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| nc10 |
Posted: May 23 '05, 4:12 pm (Updated: May 23 '05, 4:12 pm) |
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Reviews written: 256 Member since: Dec 01 '00
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Quote: Jellyn Does a longer review make a better review?
If the author is providing more relevant info and the info is well organized, so that you can find what you want to know easiliy.
Quote: Jellyn Do I care about BTUs and dimensions and pixels and wattage? Maybe, but I can usually find that elsewhere on my own, hopefully even on the product page.
I usually do, often its helpful to learn what the specs mean and how they are used in the reviewer's application/situation.
Quote: Jellyn Do I care that you bought this fluffy towel for your Aunt Milly who lives in Oakland with her two children and then nine months later the cat hacked up on it? Perhaps it makes for interesting reading, but is not very relevant to my purchase decision.
I find that the description of the buying process often makes the review more credible, at least on technology items. Also helps put the review in some context that I can use to help predict how well I might agree with the buyer's opinions. |
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| B_Campbell |
Posted: May 23 '05, 8:03 pm |
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Reviews written: 204 Member since: Mar 28 '00
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Honestly, if a review is longer than say 1500 words, I usually don't read to the end. And if I don't read to the end I don't rate. Some longer reviews do keep my attention, and that's the mark of a good writer. But, for example, there is a member in Games who always writes very long reviews... 4000+ words. I don't want to read that much about a game before I buy it. It's just too much.
I actually think at a certain point more words become less helpful. There's a tendency to uprate reviews that are longer, and I think people realize this and the tendtency is to write longer reviews because that's whatthe people getting VH's are doing. But sometimes there's just not 2000 words to use in a review of a potato ricer.
I try to keep my game reviews under 1200 words. I also do reviews for a gaming website and the requirement there is 1000-1500 words, so that helps to keep me in line. I find that aiming for 1000 words gives me enough room for six or seven good paragraphs, which is plenty if each one focuses on something different, and then a little bit of fudge room for an intro and conclusion. I don't want to read more, so I assume my readers don't want to read more. |
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| PattyTherre |
Posted: May 23 '05, 8:32 pm |
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Reviews written: 1454 Member since: Oct 09 '00
 in Online Stores & Services, Outdoor Gear, Sporting Goods |
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RE: Word Counts
Quote: germank106 Patty,
has anyone noticed that you have a new picture? Much better than the dumbbell one. At least I'm not scared that you'll hit me over the head anytime soon ;-)
****Audrey
LOL, yes it was time for a change. I didn't realize the new pic would show up so tiny. It isn't a tiny picture. I will probably change it again soon. I was getting sick to death of that cheesy dumbbell pic and the pink was making me a little queasy.
As far as word counts, I am going to start actually checking my word counts and maybe going for shorter reviews. Sometimes you just don't need to know every tiny thing about a product. I know in Gifts where I never get any IS no matter how many hits I get, I should probably cut down the time I take to write a review but it isn't my style. I give my all to a pen just as I would to a destination or a car.
I think a review, broken into subheadings so people can scan to what they may be most interested in and with a conclusion that sums up the review, is the best. I enjoy reading longer reviews but if I am in a hurry, I will scan through the subheadings and conclusion and get the general idea.
Patty
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| tch7 |
Posted: May 23 '05, 8:33 pm |
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Reviews written: 112 Member since: Jan 19 '03
in Hotels & Travel |
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Quote: Jellyn Do I care about BTUs and dimensions and pixels and wattage? Maybe, but I can usually find that elsewhere on my own, hopefully even on the product page.
I find specs helpful, but only if they are explained and used to reinforce the opinion. Most of the time people just paste in specs without having them tied into what they are actually saying.
As for review length in general, it depends on the subject. I don't want to be reading a novella to figure out if I'd like a particular novel. However, with a purchase like a car, the more they say, the better, as that's a major investment where a great deal of thought needs to be put in. |
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| Jellyn |
Posted: May 23 '05, 8:46 pm |
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Reviews written: 210 Member since: Dec 01 '99
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
I agree that the bigger the purchase, the longer the review should be. I will certainly read much more about a potential high ticket item than I will about a book, movie, or cleaning product. |
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| drdevience |
Posted: May 23 '05, 10:13 pm |
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Reviews written: 647 Member since: Jun 09 '02
in Movies, Video Games |
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Quote: netnut746
Or maybe I'll just stick to music.
Don't make me come over there!
Leave Games.
As if.
Why the noive of it all....
MumblingDoc |
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| B_Campbell |
Posted: May 24 '05, 5:15 am |
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Reviews written: 204 Member since: Mar 28 '00
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Quote: netnut746 If it's me you speak of (but I'm 99% positive you aren't)...yeah, I'm working on it.
It's not, but go ahead and work on it anyway! It's [expletive] hard, trust me... for a while I was edging toward 2000-2500 words in my game reviews, and it's only fairly recently that I've been limiting myself. This discussion has been had in the games forum though.
You probably know who I'm talking about. He/she is really proud of writing long reviews, and honestly, more power to him/her. I don't want to start anything, and I'm certainly not saying he/she is a bad writer or a bad reviewer. It's just not something I can personally sit through, and I have a different writing philosophy. Like I said, having "real" review assignments has really changed my outlook. There's no way a website or magazine would include a 4500 word game review, even on a big release. That's about nine pages in a magazine, so we're talking New Yorker articles here.
Butyeah, I wish there was a tangible way to reward those who write good, short reviews. Whenever I see one I always comment with praise, because I know it's not easy to write one "short n sweet", but we're just not going to get rid of VH's on long, long reviews.
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| sleeper54 |
Posted: May 24 '05, 8:10 am |
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Reviews written: 497 Member since: Feb 24 '01
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Quote: B_Campbell --snip--
"Butyeah, I wish there was a tangible way to reward those who write good, short reviews. Whenever I see one I always comment with praise, because I know it's not easy to write one 'short n sweet',..."
'Short n sweet'...?? What the h3ll is that..?!? There has to be a better descriptor out there than that one..!!
Quote: B_Campbell continued
". . .but we're just not going to get rid of VH's on long, long reviews.
With an attitude that it can not be done, no the site won't get rid of them. But that doesn't mean it can't be done.
As expressed in the last chat, by corporate Epinions, the individual categories define the . . .'culture' of their category. That can be driven from the top by the hatted group. Or it can be driven from the bottom by the rates of ordinary users.
...tom...
' who also believes in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, jacko's innocence, . . . '
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| B_Campbell |
Posted: May 24 '05, 2:45 pm |
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Reviews written: 204 Member since: Mar 28 '00
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Quote: sleeper54 'Short n sweet'...?? What the h3ll is that..?!? There has to be a better descriptor out there than that one..!!
I dunno, how tall is Carmen Electra? That would make a good descriptor.
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| sleeper54 |
Posted: May 24 '05, 5:20 pm |
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Reviews written: 497 Member since: Feb 24 '01
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Quote: B_Campbell I dunno, how tall is Carmen Electra? That would make a good descriptor.
...??
My thought was a cryptic reference to . . .well, I will not say for the same reason I did not say the first time . . ..
...tom...
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| tbthorn |
Posted: May 24 '05, 6:15 pm |
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Reviews written: 196 Member since: Dec 31 '01
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Quote: sleeper54 ...??
My thought was a cryptic reference to . . .well, I will not say for the same reason I did not say the first time . . ..
...tom...
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oh yeah, you're shooting for brief & burly, right?
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| sleeper54 |
Posted: May 24 '05, 7:45 pm |
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Reviews written: 497 Member since: Feb 24 '01
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
..
Go ahead . . .push all my buttons..!!
...:leannmeansmiliemoment:...
...tom...
Quote: tbthorn oh yeah, you're shooting for brief & burly, right?
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| pearannoyed |
Posted: May 24 '05, 9:21 pm |
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Reviews written: 197 Member since: Oct 03 '03
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
diminutive & dramatic?
no...
petite & powerful?
no...
tiny & trustworthy?
no...
Gosh Tom. I just can't think of what you might be referring to.
And hey... don't be mean to people just 'cuz you think you're so smart. I might have to send Doc over there to lean on you a little if you did that.
Amy |
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| dizzybint |
Posted: May 24 '05, 10:57 pm |
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Reviews written: 66 Member since: Feb 13 '04
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
LMAO
How about Cute & Curt? |
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| sleeper54 |
Posted: May 25 '05, 8:48 am |
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Reviews written: 497 Member since: Feb 24 '01
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Quote: dizzybint LMAO
How about Cute & Curt?
...:smiliemoment:...
I thought 'cute Curt' was at the DC meet-n-greet this weekend..??
Any truth to the rumor that they plan to change the name of these events to 'meat-n-greets' . . .??
...tom...
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| dizzybint |
Posted: May 25 '05, 11:50 am |
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Reviews written: 66 Member since: Feb 13 '04
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RE: Long Reviews Too Long?
Quote: sleeper54 I thought 'cute Curt' was at the DC meet-n-greet this weekend..??
I highly doubt it, since any cute specimen would not have escaped our vigilant surveillance.
Quote: sleeper54 Any truth to the rumor that they plan to change the name of these events to 'meat-n-greets' . . .??
Oh boy.... Doc would whack me for sure if I responded to that. Plus, I would sully my already tarnished rep.
Caroline |
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