|
|
Epinions Ratings Guidelines
Rating on Epinions is powerful: community ratings
lift certain reviews to the top of Epinions and sink other reviews to the bottom.
Thus, there is a certain amount of responsibility associated with rating reviews
on Epinions.
Based on feedback received from community members who rate, the following guidelines have been created to offer raters guidance on how to rate. The guidelines below equally offer reviewers insight into how to improve their reviews and increase their chances of receiving the highest rating possible.
The Golden Guideline on How to Rate:
Product Reviews:
A product review should be rated based on its HELPFULNESS to shoppers who depend on Epinions to make an informed buying decision about a product or service.
Topic Reviews:
A topic review should be rated based on its HELPFULNESS to readers who depend on Epinions to make an informed decision about an issue he/she is interested in.
Elements of reviews that help shoppers make informed buying decisions:
- Focus on the Buying Decision. Shoppers are going to read the review you are about to rate. After reading it, do you feel more informed to make a buying decision? Would you send this particular review to a friend who came to you to make a buying decision?
- Makes a Recommendation. Can the review help someone determine if the product is suited for him/her? The review does NOT need to be positively recommending the product. It needs to help someone form an opinion for his/her needs.
- Relevance to Stated Product/Topic. Reviews not about the stated product or topic are not helpful. Does the review specifically help inform a shopper about the product/topic he/she is interested in? If not - it's not helpful.
- Easy to Read and Understand. Does the review contain clear thoughts? Does it contain insightful Pros, Cons and a Bottom Line? Is it well presented and structured for easy reading? All of these help shoppers make decisions faster.
- Details. Detail sells itself. Does the review explain how the reviewer used the product? Does it mention specific features to be aware of? Does it offer perspective into why the reviewer bought the product versus a competing product? All of these help shoppers get a clearer picture of what they need to know before buying.
Other Factors to Consider Before Giving a Rating:
- Objectivity. Rate according to a review's value to others, not whether you agree with the author's opinion. Giving a review a Not Helpful rating because you disagree with the author's opinion may prevent others from seeing a review they deem valuable.
If you find a review which the author has posted to another price comparison website, please inform us [<-- link to Abuse report page] instead of rating negatively. This is not a violation of the User Agreement although it may disqualify the author from selection as a Top Reviewer, Advisor, or Category Lead. Cases of outright copyright infringement should also be reported.
- Fairness. Rate according to each review's value, not your perception of the reviewer. Reviewers can improve the quality of their reviews over time - give them a chance to. Giving a review a certain rating because the author gave you a rating you do not agree with does NOTHING to help you or Epinions. Equally, rating swapping does nothing to help the site at large.
- Reader Sensitivity. Rate based on whether a reader or shopper will be able to quickly and easily find valuable information in a review. Length is not the only indicator of review value. There is such a thing as a review that is too long, and such reviews may require more time and effort from readers and shoppers to reach a decision.
- Trust Your Instincts. Rate according to the rating you believe a review deserves, not according to how others have rated it, nor according to what others tell you it deserves.
Rating Reviews:
- Not Helpful: No detail, opinion, or personal experiences provided. Overwhelmed by writing errors, inaccuracies or bad presentation. Offensive. Spam. Copied from another source. Breaks the site rules.
- Somewhat Helpful: On-topic. Does not violate the site rules. Offers shoppers some detail or opinion. May have minor writing or presentation problems.
- Helpful: Accurate and well-presented with helpful details about the subject of the review and an overall recommendation for shoppers.
- Very Helpful: Exceptionally accurate and well-presented. Offers in-depth experiences and details about the subject. Thorough and well-organized. Expresses a clear recommendation for shoppers.
- Most Helpful: The review stands out from other reviews of the same product as the best. Only Advisors and Category Leads can apply this rating, and it should only be used when more than one review is available for a specific subject.
- Off Topic: The review is posted under the wrong subject.
Rating Express Reviews (and Merchant Surveys):
Express Reviews are short, concise reviews that sum up a reviewer's experience. A single express review would not be enough
to make a buying decision. Express reviews are useful to consumers in aggregate. They are used by consumers to backup what they have
learned from the reviews. Therefore, a simple express review, such as, "I have used this blender for 2 years and it hasn't given me any trouble. I would highly recommend it." should be shown to consumers.
On its own it may not be enough to be helpful, but if a detailed review was backed up by 100 people making similar simple comments, it is useful.
- Don't Show. Rate an express review Don't Show if it is off-topic, contains profanity or otherwise violates the site rules.
- Show. Rate an express review Show if it is on-topic and does not violate the site rules.
If you find a review which the author has posted to another price comparison website, please inform us instead of rating negatively. This is not a violation of the User Agreement although it may disqualify the author from selection as a Top Reviewer, Advisor, or Category Lead. Cases of outright copyright infringement should also be reported.
|
