addition to the Date field. (This presently appears only when you're actually looking at the review, not in any of the review lists.)
Ratings improvements
Re-allow Most Helpful for all members. (Perhaps if they're not Leads or Advisors the rating should count only as Very Helpful, but I see no reason why the rating should be unavailable, especially with the changes in Advisors that have been mentioned on off-site boards, suggesting, at least to me, that the Advisor rating is less stable than advertised.)
OK, an aside here. I lost my Advisor status in Business and Technology a few months ago. I'd like, at least, to be able to update my MH ratings in topics I've previously placed them.
Aside 2. mobiprof has pointed out how to bypass the Epinions block on MH ratings. I haven't checked it lately, but, even if his kludge is intentionally not fixed, it still should be unnecessary.
(Only if the first.) Allow a member to see all his/her Most Helpful ratings. (This may be difficult, but if you have some way of seeing all of a member's ratings, there may be a way to allow this.)
Review Placement
Separate surveys imported from Dealtime from Epinions reviews until a common rating system can be introduced. If they're not separated, allow members to avoid looking at surveys or to look only at surveys, depending on interest. Although I believe Epinions reviews are more useful to consumers, the same should apply on Dealtime views or third-party views of Epinions content. They shouldn't be displayed together to third parties.
If Dealtime reviews are treated as "Express Reviews" regardless of length, this may be an acceptable substitute.
Payment structure more, more, I'm still not satisfied
Depending on possible revenues for Epinions, more featured essays such as the one on choosing a digital camera seem like a good idea. I don't know if Epinions is making money on that essay, but, if they are, they should probably consider other topics.
The suggestion (remind me who made this please) that members be allowed to donate their earnings to charity, even if below the $10/$100 minimum would make members feel they're doing some good, even if they never reach the minimum for distribution.
UPDATE: rich2003dm in http://www.epinions.com/content_3380519044 and ed_grover, most recently in http://www.epinions.com/content_3494289540, have commented on this. You can stop reminding me, now. The petition is at http://www.petitiononline.com/epinions/petition.html .
Finally, in the past two years
Stability: for the most part, reviews don't "blink" unless the member is doing something with it.
Abuse: I'm seeing less. I'm not entirely sure whether that's because I'm not as observant, or because the management is going after it, but, I'm seeing less.
Category Leads: Well, most of the Leads I've dealt with have been conscientious and helpful. However, there are a few who belong in the Abuse camp. I've named names to Epinions, and I don't see the need to here.
Product Additions: Believe it or not, this seems to be an improvement under the CL system over the neglect that immediately preceded it. Product placement still needs some more work, but, at least in the categories where I've requested additions, they've happened quickly. (These categories, BTW, are Personal Finance and Online Stores.)
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Epinions.com ID:
Arthur.Rubin
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 in Personal Finance |
 in Personal Finance |
 - Top 500 |
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Member: Arthur Rubin
Location: Brea, CA, USA
Reviews written: 97
Trusted by: 109 members
About Me:
Expert in mathematics, computers, income tax, with a wide variety of interests.
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