2,000 Years, 2,000 Reviews (Write- Off Announcement) Aug 01 '06 (Updated Oct 25 '06)    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet The Bottom Line I am closing in on 2,000 reviews. It's time I finally hosted a write- off, don't you think? December 21, 1999, was an important day. It wasn't my wedding anniversary date. It wasn't my birthday or the birthday of a family member. It wasn't the day that I got a job promotion or anything like that. No, this day is memorable for another reason. It was on this date that I learned about a new web site called Epinions.com after receiving an invitation from the Harris Poll- a consumer opinion organization I have belonged to for more than ten years. I almost deleted the invitation but one thing about this new site was unique: It claimed to pay members for writing reviews. I clicked on the link and joined to see what this new site was really like. I assumed that the 'payment for reviews' claim was a farce or that it included some type of catch. But I was too curious to let the opportunity pass me by. Well, here I am more than six and one- half years later and I am still writing reviews for a service that I almost didn't join. Think of how fateful that moment was. A few more seconds to think about it, a different mood, or any number of other reasons could have convinced me to delete the invitation from Harris Poll. But something told me that I had to check this site out and discover more about it. I joined, and the rest is history. In all my years with Epinions, I have written many reviews on many different things. I have taken part in one official Meet and Greet and I have organized five mini Meet and Greet events of my own. I have held Top Reviewer and Advisor statuses and developed friendships with many members. I have also taken part in many different write- offs. But one thing I have not done is host my own write- off. I have created my own solo write- offs where I wrote multiple reviews on different products/services in a specific category but I have never taken the lead in sponsoring my own, full- fledged, wide- open, all are welcome write- off event. Today, I am announcing my first ever write- off in celebration of my 2,000th Epinion. Since I am closing in on 2,000 reviews and the 1999/2000 New Year’s Eve celebration took place only ten days after I joined Epinions, I felt it was appropriate to use this as my theme. The name of this event is the New Millennium Write- Off: 2000 Years, 2000 Reviews, a write- off about products, services, and other things related to the year 2000. What is This Write-Off All About?: The New Millennium Write- Off is dedicated to all things related to the year 2000 and the end of the previous millennium. It focuses on things that remind us of the year 2000 or that relate in some way to this important beginning of a new era. What Can I Submit?: You might be asking yourself "What review will I compose for a write off like this one?" Well, there are really dozens of possibilities. Think back to the last few days of 1999 and the news stories that were common at the time. Remember all of the worry about Y2K and how it could spell disaster and devastation all over the globe? From computers to electronic equipment to medical machinery, everything that had a computerized, internal date system of any kind was on the list of suspect items. Any one of these things, we were told, could possibly malfunction when the clock hit 12:00am, January 1, 2000. Some doomsday types even said that the world chaos would result. With all the computer systems in the world permanently shut down we would not be able to conduct financial transactions, use the internet, get electricity service or water in our homes or places of business. We wouldn't even be able to drive our cars. There would be worldwide panic, and people would be fighting in the streets demanding quick solutions to problem that may not have an easy fix. Those who worried about the Y2K mess generally stayed at home as the 1900's drew to a close. The rest of us attended parties and other celebrations in different parts of the country and in our own hometowns. Thinking of all these things that took place back then, here is a list of suggestions on possible reviews: Computer Products- This is the obvious item to review. Personal computers, software, or anything related to them is fair game since any one of these items was a suspect for failure at the beginning of the new millennium. Electronic Equipment- Appliances of all sorts were placed on the potential disaster list by the doomsday predictors back at the end of 1999 because, since most of them have small computers internally, they were predicted to fail. Consumer Goods/Disaster relief Items- Were you one of the people who got out your flashlight on December 31, 1999, just to be safe? Did you stock up on bottled water? Did you purchase candles? Any one of these and other items like this would make a good choice for a review (don't worry- we won't make fun of you). Travel- Where did you go to ring in the New Year? Did you make a trip to another city? Did you spend the night at a hotel? This would be your chance to relive that special moment. Restaurant/Gourmet- Perhaps you spent New Year's Eve, 1999, at a restaurant that you have always wanted to review. Or maybe you splurged on some expensive champagne or other drink. You could compose a review on your eating/dining experience. Books- This may not seem like an obvious choice, but there are many books that are related to the year 2000 in some way. There were authors who wrote books about the coming computer crisis caused by the new millennium. You could even write about books relating to other topics about the year 2000, like the infamous Bush/Gore presidential election. These are just a few suggestions for your entry. Reviews do not have to be directly related to the worries about Y2K. They can be about anything that comes to mind when you think of the year 2000 and the dawn of the New Millennium. Is There a Deadline for Submission?: Entries to this write- off should be submitted before the end of the summer. No, I'm not referring to August 31, 2006 (although most entries will likely be posted by then)but rather to the actual end of summer, in late September. I plan to post my review as soon as I reach #2,000. I should reach that number sometime in mid August. How do I Post my Entry?: As soon as your entry is complete and ready to share, simply come back to this review and post a link in my comment section. You can also send me an e-mail, if you like, to make the process and my response as fast as possible. Links to each review will then be posted at the bottom of this invitation AND on my profile page. Oh, and try to include a link to this write- off at the beginning or end of your review. Final Thoughts: Reaching the 2,000 review plateau is a feat I never would have imagined back in December 1999 when I joined Epinions. I signed up thinking the same things that others thought at the time: That the concept of writing reviews for money sounded like a great idea but that the site may not survive in the long run. I joined and contributed to Epinions regardless and I never let the possibility of bankruptcy and the shutting down of the site influence my decision to write reviews in any way. After all of these years with Epinions, I decided it was high time that I hosted a write- off. In the past, I commemorated my milestones with general comments about Epinions and why I and others continue to contribute on a regular basis. This time, I decided that I should mark the occasion by hosting my first ever write- off. I cannot explain why it took me so long to do something like this. Like I said, I have done just about everything imaginable in the site except host a write- off. I really have no excuse for not doing something like this in the past. Maybe I was just waiting for the right moment? As I said before, don’t get the wrong idea about the subject for this write- off. It doesn’t have to be something related to the worries about Y2K (although this is often the first thing that comes to mind for most of us when we think about the year 2000). It can be anything at all that relates to the year 2000. You can be as creative or as practical as you like. The sky is the limit when it comes to a write off like this one. All that matters is that the product or service you review has some relationship to the year 2000. It could even relate to the number 2,000 (there, that should add a few more possibilities). If the relationship to 2,000 isn’t obvious, just explain it in your review. There are several weeks to contribute to this write- off, but remember that I will not be posting my own entry until I reach review number 2,000. Right now, I am at 1,984. This means I am sixteen reviews away from the magic number. I plan to post my New Millennium Write- Off entry when I reach precisely 2,000 reviews. As far as I know, my 2,000th entry will make me only the second person in Epinions history to reach this milestone (we could use another statistical update from Epinions historian and educator Mobiprof to make sure I am correct). I have been contributing steadily to Epinions since I joined the site back in December of 1999. Because it was so close to the end of the millennium (and because Epinions is an internet based business- one of the key areas predicted to fail on January 1, 2000), I tend to associate Epinions with the beginning of the new millennium. Joining the site was a new beginning for me, too, since it opened up a new avenue for reviewing products and services that I hadn’t seen before and it gave me a new opportunity to meet an entirely new set of friends from diverse backgrounds, all with strong opinions and a strong desire to express them in an on- line format. I hope everyone who reads this makes a contribution. Think about something to write about and post your entry in the comment section and/or send me an e-mail link. Let’s make the New Millennium Write- Off a success and another positive addition to my long list of Epinions experiences. Get ready, and start writing!! Here are the Entries: Times Square - A Travel Review by Bryan_Carey Point Udall - A Travel Review by Popsrocks Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss - A Book Review by LRGuis Everclear Vodka - A Restaurant/Gourmet Review by 42English Jimbo's Steak & Fin - A Restaurant/Gourmet Review by Jo.com Korbel Brut Champagne - A Restaurant/Gourmet Review by bhweb22 Ode to Nancy - A Member's Corner Health Non- Fiction Essay by remnjava Joshua - A Book Review by Hawgwyld Four Points by Sheraton Burlington - A Hotels & Travel Review by ace3502 The Red Hat Society: Fun and Friendship After Fifty - A Book Review by frazzledspice Harris Bank - A Personal Finance Review by Saxguy Book of Life - A Movie Review by Jankp Champagne Pommery - A Travel Review by ifif1938 Suzhou River - A Movie review by Stephen Murray Belkin F8E426 MiniVAK - A Home & Garden Review by DeRango Outbound by Bela Fleck & The Flecktones - A Music Review by fuche_bu Bridge of San Luis Rey- A Movie Review by Skbreese Oops!...I Did it Again - A Music Review by Jbrd World of Warcraft for Windows, Mac - A Computer Game Review by Openroad Godzilla 2000 - A Movie Review by WulfsDen Center Stage - A Movie Review by Knotheadusc Dell Inspiron B130 PC Notebook - A Computer Hardware Review by Melissasrn Tennessee - A Travel Review by ddustyrose Never Send the Granny Brigade Out Without Proper Training - A General Non- Fiction Review by Ladysmom Epinions, the New Millenium, and the Way Things Are - A General Non- Fiction Review by rkingfish Simple Commandments for Surviving Armenia - A Travel Non- Fiction Review by beefchop Baroque - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; Pachelbel: Canon in D - A Music review by vemartin American Beauty - A Movie Review by pmills1210 My Name is Earl- Season 1 - A DVD Review by eplovejoy Dave Matthews Band Concert Reviews - A Music Review by Kcfoxy Austin Restaurants - A Hotels and Travel Review by lansky2000 Apple Ipod MP3 Player- An Electronics Review by HJS33 LG VX8300 Cell Phone - An Electronics Review by Dlstewart

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