Major Change to the Advisor System

**amykhar** · #1 08-07-2001, 10:19 PM

Check out the front page for more details.

http://www.epinionaddicts.com

Amy

**amykhar** · #2 08-07-2001, 10:22 PM

Many of our more eclectic members complained that despite their contributions to the site, they were never able to receive a Funny Hat. I hope that these modifications to the advisor system will change all that.

It is possible to earn BOTH titles. It should be interesting to see how things fall into place.

Amy

susanwhipple · #3 08-07-2001, 10:28 PM

Rating? I can do that.

**amykhar** · #4 08-07-2001, 10:32 PM

It looks like the Editors are category specific too - so it might help to concentrate ratings in a category that you know well.

I have a feeling we are really going to need to have our questions ready for the chat on Thursday

Amy

Sordid-1 · #5 08-07-2001, 10:42 PM

Sounds like everything is going to be sorted via the buddy system now.

If they think there is dissent, flame wars, and a constant stream of petty disputes now, wait until they expect the majority to trust the objectivity of the few. Oh yeah, this is gonna be one hell of a spectator sport.

susanwhipple · #6 08-07-2001, 10:47 PM

You know, there are many members I think would be perfect for the "editor" posts. Personally, I think it might backfire on some people. Oh well, wait and see.

**amykhar** · #7 08-07-2001, 10:49 PM

I get the feeling that this will open up the field to MORE people and not restrict it. In addition, some people write well but can't rate for beans and some darn good raters don't stick to a topic long enough to meet the minimum requirements.

I'm willing to give it a try anyway. We can always scream bloody murder IF the system sucks.

I guess the old saying applies "Don't knock it until you've tried it"

Amy

#8 08-07-2001, 10:52 PM

So (okay I didn't get this email - should I cry now???!!),

I wonder if the next step is to sort out WOT like this. One for rating, one for who you want to read.

Although who you want to read is suppose to happen via alerts, I don't think it is something we can see online - as in see who every one else has on their reading list.

rich2003dm · #9 08-07-2001, 10:55 PM

"Top" Reviewers.

I can do that. I own a lot of tops.

I got some pretty color ones, some of the old-fashioned wooden ones with string...I got all kinds of tops. I play with them all the time.

I can write reviews on all of 'em. I can see it now. rich2003dm, Advisor in tops!

Gonna get started now. Finally, I have a chance.

See ya.

Rich

#10 08-07-2001, 10:56 PM

Well geeze... Maybe even anti-buddy. I know that since I have been on a limited time schedule online lately that I haven't even wanted to check out anyone except for the people that I really want to read. Basically for the last few months I have (pretty much) only been giving out HR's to reviews.

I think that this sounds like another attempt by management to computer delegate the behavior that they want to see. They are currently doing that with the first review crap and advisors (you may not get more money for first reviews but gosh golly you might be an advisor). Now guess what, they aren't getting as many people rating (probably since they made it impossible to surf your own site really) so instead of a monetary reward, they are giving another silly title. Basically the way that this seems to be instituted seems pretty destructive rather than constructive. I really, really, really don't see the point. Ummm... I can see their projected purpose but in real practical terms it doesn't seem as if it is going to be actually of any real use.

How are they going to check it? If someone is giving a rating that the community doesn't agree with, are they edged off of the list? If not, I could go around and sprinkle NR's and SR's randomly to get my spread pumped up. If someone actually is going to be edged off if they give a differing rating then it is going to be a big herd mentality sort of thing. Why should I give a supposedly HR (even though it is widely off topic or totally not helpful) review the rating it deserves?

Obviously they aren't going to go for human involvement with all of this...

Ander

susanwhipple · #11 08-07-2001, 10:57 PM

Oh, no, Rich. You should definately be an advisor in groceries!

edited because I'm a dumbass

jnbmoore · #12 08-07-2001, 11:10 PM

So how is a computer going to check if we NH off topic review????

mnehr · #13 08-07-2001, 11:11 PM

All I can say is...
bye bye funny hat.. its been nice knowing you...

rich2003dm · #14 08-07-2001, 11:14 PM

"Oh, no, Rich. You should definately be an advisor in groceries! "

Susan,

Tops AND groceries!

Wow! I must be one of those epileptic writers Amy was talking about.

Rich

#15 08-07-2001, 11:16 PM

I'm going to have a wait-and-see attitude on this.

It seemed pretty much the consensus that the old system wasn't working. I know a number of people (myself included) who wore the funny hats who thought that they had pretty much lost all meaning.

So why not give something else a try?

susanwhipple · #16 08-07-2001, 11:16 PM

No, Rich.. .epileptic is the kind of 'fit' your readers have.

mnehr · #17 08-07-2001, 11:19 PM

...this did remind me how much I miss the old "Expert" system. At least with that title one was more assured that the experts knew something about their field.. People were 'recommended' and a human actually reviewed that person's reviews to see if they knew what they were talking about..

of course that was not perfect.. but it seems better than this ---->

I feel this new system will reward people like ****** who rubber stamp a lot of reviews and people like ********* who write a lot of reviews on products they never owned, yet are popular for god knows what reason...

**** I intentionally did not put names in the blank as both it was against the TOS here, and I wanted everyone to have their own thoughts of whom should fill in the blank...

#18 08-07-2001, 11:23 PM

Matthew - a whopping AMEN on both counts!

**Prepoia**[$] · #19 08-07-2001, 11:29 PM

Sad to say, Matthew, that none of us will have a difficult time filling in your blanks. Especially the part of writing about things that they don't have or haven't used. I see a lot of this on site. It's especially true in categories that are either expensive to keep buying items to review or I really noticed it in pets (when I was an advisor there). And why people continue to rate certain advisors highly when it is not feasible to own every plaything known to man for "many" different kinds of animals, birds, etc. I don't know.

I don't really understand the whole system set up yet. I suppose I will as time goes on. I have no idea what to do differently to maintain my hat or how I will qualify under the new system. Guess it doesn't matter if I understand, it will all be a done deal at the end of August.

I'd ask questions but I don't know the questions to ask

Sandy

mnehr · #20 08-07-2001, 11:35 PM

I only know of a couple of people who honestly fit into the category of legitmatly writing a lot of reviews on a lot of expensive products (or multiple pets..)
One former pet advisor was a vet (actually my vet.. ) and owned multiple dogs, cats, and even a lion..
The only way I can write on the dozens of cell phones that I do is because it is my job to test and evaluate them for either product placement by our clients, or writing training manuals on those products.. but there is no way I could ever nor would ever want to have that many different phones..

What really bugs me are the multiple car reviews by people who go and just 'see' one or their friend owns one they rode in one day...
and the infamous Kids and Family trick of having dozens of kids with every mental and physical ailement in the book, and want to write a thousand reviews on it... it is quite obvious when they are making that s%^&* up....

nicholmere · #21 08-07-2001, 11:40 PM

One of the complaints I've heard in the past is that an advisor in A can write a review in B and have it float to the top just because he's an advisor on the site.

I like the plan to have the advisors' ratings/reviews carry extra weight only within their own categories of expertise.

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I want to see the icons! Maybe some cute little editor caps reminiscent of old newspaper days?

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FEEDBACK: There should not be a "revolving door" of Advisor status - if someone becomes an Advisor one month, they should not fear losing that status each month, only to gain it back the next month.

ACTION TAKEN: With the Top Reviewer/Editor distinction, the bar for becoming an Editor or Top Reviewer is higher. As such, the risk for losing Top Reviewer or Editor status will be lower as long as a Top Reviewer or Editor continues to write many high quality opinions or rate accurately over an extended period of time.

I don't think the ACTION TAKEN reply actually address the FEEDBACK comment, but since I agree that advisors should earn the chapeau on a regular basis I'm not too worried about the double speak.

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The Most Helpful ratings sounds like fun. Imagine the click circles trying to figure that one out

No My review is the most helpful!
Actually I like the idea though. I've often read some excellent VH reviews on the same item and I've wished for a way to say that X was the best of the best. It's also a way to comfortably go back and 'change' a rating. If you follow a specific product then you may change your mind as to which review is The Most Helpful, so now you can do so without changing a VH to an H in an attempt to praise the new review.

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It sounds like they are trying to find ways to offer financial incentives to those who contribute positively to the site, which is a good thing.

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quasar · #22 08-08-2001, 12:30 AM

There are people who do own every gadget known to man. I have a friend who owns 26 Palms, 4 PPC devices, and numerous phones. He's insane and has waaay too much money, but he does own them all. I know someone else with 17 different Palms and several people in double digits.

I evaluate devices as well, and have at times borrowed devices for a time to write a review. I do not own every device I review, but I have used every device I write about. As long as I have legitimate experience with the device I really don't see a problem with that.

It's pretty obvious to me when reading a review who actually has used a device and who is tossing some specs and some random thoughts gleaned elsewhere together to make a review. I have no idea how many of the people who fall into the first category own the device and how many have just used it. Frankly I don't care.

Janice

erik_kosberg · #23 08-08-2001, 12:46 AM

“Editors are primarily selected based on the quality and quantity of ratings and comments given to reviewers' opinions.”

Quality of comments?

Exactly how will that be determined? Will a human at Epinions Global Command actually read comments and grade them?

Does the phrase “out of the frying pan and into the fire” seem just a tiny bit appropriate?

Mrsfitts · #24 08-08-2001, 01:10 AM

I Certainly hope that the "Comments" that Nirav is talking about are the 'mentoring' type that I've been harping and harping about ad nauseum. I get so irked at reviewers that slap a Hit & Run NH or SH on a review -especially on a Virgin Reviewer- and don't tell why.

It just chaps my hide to see that over and over again!!! If someone had done that to my POS first review, I wouldn't be here, there or anywhere! (a wonderful advisor named David gave me encouraging words... he probably no longer works there... sigh) of course, some may not consider this a positive thing.

But I did!

But, I'm probably preachin' to the choir again, since I see a lot of positive, helpful comments from the bodies that belong to this civil arena.

:beer:

I've been playing with my knee too long this year to meet a lot of the requirements, but even though I'm no longer an advisor (or whatever they're calling it this week) I still care! (dammit)

hypotenuse · #25 08-08-2001, 01:40 AM

This is going to end up biting them on the butt.

Most helpful? Ok. Say you very dutifully read every review in the category (Harry Potter anyone? How about Titanic?) and decided which review earns that most coveted award. Two hours later someone else posts the real most helpful review. Which reflects badly on your judgement, of course, because you missed it.

So you read every new review posted to that category.

But what about all those people who edit their work? Might not their newly edited review be the most helpful? And what if you miss it? They don't send out notices for edits, just for new reviews. So you'll probably have a lot of deleting to repost edited material. Because it just might be most helpful.

But what if these people don't delete and repost? And you miss handing out the Most Helpful Award to the correct review? Best read all of the reviews every day - just in case.

Harry Potter anyone? How about Titanic?

Lynne - who, believe it or not, does have a life

mtbat · #26 08-08-2001, 02:09 AM

I'm not sure that I can see how this "new" way of choosing advisors is going to differ from the old way-after all, wasnt' advisor status given based on how people rated as well as how they wrote based on comunity standards judgeing their work?

I guess we wait and see how it really turns out.

f/mtbat