Epinions
Jan 28 '00 (Updated Feb 22 '00)
First of all, sorry this opinion is in the wrong category, but I really
wanted to write it, and the changes to Epinions won't allow me to write another review on "Epinions" in the correct category. Besides, this review is so long, I think it may very well qualify as an electronic book
EPINIONS.COM
Well It has happened, the other shoe dropped and the bonus program has ended, rather abruptly.
I'd be able to tell even if I hadn't read it on the Epinions site, because sure enough, suddenly my reviews
don't seem to be getting read anymore.
C'mon people, say it ain't so. Did we really read one another for the money? Will anyone read this re
view in order to answer that question?
I think, YES. I am not ready to believe that this place is only about money. No way. Don't get me
wrong...I miss the money already, but I miss even more the feeling I got when I peeked into a review
I thought long and hard about and saw that my peers had recommended what they read. I miss the
encouraging comments that sometimes even made my day. We did good here, can continue
to do good here , and even if the "pay" is $.01 we can still be rewarded, often immeasurably -
by the very things that keeps Epinions unique.
There are those among us that would rather have an average Joe tell us about a movie than some overly analytical
movie reviewer who might as well be talking Chinese. We don't care about the camera angles and cinematograpy-did it make them feel?
Those that are addicted to laughter and found it here will be among the "stayers", too. These people
who made us laugh about subjects so diverse as software and soccerballs made the reading
pure entertainment. Which brings me to another group. Those who couldn't bear to miss BadBob's
BadBob's unique commentaries. Its just too fun to wonder about that guy.
(My guess is he's um....male, 40ish, well educated or at least highly intelligent, and walks that wonderful line between
sanity and certifiablity-and I mean that in the most flattering way)
It is my guess that the fortunate people who have ran across some of the most moving of reviews
will keep coming. Reviews so incredibly intense that they couldn't remember at what particular part of it they
started to cry. (thanks zapbot)
The writers, the bookworms, the movie buffs, the musicologists, the geeks, the ventors, the informers, the wise, the goofy,
the hopeful, and the helpful....Keep coming-not for the money, and not for others, but for ourselves.
That's right. I intend to selfishly keep coming for the many rewards I have gained from the rest of you.
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PART 2
Lest you think TeddieC has gone completely "sappy" there is another issue I wanted to address ( I don't talk this much IRL, I swear).
Although the epinion bonus eroyalties have been discontinued, it is my understanding that they intend to
implement a new eroyalties program to accurately reward reviewers. I,for one, am hopeful that it will be a fair and
logical program.
Epinions thanked us, all of us, for having made this site so popular, and we should all be very proud. I believe the
"200,000" reviews read is an extremely innaccurate number, given that the most popular reviewers alone have accumlated more like
250,000. Add all the rest of us to that......! WE made Epinions what it is, and what it has become is a very
high traffic, reputable site. I don't think for a minute that Epinions does not appreciate that. Most of us have recieved the checks
to prove it.
In addition, I hope that no one who was not selected as an "expert" feels any less a contributor to this site. Almost everyone here
(IMO) qualifies as an expert, under the definition given. Reading over the list of experts is very confusing and one wonders why some of them
are considered as such.
For instance: One game expert that wrote 14 opinions-yet only one was in the game category.
Or more confusing : 2 service experts- One of who has 2 opinions (neither in the services category) and another with 6 opinions
(again, none of which are in the services category.)
I'll go you one better...We actually have an "expert" on colleges and universities here that, up until the CHANGE here at epinions had never even written a single opinion!! Seems on Jan. 28 this person ran out and wrote 2 on the subject. (unless of course this was 1-28 a year ago and that would be just as bad)
It appears that some experts fall short of the title, and perhaps that is one of the things that Epinions is planning to work on.
I hope another is putting a cap on how many opinions can be written in a given time. Freedom to write is great, but how much effort can
we really put into an opinion that is one of 20 for the day huh?
I'd love to see the web of trust give way to a more personal list of just people we enjoy reading...making it just an easily accessible
list of the people we want to "remember".
Wouldn't it be great if the new Epinions program turned out to be a better one than the one we had? Think about it Epinions. No gaps.
Bring the ones who make the most and the ones who make the least together a little more. Middle ground. I like it !
TeddieC
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Epinions.com ID:
teddiec
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 - Top 1000 |
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Reviews written: 252
Trusted by: 513 members
About Me:
I'll get it together..eventually
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