Feedback on Reviews

I'm not sure if this has been suggested before.  I'm also not sure if it is a good direction for PA to go but what are people's thoughts on a feature such as Amazon has where readers can click a box which says that they found a review to be useful or not useful.  I'm thinking from an encouragement standpoint reviewers who write reviews that say 10 people found this review useful might get encouragement needed to write additional reviews.  Of course, the flipside woulld be not having anyone say the review was useful, or people clicking to say that the review was not useful.  This would either be discouraging, or encouraging to the reviewer to hopefully improve their reviews.  Anyhow, I'm just wondering if this is feasible, and whether or not it is something that people would like to see.  Obviously, the goal is not to turn PA 's reviews into Amazon's reviews.

I know that I've discussed this idea before at the site.  Here's an old topic on this: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=18201

One on being able to comment on reviews (aka review the reviews): http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46075

And one for rating reviews: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=48688

I can see problems with such a (was this review helpful) system, and ripe for abuse.  it would be one more level for the admin to worry about.  One can imagine fanboys just panning (voting unhelpful) reviews they disagree with and hateboys panning ones they disagree with.  I still rather like the idea (especially a review the review feature though we have thread for that purpose already -- Reviews discussion).  The names of those who voted helpful/ unhelpful would have to be published, but I don't really think it would be that useful, and more of a headache to manage (and reviewrs would get peeved).  As a reviwer, i wouldn't want someone voting that something that I'd spent  a long time on was unhelpful just because they disagree (course with many using the feature, it should balance out in most cases).  But I could just imagine so many well-written negative reviews being panned, and that's negative.

I think that Amazon holds a patent on this feature ... 

Maybe I'll implement it at PF ... but what if users edit their reviews? The votes would have to be erased ...

I think it would be cool to have a link on all the reviews that brings them to one of the "Review Praising Threads". We have a link to the report button, why not a praise button?

As far as an Amazon style thing, I think it would be cool, but the avenues to trolling it opens up would be massive. Call me cynical but I think more people would attack than leave reliable feedback.

You're right Micky, but I never see any of those topics active, I think that if the threads were attached to the review people might be more inclined to click on them and make helpful comments.

This is, once again, me being cynical and thinking that people are just too lazy to dig up the threads - a button on the review would just bring them right there. No excuses

Will you stop using that stereotype of Italian = spaghetti? We do have hundreds of varieties of pasta besides spaghetti!

On a more serious note, I tend to agree with Mike (KBT). People in general ARE lazy, as the glut of 'best bassist' threads shows all too clearly. And then, we can't discount mean-spiritedness and trolling... It is enough to have a look at the Reviews Reporting thread to see how many people think that reviewing equals mindless bashing (or gushing praise). While some of our reviewers are self-confident and thick-skinned enough not to be put off by criticism, even in its more virulent form, some others might be put off reviewing for good, which would be a pity.

I prefer lasagne myself, but mostaccioli and spaghetti both work for me too.  For that matter, I don't believe that I've ever met a pasta that I didn't like.  Unfortunately, you'll get no argument from my waistline.

OH! He was talking about the RPI thread!

I've actually never been in there since I am so badly a newb to RPI... I'm not sure if other people feel the same way

Now what would we do if there's a reviewer with a review-approval rating such as Bush's presidential one? We should then forbid the member from reviewing?