General Discussion Discussion Board

Shorter or longer?

CyndiA — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:35:49 GMT

Jolie said…
interesting. I just read a study about people's reading patterns online (when reading blogs)-- so, I blogged about it. The interesting note is that people's attention span is for reading about 100 words and then they scan the rest. Check out the community blog for more details: jolie.viewpoints.com.

Depends on the subject and the writer (and style). On some subjects and in some styles I can hold readers. Good stuff (and sometimes longer) will rise to the top. Takes some time though. Word does get around.

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AWESOMEMOM88 — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:50:56 GMT

I really respect a review that is thorough and tries to anticipate my questions about a product or service, so I don't think length is as important as content. If you have researched a product and have a goodly amount of experience with it-then that is what we are here for, to examine and compare, and learn more. If it isn't of interest, most people will just skim through or not elect to look at it at all, so I wouldn't drive yourself crazy with a length requirement.

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ChrisJarmick — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:44:26 GMT

I wonder if people sometimes read about things they aren't particularly interested in--just out of curiousity. Oh look Patty wrote about some pantyhose... well unless it's a very very witty and funny review (or there's pictures) I'm probably not going to get past a few sentences before I skim through it. I certainly could see people reading 100 words or so and then scanning the rest unless something was particularly provocative or interesting about the subject matter or the writing. Heck I'll be a lot of us have done that.

However if you are interested in a product, service, book, movie... if the review or article is decently written I'm pretty sure most or all of it will be read.

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Telpher — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:41:58 GMT

Filmn reviews, especially, demand some length. It really does nothing for me to have someone say "This movie is good - see it." When I see a movie, it's not just about the script - it's about the cinematography, the music, the acting, the direction and, in many cases, the relationship of one film to other films or an entire genre. I know Fardreamer is a big fan of the Star Wars saga - if I were interested in finding about about any one of those movies, I'd turn to his reviews because I'm sure he'd be able to give his perspective on one Star Wars film in relation to the entire series and to the world of George Lucas. This can't be done in one or two lines.

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Fardreamer — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:28:15 GMT

I agree. I don't find short reviews very helpful, either. When I wrote regularly at Amazon - gratis, at that - I cringed when I saw that some people believe that the phrase "this movie rox (or sux)!" can be considered a review.

I have written short reviews about such things as candy and what not, but I find it difficult to write brief ones about products I'm passionate about.

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ChrisJarmick — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:59:48 GMT

And we wonder why independent bookstores are going out of business at an alarming rate, why literacy rates are plunging in the U.S., why arts organizations are floundering etc. etc.

Actually I question survey data like that, because it's skewed to people who have the time and the willingness to participate in surveys, perhaps while multi-tasking and reading reviews online.

Even the compact short reviews I've written don't get the amount of hits and attention as longer ones.

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Jolie — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:56:37 GMT

interesting. I just read a study about people's reading patterns online (when reading blogs)-- so, I blogged about it. The interesting note is that people's attention span is for reading about 100 words and then they scan the rest. Check out the community blog for more details: jolie.viewpoints.com.

Shorter or longer?

Telpher — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:43:20 GMT

A review that's too short doesn't do much for me. I mean "I used this and I liked it" is not helpful or informative, in any way. When I look for consumer reviews - here and elsewhere - I want to know how a product was used, what the consumer did and didn't like about it, and how the pros and cons weighed against one another. For some products or services, this is easy to convey in a paragraph. For others, a more extensive review is warranted. I've noticed that reviews about customer service almost need to be longer. It's usually not a matter of "the sales guy was nice", so much as "x, y, and z happened...and the sales person resolved it by doing a, b, and c."

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Fardreamer — Sun, 04 May 2008 02:10:52 GMT

Bob,

I don't like extremes in either direction. Reviews that say, "Singer X has always been one of my favorite artists, and this album is his/her best ever" don't help much, but neither do doctoral dissertation-length TV reviews that go into detail about every possible function...in painful detail...down to the texture of the plastic of the remote.

My own philosophy is to write reviews that will entertain as well as inform, with an emphasis on quality rather than on quantity.

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TheBard — Sun, 04 May 2008 01:29:11 GMT

It is hard if not impossible in my view to writing an informative review on or three sentences, unless they are overly long and unnecessarily verbose. Having stated the forgoing, I think the length of a review should be dictated by its subject and other concerns; i.e. a review on a desktop computer should be longer than one on a bar of soap. There is of course something to be said for the concise review, but again the review has to be dictated by the subject. I am very good at writing concise movie reviews and not so god at writing concise hardware and software reviews.

I also write my reviews as though I were writing them for myself, and as such include as much information necessary for the reader to make an informed buying decision. Those concerns in turn dictate any given reviews length.

Vincent a.k.a. ~The Bard~

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CyndiA — Sun, 04 May 2008 00:09:44 GMT

I don't know if I could DO IT in five sentences. Well, I'm sure I could. But, I just start with a blank page. I say what I have to say. I post. Some are pretty short. Some are pretty long. It really depends on what it is and what I have to say about it.

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Jo — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:25:23 GMT

Hi Bob and Cyndi and anyone else reading - once I had an assignment to write a paper with ONLY X amount of words. It wasn't an English paper; the Prof just wanted us to be able to write concisely. So for me truly I would love to write a 5 sentence review on lots of things but I just can"t - not because I'm not able but because I feel as if I'm cheating so that's kind of the opposite of the trauma that I should have endured in the college class.

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CyndiA — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:12:33 GMT

Well, I can't resist. Just how short is interesting?

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bkovacs — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:25:03 GMT

What I do is write about the things that I'd like to know about. I usually go to museums on the weekend, so I'd like to know weekend hours, if they were different than weekday hours. I might go in the evening if I knew the museum was open in the evening.

Then again, that's how my reviews get longer and longer...

A teacher (in high school!) once said that an assignment paper should be like a girl's skirt: Long enough to cover the subject but short enough to be interesting. I always think of that when wondering how long a review should be.

--Bob

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Jo — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:29:34 GMT

Maybe this has been discussed but does anyone really want a whole list of ingredients or are just a few (like the first 5 are the important ones?). What about hours/fees. For ex. if a museum costs $10 to get in then I would just write it and if the hours were 10 to 5 I'd write that too but one recently had a whole list of hours and fees so I gave the website. Thoughts?? Jo

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RachaelsView — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:28:29 GMT

Happy Medium! (I just posted something similar in another VP topic thread). Again I err to;

Write with Efficiency

Make a point, inform your readers, keep it interesting, and keep moving.

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CyndiA — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:32:13 GMT

It's not the size. It's how you use it. I've seen reviews here that were one paragraph and did it for me. Then there are some that were LONG AS HECK, and I would have kept reading if longer.

I notice padding - all those lists and details that no person in their normal mind would need or want. Well, some may want that. They can go to the company web sites. If it's copy and paste, then please let me find it and don't spring it on me.

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PattyTherre — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:10:53 GMT

It is true that people are busy and often don't want to read a really long review. Heck, I don't want to read a really long review at times. I do think, though, that we should use as many words as we need to tell the reader about the product or service.

I started out very long winded, then cut down the reviews and they seemed so...basic. I left out my own personality and I didn't like the way the reviews read. Now, I think I have found my personal style. I write less than I would elsewhere on the little things like packaging, ingredients (unless they are important to the review), what the manufacturer has to say about the product etc. I basically just tell my experience and give a bit of info on the cost because that matters to me when I read a review. if I write a website review, I don't give all the info you can find right on the site. Just the important stuff like customer service and quality.

I don't like reviews that say, "I love this product. It works great and smells great too. I think it's the best!" That tells me nothing. I would like at least some facts to back up why someone likes the product and why it is the best.

I guess people should just write what they feel is enough without filler. It's hard for some of us coming from a different environment to get used to trimming the fat, but I think if we can hit the sweet spot of 500 words, that's an idea length. Not that I often DO that. Just sayin' ... lol.

Patty - who wrote a longer post than many reviews we have on the site!

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Luv2Bargain — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:54:06 GMT

From what i understand, the attention span of someone online is about 15 seconds, but there are those who are truly looking for some good information and well written reviews.
I personally sometimes will come across short reviews and it will be satisfying and i can relate to it easily. Other times i need that extra piece of information, for those who are like me, more informing reviews, whether it be long or short, are the most satisfying.

If your style is to type a lot, then do so, as many people are looking for what only you can provide from a personal outlook.

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Caprig — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:35:39 GMT

I agree with the others- it depends on you, what you are writing about, how much helpful information you have to say, and what you want to come out of the review.

I have short reviews and I have very long detailed reviews both. Some products there is not much you can say about, and others there are a lot of questions people may have.

Formula is a good idea like SpokaneMan suggested too. That helps.

And- not spoiling movies is another.

A good philosophy to adopt is writing a review like YOU would want to read if you needed help on something or want to make a decision to see a movie or something.

It will come in time ;D

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SpokaneMan — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:17:16 GMT

Sometimes it is hard to "shrink" your reviews, but I think if you work hard to come up with a forumla for your writing, that the next time around it is easier. Just a thought?

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ChrisJarmick — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:46:58 GMT

You can write a very good concise opinion on a movie in about 4 or 5 sentences, but if you also want to tell people what it's about and who is in it, you better add another 4 to 10 sentences. And if you want to talk about some of the technical aspects of it, or give some perspective on its relation to other films, then you better plan on adding somewhere between 4 to 12 more sentences. If you have a high movie I.Q. you'll also want to compare a film or write enough about it, that alert readers can compare the film to others of its genre.

Sometimes you want to try and explain why the film resonates with you so strongly. You might be downright passionate about the film. Before you know it... you're well past the 500 word mark and maybe even into the 1,000 or beyond mark.

However if you start getting repititive.. start over-explaining things, or trying to overly justify your opinion, or give too many details about plot machinations... then you're writing a too long winded and boring type of review. Trust your readers. Would you want to read the review you are writing? Would you want to read it anytime of the day?

One thing I never do is spoil important plot points. If I need to discuss them in my review they I will alert readers SPOILER of possible SPOILER.

i also challenge myself to write worthwhile reviews that are not just cookie cutter kind of things that anyone could write. Sometimes I think my reviews are very much worth reading.... other times.... well at least they are informative....

Keep writing, Reading, Good pointing.

Discover a new writer you've never read before. Click on an unfamiliar name and read two to three reviews by that person. There's some very very good and talented or at least FUN writers out there.

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vivasuzi — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:08:52 GMT

I really think there is no right or wrong when it comes to length. I know a lot of mine are long (not as long as I used to write on other sites though) but I have a lot to say! I'm a lengthy person :) However I've written 400 word reviews that covered everything I wanted to say.

What it comes down to for me is this, write as much as you want to cover the points that you think are important. Don't go padding it just because you think it's short, and don't go deleting stuff just because you think it is long. Finally, don't try to make all your reviews a certain length. I just write until I've said it all and that's it. I wouldn't set any mins or maxs on my reviews.

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BayouBengal — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:56:11 GMT

Bob, You have to find the happy medium about how you feel about the product. Some things that you are obviously more passionate about, the more you freely write. I do think that as Laurie says, it depends on the product also. Larger items have more details and features and sometimes you need to mention those in your review in order for the consumer to have a clue as to what they are buying or looking for. As long as the bases are covered with a good description of the product and what it does (or is supposed to do) and your personal experience using it should give the consumer all the information that need to make a decision on purchasing or not purchasing an item.

I see Jo's point also but I don't think that is what you were really referring to in your topic. I consider one, two, three liners just viewpoints--not a true review.--Karen

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Jo — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:45:58 GMT

Hi Bob, I still think 3 sentences just can't capture for example a movie or anything for that matter. I can't put a word number to it but I think that if the review captures the important points though certainly not every point is needed it is long enough. I don't have to know how big a cell phone is but I would like to know if a treadmill will fit into my basement. So I look for what's important for me to know and find that helpful. A review that says "This treadmill is great. It measures 82 inches high by 65 inches long and has a good warranty" just won't cut it with me. Sure the dimensions are there and the person likes it but it can't be bought with just that info. Of course that's just me. Some people are fine reading something like this; however, I would encourage the "rating" option rather than a review that counts toward a person climbing up the ladder. Jo (mom's in P/T)

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LaurieM — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:42:55 GMT

Hi Bob. I honestly believe that it depends on what you are writing about. Some products like a car or a large appliance will require much more information than a shampoo or small kitchen gadget. I really do think that too much info can be as bad as too little at times. Then again, it all depends on the product being reviewed. If I was looking to purchase a large ticket item, I would want a lot of info on it.

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bkovacs — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:58:43 GMT

I've really been struggling to write shorter reviews on Viewpoints. Each time I complete a review, I think, "There, that was shorter." Then I post it and it's just as long as my others.

Can a review be too long or too short? Obviously, a single sentence review that gives no opinions is too short but do you think there is a three-sentence minimum? A four-paragraph maximum? Is too much info just as bad as too little?

--Bob