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Davit Sicseek Inner circle 1818 Posts |
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I'd just like to say I'd rather all reviews be placed in the reviews forum. Recently there were three separate reviews for Richard Osterlind's "The Principles of Mentalism"- one here, one in the reviews forum and one in "Inner Thoughts" I'd rather all reviews be placed in the forum most related to their subject. I've never understood the utility of a seperate reviews forum that spans all of the magical arts. This is all irrespective of the fact that my threshold of 'review' for the purposes of this thread is very low. Full blown reviews accepted, I am equally thinking of the thread that goes My mate has a new product->Great I will buy it->Me too->I wont->I bought it and here is by fluff review. These types of reviews spring up organicly wherever the intial thread is placed. Quote:
@Davit: I haven't seen too many reviews from you, good or otherwise. I can't say I enjoy writing reviews. This combined with the fact that my review would often be late since I'm almost always am 'behind' in actually reading/watching the stuff I buy you'll have to savour my contibutions when they come around. If this isn't could enough I could lower my standards and generate a 5 paragraph piece of fluffy fluff fluff on a product of your choice. I might even read it first. Quote:
I think you've missed out an important one, the person doing the review... am I more likely to listen to you, or say bob cassidy or john riggs if they review something? it might be that as (partly) a review's outcome is based on taste and fancy will come into play... Now we are getting down into the nitty gritty. The issue you have raised is exactly why I started this thread. The type of 'fluff' review that I am criticising is almost entirely opinion. What I am looking for is qualified-opinion, objective assesments of a products worth. Does it live up to the promises made in the marketing materials? This is largely a question of fact, not opinion. To use your example of maths - rather than saying the maths was easy or difficult - what level of proficiency is required. Could a primary school kid do it? Secondary school? Does it require 3 digit multiplication? Although subjective opinion will always be present in a review, there are ways that it's influence can be eliminated. You don't need to know a performers history (or even posting history) to accept that Trick 3 from Publication X is old stuff rehashed from Publication Y and while the description sounds good involves 2 comprimises not mentioned in the blurb. As for who would listen to... I know you have a particular soft spot for Riggs so I suspect you'd listen to him. I'm not going to take the position that a 'name' doesn't have an advantage in giving reviews - but what I will say that it quite possible for them to give a fluff review, a biased review or for their review (notwithstanding their experience and neon-signed name) to be terrible. Obviously some big names are never wrong, but I must behave myself
Send me the truth: davitsicseek@gmail.com
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Dick Christian Inner circle Northern Virginia (Metro DC) 2619 Posts |
I wanted to weigh in on this since I frequently post reviews on the Café and other forums as well as being one of the regular reviewers for the monthly "Hocus In Focus" column in The Linking Ring magazine.
I strongly believe that writing (and posting) reviews is serious business and the reviewer has a responsibility to BOTH the creator/seller and buyer that is not to be taken lightly. A review can have a major impact — either good or bad — on the sale of the item being reviewed. While it is impossible for any reviewer to divorce himself completely from his personal tastes and preferences, I try my best to be as objective as possible in my reviews — both on the Café and elsewhere — and to point out any weaknesses I perceive as well as the strong points. I think anyone who reads my reviews carefully will agree that I do. It is not now, nor has it ever been, my intention to write a “puff piece” and I only write reviews of items I have either purchased or which have been submitted to me — unsolicited — for review. I do not make it a point to seek out and contradict reviews posted by others that express opinions contrary to my own unless I feel that the effect/item is so bad that potential buyers should be warned and in those few instances when I purchased (or received for review) something that was in that category I have never hesitated to so note. I only review products that I think fall within my areas of personal expertise and, whenever possible, I try to test the item myself in actual performance before writing my review — although the time constraints associated with posting reviews in a timely manner often make it impossible to do so. Additionally, when posting reviews to the Café, I prefer to post them in the "Inner Thoughts" forum because while I take pains to avoid including information that exposes the "secret" to an inappropriate degree, I feel that any review is apt to include details that I prefer not to share with either the "merely curious" or those who are nothing but "collectors of secrets." It is important that those who read reviews keep one thing in mind, namely that a review only represents ONE person’s opinion — nothing more and nothing less — and others have every right to disagree. After all, to use a cliché, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. So, while I don’t expect everyone to agree with my opinions about anything I respect their right to express opposing views; however, I would suggest that those who wish to question my integrity or the objectivity of my review might want to withold their comments until they have received and reviewed their own copies of the product I’ve reviewed at which time I will look forward to reading and considering their opinions and respond if and when I think it appropriate (e.g., if I feel I have been misquoted or that they have misrepresented the facts) and not simply to disagree for the sake of doing so. When I read reviews posted by others I tend to evaluate their reliability based on what (if anything) I know about the credibility, qualifications, knowledge and experience of the reviewer — which may include the frequency with which he and I have agreed or disagreed about products we’ve both reviewed in the past.
Dick Christian
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edh Inner circle 4698 Posts |
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so if two people of equal experience review the same product - and lets say its a stacked deck with "extras", one may not enjoy that particular stack and mark it down, they may struggle with the maths - but the other reviewer found it a cinch and mark it up... how do we then judge whether the stack in itself is complicated or not? That is precisely what a review would attempt to explain. Having to opposing reviews would give the consumer a better understanding of the effect.
Magic is a vanishing art.
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Davit Sicseek Inner circle 1818 Posts |
I think its also worth noting that some people just aren't capable of writing a review about certain products.
They might be inexperienced in mentalism; they might not have the ability to make the comparisons and draw the distinctions with other relevant products; they may be too close to the author, or otherwise be of a too 'nice' temperament to say anything but positive things; they might not have had chance to perform, or even rehearse the effect/product - I'm sure everyone reading this can think of other inhibitors to writing a good review. Of course, some people will feel the need to have a go at a 'review' notwithstanding these impediments. This might make them feel good, it might ingratiate themselves with the author, and they might enjoy the opportunity to put up their hand to let everyone know that they've got this new shiny product. Sadly, a objective look at at their 'review' often reveal them to be substancless - its really just a few paragraphs that can be boiled down to "I liked it".
Send me the truth: davitsicseek@gmail.com
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