DO: Enjoy making money for voicing your opinion DONT: Be like Almighty
Oct 11 '00
Well I have been an epinions member for three months, and since then I have checked epinions.com just about everyday to read and rate new opinions, as well as to check and see how my own epinions were doing. In that three months I have seen many many different examples of abuse, all of which were relatively easy to spot : multiple accounts, obvious copying of reviews from popular place on the net, and all sorts of other violations. But behind the scenes someone was running a huge plan, something that is NOT an easy-to-spot type of abuse, but I was all over it like white on rice. I'm at the point today, after reading another review by the suspect (who, in case you can't tell by my title or my other review on this subject,is the user Almighty). Let's not even start accusing yet, let me just try and tell you what I have witnessed up to today.
So I checked Almighty's user profile today as I was going down the list of my reviewers who I usualy check on once in a while. Ever since Almighty wrote about "Epinions' 10 Hottest Women" (which I had a lot to say about - and eventually turned my comments into a review), I have been checking for any other violations - not because I want to catch him doing something wrong, just to keep some record for myself.
"WOW! $2,000?? I can be like Almighty?" the average epinions user says to themselves after seeing Almighty's size 835 font on his profile page where it says "How to make $2,000 on Epinions (like me)!". So they click in to read it, just like you have probably done, and just like I have done. Just like everyone does to whatever Almighty is trying to promote at the current time. However, it is the same review as his previous "How to Make $1,000 on Epinions" review. Almighty doesn't care though - the one thing he knows is that all the 34 million Almighty disciples who have alerted themselves to his new epinions are going to be all over this faster than a pack of dogs on a three legged cat.
I frequently compare Almighty to Microsoft. Let's do a little comparision, shall we? Almighty began writing semi-decent epinions which were informative and useful to non-members who clicked in looking for some advice on products. Just as Almighty and Microsoft get bigger, they then slack off on their writing because they know people are going to read their reviews (or in Microsoft's case buy their software - I mean is there any other choice? haha. NO. ). They can both now lower the quality of what they are producing since they have built up such a strong customer base, right? WRONG. People are going to start realizing, and just how people are starting to switch from Microsoft to other brands, people are going to start to gradually drift away from Almighty. You can't buy out all the little guys, Almighty - not even with the money you make from all those millions of advertisements on your profile page.
Almighty - if you are reading this - listen. Get your priorities in order. As I stated in my comments to you, priority number one of great epinionators is ALWAYS to inform the reader. I've only been here three months, and I know that. It seems that your number one goal, as shown by your partner site is : capitalism. You want money money and nothing but money. This isn't about capitalism - I can't tell you enough times it's about informing the reader.
Hey, here's a safe bet...
What Almighty's going to say in response: Hey! Thanks for the great plug, I have noticed a large increase in my hits since you wrote your epinion about me!
My response: Who cares? Hopefully people WILL read your reviews and realize how much they are getting ripped off. Do the 37 hits that you're going to get from me make a difference now that you're at 62 zillion hits already? You can keep the 0.37 cents that I make you from writing this and buy yourself some decency.
Write to write, not to make money - then I (as well as many of my peers) will welcome you back onto our trust lists. (and I know it doesn't matter since you have 600 + trusts, right? I wouldn't be surprised if that number decreased after people read your reviews, since they all just trusted you cause your a most trusted member.)
Get over yourself.
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Epinions.com ID:
rootwarrior
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Member: Chris Irons
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 66
Trusted by: 48 members
About Me:
Read my reviews or PERISH IN FLAMES.
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