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| roheblius |
Posted: May 11 '08, 11:06 pm |
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Reviews written: 599 Member since: Dec 13 '99
 in Music |
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RE: Is There Enough Communication Between Members & Management?
Quote: Pirich Would it really be so bad to use Google's engine? Folks assume that sort of performance these days. If you don't have a functioning search function, they assume there is something wrong with you. They let people do that. Then the staff would be able to look around and see what else they want to do.
I'm not taking away anything from your post which was a good one, but I just wanted to call this part out.
Many people think this is the solution, but it's not that easy. The way our site makes money is based on a product catalog and people searching for products, taking them to product pages in which they can buy products. Google's strength is in finding our reviews because of all the great content in them. If shoppers go to review pages before product pages and not vice versa, we would lose money.
That's an easy explanation as to why Google's search engine isn't the answer.
Greg and I actually created (well, he created, I just helped spec' it out) a review search as a fun demo project that worked like Google for Epinions. It's not the answer when it comes to paying the bills.
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| rudixeno |
Posted: May 12 '08, 3:42 am |
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Reviews written: 192 Member since: Nov 14 '05
in Home & Garden |
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RE: Is There Enough Communication Between Members & Management?
Quote: roheblius I'm not taking away anything from your post which was a good one, but I just wanted to call this part out.
Many people think this is the solution, but it's not that easy. The way our site makes money is based on a product catalog and people searching for products, taking them to product pages in which they can buy products. Google's strength is in finding our reviews because of all the great content in them. If shoppers go to review pages before product pages and not vice versa, we would lose money.
That's an easy explanation as to why Google's search engine isn't the answer.
Greg and I actually created (well, he created, I just helped spec' it out) a review search as a fun demo project that worked like Google for Epinions. It's not the answer when it comes to paying the bills.
I always thought we took them to reviews that had shopping links on them. You mean I'm wrong?
Rudi
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| KMINER |
Posted: May 12 '08, 4:04 am |
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Reviews written: 1002 Member since: Jan 17 '00
in Kids & Family |
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RE: Is There Enough Communication Between Members & Management?
Quote: roheblius I'm not taking away anything from your post which was a good one, but I just wanted to call this part out.
Many people think this is the solution, but it's not that easy. The way our site makes money is based on a product catalog and people searching for products, taking them to product pages in which they can buy products. Google's strength is in finding our reviews because of all the great content in them. If shoppers go to review pages before product pages and not vice versa, we would lose money.
That's an easy explanation as to why Google's search engine isn't the answer.
Greg and I actually created (well, he created, I just helped spec' it out) a review search as a fun demo project that worked like Google for Epinions. It's not the answer when it comes to paying the bills.
Garrett -
does that lead into the idea of the Searching here being a high priority to fix and get working right?
Because I use the site as a consumer as well, and as you know it's been harder to find things through the search accurately and quickly.
Kimm
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| roheblius |
Posted: May 12 '08, 7:07 am |
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Reviews written: 599 Member since: Dec 13 '99
in Music |
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RE: Is There Enough Communication Between Members & Management?
Quote: rudixeno I always thought we took them to reviews that had shopping links on them. You mean I'm wrong?
Rudi
There are shopping links on the reviews, but the comparison shopping piece is done at the product level. |
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| rudixeno |
Posted: May 12 '08, 7:54 am |
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Reviews written: 192 Member since: Nov 14 '05
in Home & Garden |
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RE: Is There Enough Communication Between Members & Management?
Quote: roheblius There are shopping links on the reviews, but the comparison shopping piece is done at the product level.
I must be a little obtuse at the moment, but what does this mean?
Rudi
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| meagandowney |
Posted: May 12 '08, 8:11 am |
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Reviews written: 358 Member since: Sep 11 '05
in Books |
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Comparison Shopping
I believe he means that comparison shopping happens here as opposed to within the individual reviews pages. Comparison shopping links do appear at the end of most reviews, though, so I might be off there. |
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| roheblius |
Posted: May 12 '08, 8:17 am |
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Reviews written: 599 Member since: Dec 13 '99
in Music |
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RE: Comparison Shopping
Quote: meagandowney I believe he means that comparison shopping happens here as opposed to within the individual reviews pages. Comparison shopping links do appear at the end of most reviews, though, so I might be off there.
You are right.
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| meagandowney |
Posted: May 12 '08, 9:07 am (Updated: May 12 '08, 9:25 am) |
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Reviews written: 358 Member since: Sep 11 '05
in Books |
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Employment and the User Agreement
Quote: Pirich (2) We are Epinions employees. That is why you were required to give your SSN over to get a W-2 form. So let's act like we care and help where we can. Hi Pirich - I think that your post has a lot of value, and I'm sure that many members shook their heads in agreement when they read it. The only part of it that I would like to respond to is this.
We don't get W-2's - we get 1099's if we (American members) make more than $600 in income. We get those because we are self-employed and declaring taxable income on our own. We aren't employees of Shopping.com, as per the user agreement which states "This Agreement does not create any agency, partnership, joint venture, employment or franchise relationship. Because you are not an employee, minimum wage laws do not apply to your relationship with the Shopping.com Network."
I doubt you're the only member who believes we are employees, but we are most definitely not.
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| smorg |
Posted: May 12 '08, 12:57 pm |
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Reviews written: 208 Member since: Jul 03 '06
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RE: Employment and the User Agreement
Quote: meagandowney I doubt you're the only member who believes we are employees, but we are most definitely not.
Megan is right. I believe we are what's called independent contractors. We still care about the company, but we aren't its employees or agents. :o) |
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| three_ster |
Posted: May 12 '08, 7:37 pm (Updated: May 12 '08, 7:38 pm) |
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Reviews written: 1696 Member since: Jun 26 '00
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RE: Is There Enough Communication Between Members & Management?
Quote: Freak369 Is there enough communication between site members and site management?
I have been wondering when hits will actually update to reviews as far back as October of 2007. I emailed GG and Andy about it and was assured that it was being addressed but that doesn't do much when I see 55 people have rated a review but it is only showing that 26 of the hits have actually registered.
That's just the tip of the iceberg. Plagiarism amongst new and established members is out of control, MPA lists are so inaccurate that it's pointless to even look at them and some members are contemplating jumping ship because of other events at the site.
I don't care if it is going to take five months to get something fixed - leaving people in the dark forces them to think of the worst case scenario. A weekly or bi-weekly update on site issues would be really nice. Is this something that Epinions can do on a regular basis? I sure hope so because from what I have been getting in emails from other members, a lot of people are ready to leave the site. And then what will happen? The SH reviews will choke the life out of whatever is left.
July 3, 2006. That is the day that I posted a review, which now has 97 member rates. It was when Scrubbing Bubbles first came out, and was very VERY popular for a short while. Almost immediately I noticed a problem, and e-mailed Epinions about there being more rates than hits counted. Seems pretty straight-forward, and I explained the problem thoroughly to 3 different people. I was told it would be fixed, it would be looked in to, and then the responses stopped. Three e-mails were sent after the last response, and still nothing has been done, and it seems I am being ignored now.
Hits are missing, and it is pretty darn obvious. 2 years later, I still have more ratings than credited member hits, and I feel like I was given a complete run-around. There have been problems for a couple of years when it comes to counting hits, and I have noticed it time and again.
--R(3) |
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| smorg |
Posted: May 12 '08, 8:54 pm |
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Reviews written: 208 Member since: Jul 03 '06
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Cleaner look on review page?
Hey,
I just saw a new look on the reviews (mainly on top of it... with 'compare price', 'read reviews', and 'view details' being tabs rather than just links now... and the review body space is wider, too). Did that just happen today or what? |
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| rcjones |
Posted: May 12 '08, 9:10 pm |
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Reviews written: 4 Member since: Nov 26 '05
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RE: Cleaner look on review page?
Quote: smorg Hey,
I just saw a new look on the reviews (mainly on top of it... with 'compare price', 'read reviews', and 'view details' being tabs rather than just links now... and the review body space is wider, too). Did that just happen today or what?
??? It looks the same to me.
What category were you viewing? I know there were changes made to automotive. Looks good too.
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| smorg |
Posted: May 12 '08, 9:18 pm |
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Reviews written: 208 Member since: Jul 03 '06
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RE: Cleaner look on review page?
Quote: rcjones What category were you viewing? I know there were changes made to automotive. Looks good too.
I'm seeing it in 'home & garden' (a mint review), 'movie', and 'books' so far. :o) Both normal url's and ones with /review/.
Liking it a lot. It's pretty neatly clean looking. |
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| elvisdo |
Posted: May 12 '08, 9:54 pm |
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Reviews written: 836 Member since: Jul 20 '00
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RE: Cleaner look on review page?
Quote: smorg I'm seeing it in 'home & garden' (a mint review), 'movie', and 'books' so far. :o) Both normal url's and ones with /review/.
Liking it a lot. It's pretty neatly clean looking.
I saw that, too, Smorgy, and thought the same as you. Maybe this is the change in the right direction to help members feel better about the site.
~C |
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| smorg |
Posted: May 12 '08, 10:13 pm |
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Reviews written: 208 Member since: Jul 03 '06
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RE: Cleaner look on review page?
Hey BigC! Thanks for the confirmation, bro. Good to know I'm not hallucinating after all. ;o)
Smorgy
PS: Hi to BabyVisdo! |
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| scmrak |
Posted: May 13 '08, 6:48 am (Updated: May 13 '08, 6:49 am) |
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Reviews written: 1360 Member since: Sep 27 '00
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RE: Cleaner look on review page?
Quote: smorg Hey,
I just saw a new look on the reviews (mainly on top of it... with 'compare price', 'read reviews', and 'view details' being tabs rather than just links now... and the review body space is wider, too). Did that just happen today or what? That's been the default layout for Car reviews since June '07 ('ceptin' the review space is now narrower, since the ratings are down the left side). Rollout of the new design was the reason for the "review a car writeoff" of that month.
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| ifif1938 |
Posted: May 13 '08, 7:00 am |
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Reviews written: 799 Member since: Jan 17 '00
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RE: Cleaner look on review page?
Quote: smorg Hey BigC! Thanks for the confirmation, bro. Good to know I'm not hallucinating after all. ;o)
Smorgy
PS: Hi to BabyVisdo!
I noticed it last night and was going to comment here but it was late and I wondered if I was hallucinating..;)
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| rudixeno |
Posted: May 13 '08, 7:08 am |
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Reviews written: 192 Member since: Nov 14 '05
in Home & Garden |
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RE: Cleaner look on review page?
Quote: ifif1938 I noticed it last night and was going to comment here but it was late and I wondered if I was hallucinating..;)
What am I missing? It all looks the same to me
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| meagandowney |
Posted: May 13 '08, 5:51 pm (Updated: May 13 '08, 5:52 pm) |
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Reviews written: 358 Member since: Sep 11 '05
in Books |
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RE: Cleaner look on review page?
Quote: rudixeno What am I missing? It all looks the same to me There's a thread started on the topic with a screen shot on one of the posts.
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| Pirich |
Posted: May 13 '08, 9:22 pm |
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Reviews written: 137 Member since: Jul 03 '00
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RE: Is There Enough Communication Between Members & Management?
Quote: roheblius I'm not taking away anything from your post which was a good one, but I just wanted to call this part out.
Many people think this is the solution, but it's not that easy. The way our site makes money is based on a product catalog and people searching for products, taking them to product pages in which they can buy products. Google's strength is in finding our reviews because of all the great content in them. If shoppers go to review pages before product pages and not vice versa, we would lose money.
That's an easy explanation as to why Google's search engine isn't the answer.
Greg and I actually created (well, he created, I just helped spec' it out) a review search as a fun demo project that worked like Google for Epinions. It's not the answer when it comes to paying the bills.
This explains a lot, but I think it's a little bit of a tangent to what people have been asking for. A lot of Epinions products are shown as unavailable, for example, which clearly aren't (several travel destinations, such as national parks and monuments are in that category).
I understand it is good for Epinions to get product hits. But a lot of what people are trying to do is research for a purchase, and they are trying to learn about alternatives, most of which will be rejected, but any of which could lead to product hits.
A second thing going on is Google has set the standard for how people Google for information. Google has taught people a set of expectations for how a search engine should perform. And Google has trained them in what to look for when a search is working or not. What people are saying is Epinions needs to appear to work to a net-savvy user who happens across it.
I think the category, brand, and price range type selectors for a search are cool, but if none of the built in money generators has led to a hit, but content exists on Epinions, then the site needs to show it. This is the choice to avoid giving the appearance of being broken, and therefore untrustworthy. |
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