There are times when I feel a review needs to be rated beyond “Very useful”, and there are times when I would feel a review is hopeless and needs to be rated much below “Not useful”.
Fortunately, for me, there have been comparatively very few reviews of the latter kind, or maybe, I was really lucky in not coming across such reviews that would have forced me to pull at my already scarce hair in despair.
Somewhere in between these two extremes lie most of the reviews that appear in MouthShut, i.e., from ‘Useful’ to ‘Very useful’. A ‘Not useful’ rating can not only be degrading to a good writer but very misleading as well to a casual reader who might presume at the outset that the review in question is not worthy enough to be given even a ‘lookin’.
In a vast majority of cases, such reviews have been found to be quite useful to most discerning readers despite the fact that they have been tagged by some as ‘NU’, and that brings me to the frequently asked question…”Why do members rate even reasonably good reviews as ‘NU’?”
There is an element of psychology involved here and one doesn’t need the likes of Sigmund Freud to understand as to what makes certain members “trigger happy” when it comes to rating reviews followed by revolting comments.
Most members who rate reviews consistently ‘NU’ are themselves,
as a rule, poor writers.
They suffer from a certain inferiority complex which takes control
of their own reasoning.
They draw vicarious pleasure from hurting other members,
especially, those who happen to be prolific and popular writers.
Those who have been dealt with poorly by other members, and are on the lookout for an opportunity to draw daggers out.
Finally, there are ‘nut cases’ that defy logic.
There is hope that the first four will learn from their mistakes and become responsible MSians, but there is no such hope in respect of the last category that they will learn for the simple reason that they are avowed ‘enemies of reason’ (aqal ke dushman). In fact, they go about advising other members how to write reviews or comments. In trying to act too smart, these people show up to be what they really are…’Nuts’. We can only hope that they will fade away, like they usually do over a period of time, achieving nothing in particular.
There are also members who read reviews without rating, and some that rate mechanically without reading. Well, what can one say about such people?
10 Silly Questions:
Let us ask ourselves 10 silly questions (Dus aur Bus):
Have I written any worthwhile reviews to be in a position to advise others about their effort?
Have I read the review completely and assimilated it before making a comment?
Am I proactive while RRCing members’ reviews ...or reactive?
A good writer is almost always a good reader; a good reader is not necessarily a good writer. What am I? It is very important for me to understand this because only then I will be in a position to comment responsibly on other members’ reviews..
Do I encourage members to write well by highlighting their strengths, or believe I am encouraging them anyway by harping constantly on their shortcomings?
MouthShut is a forum for freedom of thought, but in my anxiousness to air my thoughts freely have I lost a sense of responsibility, sense of fair play?
Do I reply to unnerving, embarrassing, provocative, or vulgar comments with a sense of equanimity?
Am I really concerned with unfair or unjust rating?
Do I take the trouble to reply to individual comments because, it is a matter of courtesy, camaraderie, and above all it is an acknowledgement to others that I value their opinions? One other thing, it is also proof that I know my subject well. If I were to write a very good review on a particular product and not bother about replying to comments or queries from members, one reason for my reluctance to elaborate my views in the comments section could be that I am passing off other peoples’ work as my own and I am a ‘big zero’ where my own opinions or thoughts are concerned. Surely, by replying to comments I don’t want to expose my ignorance and more importantly the folly (read plagiarism) I have committed.
Why do my reviews look so good in language, structure, and vocabulary in comparison to my comments and my replies to comments? Surely, there is something wrong! Presenting good reviews is not the most difficult part; …replying to queries on the review definitely is since it requires originality and a grasp of the subject. The same holds true for rating and commenting consistently on other members’ reviews.
Self Assessment:
If you give yourself 5/10…not bad and you are honest too, 6/10 …good, 7/10…very good indeed, 8/10…great, 9/10…outstanding, 10/10…stop joking, we haven’t reached that state of perfection yet!
Life-line of MouthShut:
I know many members on this site who are ‘Outstanding’. They write brilliantly, read other members’ reviews diligently, and make incisive and engaging comments. In fact, these members are the real backbone of MouthShut and have made this site such a lovely, endearing place to be in. I’d love to name them, but I’d rather not…! Suffice to say that many of them are on my Trust List. That should convey enough because when it comes to putting members on my Trust List…I am a little old fashioned. Honestly (look I am blushing),…I am not trying to advertise my ‘Trust List’. Yes, they are the best! There may be others too who are very good but I haven’t got around to read their reviews consistently enough (my fault, though) to put them on my ‘Trust List’.
We are humans and we have all the frailties that come with the human race. Well, it’s like package deals…take the whole damned thing or leave it. Unfortunately, most of us take it. One of the frailties that need to be mentioned here is our craving for appreciation. Just as the poet craves for a ‘wah wah’ from the audience, the singer …a connoisseur, the teacher …pupils in awe, the speaker …responsive audience, a child …a chocolate for a good deed …the similes are endless, but by now you would have already guessed what I am driving at. Yes, even MSians need a word of appreciation or acknowledgement for writing good reviews. Recognition is important for a member to develop writing skills. It can make an average writer good, a good writer better.
Once the writer grows in stature, he or she will not only be able to write good reviews but also experiment different approaches, and have the confidence to sprinkle it with personal experiences.
Personal experiences or views are what makes a product or service interesting and worthy of having. A good review is one, which highlights both the good features and the shortcomings of a product or service. Personally, I get a little wary when members swing to the extreme in belittling a product or praising its virtue sky high. Come on …there has got to be some sanity around here!
Let’s be conscientious 'raters', and let our comments be positive, constructive, just, and ethical. Let our RRCing be consistent and not pandering to the whims and fancies of our fevered thinking.
What! You wanna break? …No, no …I no give break …I take break when I sleepy get…
M B Farookh.
