Ratings: The Power is in YOUR Hands!
Mar 13 '00
I was told that as a fledgling “Expert” (and thank you to all who wrote and said they nominated me!) that I should post my explanation of how I rate reviews. This is a little un-nerving – its like a “bare all” of my secret, patented process. <GRIN> All joking aside, though, I take ratings very seriously. I know the joy of having a HR and the heartache of seeing a SR on work that I labored over for hours. Even a “Recommended” rating can be heartbreaking when you have put your heart and soul into a review, especially if it comes from an “expert” and/or with no explanation.
Ratings are a tricky business. Each of us has to use our own discretion and follow both our minds and our hearts when rating. This is a summary of how I rate the reviews I read. If you are reading this, you may have had some question about a rating I gave you. If you feel it was unfair, or too low, please feel free to email me. I TRY to leave a comment whenever I give an SR or an NR; however, if I have failed to do so, I apologize. I am also happy to re-evaluate any review you feel I rated unfairly if you email me, including the URL of the review.
I rate opinions based upon the writer’s ability to clearly support their perspective. Even if I totally disagree with their opinion, I will give a Highly Recommended if they are able to clearly explain why they rated the product or service the way they did. I believe in treating members with respect. I do not believe in retaliatory ratings -- Epinions needs us to act ethically and professionally each and every time. This is where the Web of Distrust comes in. If you believe that someone is attacking you in a retaliatory manner, you should report this to abuse@epinions-inc.com.
Here is my basic rating system:
Highly recommended
The writer clearly and coherently communicated their opinion, and supported it with factual information. Their opinion was written well, without distractions of grammatical and spelling errors. It kept my interest, stayed on-topic, and was easy to read. I enjoyed reading it, and whether I agreed with the opinion or not, I believed that the individual had made a well-informed, fact-based decision. The writer may have included personal, humorous or reference material to help support their opinion. I would definitely recommend this to a close friend trying to make an informed decision.
Recommended
The writer clearly supported their opinion, but one or more of the elements above was lacking. The writer's recommendation was still supported; however, I felt like I would need to do additional research on my own on this topic or product. I would probably recommend this to a close friend trying to make an informed decision.
Somewhat Recommended
The writer tried to support their opinion; however, there was not sufficient information for me to make a conclusion. This might include grammatical or spelling errors (to the point of distraction), insufficient factual information provided, or a divergence from the primary topic that distracted me from coherently reading the opinion. I might recommend this to a close friend trying to make an informed decision.
Not Recommended
The writer did not in any way convince me of their knowledge on this product. There was a general lack of factual information, or the writer did not write about the topic at hand (without defining this). This would also include reviews with racist, offensive or plagiarized content. I would not recommend this to a close friend trying to make an informed decision.
With the new Eroyalties bonus program coming soon, our ratings are more important than ever. Please take the extra time to rate the reviews you read. If you have rated a review as SR or R, please add a comment. I have learned so much from the comments I have gotten, both positive and negative. If you are a “most-trusted” or an “Expert” member, remember that your rating may weigh more heavily on those you rate. This does not mean that you should be any less honest in your ratings; however, I now think twice before clicking the mouse over a SR or NR. I also am careful not to click HR just because of length or the reputation of the reviewer.
Don’t be afraid to click on Recommended, if you feel that rating is truly deserved. (This is NOT, NOT, NOT a hint to do this to me… please be kind!!!) If you seem to find your mouse button hovering over the HR button on all of my reviews, I promise to forgive you. Really. <GRIN>
Seriously though --when in doubt over a review, I ask myself this question: would I tell a good friend to read this before s/he made a decision on that product/service/issue? I would hope that my friends would recommend strongly supported, personal opinions that were well-thought out, and tell me of opinions both in support of and opposed to their own viewpoints. I try to do the same, and hope you will too.
Epinions is truly the “power of the people”. Each of us has power in our hands. You use it every time you rate another review, and you give it away each time you choose NOT to rate a review. Use your power wisely, and it will come back to you.
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Other suggested reading on this topic:
http://www.epinions.com/cmd-review-3FB7-464F41F-38619E07-prod1 (Expert Counsel’s review on his process)
http://www.epinions.com/faqs.html#rating (the Official Epinions ratings explanation)
http://www.epinions.com/cmd-review-128F-E9CA76-3887A480-prod1 (A fabulous explanation by Most Popular Reviewer Charles of his process)
There are many, many more great reviews on the topic. I believe that Netkat, SGentile, and many others have written insightful reviews that helped me when I was just starting out. These are just a few that I particularly enjoyed and found helpful. Okay, now go click on that HR button <GRIN> and get out there and start rating!
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Epinions.com ID:
WorkingMomof2
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Amy
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 313
Trusted by: 539 members
About Me:
Every time I close the door on reality it comes in through the windows.
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