Extending the Olive Branch: The Web Of Trust
Aug 24 '06 (Updated Sep 20 '06)
The Bottom Line Both The Web Of Trust & Block List are Excellent tools at our disposal.
First off Kudos & Thanks are in order for those whom have chosen to trust me. I will always work diligently to become a trusted member of the epinions society. For those of you whom are new to the community we will discuss what the Web Of Trust is and its effects on the community and the reviews shown to non-members.
Web of Trust
Your Web of Trust is a network of reviewers whose reviews and ratings you have consistently found to be valuable. As defined by epinions website Web of Trust FAQ’s
What this basically means is those members that are highly trusted by the society have a consistent record of writing Very Helpful reviews, provide Fair Ratings on reviews read, and provide Constructive Criticism and Helpful Comments/Advice to others.
Whom Do I Trust
Trusting members can be a difficult decision, epinions gives a good starting list of what you should look for when trusting a member.
-Read all or most of their reviews.
-Check out their profile pages.
-Evaluate their Webs of Trust.
In Addition to those What I look for
-Reviews on average are Very Helpful, not just the rating but the content.
-Are they actively rating reviews, and if so how do they rate? Are they a Rubber Stamper, are we on the same wave length? Do they rate accordingly?
-Do they leave constructive criticism and comments to new members?
-Have they left me comments and constructive criticism to help better my reviews?
-What do they bring to the community? Are they an Expert in a field or area of Epinions? I.E. computers, movies, music, home & garden, etc…
-Have they read & rated a majority of my reviews?
-Whom do they Trust, and Do they Trust me?
-Added me to New Review Alerts
All the criteria makes it difficult for me to trust a person that is not helping the community, I know it may be harsh, but its just the way it should be.
Trust in me, As I have Trusted in you
All of us have situations where a member may trust you, but you do not yet trust them. This is not cause for alarm, as I will constantly evaluate the performance of the members whom trust me, and in time may add them to my Web Of Trust. Some of these situations include a member who has written no reviews, but trusts me. Obviously I cannot trust them because I don’t know what they are all about yet. I consider it a great honor for those whom trust me as new comers to the site, and in some cases if they have written 8 or 10 reviews I trust them to, as encouragement but I keep a watchful eye on them as I have been burned before. Also I find it hard to trust someone back whom trusts me, but has yet to rate, read, or leave a comment on a single one of my reviews. Members that trust me benefit as I will add you to my New Review Alerts and will do my very best at keeping up on reading, rating, and watching for your new reviews. Also expect comments, feedback, and thoughts on your reviews.
Mistakes
You bet I have made serious errors on the site, in terms of writing reviews, and I thank those who have pointed them out and making me aware of them. No one is perfect and this is definitely a learning experience for myself & others.
Block List
Honestly the Block List is an excellent tool, but I fear some may use it as a tool for revenge when a person rates their review lower than they expected. Members that make my Block List consistently write Not Helpful, Off Topic, to Somewhat Helpful reviews, They might rant on using obscene language, or offer no real review at all. These people need to be blocked as to keep our community healthy and full of Helpful & Very Helpful Reviews. This does not mean if you write a few Somewhat Helpful reviews you have made my block list, but rather several reviews that offer no real advice or incorrectly review a product. Do not waste my time or yours for that matter, if your reviews are less than Helpful You might as well update, revise them, or delete them because the community does not post these reviews to the public.
Trust Worthy?
I would like to think I am trustworthy, have I made mistakes, sure but I definitely strive to correct them and better myself. I would say on average I leave comments 80% of the time on new comers to the site. I try to offer advice if the review is Somewhat Helpful or praise if the review is Very Helpful, I feel it is they only way to help our community grow properly. I also strive to write Very Helpful Reviews on Products/Services I have experience with as to help provide relevant factual information to the consumer.
Slightly Irritated
A few things I have noticed in particular that make me a bit irritated, almost an open area for discussion on what we should do about it as a community.
-5 Advisors Leave a Somewhat Helpful rating to a new comer and None of them offer a comment on advise. I figured the name Advisor would mean Advise the person on what to do to improve on his/her reviews. I am not saying this happens all the time, I feel that all new comers should be given some advise and the benefit of the doubt that they will become a regular participant to this great site.
-Leaving myself or another review a low rating without leaving a comment after 61 People including Leads & Advisors give the review a Very Helpful Rating.
Its all about Trust Baby
Overall the Web of Trust & Block List is a serious part of how our little community works together, by trusting members whom write an overall Very Helpful slue of reviews, and blocking out reviews that are Not Helpful we insure that our site is showing off the “Crème of the Crop” to the consumers.
Best of Luck to everyone Thanks for Reading
Related Information on Titles
Choosing a Title For Your Review
What is a Rubber Stamper?
Rubber Stampers
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