Writing Reviews

 

1. Can I rate products without writing a review?

   There is currently no functionality within epinions to simply rate a product without submitting a review. The person wishing to rate a product on Epinions must first setup a member account and then write a product review, but given the requirements for Express Reviews, the review does not have to be lengthy.

    

2. How do I write a review?

   To write a review of a product or service, first find the product's listing on the site using the search engine. When you've found the product page, you'll see a prominent link near the top of the page containing the words "Write a Review." Click that link to be taken to a review submission page, which is a form where you can type or paste your review. The front page of the form has spaces for a title, review body, pros, and cons. All spaces on the form state the maximum or minimum number of words allowable and indicate whether or not your input is required. Note that reviews of online services such as stores have spaces only for a review body and a brief description, which will eventually appear as a title.

    

   After you've filled in all of the required spaces on the form or forms, you may submit the form. If there are no html errors and no violations of the naughty-words filter in your text, you'll be shown a mockup of the review as it will appear on the site, including bolding, italics, and any links. Spelling errors are highlighted in yellow. You may then cycle through the submission page again to correct errors (click the "Edit" button) or publish the review (click the "Publish" button).

    

   Although nothing on the form so states, any review less than 200 words in length will be treated as an Express Review.

    

3. How do I count words before posting?

   There are several options for determining word count in a review. Rather than reiterate what has already been discussed at length, please see this message board thread.

    

4. How do I format my review with bold and italics like other members do?

   Reviews allow the use of a few select HTML codes--links to within the Epinions.com domain, bold and italic text, line breaks, and paragraphs.

   For bold text, use the following tags. <b>Bold Text Goes Here</b>

   For italic text, use the following tags. <i>Italic Text Goes Here</i>

   You can find more details on these HTML codes and others in this message board thread. Try to use the tags sparingly in your reviews, as some members will downrate your reviews for excessive use. Similarly, some members will downrate if you do not have any formating at all, particularly if paragraphs are not spaced apart by a blank line.

    

5. How do I create a link to another web page in my reviews and comments?

   You cannot create a live, clickable link to web pages outside of the Epinions.com domain name in your reviews or comments. You can create links to other epinions by simply pasting or typing the URL of the web page you want to link to.

    

   You can create embedded live links (where the link is embedded in some descriptive text and the URL address isn't shown) by using the following HTML code:

   <a href="URLHERE"> Really Cool Page</a>

    

6. Why won't HTML coding work?

   As with most websites, the HTML coding you can use is limited on Epinions. Nearly every regular HTML tag will work in the Long Bio section of your profile, but everywhere else on the site you are limited to the following tags:

   Bold Text - <b></b>

   Italic Text - <i></i>

   Links - <a></a>

   Line Breaks - <br> or <br />

   Paragraphs - <p></p>

    

   Anchors can also be used within reviews, although sometimes you may get an error when using the regular anchor code (<a name="PinkElephantLoafers">) for no apparent reason. If you get an unacceptable markup code error, simply include a forward slash at the closing of the tag*. For example:

   <a name="PinkElephantLoafers"/>

   Either way, to link to that section of the review, the link would be:

   <a href="http://www.epinions.com/content_XXXXX#PinkElephantLoafers">Read about Pink Elephant Loafers</a>

   You must include the URL of your review before putting #PinkElephantLoafers or the link will not work. Therefore, you'll need to put your review into draft mode to retrieve the review's URL before you can properly create those links.

    

   • When you publish the review with a forward slash in the anchor tag, Epinions will automatically slightly alter the anchor tag, so you will need to replace the closing bracket (>) in order to make any updates.

    

    

   Further information and discussion about using HTML on Epinions can be found in this message board thread.

    

7. What do I do when I get the error message: the following field contains unacceptable markup code (HTML)?

   There are a few things to check in your review if this happens to you. First and foremost, ensure that your review is only making use of 'accepted' epi-HTML code. This has been addressed previously here. If you are certain that you are not trying to use non-epi-HTML, you are left with what must be a manual entry error. Read member scmrak's essay regarding a few potential problems here and compare your review with the problems outlined to see if you can find the problem. If this still doesn't address the problem, there are a few troubleshooting techniques other members have used.

    

   First, you can delete all the HTML codes in your submission and add it back in piece by piece until the offending article is found. While this is tedious, it does work to narrow down the problem. Another solution is to break your submission up into sections and submit piece by piece. In this fashion the user can determine which area of the review to focus on, and once the offending code is discovered the article can be submitted.

    

8. When I copy my review from Microsoft Word, some characters look like gibberish. How do I avoid that?

   Certain characters like bullet points and symbols must be input with HTML code. The list of codes can be found in mobiprof's member advice piece:

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

    

9. My review won't post because of unacceptable words. What should I do?

   Epinions utilizes an "objectional word filter" (abbreviated as OWF by some of the members) that sometimes interprets harmless words or word fragments as unacceptable. You’ll be able to find these words in the body of your text as shown in red with a strikethrough line on the offending word, e.g. dirty. Epinions will not post your review unless you edit it to either remove or alter these words.

    

   Some members simply replace one letter of any potentially objectional word with an asterisk or other character. Others find synonyms to get their point across, while still others override the filter entirely with top secret tricks. If you choose to try to override the filter, you risk being issued a "ticket" for offensive content.

    

   The OWF and swearing in reviews has been discussed in several member advice topics and message board posts through the years.

    

   Further Reading:

   Community Discussion on Swearing in Reviews - Epinions Message Board

   How the Objectionable Words Filter Works by mobiprof

Managing Your Reviews

 

1. What is 'unpublished content'?

   Unpublished content is those essays or opinions that you have written but have, for whatever reason, left in draft mode instead of publishing. It appears to you alone on your profile page just above the list of recent reviews. Content that you have already published but subsequently placed in draft also appears in the list of unpublished content. No one but the author can see the list of unpublished content (or the content itself) and it does not accrue visits or income share until published.

    

   To publish, you need only click on the link beside the content that says "Update/Publish". You may also delete unpublished content. Some members keep many submissions in Draft mode while working on them, while others rarely use the function.

    

2. Can I delete and repost reviews?

   Deletion and reposting of reviews is a gray area. The site rules and the FAQ on submissions both clearly indicate that "Publishing the same review more than once" is a violation. Some members believe that this wording means that you are may only review a product once, others read it to mean that you may publish the same text but once, and may delete and republish as long as you have changed the text. Further complicating matters is the slightly variant text in the FAQ on Writing Reviews, which answers the question "Can I post the same review more than once?" with an unequivocal "No. A member may only write one review per product or service," and suggests that members who wish to change their review use the "update" procedure.

    

   All members appear to agree that deleting an Express Review so that you may publish a Regular Review on the same topic is acceptable, for there is no other way to change the status of a review. Virtually all appear to agree that deleting a review and republishing the same text because you do not like the ratings and/or comments it has received is not acceptable. How a delete-and-repost will be regarded by an individual member appears to be related to his or her perception of your purpose for doing so.

    

3. How do I update or delete my review?

   To update or delete a review you have written, go to the page of the review, and on the right side of the page, above the author information, are the two links. If you would only like to temporarily hide your review, and not permanently delete it, you can pull your review into draft mode by beginning the update process and not finishing it. Be aware that members that have rated your review are not notified if you make an update to your review, so if you would like them to take another look at your review, you need to email them.

    

4. How do I move my review?

   In early 2007, a move feature was added to Epinions' functionality. To move a review, simply find the listing URL where you want to place your review, and then follow the procedure as laid out after clicking the Move button when viewing your review. This feature was primarily created in response to reviews moving due to bugs with the Epinions database. Subsequently, there are some limitations with the move feature, making deleting and reposting a better option in some cases.

    

   Among these limitations, one of the most notable is that advice pieces cannot be moved, nor can reviews be moved to advice topics. This is because all advice pieces are set up in a database separate from the reviews database, with the numbering system and the article requirements varying between the two.

    

   Another limitation is that the move feature does not address the ratings that have been placed on a review prior to moving it. Therefore, if moving the review should theoretically change the review's overall rating, the writer will need to contact the original raters. In such cases, a better course of action may be to delete and repost the review so that it may start afresh.

    

5. My review moved itself to a different listing. Why?

   The company is constantly updating the database, particularly in the wake of acquisition of or by other companies. Since second quarter 2005, there has been a concerted effort to "integrate" the Epinions.com database with that of its parent company, Shopping.com. During this effort, product listings occasionally move as topics are collated and/or compressed. Company spokespersons have said that such shifts do not affect Income Share or visibility of the reviews, although anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that such assurances are somewhat naive.

    

   If your review has moved to a topic that is incorrect (e.g. your review of a perfume is now attached to a tire), you may use the move function to place the review in the proper location.

    

6. My reviews are showing up on other websites. What's up?

   Epinions.com is but one of a family of websites that share content among them. As part of the User Agreement each member "signs" upon joining, you agree that Epinions may share your content with its partners. Those partners include eBay.com, Pricetool.com, Shopping.com, and Dealtime.com, among others. If you are concerned that the content has been copied without permission, first check with Customer Care to be certain that it has not been supplied legitimately.

    

7. My review is getting rated Off Topic for no apparent reason. Why is that?

   More than likely the review is just that; off-topic. Is the review written for a closely related product rather than the exact product listing? This is probably the most common mistake new reviewers make and will be rated as off-topic most of the time. Instead of finding the 'best fit' product in the database, users should go through the process of adding the desired product to the database. This is explained in the FAQ here.

    

   Another frequent reason for off-topic ratings is that the review is not a product review, but rather a service review. For instance, if a user has purchased an HP laptop and had problems with it and the resulting customer service rigmarole, the tendency is to write a 'review' in which the totality of the text is a customer complaint regarding the customer service. This is often given an off-topic rating as it is not a review of the product. An on-topic review would consist of a typical run-down of the product with a large section devoted to customer service. There are not currently areas within Epinions to rate companies and customer service branches.

    

   If neither of these adequately explain the off-topic rating, the wise user will take the time to email the raters in question and ask for an explanation of the rating. It may be that the rater misread the text or can give adequate explanation in email form, thus satisfying both the author and the rater.

    

8. How can I see who's reading my reviews?

   You can look at the profiles of members who are rating your reviews by clicking on their member names on the bottom of your reviews. There's no way to know who else is reading your reviews, though, which is why you should never give identifying information about yourself or anyone else in your review text.

Reading and Rating Reviews

 

1. Where do I find lists of recently published reviews?

   From the Member Center, clicking the New Reviews link in the left-hand column will take you to the New Regular Reviews in, commonly called the Just Ins by the membership. This lists the last several product reviews published across the site, and has a link to read the most recent Express Reviews. To read recent reviews in a specific category, click the link "Read New Reviews In (area of interest)" at the bottom of that particular category's page.

    

2. How can I comment on someone else's review?

   At the bottom of every review, above the ratings, you will find a link that either says:

   "Write the first comment on this review!" or

   "Read all Comments (#)" and "Write your own comment"

   Simply click on one of those links and follow the prompts to comment on the review.

    

3. How can I subscribe to other member reviews?

   Subscribing to a member's reviews can now be done in different ways - you can set up a New Review Alert from the member's profile page (click the link at the top left of that page) or (*NEW* as of November 14, 2006), you can subscribe to a member's reviews via an RSS, My Yahoo or Google Reader feed. The links to add these feeds are currently found at the bottom of the member's profile.

    

   Google Reader

   If you use Google Reader, here's a shortcut to add a feed:

    

   1. Copy the URL of the Google Reader feed for Epinions

       

      http://rss.epinions.com/rss/linkin_id-8003929/member-

       

   2. In Google Reader, click the "Add Subscription" link and paste the URL into that box.

       

   3. At the end of the URL, type the name of the member you wish to add and then Click the "Add" box.

      For example, the complete URL to add Garrett (roheblius, of Epinions Community Care) would be:

       

      http://rss.epinions.com/rss/linkin_id-8003929/member-roheblius

Finding Products

 

1. I can't find the product I want to review. What should I do?

   First, you need to make sure that your product is not already in the database. The Epinions.com search engine experiences intermittent technical difficulties which can compromise its ability to find your product. Before suggesting a product, search for the product in the Epinions.com database via the Google search engine to make sure your product hasn't already been added. To do this, type the product name in quotes followed by site:Epinions.com

    

   For example, if I were searching for Maybelline's Great Lash mascara, I'd go to Google.com and type Great Lash mascara site:Epinions.com into the search box. If Google fails to find your product within the Epinions.com domain, the next step is to determine what category your product falls under to suggest your product to the Category Lead.

    

   Each category has a different process for making your suggestions, but generally, every product falls into an epinions category. The category listing is here. If you’re unsure of what category your product falls under, find a similar product on Epinions.com and pay close attention to the site map that leads to that product. This will appear in blue letters right above the product’s picture and will always begin with the home page. The term immediately following the home page is your category.

    

   For eg., if it says "Home > Games > Computer Games" the category is Games.

    

   Each category has one or more Category Leads who are the only Epinions.com members that can add a product to the database for you. Usually, Category Leads ask that you either visit an offsite bulletin board for the product or email them directly. The offsite Suggest-A-Product Page lists the instructions, contact information and external message boards for suggesting a product to be added to the Epinions database.

    

   Before making your request, you’ll need specific information about the product readily available. The kind of information you’ll need varies by category, and may include the following:

    

   your epinions id and email address

   exact brand and product name

   home page of manufacturer

   ISBN number or other product model number

   URL of product image from the manufacturer’s web page

   price

   other descriptors that will ensure the Category Lead can differentiate your product from others

    

   After you’ve suggested your product, the Category Lead(s) will attempt to add your product. This process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, if your product can be added. When your product has been added, a link will be emailed to you so that you can write a review.

    

   Be patient with the Category Leads, as adding products to the database is a volunteer task. Leads have jobs, families and other obligations just like all members, and their ability to add a product can be compromised by (1) a lack of information about the product; and (2) technical issues that are outside of their control. If you don’t receive an email reply after two weeks, you can inquire about the status of your request.

    

   Be advised that Category Leads cannot add new brands to the database. If the brand of your product is new to the Epinions.com, the Category Lead will give you that information and, in most cases, request that the brand be added. Only site management can add new brands to the Epinions database.

    

   Further Reading:

   So You Wanna Add a New Product? Listen Up by scmrak

    

    

2. I can't find a Category Lead for the Gifts Category. How do I add a product in that category?

   The Gifts Category is a catch-all area for items that don't fit in elsewhere on the site, and Epinions has made the decision not to appoint a Category Lead or any hats for that area. There are no current plans to change this, so you will not be able to request a product be added to the Gifts Category.

    

3. Multiple listings exist for one product. What should I do?

   With the different paths to adding products to the Epinions database, there will always exist multiple listings for the same product. If you are trying to determine which one to write your review under, you can use the Google search engine to discover which one is linked first, as this one will generally generate the most hits for your review. Another alternative is to use the Shopping.com search engine to discover which listing is linked, as this will offer the best chance for click-thru IS.

    

   If the question is how to address the multiple listings to eliminate the 'incorrect' listings within the database, Epinions offers the following link for reporting: Bug Report - Multiple Listings of a Product. Submit a bug and then hope that customer care will address the issue.

    

4. The product I'm reviewing has the wrong picture. How can I change the picture?

   From time to time the data feeds that Epinions receives are inaccurate, leading to incorrect product details and/or pictures. Unless the picture is seriously affecting the way Epinions displays its pages, it is unlikely that Epinions will correct the image. You may report it as a bug, but rarely are those reports acted upon.

    

5. The price is wrong on the shopping comparison page. Who should I report this to?

   Epinions receives its pricing data from a number of 3rd party feeds. Subsequently, inaccurate information does appear from time to time and Epinions is unable to directly correct the data. You may still choose to report it as a bug, but do not expect the pricing data to be corrected.

    

6. I want to warn people about a store or contractor in my area who is undependable. Why can't I write reviews of stores, service companies, and contractors?

   At one time Epinions published reviews of local services, but the company dropped the category after a few months for unstated reasons. Presumably, the number of potential database entries was larger than expected, or the income stream was too small, or both. Following are some suggestions that have been offered:

    

   • If the company has a website with substantial eCommerce, contact the Category Leads of Online Stores and Services and request that it be added.
   • Angie's List claims to have a large database of reviews of home service contractors.
   • Check the Craig's List, if any, for your area.
   • For negative comments, check Complaints.com.

    

7. What are Related Deals? Can I review them?

   Related Deals are a means by which Epinions.com obtains referral income for items that aren't in the database. These items appear at the bottom of search listings, beneath a blue bar with a tab bearing the words "Related Deals." If you follow a related deal link, you'll be directed to another site in a new window where you may, if you wish, avail yourself of the "deal." Many times the relationship of the deal to the original search criteria is puzzling at best.

    

   Related Deals are almost always items that are not in the database, and so they are unavailable for review.

Miscellaneous

 

1. If I put the product name in the title, will search engines rank my review higher than those without it?

   Though some members swear by this technique, there is no evidence that placing the product name in the title of the review results in a measurable increase in page ranking on Google.com or other search engines. The reason is simple: the name of the product is already in the title of the page, since all reviews are displayed on an html page with a title of the form Compare Prices and Read Reviews on ..... at Epinions.com. The title assigned by the author is merely one more line of text in the html file.

    

   Since search engines such as Google are known to calculate page ranking at least on part based on the number of times the search term appears in the file, it is likely that repetition of the product name may result in some marginal increase in visibility. The appearance of the product name in the title does increase that count. On the other hand, many members believe that the use of a "catchy" title, especially one containing sexual innuendo, will increase visits from people perusing the lists of titles on the Product page. There has been, however, no reliable test of either of these theories.

    

2. I wrote reviews, but there's no money in my earnings summary. How can I find out how much money my reviews are making?

   Regular reviews with an overall rating of "Helpful" or "Very Helpful" are eligible to receive Income Share. Reviews with an overall rating of "Somewhat Helpful" or "Not Helpful" will not earn money on Epinions. Income Share is only distributed once a month, twelve times a year. There's no way to see how much income share you're earning in "real time."

    

   Income Share is connected to the number of non-member hits you're receiving on your reviews, though, so if you have lots of hits above and beyond the first number of member hits shown next to your review, you might expect to earn at least a penny or two.

    

   Express Reviews (shorter reviews rated "Show" or "Don't Show") do not have their visits tracked and do not earn Income Share.

    

   For more details, visit the Income Share page.

    

3. How do I enter my review in Epinions' monthly sweepstakes?

   Epinions hosts a monthly first-VH review sweepstakes. The criteria are quite simple; if an author writes the first Very Helpful rated review of a product within the Epinions database, they can enter this review into the sweeps. The review must be entered into the sweepstakes within the month it was written, and the entry form can be found here:

    

   http://www.epinions.com/feedback/?show=sweepstakes

    

   While the page will be updated each month, the URL used is always the same. Bookmark this in your favorites if you like. At the close of every month Epinions will collect the entries and three winners will be chosen at random for the prizes. Keep in mind that the announcement for the winners will often not occur quickly; it has been known to take up to several months! This has been attributed to the difficulty in tracking down the winners to collect their personal information for shipment of the prizes. Write the first VH-rated review, enter it and cross your fingers.

    

4. What are 'retired' and 'archived' topics?

   Retired or archived topics are listings that were once visible on the site and eligible for IS, but have since been hidden from the casual eye and will not receive IS. Reviews and essays can still be submitted on archived topics, but not on retired topics.

    

   Topics are not regularly retired or archived, but in the earlier days of Epinions, it was more common. The reason for retiring/archiving topics was typically because they were often inane subjects, such as a topic on "How to Choose Socks," or because they weren't beneficial to Epinions. Some of the most widespread archiving happened to an entire section called "Local Services" that provided listings for brick and mortar stores. No official reason has ever been given for why that section was removed, but most people believe it was simply because it generated little income for Epinions and had the potential to become an extremely large and ambiguous category.

    

5. What are Hot Lists and Top 10 Lists? Where can I find them?

   Hot Lists are lists generated by Category Leads that represent the most researched, and typically unreviewed, topics in a particular category. However, many of these lists are known to be seriously inaccurate, causing some Category Leads to not bother generating the lists. If you want to find out if a category does have hot lists, the easiest way is to contact the respective Category Lead(s).

    

   Top 10 Lists are also based on which products are researched the most. However, they are generated by Epinions and are more focused on a certain type of product and are not based upon the number of reviews written. These lists have also known to be inaccurate, but because they are more focused than Hot Lists, they tend to at least provide a good indication of what's popular. These lists can be found on the Epinions.com home page, and an analysis of the most searched for terms can be found at Shopping.com's Consumer Demand Index.

    

6. What are Write-Offs and Write-Ons?

   In its most basic definition, Write-Offs encourage members to write reviews. Beyond that, there is a wide variety in what makes up a write-off. Some encourage members to post concise reviews (sleeper54's Lean-n-Mean Write-Off), others request information about the member (sarahlovesadam's Getting to Know Each Other Write-Off), and they've even been used to protest (Sordid-1's Epinions Blows Dog Write-Off). There are no limits as to what a Write-Off may cover and what its final goal may be. To participate in a Write-Off, all you need is an invitation from the Write-Off host, who will provide you with all of the details about that particular Write-Off.

    

   Write-Ons are essentially the same thing, but the term is rarely, if ever, used.

    

7. How do I start my own Write-Off?

   Anybody can start a write-off, with there being no formal way of going about doing so. Most often, members will publish an article in the Writer's Corner or Member Advice sections of the Member's Center, explaining the who/what/when/where/how of the write-off and inviting members to join. Sometimes members will just post all of the details on their profile page. Others will send out emails, or post on other websites like MSN or Yahoo.