Member Advice

 

 

 

Epinions gives members the opportunity to contribute helpful information outside of product reviews. Each category has several subcategories that are visible by scrolling to the bottom of a main category page (for example, http://www.epinions.com/auto). Topics range from The Best Books by Year to Music How To's, and Advice on Child Safety.

 

Over the years, members have also written Member Advice articles that focus on community issues, such as the Do's and Don'ts of review writing, rating practices, the Web of Trust, and tips for boosting earnings on Epinions. Reviews of past Meet & Greets, general Member Messages to the Epinions Community, and General Comments for new members about Epinions can also be found in this section.

 

It's a little like a public square for Epinions members, and it has many of the pros and cons you might expect from a place where any member can write anything they wish at any time - regardless of their level of knowledge about the site.

 

If you're interested in the history and membership here at Epinions, the Member Advice section can be a great place to start, but be aware that many of the articles are biased, inaccurate and/or contain very dated information - regardless of the rating they may possess. This section also serves as a catch-all for items such as recipes, Write-Off (a.k.a. W/O) announcements, and nominations for the once-proposed Hall of Fame for Epinions members, as well as more general rants.

 

Finding Member Advice Essays

Member Advice essays can be found in three ways. First, you can click here, or use the link under REVIEWS on the menu provided in the Member Center. You also have the option to view contributions to the Member Advice section written by particular members by clicking on the "View more opinions by username" link on that member's profile page. After clicking this link, you'll see three tabs above the listing of reviews. Click the tab that reads "Member Advice" to read all Member Advice essays by that user. The final method is to use an external search engine, such as Google, using a search string such as site:epinions.com How to build your Web of Trust.

 

If you're interested in different perspectives on a particular topic, such as Developing an Epinions Personality or Building Your Web of Trust, you have the option to sort by author, date written, or overall opinion rating in the blue bar above the essay listing.

 

Some members have devoted a great deal of time and attention to writing Member Advice essays. Category Leads have written Member Advice essays on their hopes and opinions for their respective categories, and several members with technical savvy have written advice on HTML coding and profile page formatting. Some have even created their own lists of essays for members on offsite web pages. For example, Mobiprof has created a Googlepages site that features an index of his many essays discussing Epinions, as well as a link to his Epidictionary.

 

A Few Examples

The list below is by no means comprehensive. It is meant to serve as a starting point for members who are interested in the popular topics below. Keep in mind that many Member Advice essays are, of course, biased and that for every opinion there is an equal and opposite opinion. These are merely examples, and are not completely free of that bias or from inaccurate information.

 

Technical advice

How Important is Your Profile Page by jag2112 - Part One, Part Two and Part Three

• real bullets • “true quotes” • ellipsis and… • actual sex symbols! • by mobiprof

Using MS Word Macros To Add HTML Tags to Your Reviews and Four Reasons Why Your HTML was Rejected - and How to Fix It! by scmrak

 

Security

Free Common Sense - No Waiting by pogomom

Everything You (Did Not) Want To Know About Epinions by CyndiA

 

Community Concerns

Welcome to Bambi's Epinions House of Trustitution by scmrak

Design for Epinions by gracef

Oh Software Category, Where Art Thou? by ivplay

The Epinions Search function: NH by Penguinlady

When Online Vendors Do A Pump & Dump – Online Services At Epinions by Freak369

 

Advice by current and former Category Leads on writing and rating in their respective categories

Sharpening the Saw, Pt. 1 and AA for Headline Writers by Redlass (Books)

How I Rate Reviews and Ratings Redux by pearannoyed (Books)

Some of You Asked: My Rating Criteria for Auto Reviews by scmrak (Cars and Motorsports)

One Reviewer's Formula for VH Computer Reviews that Just Might Click by nc10 (Computer Hardware, Computer Software)

Keeping it fresh . . . by cr01 (Hotels and Travel)

Why You Little ... Uhm, You Rated Me What?! by Psychovant (Movies)

MadTheory Presents: The Diary of an Epinions Loser. and You Knew It Was Coming: The How I Rate Essay… by MadTheory (Music)

An Open Letter to New Members by amykhar (Online Stores & Services)

A Former Newbie Looks Back and Shares by Joubert (Online Stores & Services)

My review creation and rating guidelines. by openroad (Sporting Goods, Outdoor Gear)

 

Selected advice on rating reviews

The Panguitch Ratings Rubric by panguitch (Books)

 

 

 

 

Writing Member Advice Essays

Before writing a member advice essay, be sure you are posting in the appropriate topic. Are you trying to give advice on a topic that belongs in the Personal Finance category? Try scrolling to the bottom of the Personal Finance category page first to see if your topic exists. If you don't see the topic you'd like to review, unfortunately Category Leads cannot add advice topics, so you will need to look for another appropriate area, which may lead you to the Writer's Corner.

 

Interested in giving your opinion on a particular community topic? Look at the topics listed in the Member Advice forum. If you don't see your topic anywhere, consider whether or not your opinion is a good candidate for the Writer's Corner or if it is something worth discussing on the Message Boards.

 

 

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