Having been writing on MS for more than four months now and reading much more than writing, I wanted to join the voices who have expressed their thoughts on writing reviews. Others have written quite well about what constitutes a great review. There isn’t much I could add that is useful. I’d like to ponder for a bit on why I think people write here and how that effects what they write and how.

The first truth is-no matter what we try to tell ourselves, we come first for the promise of payment. That isn’t to say that that’s what keeps everyone here. BUT it is the initial carrot. Initial reviews can be pretty minimal as the new writer (especially those who haven’t done writing before) struggles to learn the rhythms of this site and expectations of it’s readers. Then one of two things happens.----

Those looking only for the payment drift away. These folks write perfunctory reviews for a while and then disappear. The rest join the ranks of the MS addicted.

How do you recognize these addicts? They are those with the alert eyes and open ears. They look thoughtfully at the products they use, the movies they see and the books they read. They seek to express their views clearly -genuinely wanting others to understand and consider their experiences when making decisions. They can be found checking out new web sites and considering a whole range of opinion topics daily.

There is a huge benefit to writing reviews at MS. The writer becomes his/herself more critical and thoughtful when looking at products and services-in other words-a better consumer. Most will also by the process of writing more and more, improve their writing skills.

So finish reading the latest reviews and sit down and write! All of us MS addicts are here waiting to read.