Epinions Review

www.epinions.com

Overall 1.83 of 5 view all 6 reviews

Fardreamer
Miami, FL

Epinions: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.....

an avid online shopper, Long-time reviewer, a review writer

Pros

My epinions friends led me to viewpoints, There are a lot of good friendly members, It's still a viable source of pin money

Cons

Sophomoric members' attitudes, Nasty members, Site errors and technical issues, Personal attacks

MAY

2008

When it comes to reviewing books, movies, CDs, computer games, or even headgear, I'm not usually at a loss for words or fall prey to "reviewer's apprehension."

After all, I've been writing reviews, off and on, since I was a high school sophomore and writing for the Entertainment section of The Serpent's Tale, South Miami High's student newspaper. In college I continued to write reviews, especially about books and movies, for one of the Miami-Dade Community College campus newspapers, and although I didn't get back into the swim of things in the genre till I started writing consumer reviews (gratis) at Amazon in 2003, I've been doing it on a fairly regular basis for the past half-decade.

And still, when it comes to writing about Epinions, I find myself feeling somewhat bemused about my ambivalence about a site where I am still actively submitting my musings about books, movies, CDs, computer games, and other stuff (but not headgear). Maybe it's because I don't want to "bite the hand that feeds me," or maybe it's because I still see a few upsides to the site that still outweigh the downsides. Or maybe both.

Epinions: The Basics

Epinions, in case you've never heard of it, is a website that's owned by Shopping.com, which in turn is owned by eBay. It bills itself as a source of "Unbiased reviews by real people," and in some ways it has some of the same "missions" that Viewpoints and other review sites share: it offers consumers like you and me a chance to write and submit experience-based opinions about products, destinations and services we use or have visited in exchange for some cash (in the form of Income Share, or IS for short) and, of course, the little (or not-so-little) ego boost of seeing our reviews on the site. There's also the possibility of making friends with other Epinionators, either "virtual" online-only friendships or the somewhat more rewarding "in real life" friendships that sometimes result from the former.

Basically, what we (the reviewers) do is theoretically simple. If we want to review, say, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in Movies, all we have to do is click on the Movies tab and type in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" in the "Search" box and in the wink of an eye, we're in the In Theaters area and with the product/title page viewable on our computer monitor. Then we click on "Write Review" and basically follow a series of steps similar to the ones we use in Viewpoints - come up with a title, write the review proper, list Pros and Cons, and (unlike in VP) a one- or two-sentence Bottom Line "review summary" at the end.

There are a few other steps, such as a review preview in which the site's sometimes-eccentric spellcheck function highlights all kinds of suspected spelling errors in yellow or doesn't allow certain words to be included in a review, but essentially it's not that hard to submit a review at Epinions. And unless the site's servers are down, reviews are posted almost instantly...at least for other Epinions members to read and rate. (I'm not sure about when visitors who aren't members get to see our stuff. I've always assumed they go live right away, but do they?)

In theory, other members then read our bon mots about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or whatever the heck we wrote about and either give us ratings that range from the lowest Not Helpful to the highest, Most Helpful. The latter rating is very rare, since only Advisors or Category Leads can grant those; ordinary mortals can grant Very Helpful ratings as the top "best." (There's also an Off Topic rating, which is reserved for either reviews about an Indiana Jones book in the Movies category or a particularly badly-written review with tons of offensive or otherwise objectionable material.)

Ideally, these ratings should be fair and unbiased, and for the most part, we assume they are,

Members can also opt not to rate, even though their "visit" to the review in question will show up in a hits counter under "Member Visits."

The way I understand the process, the more Very Helpfuls we get from members with a lot of "pull" (either Advisors, Category Leads, or reviewers with a strong Web of Trust), the more prominent our reviews are, resulting in more page views for us, more revenue for Epinions/Shopping.com/eBay, and some sharing-of-the-wealth in the form of monthly IS payouts.

Because I joined Epinions in December of 2003, I didn't get to experience the early and perhaps more lucrative "penny per hit" version of the site's eRoyaties payouts. I only know that it was pretty popular at first but was phased out for various reasons, which allegedly include "gaming" the system and other shady practices. (I also didn't experience some of the bad things that occurred before I joined, a fact for which I'm very grateful.)

Epinions: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly....

The Good: The fact that I'm still an Epinions member probably reflects my belief, naive as it may be, that the site still has good in it. I have written over 1,000 reviews (1150 as of 31 May 2008) and earned slightly over $1,200 since December 2003. I am trusted by over 200 members and I trust nearly 300, and I've made a few good friends that I "talk to" outside of Epinions either on Yahoo or via cell phone.

It is also worth mentioning that I have great admiration and respect for members that aren't exactly off-site friends (but I wish they were!); most of those can be found on my Web of Trust, and some are members of Viewpoints. I love their reviews and try to read//rate them as often as my sometimes limited online schedule allows, and I also appreciate their feedback on my own Epinions reviews.

The Bad: As hard as it is for me to admit (given the time and effort I invest into my reviews), Epinions has always had its own particular downsides, most of them relating to the technical issues and bugs that all Internet sites have from time to time.

Right now the biggest tech issue is Epinions' search engine/database, which I've heard has always been the site's Achilles Heel but is now worse because of a merging of various databases...Shopping.com, eBay, and Epinions', if memory serves. Now, the fact that I have over 1,000 reviews up on the site means it's not impossible to find products; to say otherwise wouldn't be either true or fair to the small staff that actually runs the site. But it is sometimes very hard and often time-consuming to look up products. Either Epinions' database has listings for every possible variant of an item (like, say, a bottle of Liquid Paper)...or the product page claims we are reviewing Brand X when it's actually Brand Y...or the picture of a product is the wrong one, often very wrong. (I once saw the Star Wars - Episode I soundtrack illustrated with a Top 40 Best Country Songs album cover.) This is certainly very off-putting even to the most forgiving and loyal Epinions writer.

Another thing that annoys me is that the listings often read as if a 10th grader had been hired to do them to free up the engineers to work on the database problem. For instance, if you look at the track listings of many albums, you'll see words that aren't supposed to be capitalized appearing incorrectly with a capital first letter, e.g., instead of Raiders of the Lost Ark, you'll see Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Sometimes it'll be Raider of the Lost Ark, instead of Raiders. Maybe it's a trivial thing, and maybe Mr. or Mrs. Average Review Reader doesn't care when they visit Epinions, but it is still something that doesn't look right.

The Ugly: If I were just a casual "submit the review, read and rate, then leave" type of member, the tech issues would be my only gripe about Epinions. For instance, I don't have any issues with the unpredictabilty of IS payout amounts, even though I often wish the site would give us writers a bit of compensation for every product review, at least in the form of a one-time fixed rate payment for non-Writer's Corner product reviews

My biggest Con, as a writer and a person, is the sometimes sophomoric behavior that goes on "behind the scenes" within the community of Epinionators, particularly when some members form little sub-communities or cliques and start behaving as though the site were High School 2.0 or a dark version of MySpace.com.

Obviously, casual members who only submit their reviews and read/rate reviews by members they like or trust will hardly be touched by some of the dreary drama that I and other members have seen. Most of it erupts in the Message Boards, with Member A dissing Member B in sometimes vitriolic exchanges, but sometimes it seems that other less-than-mature behavior goes on, such as influential members getting their clique's members to not rate someone's reviews, or to block a prospective Top Reviewer from getting his or her "TR" badge in a specific category, thus having a negative effect on the unfortunate reviewer's progress at Epinions. (Granted, sometimes a reviewer does bring bad karma onto him/herself by violating Epinions' Terms of Service or by being hostile or nasty to members, particularly Advisors or Category Leads, but in many instances, it's just that High School 2.0 vibe rearing its ugly head.)

To be fair, this is not unique to Epinions. At Amazon, which is where I started out as an online reviewer, much of this goes on, as well. The big difference there, though, is that at Amazon there are no Advisors whose negative votes can seriously hamper your standings as a reviewer. And, of course, it has to be noted that most of the members with the blue Advisor badges are fair-minded, tolerant of all but the most egregious misconduct, and very approachable. It's just that the small minority of "bad apples" tends to have a great deal of "power" that's often wielded irresponsibly, and all too often capriciously. (This is one reason why so many good reviewers, including one of my best friends, have left the site, some never to return as readers, much less reviewers.)

Final Thought: I suppose that just as Luke Skywalker held on to the notion that there was still good in his father Anakin, I still believe that Epinions has many good points still in it. The fact that a handful of members are not exactly the most trustworthy (to put it kindly) is still offset by the equally important fact that 90 per cent of the community is made up of decent persons who are good writers, fair raters, and considerate individuals who can, and often do, become valued friends.

As for the technical problems the site has, it's hard to say when, or even if, Epinions will ever be improved to every member's satisfaction. All sites, unfortunately, tend to have their fair share of bugs, problems with upgrades and changes in format, and database integration/search engine issues. Maybe if eBay and Shopping.com invested a bit more in Epinions' Human Resources department and hired more engineers and techs, those issues would be resolved a bit faster.

Me? I'll keep on writing there, of course, and doing my best to remain a good member of the Epinions community. But I will also keep in mind that some of my best friends, including my very best one, have left the site and often ask me why I am still there.

Last edited on Jun 01, 2008

Epinions is recommended by Fardreamer

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Comments about Fardreamer’s Review

Great review!! Very well thought out and balanced......but I still find the high drama involved with Eopinions to be too much of a bore to participate. As far as myself...life is short, soldiering on needs to be worth it. Again, great review.

In response to GeorgeChabot's comment from Jun 3, 2008 at 1:49PM:

My block list grows every few days with names because it seems like Epinions doesnt have a system in place to repramand those leads or advisors for their actions. I could careless if they were there in 1999 or 2000 most of them seem to have no real life except to be here daily trashing people's reviews and don't go to the message board they seem to have a thing with locking topics so you can't get a response. The best way to nip this in the bud is to contact Ebay and give them a pretty detailed message as to the behavior on this site and see if this is something that can be looked at and changed meaning some long time advisors could lose their titles and category leads can lose their positions as well or some could face their accounts being revoked to curb this immature behavior on Epinions and to drive a message home that bullying is not going to be tolerated. Loyalty or not people do what they love and if some people can't see that it's a shame that grown adults are acting like children trashing reviews like it's high school all over again and some of them look like they've been out of high school a long time not to grow up and act their age.

I visited that site once and I really didn't like the layout. It's not user-friendly and doesn't appeal to my eye. I love VP's layout and thus, here I am!

In response to Queenbee75's comment from Oct 24, 2008 at 12:45PM:

I'm not sure if my review here has been read by any of the "powers that be" at Shopping.com, eBay, or Epinions' office, so I doubt that any real good will come of it. The good members who matter don't behave badly, and the cliques don't bother me anymore since I'm more or less a peripheral member who writes reviews, rates others, and stays out of the fray in most of the trouble spots.

I think you really set things right with what you said because people on that site act like flipping high schoolers. We're talking grown adults married with kids acting like cruel bullies in high school. I think that there are some cliques who roam the board looking for people to bully and do their deeds on.

In response to Fardreamer's comment from Jun 23, 2008 at 2:09PM:

I come from print journalism and magazine writing. I take pride in my work and no magazine or newspaper ever accused me of trying to take them down because I freelanced for another magazine or paper. When I switched to web writing, I wrote for several similar sites. I wasn't trying to hurt the sites; I was trying to make a living, get my opinion out there, and enjoy what I do and I see this as the same thing. I love to review products and services and I want BOTH sites to be successful. I don't believe that my reviews here are taking traffic from there or vice a versa. I'm a writer. People really should respect that. Some are not writers. Some are part of a community that they are ultra loyal to and feel is the only community they want to be a part of. More power to them! They have day jobs. My job is THIS! lol. I never hide who or where I am. I am honest and I stay well within all rules and no one can say otherwise (try as they may and they try so hard).

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 18, 2008 at 11:44PM:

"Super-fanatical" is right. And there are some very mean-spirited but influential members who can, and have, made me seriously consider leaving Epinions altogether. Like you, I still consider myself a member in good standing of the site and won't go into name-calling or even name-dropping about those members I truly don't like or trust. (I do wish, though, that those people who think anyone who writes for other sites isn't ipso facto a traitor. But, as you say, there are members like that. I admire you for NOT changing your "handle" from PattyTherre; I am not that gutsy.)

I was watching the movie "Children of the Corn" and it reminded me of some members at epinyawns. LOL!

In response to MellaView's comment from Jun 10, 2008 at 1:05PM:

I'd believe it all. I have been stalked, threatened, talked about, sabatoged...but I stay because I really like what I am doing and the areas I am doing it in. I overlook the bad as often as I can. I used to be devastated by some people's actions and words but not anymore. I think there are people who are SUPER fanatical about the site and feel my loyalty isn't what it should be. But I am writer. That is what I do. And I enjoy writing on different sites. I stick to all the rules so people need to back off and accept that some people enjoy writing for more than one site. I consider myself a good Epi-citizen and a good VP one and a good anywhere else I write one!

In response to MellaView's comment from Jun 10, 2008 at 1:00PM:

"It's not the site that bothers me... it has its quirks yes... it's the members who think they own the place, and if they catch you writing for another site..." That's my main issue with Epinions. I have nothing against the web site or its technical problems (even if they do affect my IS a bit). I like most of the people who write there. I don't mind not getting paid $10.00 in advance per review because some of my Epi stuff has earned more than that. What DOES burn me, though, is exactly what you talk about...the members who think they own Epinions because they've been there since 1999 or 2000 and feel it's "theirs."

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 8:07PM:

You would not believe how many of them have stalked me over at AC accusing me of all sorts of crazy bull----.
One in particular stalked me for ages. I have no clue who, but it is someone who is VERY paranoid, and makes up false accusations, and conspiracys. Its disgusting seeing that some are downright paranoid, crazy, and psychotic, to follow me to another site to THREATEN me, to accuse me of lies... and to make a mockery of me. All for... having and opinion, and switching sites. lol. I too have been accused of trying to get people to come over to other sites. lol. NOPE... I only give directions to other sites when asked.
As some of you have already seen.... William in particular still gets visits from Epi stalkers on many of his pieces. Its quite disturbing to see that some who are so against you.. will stalk you out. - even when you are gone! SICK MAN!

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 5:36PM:

Patty, there are times when I have seen the inappropriate 'Go Back To AC' comments thrown out there by members who I once considered a friend. Petty crap like that keeps me from posting any new reviews. Sorry, but the grass 'is' greener on the other side. Why write for pennies, when you can easily make $10.00 for the same review? lol.
Its not the site that bothers me... it has its quirks yes... its the members who think they own the place, and if they catch you writing for another site, you get the goddamn scarlett letter. Im ET according to most... Epi Traitor. lol. Whatever. Ill SPEAK my mind in them boards as often as I like... till they friggin ban me. lol. Those members have no say on who comments, what they comment on, and when they comment! Its just hilarious how they think they have a say in who can post! I wont be intimidated by trolls. By no means.

William... I have yet to check out the boards here- Ill have to do that!!! I have a liking to AC's forums. No one labels one another.

In response to Tam-Tam's comment from Jun 7, 2008 at 10:22AM:

Hi. My Epi-name is alexdg1, actually, but I guess it's understandable that it'd be mistaken for "alexdog." As for this particular review, I had some misgivings about writing it, but my feelings about the site, while not as bitterly disillusioned as others', just needed to be expressed. I'm grateful that Eps does pay Income Share every month and all that, but at the same time I can't look the other way (or keep turning the other cheek) when a handful of "bad apples" makes it an inhospitable environment for members that they don't think is worthy of their support, rates, or tolerance.

Hi Fardreamer! I think you're Alexdog right?? You're a great guy & on my web of trust at epinions. I don't like the attitudes there & nastiness either. Who needs that? This is a great review!!! Great job. ; ) Take care & write on!

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 8:07PM:

Oh, Patty. That really saddens me. Don't those self-appointed guardians of Epinions realize that, to borrow yet another quote from the Vietnam War era, they're "destroying the site in order to save it?" I realize that people form attachments to online friends and even tend to identify with web sites that they invest a lot of their free time to. I ought to know, because I still have a sense of loyalty to Epinions, warts and all. But that loyalty has been tested quite a few times, and there are some "blue hatters" (and even a couple of CLs) for whom I feel nothing but contempt. Those few, I'm sorry to say, present a sunny, approachable disposition in public, but in reality are hypocritical, clannish, and even spiteful. Sure, there have been non-hatted members who have caused trouble and started feuds with other members for various reasons, ranging from immaturity to anger over ratings, comments, or even Writer's Corner pieces, and those have caused some damage to the site. And yes, sometimes even the best-behaved of Epinionators will have a bad day and unwittingly make a "faux pas" re reviewer-Advisor relations. But I think the real damage is done by those who think that they own the site and, because the folks in Brisbane saw fit to give them red and blue badges, they can make or break everyone else's "careers" at Eps.

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 5:36PM:

I figure if epinions has something positive to offer, people you allegedly take away will write for both sites, so no one will really be taken away. On the other hand, if people leave epinions for good, it ain't your fault that epinions won't or can't compete in the marketplace. Those people who put you down should thank you for giving them options. They now have a viable choice, whereas before the choice was epinions or nothing.

In response to Fardreamer's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 7:59PM:

I think you would be even more shocked at who dropped me, threatened to drop me, and who went undercover to see if I was getting kickbacks by "stealing" Eps writers. It opened my eyes to so many things. I never want to get so wrapped up in a website that it becomes my existence or my life and I sure never want to interfere with people doing what they want to do in this world. I take my duties very seriously at Epinions and those who believe I shouldn't be where I am because I am also here can't find any evidence that I am doing anything wrong because I am not. They sure are waiting to "catch" me though. It saddened me but now I just do my thing and not let people's perceptions of me get me down.

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 3:55PM:

Patty...I'm mortified (though not surprised) that people would drop you from their Webs of Trust because you decided to write here in addition to writing over there. Worse, the very notion that you'd be a head-hunter for Matt and Jolie is absolutely preposterous, to say the least. When I joined VP in November, I did so after asking around; I'm not sure if I had received an invite from anyone here but I know that when I signed up it was MY choice to do so. Seeing familiar names like yours and George just made me more determined to be here. I did change my username from alexdg1 at Eps, not out of paranoia or fear of retribution, but because I like Fardreamer a lot better.
As for my reviews: I've done a mix of purely original Viewpoint pieces and extensive rewrites of Epinions stuff. I follow the TOS rule of changing 100 words or more and, because the two sites use different headline systems, never use the same titles here that I've used there. Revising existing reviews can be just as hard as coming up with new ones, but I think that as long as I'm following the rules and sometimes going the extra mile (or paragraph) to make Epinions management happy, it shouldn't be a problem for either site.
As for the members who are, in the immortal words of Spiro Agnew, "nattering nabobs of negativism," I don't understand their atavistic need to protect Epinions. Protect the site from what? Competition?

In response to williampinn's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 5:10PM:

LOL. Not an employee, just an early adopter. I was very lucky to get in on the ground floor when the site was in beta. I did ask those in charge at Epinions if it was OK and it was.

It isn't management that is upset with people writing elsewhere. It seems to be members. And I do kind of understand if they feel I am taking readers off the site to another one but I have a vested interest in Epinions and I do want to see it improve and succeed. I just also want to enjoy other sites and other experiences as well.

That's what I do! I write. All over the place. I figure as long as I am within TOS everywhere and do nothing to undermine any site, I am not wrong and have nothing to feel ashamed of. That is why I signed up under my own name and not a different one. I am hiding nothing.

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 4:54PM:

I don't understand why members would be leery of another member writing for other sites. What is the big deal? When I see people writing for other sites, I check out what the other sites have to offer. It's like someone switching brands--maybe he found a better deal. Should I be leery of people who switch brands or drink more than one brand of say, coffee? To show you how screwed up I am, I don't have a problem even if you are a VP employee who recruits writers. I might want a piece of the action though. LOL!

In response to williampinn's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 4:10PM:

It really did open my eyes. But I do understand why members would be leery of another member writing for a review site. Still, as long as I follow the rules (and I do and then some), I don't feel I owe anyone any explanations.

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 3:55PM:

I write for for several web sites, plus I do more than just write. Sometimes I do videos, music, and art. So I am the king of traitors. LOL! I'm sorry some people on your WOT are petty enough to drop you for such a frivolous reason, but isn't it nice to finally see their true colors? Now you have no illusions. Rock on!

In response to MellaView's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 11:53AM:

Hey Melissa, check out the message board here. It is way way better. This site is improving almost on an hourly basis. It's amazing! Forget the rude people over at epinyawns. Spend more time over here and I guarantee you will have a better experience overall.

In response to Fardreamer's comment from Jun 5, 2008 at 3:11PM:

I was astounded that people treated me like dirt when they saw I was here. This was even before they had links to compare prices here. People dropped me from their WOT, complained that I was a traitor, and went so far as to say I was stealing Epinions writers to come here for a fee. I did none of that. I never have duplicated a review and, in fact, often write about completely different things here than there. I have lost the trust of members there but I stand by my choices. I can write here and there without hurting either site. I like Epinions and I stay by choice. I like VP and enjoy the community and the drama free environment. I just don't really understand why, if someone writes anywhere else, they are considered traitors. I mean...I'm a writer! It's what I do. No magazine or other website ever cast me out because I write for other publications or websites. I do believe it is just people protecting what they feel is "their" site and I understand, sort of. But as long as I stick to all the rules, and I do, I think people should back off and find something else to complain about. I would never break any rules here or there nor would I 'steal" writers for a finders fee. Sheesh. Oh enough of my whining. Back to writing! :)

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 4, 2008 at 8:48PM:

I'm a "new guard" Epinionator, too, and while I respect the fact that other members were there first, I resent the fact that a powerful and vocal minority can make or break "careers" at the site. It is, however, deeply disturbing to know that certain advisors in specific categories actively hamper other members' progress if they so choose, or treat writers who write for other sites (such as Viewpoints) as traitors to Epinions. I just wish Epinions' staff and execs could see just how damaging those rogue Advisors are to the site and its community.

No reason. They just cannot conatin themselves and represent themselves in an adult manner. Instead they lower themselves by using witty sarcastic childish remarks, and always, always WANT the last word. I say... let em have it. They're only making themselves look bad.
Recently it was suggested that if 'the grass is greener on the other side (other websites), why do you keep posting on the boards?

I never knew that if you write for other sites, some members will take that as a personal offense, and you should NOT be at epinions anymore. I also never knew that I had to 'explain' myself to others, or why it is even relevant to their epi lives. It was also suggested by another that those who post in the boards with little or no reviews have nothing going on in their lives?! How delightfully ignorant of this person...not to mention rude. One does not know what is going on in another persons life, and its just messed up to throw such a comment out like that. I always, always THINK before I post on that site. Its just ashame that so many will just spew out any ol' doodoo without thinking about it first.

Low and behold though, once they label you a troll, youre a troll. lol. I just think it is funny, as one suggested... perhaps YOU are a troll and you dont even know it.

Anyhow, if I remember correctly Krus, if it were not for that attack on the boards, you and I would have never of met. As crappy as the circumstances were, Im glad we met.

When someone whines at me, I'll just link them to my Diapers and Tampons write up. Tah ha!

But for those interested in an explination... I am still active on the site, because there are still numerous reviewers whom I check out, and enjoy on a regular. I also stop in to help newbies, read and rate. As for reviewing... not so much anymore. I get paid fairly elsewhere... but by no means should this mean Im a troll. Its unfortunate others feel differently. Its also unfortunate that I have to explain myself... like I have commited some crime.

Krus, I know exactly what you are talking about. I too cannot stand it when someone makes a GOOD suggestion, some members will get their panties in a bunch, and go into full blown attack mode!And for what reason I ask?

Very good review. I've been a member of Epinions since 1999 and have written only about 130 reviews. Actually more than that, but I deleted some so I could submit to another site (though I did rewrite and update them to some extent). I also have seen so much of the behind-the-scenes drama and I have also been a "victim" of a sort on the message boards where the childish behavior of the cliques becomes quite evident. I had the same experience as another reviewer of this site mentioned. I got attacked on the message boards for a question or suggestion; I received a ton of emails of support but none of the people wanted to back me up on the message boards for fear of being "blacklisted." I've become quite disillusioned with Epinions over the past few years. If I can come up with 10 reviews to write quickly in a month to get paid the extra $10-$20 I'll do it. But these days when I eat at a good restaurant or go to a great hotel I'll think of Viewpoints or other sites before I think of submitting to Epinions.

In response to Fardreamer's comment from Jun 3, 2008 at 7:23PM:

I think that there is an old guard and a new guard there and it is very hard for the old guard to let go of the past. Although I have been there since 2000, I consider myself the new guard since I took time off and came back in 2005. I do also agree that power is a dangerous thing and that some people tend to toss their weight around. I really am glad we'll all equal basically here and that the emphasis is on being warm, welcoming, and non critical.

In response to MissMusicAmerica's comment from Jun 4, 2008 at 3:02PM:

Some of my fellow Epinions reviewers (as this thread of comments illustrates) can't stand the pettiness and have chosen to leave Epinions. I can't blame them...my own very best friend left, and I've come very close to doing so, as well. Perhaps, as I state in my main review, I'm too naive and still see more of the good things; there are still many good members who write, read, rate, and Advise there. That having been said, I am not blind to the mean-spiritedness and sheer abuse of power by a small but very vocal minority which has driven some of Epinions' brightest assets to write elsewhere.

I admire you guys who have stuck in there with all the pettiness that goes on. Keep on doing what you're doing and hopefully someone will hear you and make some needed changes.

If Epinions were to modify, or even get rid of, the Advisor/Category Lead system, the site would be a bit less prone to be so full of drama.

In response to williampinn's comment from Jun 4, 2008 at 12:03PM:

Haha, true! Funny that they made the Delete feature so easy! but don't do much for the features that would keep members there.

In response to vivasuzi's comment from Jun 3, 2008 at 9:37PM:

In the interest of being fair and balanced, I have to give epinions credit for the fact that it did make it easy for me to delete my account. That is one feature that works really well. I also think Adolph Hitler had his good points too. Some of my essays about him were probably overtly negative, and I want to apologize for that. OK, enough satire. LOL!

In response to Fardreamer's comment from Jun 3, 2008 at 8:00PM:

Yep I think the worst is when those problem children have friends and they all discuss and decide that you should be slighted. I have a friend who actually in the past got emails from leads telling them that members with hats were actively emailing the lead to complain about said member. So basically if you are disliked or slighted, it's not even worth trying. I was liked by a lot of people, but I think some of them ended up disliking me b/c of my need to stand up for my friends and even newbies who I saw being slighted. I read about your friends experiment below and it so just shows me exactly what I always thought. The fairness just isn't there. It's a popularity contest in some areas. I haven't deleted my account yet though... I'm so close to $10 and I think this month I'll get the final 1$ I need to cash out! I'm slowly moving my reviews over here (shortening them) so they won't just be deleted into oblivian.

In response to vivasuzi's comment from Jun 3, 2008 at 5:22PM:

Unfortunately, Vivasuzi, sometimes it's hard to steer clear of the members who will, in the long run, be the Epinions equivalent of an IED (roadside bomb) in Iraq. It's bad enough, say, when it's just a no-hat reviewer stirring up trouble and being a troll. It's worse when you're unlucky enough, careless enough, arrogant enough, or just dumb enough to "cross" one of the "blue hats" with the Napoleon complex, particularly over ratings that you think are uncalled for. Obviously, sometimes a reviewer who otherwise should know better sometimes does lose his/her temper and gets snippy with an Advisor. I know...I did that a few times very early on in my Eps career. I thought some of the criteria for ratings in one category were a bit too strict, and I didn't handle myself in the best of ways either. I admit that, and I feel badly that I didn't avoid confrontation, but oy, vey! The consequences of that minor fracas linger and linger because the Advisor in question has a circle of like-minded friends who think that they own the site. (That's why my best friend from Epinions carried out her experiment of not writing any reviews for several months; if the people in that category had been on the up-and-up, her Top Reviewer badge would have been taken away, and other reviewers who were submitting reviews to meet the criteria for TR badges would have been chosen. But she kept her badge - even though she was doing everything she knew not to keep it, and I never did earn mine. That's when my friend did what you did...she got fed up with the politics and favoritism...stopped writing, and deleted her account.)

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 3, 2008 at 3:28PM:

I think one of the lessons Viewpoints will probably learn from the Epinions members (either ex- or active ones) is not to create a situation where members are given positions such as Advisors or Category Leads. I think there are many "blue" and "red hatters" who are decent and fair-minded; the ones in Movies and Books are fantastic and I am happy writing for those categories. Others...well, I'll just say that some people shouldn't be given even one tiny bit of authority or "virtual power" over us grunt reviewers. They can't handle such things responsibly.

Good points all around. I know more of my friends and people I've known for a long time are still hanging on hoping the technical problems will get better. It's also true that if you steer clear of certain members that you might have a decent time there (outside of tech issues). I think what got to me the most was knowing that people "in power" were sometimes very unfair. Even when the unfairness wasn't about me, I got very upset by it. And what you said about Amazon makes sense. The problem isn't members who act out (b/c that happens everywhere), the problem is when you give members like that POWER. Good review. I hope it does turn out good for you! (PS, I never made that much money so for me the drama wasn't worth it.)

In response to Fardreamer's comment from Jun 3, 2008 at 1:43PM:

With every community, there is good and bad. I am so amazed that here, we have managed to keep the bad away and the good shines through. It was the goal of the creators and then, when the first people came aboard (I was one), it was our goal to make this site friendly and positive. I am SO glad it is so far and hope it stays that way.

I obviously am still involved deeply with Epinions and I look at the bight side as much as I can. I do get frustrated with the /review/ situation and the lack of hits but I hope that is straightened out at some point.

In response to GeorgeChabot's comment from Jun 3, 2008 at 1:49PM:

Before my best friend left Epinions (she had been a member before I ever knew the site existed and I actually became her friend because we started chatting on Yahoo IMs as a result of a rating she gave me), she performed an experiment to see how fair the TR game is played in that category. She stopped writing altogether for months, knowing that in most Eps categories "hat selection" is in part predicated by how many reviews one writes for a category. At the same time, she encouraged me to write as many as possible in that category. One month went by, then two, then three. Hat selection time came and went. She still had her hat, and I didn't have one, even though all my reviews were VH. After that. she only stuck around to read and rate, but eventually she deleted her account. That's how strongly she felt about it.

In response to Fardreamer's comment from Jun 3, 2008 at 1:02PM:

Sure, I believe I know which idjits are the problem in that category and all reside firmly on my block list.

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Jun 3, 2008 at 1:21PM:

Fairness and accuracy, Patty, are very important factors in writing any review (or any article, really). I can understand why other members feel so angry and frustrated about some of the "dark side" stuff that happens in Epinions. Believe me, I sometimes do wonder why I'm still writing there at all, considering that some of the Cons I mention here have negatively affected me personally. I know all about members who present to the world a "goodness and light" facade and yet are heirs to Machiavelli's "The Prince." I have seen flame wars. I have seen good writers leave the site in total disgust because they see inequity, cliques, and outright favoritism that foster nothing but divisiveness and disdain for all things Eps-related.

Being overly negative would have been unfair, to be honest. I am disappointed about many things at Epinions, of course. I don't like the database glitches, I don't like the way reviews vanish, and I abhor the politics. But at the same time, I know Epinions is not a huge corporation with 1,000s of employees just playing fiddles while their cyber-Rome burns. The database integration problem is a doozy, and they really do need to get the /review/ bug fixed, but the people at Brisbane do try to make up for such things. That having been said, I don't think trying to put a positive spin on the site would have been a good idea. There are too many of us Eps-people here...and we know that things are not hunky-dory there.

You did a nice job of fairly describing the site and giving your honest impressions of it. I think you were very fair about Epinions without being overly negative or positive. MH, er...good job! :)

In response to GeorgeChabot's comment from Jun 2, 2008 at 1:39PM:

I used to enjoy posting on the boards at first, and sometimes I still do, especially in threads about the $10-4-10 promos. However, my experiences there have been somewhat off-putting, especially when Member A disses Member B (sometimes slyly, sometimes overtly) and threads get pulled (rightly) by the Moderators.
To me, the worst aspect of Epinions is the Advisor/Category Lead system as it is presently set up. Books and Movies have good ones...I don't often have private misgivings about the people in my two TR categories. There is, however, one category where no matter how well one writes and turns in good first reviews, if one is blacklisted by one of those "this is MY category" blue-hats, one never gets a Top Reviewer badge even if Epinions' computer places one's name on the candidates' list for "hat selection." That was one of the main reasons why my best friend (the best one I made at Eps) left the site...she saw how dirty the game is often played behind the scenes at Epinions.

I also have an account Epinions. I haven't written in about a year because it became more of a chore than a hobby. There was just a lot of negativity in the air and the technical issues were very frustrating. You were very fair in your review. Nice job.

I usually stay away from the message boards. It makes life easier.

Great review and it makes me appreciate V.P. more. I had never wriitten for a review site before and I'm glad I came here.

The bad apples do make it bad for everybody. I find the majority to be message board commandos. :>

In response to Jolie's comment from Jun 2, 2008 at 9:27AM:

Thanks, Jolie. I think that one of Viewpoints' strongest suits is that I get the distinct impression that Matt, you, and the rest of the staff truly does care about us writers. I'm not saying that Epinions doesn't care at all, but their structure and corporate attitudes certainly are a bit more aloof.

I also agree that Epinions still has an abundance of good people, both in the writing community as well as in the company itself.....

I, for one, am glad to be here, though!

In response to Jo's comment from Jun 2, 2008 at 6:56AM:

Jo, you're absolutely right about that.

My biggest peeve is always going to be the capriciousness of some Advisors who aren't in my Media area of specialty. There are some who clearly play favorites and don't adhere to certain "rules" when it comes to what we at Eps know as "hat selection." Some members that those Advisors like get their Top Reviewer badges easily and keep them even if they don't write on a regular basis, while others that those Advisors clearly dislike can write tons of reviews, even first-review ones that meet the criteria, and never get a "hat" or "badge".

In response to LisaCarey's comment from Jun 1, 2008 at 10:11PM:

I don't believe that being "100% negative" about a site where I still actively participate is exactly the right or fair thing to do. It's not that I am reluctant to express my feelings of dissatisfaction re Epinions or that I'm trying to put a positive "spin" about a community that has disillusioned others (often to the point that they not only leave Epinions but delete their accounts); I'm just not willing to let my disappointments and frustrations lead me into becoming a "nattering nabob of negativity." After all, I do see that many of us at Viewpoints still write regularly at Epinions and even use the same usernames...so there's something there (besides the $10-4-10 promos) to keep us all from deserting altogether?

Still, there have been times when I've been tempted to leave....so all's not well in Paradise City....

We are thrilled to have you here! :) And, for whatever it's worth, I totally agree that Epinions has some really great and special people.

Very well done.

My biggest peeve, other than the bugs that never get fixed, is the lack of support from management who as Suzi pointed out - well - I'll leave it at that since it's been said! Jo

Amazing! You manage to share your experiences, those that were good and bad without a bad attitude, it can be difficult to do especially with years of experience as years of problems. But there must be some good there as many very good writers still participate. It is just sad to hear when very good writers also get the "shaft" there too. I see it on another site I write for, so tend to fly below the radar and fall out, don't get the hits everyone else does, but still get to publish and make some money and stay out of trouble :-)

Very well done! I think there is bound to be good and bad at every site; it's a matter of which has the best deal overall. What I love about this site is the outstanding PR. Even the sophomoric types behave better if they are treated fairly. Since there are no designated trolls with tiny blue wieners here, that also helps. Giving people power does tend to corrupt them sometimes--causing slimy ink to increase that ugly spot. I won't ask you why you still write for epinyawns. I figure you'll come around if my assessment of epinyawns is correct, if not, I'll learn something and chock it up to experience. In the mean time, I encourage you to follow your heart and keep reaching for that light at the end of the tunnel--and may the force be with you. :-)

In response to LoveisJoy's comment from May 31, 2008 at 3:09PM:

Actually, like the icebergs out at sea, this review only marginally shows part of my experience, at least as far as Epinions is concerned. Thanks for the kind words! :)