dooyooCommunity Home
Last Call
29/05/2008 - (04:29 PM)
Hey dooyooers, here’s a last call for this month’s Monthly Competition... You’ve only got two day left to be in line for the 5000 bonus dooyooMiles on offer for first prize, (as well as the 3000 for second and the 1000 for third!) Right now the competition is really heating up for the summer, with two new crowns for MarcoG and sweetdaisy in the House and Garden category of choice. Get writing if you'd like to stay in the running for a prize!
- Bret
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
27/05/2008 - (05:26 PM)
Today’s Crown of the Day goes to Butterfly-Wings for her pearl of a review entitled, MY BATH TIME PEARL SOOTHER. Her description of Nougat Soothing Bath Pearls flows perfectly through the page, and has enough information for you dooyooers to relax and enjoy the luxury of a very well written review. Take a look to see what we mean.
- Bret
dooyooTeam
Africa Day: Get Your (African) Groove On
23/05/2008 - (01:56 PM)
This Sunday is a special day in a lot of countries south of the UK, it's Africa Day. Celebrated annually on the 25th of May, Africa Day is the commemoration of the 1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity (now called the African Union). The African Union today is the equivalent on the African continent of the European Union and its members include all African states except Morocco. Interesting, huh?
Instead of carrying on with the history lesson though, we wanted to draw your attention to some pretty sensational-sounding International Destinations on the African continent. Near the top of the list has got to be Cape Town, which one reviewer describes as 'the real star of Africa'. Jumping to the other end of the rainbow continent, there are some fantastic reviews about all the allures of the Egyptian capital in the category Sights & Attractions in Cairo, not to mention the Kruger National Park, Victoria Falls, and the Valley of Kings in between. So whether you're looking for the adventure of a lifetime, or just want a bit of vicarious sight-seeing, you might want to check out some of these reviews.
Want to get a taste of the beautiful African continent from the comfort of your living room? Why not take a look at some of these great novels, recommended by the dooyooCommunity: Half of a Yellow Sun, Disgrace - J.M. Coetzee, or The Power of One - Bryce Courteney.
- Elise
dooyooTeam
Bonus dooyooMiles
22/05/2008 - (04:36 PM)
Hey dooyooers! While we’re on the subject of reminders, don’t forget that May’s Monthly Competition is House and Garden. Recently we’ve had some brilliant reviews in this section, like this flash of inspiration from Butterfly-Wings. We’ve also saved sick fish with perfectly-p, carried out some Xtreme lawn mowing with Thailui, and watched our stain removal product concerns disappear, with nursie_nursie’s recent review. Grab a look at the competition and start writing to be in with a chance winning those bonus dooyooMiles.
- Bret
dooyooTeam
Celebrating dooyooers!
20/05/2008 - (03:43 PM)
Pssst, just a quick reminder that this weeks list of Celebrated dooyooers contains an astounding wealth of great reviews, for electronic answers, musical masterpieces, ‘desserts to die for’ and DVD dreams (or nightmares!), take a look at the dooyooTeam Circle of Friends to see who we’ve featured this week.
- Bret
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
19/05/2008 - (04:38 PM)
Today’s Crown of the Day goes to duncantorr for his brilliant review of extraordinary-popular-delusions-and-the-madness-of-crowds by Charles Mackay. Entitled Fire burn and cauldron bubble, it’s a review which entertains and informs in equal measures, from witch-hunts to financial catastrophes, strange customs and superstitions. This is a well written piece which points out how little the world has really learned from all of its mistakes. Originally written way back in 1941, Mackay's book is (sadly) as relevant now as it was way back then. Well, we think one step in the right direction for the world of dooyoo would be to take a look at this review now and probably the book too, check it out and decide for yourself.
- Bret
dooyooTeam
International Day of Families
15/05/2008 - (09:02 AM)
That's right, today is the day that the world has proclaimed is the best day in the year to celebrate that often crazy collection of individuals that make up your family. We here at dooyoo HQ want to help you get into the spirit of the day with a few handy hints.
Particularly if you're part of a young family you probably already know about our Kids & Family section. It's full of useful information from experienced parents out there on the best products for your child whether it be prams and pushchairs or wipes and diapers. Check out these recent Crowned reviews from some fantastic dooyoo reviewers: An easy way to warm babies milk, Everything I know about breastfeeding, and Right Down to the Nitty Gritty just to get you started. Looking for helpful advice of the more professional kind? Check out our lists of parenting books for the current Dr Spock-type wisdom.
If your kinfolk are also kindred spirits, you might just about be willing to spend some of your free time with them too! Luckily the dooyooCommunity have heaps of great suggestions for family outings. Check out frangliz's glowing review of the Pallant House Gallery, mummy2harry's review Every Child's Fantasy, or go directly to the source and browse the dooyoo catalogue's lists of UK Theme Parks and Zoos. If you think we're missing the perfect outing destination, make a suggestion and write your own review!
We hope that has helped to kick your International Day of Families off to a good start, and we'd love to see your family-themed reviews rolling in today of all days.
Not a member of the dooyoo family yet? Find out the benefits of joining the dooyooCommunity by taking our Guided Tour, or become a member now!
- Elise
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
14/05/2008 - (10:04 AM)
Today's Crown of the Day is a review centred on a subject close to many women's hearts... Daniel Craig. Oh, wait, actually the review is more specifically about the film in which he stars, Casino Royale. Called A Royale Battle, bilbob20's review is a concise, well-written and thoughtful analysis of the film. Most of us would agree with the reviewer that Daniel Craig brings a "raw intensity" to the role of the suave Mr Bond, and we're absolutely sure you'll all agree that the review is pure five star quality.
- Elise
dooyooTeam
Quality on dooyoo: You little wonder little wonder you...
13/05/2008 - (10:45 AM)
One of our favourite jobs each week is going through all your Crown nominations and reading the reviews that the dooyooCommunity thinks are the best of the week. One review that really stood out this week though, not only because of the great quality but also because of the sheer number of nominations, was today's Crown of the Day - Great is an understatement from stayleyvegas. The review of Australia's Great Barrier Reef is both a comprehensive visitor's guide and an enthralling piece of travel writing, not to mention the reviewer's landmark 50th review! Congratulations stayleyvegas, we look forward to the next fifty...
Also on the quality cards today are this week's Celebrated dooyooers. The list, viewable as always in the dooyooTeam Circle of Friends, includes a lover and loather of Lush products, an Xbox addict's confessions, and a hayfever sufferer's tale of woe, amongst other stellar material. Make sure you check out this bunch of fantastic dooyoo reviewers this week.
- Elise
dooyooTeam
dooyoo’s Super Guides; they’re here for you
09/05/2008 - (03:55 PM)
Hey dooyooers, just to let you know we’ve added a new guide to our already excellent and hard working team, anonymili will be co-guiding Shopping along side the great dididave. Having established herself as an experienced and superb reviewer on the site she will also be taking over Audio-Hifi to help you maintain a perfect pitch to your reviews in this section. There have also been a few other changes for our guides, with the superb hogsflesh stepping over from Speakers Corner to Film, which he will Co-Guide with DVD master Ailran. And finally, as well as her existing category Services, collingwood21 will now throw her reliably brilliant hat into Speakers Corner where she’s looking forward to some great debates! Take a look over at the dooyooCommunity Guides page for more on this invaluable team, they’re there for you and happy to help!
- Bret
dooyooTeam
World Red Cross Day
08/05/2008 - (11:50 AM)
‘World Red Cross Day’ seems as relevant now as when it was first officially celebrated all over the world in 1948. The actual day was the result of a three day truce introduced in Czechoslovakia during the Easter of 1922, but finally came into being 26 years later on the 8th of May (the birthday of the founder, Henry Dunant). Sixty years on the Red Cross is bigger and more needed than ever, helping out in various natural disasters and wars, such as in the war and draught disaster in Somalia, food security programs across Africa, and the recent catastrophic events in Myanmar following their worst cyclone since 1926.
This is just a tiny part of the vast amount of work they do, and here at dooyoo we think a day like this should be thought about and remembered, we’re sure you’ll agree. That’s one of the reasons you all have the option to contribute your dooyooMiles to a charity of your choice, without donations these charities could never do the sterling work they do every day, please see our help pages for more information. In keeping with the day you could write a review in our health section on the site, or if you’ve worked for or had contact with the Red Cross we’d love to hear from you.
- Bret
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
07/05/2008 - (09:14 AM)
Today's Crown of the Day comes from another one of the outstanding writers in the dooyooCommunity, dharma-queen. Having given us some great reviews on everything from Make-up, to Laptops, her latest greatest review, Funky Panasonic Phone, tells us everything we'd like to know and more about the rather interestingly named Panasonic KX-TG8223EB. Well thought out, easy to read, and choc-full of helpful information, this review is simply great work!
- Elise
dooyooTeam
Celebrated dooyooers of the Week
06/05/2008 - (10:54 AM)
We really do have some superb reviewers here on dooyoo, and this week's list of celebrated dooyooers is no exception to the rule. First on the list this week we have andrewl, who has been with dooyoo since way back in 2002, keeping us busy with a steady supply of excellent DVD, Book, and Video Game reviews. Seres has lately been treating us to a veritable shower of fabulous Music reviews, backed up by some pretty smashing offerings in the same genre from new member Templar19. Nickycool has been spreading herself rather thin writing in a bunch of different categories, but it was her recent review of the Blackberry Pearl that really caught our attention this week. Closing out the list this week, and making her second appearance in the illustrious crowd that is the Celebrated dooyooers of the Week, is missixty, an all around great writer and definitely one of our favourites in the Fashion & Beauty category.
Our list of the week's celebrated dooyooers is always available on the dooyooTeam profile, so drop by and check us out!
- Elise
dooyooTeam
New Monthly Competition and April Competition Winners!
05/05/2008 - (12:37 PM)
Ah the marvellous month of May! When Spring finally begins to take hold and, with any luck, the dreary days of winter are well and truly over for the year. It’s also that time of year when the annual Spring Clean can no longer be put off. That’s why we’ve chosen House & Garden as this month’s category for the Monthly Competition - we want to hear all about your household miracle products, your garden revivers, and those nightmare products that we all need to avoid! So take a break from your annual cleaning frenzy to tell us all about your most loved and loathed House and Garden products this month.
Of course a new round of competitions also entails assigning the winners for the last month. We were thrilled with the calibre of reviews last month and were very happy to name 24 lucky dooyooers who walked away with a tidy sum of bonus dooyooMiles from last month's competitions. To find out who those lucky winners were, make sure you check out the Competitions page.
- Elise
dooyooTeam
Summer in the Sun: May Day Bank Holiday
02/05/2008 - (10:19 AM)
The May Day holiday heralds the beginning of summer - that delicious time of outdoor picnics, ice cream, summer holidays, and long, lazy evenings. To celebrate, we're drawing your attention to some of the more summer-oriented corners of the site... so take a look, get inspired, try something new, and write your own review!
dooyoo's Top 5 May Day Holiday Tips:
1. Water Sports. Whether you're up for a lot of action - think the Wet 'n' Wild adventure park or the crazy sport of zorbing - or something a little more sedate, like punting, summer is the time to discover some of the more enjoyable activities associated with the universal solvent.
2. Picnics. You can just picture it now... blue skies, warm breeze, birds chirping, children playing. We might not be able to guarantee all of that, but we can certainly point you in the right direction. We think you'll need: a good, waterproof based picnic blanket, just in case that grass isn't quite as dry as you might like; a handy picnic backpack for all your tasty treats; wendybull recommends a handy thermos travel mug; you'll need something to keep the kids amused, and maybe even get a little bit of post-lunch exercise yourself, we suggest a spot of frisbee. And because the great outdoors doesn't come without a price, don't forget your bug spray! Juicy_lucy recommends Boots Insect Repellant Spray.
3. Explore your country! With a little extra time on your hands, why not check out what the dooyooers are recommending in your area. A few picks from this month: micksheff is tipping fascinating, free local sightseeing in his review One of York's little gems, Fritzthecat suggests you Go wild at BeWILDerwood, and bubbles12 has given Castleton a five star rave review. Take the advice of the dooyooCommunity, or tell us all about your local must-sees.
4.Of course all these outdoor pursuits, combined with the inescapable post-winter unprimed skin could lead to trouble if you're not careful. So make sure you stock up on some essential summer skin savers like Riemann P20 Sunfilter, Ambre Solaire After Sun Tan Maintainer, Nivea Sun Children's Lotion for sensitive young skin, or if you'd prefer to step into summer with a (ahem!) pre-prepared tan, check out: fake bake self-tanning products, or Johnson's Holiday Skin Body Lotion.
5. If the weather just refuses to play ball, there's always the escapist option. The dooyooCommunity recommends the following classic summer films for your summer fantasy enjoyment: Point Break, Summer Holiday, Roman Holiday, Grease, or Spirited Away.
Have a good long weekend everyone!
- Elise
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
30/04/2008 - (11:23 AM)
Kong!! No, that isn't the over-sized ape we're talking about, it is the title of today's Crown of the Day! New member moog27 gives us an impressively thorough and clear outline of the pluses and, well, pluses of the Kong Dog Toy, which she confidently asserts is the "best dog toy ever". Check out her review if you're thinking of doing your four-legged friend a favour.
- Elise
dooyooTeam
Celebrated dooyooers
29/04/2008 - (01:47 PM)
While the month creeps to an end, and more importantly…to a well earned bank holiday break! Why not pass the time productively and head over to the dooyooTeam’s Circle of Friends? You’ll be pleased you did…this week’s celebrated dooyooers are a mixed bunch of reviewers d’extraordinaire with a heap of recent Crowns to prove it. Grab a look at the dooyooTeam profile to see who made the list this week for your dooyoo viewing pleasure.
- Bret
dooyooTeam
The Last Few Days For Video?
28/04/2008 - (05:27 PM)
Hey dooyooers, here's a last minute reminder to say you've only got two days left to enter our monthly competition. This month’s category is Video, and you better act quickly if you still want to add to the wealth of great reviews coming through. Recently we’ve had some show stoppers from the likes of Lakerfanster, wildtinsey, and nitrocide. Check out some of their picture perfect portraits at A Great Bargain, Black box of delights and Sony DVP FX850B: portable DVD player dream...then get writing fast to be in the running for those extra dooyooMiles before the 1st of May!
- Bret
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
24/04/2008 - (09:07 AM)
Today's Crown of the Day comes from yet another brand spanking new writer on the site - we're so excited to see such a plethora of fantastic new talent on dooyoo (not that it means we're loving our long-standing members any less of course!). New member nemesis2004's latest review, called Not just a gamer's keyboard, is a thorough, well laid-out, and extremely informative summary of everything we need to know about the Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard. Keep up the good work!
- Elise
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
23/04/2008 - (11:18 AM)
Does today's choice for the Crown of the Day herald the arrival of another star writer in our Music Records category? If the review From Punk Rock to Prog Rock and Back Again is anything to go by, we think it just might. Check out new member Templar19's latest review - we think you might be hearing a lot more from this fantastic new writer on dooyoo, we're certainly hoping so!
Plus, if that tasty little treat is just not enough quality writing for you today, drop by the dooyooTeam profile and see who made it into our Celebrated dooyooers of the Week. And happy St George's Day to everyone!
- Elise
dooyooTeam
Need help on dooyoo? We've got you covered!
22/04/2008 - (03:58 PM)
We want your experience on dooyoo to be as user-friendly and hassle-free as possible, that's why we've got lots of options for you to find the help and information that you need! We've recently created a brand spanking new Guided Tour, which gives you a brief outline of you everything you need to know about the dooyooCommunity before deciding to join. We want everyone to know the benefits of becoming a dooyoo member!
Plus, whether you're a new member or a veteran, you may have a few questions about the finer points of the site, or maybe even a technical question about a specific category. That's where our fabulous dooyooCommunity Guides come in. They're experts in their categories and experts when it comes to dooyoo - making them an all-round great source of information for other members (or even just a bit of a chat!). Indeed we have two new Guides this week who are helping to make sure that the site is well and truly covered. The first is grahamt, a truly well-qualified expert in his category - Computer. Also joining the team is the lovely Cat19 who will be helping fizzywizzy keep an eye on the Travel category and answer any of your travelicious questions.
Last but not least we here at dooyooTeam are always willing and eager to help you out where we can. Feel free to drop us a personal message at the dooyooTeam profile, or use the contact form to contact the dooyooTeam. In the meantime, we hope and trust that you are enjoying the site, have fun out there dooyooers!
- Elise
dooyooTeam
International Creativity and Innovation Day
21/04/2008 - (11:28 AM)
I’m sure all you dooyooers will agree that creativity and innovation are two of the fuels that drive the dooyoo spirit. It’s what we look for in our favorite products and often it’s what we find in the great reviews that follow. Well, today is the day to mark these ideas in everyday life, a day to create, to explore, and to go out and try doing something a bit different. ‘International Creativity and Innovation Day’ is the culmination of worldwide events which started last week on the 15th of April, to coincide with the birth date of one of the greatest innovators ever, (and someone who might well have been an active dooyooer had he been born just a few hundred years later!) Leonardo Da Vinci.
There’s been so much going all over the world to celebrate, from wacky recipe’s in Staffordshire, to a Da Vinci inspired school musical in Ontario, a creativity and humour playshop in San Diego, and a student radio program in Buenos Aires. Not to mention the man in Toronto, who is wearing one brown sock and one blue sock while telling his children to brush their teeth with the other hand, now we’re sure you can do better than that! Here’s a few dooyoo moments of inspiration to help get those creative juices flowing and mark the day in style.
- Finger Paints - Just watch out all that creativity doesn’t make it to the living room furniture.
- Traser Glowring - Stop losing your keys, even in the dark!
- Projection Clock - Want the time beamed directly onto your bedroom wall? Of course you do. This projection alarm clock looks like the solution to all our time display problems, shame they can't get you out of bed as well.
- A chocolate fountain… at home, there’s a welcome innovation everyone can enjoy, check out hillcrestsan’s review, to see if it lives up to the chocolate dream.
- Or, if you think you’ve got the answers to half the world’s problems but feel like nobody is listening, take a look or contribute to dooyoo’s very own chest of world changing ideas at - What invention do you think the world needs? - and have your suggestions heard.
Or just enjoy ‘International creativity and Innovation Day’ the dooyoo way and review a product you think solves or doesn’t solve a problem in it’s own unique and innovative manner. Happy International Creativity and Innovation day!
- Bret
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
18/04/2008 - (09:32 AM)
In light of the fact that late last year the Chairman of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust stated that "the amount of book-reading students do directly translates into improved academic performance in all subjects" and that there is still a "serious problem" with literacy levels in schools (as reported by the Guardian, October 2004), today's Crown of the Day makes for some pretty essential reading. It's fantastic to see some exceptionally practical, engaging, and positive reviews surfacing on dooyoo about this important subject and we commend frangliz on her superb review, Developing Reading and Writing Skills in our Printed Books category. Definitely mandatory reading for any parents (or prospective parents, aunts, uncles, teachers, or even grandparents!) out there.
-Elise
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
17/04/2008 - (02:55 PM)
Where the internet and lingerie meet usually results in crude smut-like content and a whole lot of reasons to question the use made of at least one of mankind’s most recent great creations. However, PRINCESSPUSSYCAT’s review, and today’s Crown of the Day, Dare To Be Provocative shows us that there are definite moments where the two can come together and it works. Her brilliantly written, “exciting, evocative and stimulating” description of the award winning website, AgentProvocateur.com, is sure to get those interested dooyooers out there in the mood. We think it fits the product range just right, why not take a peek now to see what we mean?
-Bret
dooyooTeam
Monthly Competition: Video Killed the Radio Star
16/04/2008 - (01:57 PM)
Can you believe we're half way through April already? We can't! If the speed with which this month is flying by has taken you by surprise this might be a timely reminder that you only have two weeks left to get your entries in for this month's Monthly Competition.
The category this month is Video, a veritable treasure chest of a category including such wonderous items as DVD Players, Televisions, and that much-loved but fiercely contested essential household item, the Remote Control. We're sure you've all had a few run ins with brilliant examples of how fantastic these products can be, and no doubt also a few shockers that have been long gathering dust in your hidden cupboards under the stairs. Why not share your experiences with us! If you post your review before the end of April you'll go in the running to win three great prizes of bonus dooyooMILES.
Need some inspiration? Check out these two excellent reviews in the Video category from grahamt and MizzMolko - "Sounds like we've got a problem Scotty..." and "Perfect little player? Well, almost!". We look forward to seeing your reviews soon!
-Elise
dooyooTeam
The best things in life are free (but you can give them to the birds and bees)
15/04/2008 - (10:41 AM)
A new week a new bunch of fresh-faced Celebrated dooyooers of the Week! This week we are highlighting the culture brigade of reviewers in the dooyooTeam Circle of Friends for your enjoyment. Whether it's DVDs, Music Records, TV Programs, Books, or Travel our highlighted members this week have it covered for you - make sure you drop by the dooyooTeam profile to see who made it onto our love-list this week.
There is another extra special mention today, to a member who has just joined the elite group of dooyoo millionaires. Congratulations Frankingsteins! Our very own King of Metal has ticked over the million dooyooMILES earned mark - what an achievement! We're thrilled to be rewarding the quality writing of such great members. Thanks also to Frankingsteins for alerting us all to this milestone via his About Me text - if you haven't yet filled out your About Me text, now is the time to tell the dooyoo Community a bit about yourself!
Not a member yet? To get a piece of the action, all you need to do is complete our registration form (it's free to join and only takes a couple of minutes) and then start writing - every Premium Review, except in the Archive or Speakers Corner categories, will earn you a bonus 500 dooyooMILES.
-Elise
dooyooTeam
Yuri's Night: dooyoo want to head into Outer Space?
11/04/2008 - (11:56 AM)
You may not be aware that tomorrow is the 47th anniversary of the first manned expedition into space. Human Spaceflight went from dream to reality when the Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to breach our stratosphere, blasting off in the bell-shaped capsule, “Vostok 1” on the 12th of April 1961. Twenty years later, the 12th of April was again marked as a day not to be missed by any self-respecting space-nerd when the maiden voyage of the US Space Shuttle finally left Earth, having been delayed two days due to a computer glitch (cosmic coincidence, you ask?).
The day has gradually come to be known as Yuri's Night, and there is a growing trend for people around the globe to get together and celebrate the achievements of human kind in outer space. Some people do this by using up a dozen rolls of tin foil on their robot costumes, but here are some other ideas for things you might like to check out, write about, or splurge on to mark the occasion.
1. Telescopes: until Richard Branson makes good his April Fool's Day promise of consumer space shuttle trips to Mars, this is about the best way to catch a glimpse of the wonders of the rest of the universe.
2. Sci Fi and Fantasy Books: why let reality stand in the way when there are so many amazing stories to be read! Phillip K Dick might have passed on to the great intergalactic spaceship in the sky, but he's left us with some pretty engaging reading material.
3. Science Museum Robot Bank: we can't think of anything better to protect your savings than a tough-talking, adding, subtracting, time-telling electronic robot!
4. Fisher Space Pen: the astronauts can't keep this one all to themselves!
So, wishing you all a great weekend and a very cosmic Yuri's Night for tomorrow. Enjoy!
-Elise
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
11/04/2008 - (10:52 AM)
Today's Crown of the Day comes from one of our excellent new members. In fact, rune_tune may have only been with us since the middle of March but she has already proven herself to be quite the review writer! We were particularly impressed with her latest review, of the Braun Oral B Vitality, called 'E by gum.....I need to get an electric toothbrush. Check it out for all you need to know about giving your teeth a buzzing good clean.
-Elise
dooyooTeam
Opinion Sites and Disagreement: Don't be a Hater, be a Debater!
10/04/2008 - (01:27 PM)
"The web is turning writing into a conversation. Twenty years ago, writers wrote and readers read. The web lets readers respond, and increasingly they do..."
We read this in a very interesting article we discovered about social interaction on the web called "How to Disagree" and decided to share it with you. This topic is certainly relevant to dooyoo - we're all about getting a dialogue going between consumers, reviewers, and shoppers in the interests of sharing information about products and services for the good of everyone. Plus, of course, having a bit of fun and earning some rewards in the process!
What happens though, when you put a bunch of opinionated people together in an online setting? Well, you get a wide range of often markedly different opinions, that's what! This is a great thing from the point of view of the consumers researching different products on dooyoo since it means they get to read reviews covering every angle and hear both the positives and negatives about products before making their purchasing decisions. It can sometimes be a little difficult for individual reviewers though. That's why it's important not only that, when disagreeing, we do it well and positively, but also that as review writers we understand that our reviews are simply our opinions and that others may have different ones. Even though we might like to think that we're always right (I know I am!), it is also possible that others may hold another opinion and still be equally justified in their views.
What's the upshot of all of this? Well, it also does raise a couple of relevant points about rating and commenting on the site. When it comes to rating, we should embrace the variety of different ratings that any one review may get - both in terms of raters (being honest with our ratings and using all of the rating buttons), and as writers (accepting that while we think our own reviews are perfect, others may have different needs and therefore give us other ratings). As for commenting, we should strive to make our comments as constructive and supportive as possible - although recognising that this doesn't always mean we have to agree!
If you're wondering which reviews on dooyoo stimulate the most discussion, take a look at the list of Reviews with Most Comments. Or if you're feeling inspired to share a few of your opinions with us, check out our Speakers Corner category - and don't forget to pick up your soapbox at the door!
-Elise
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
09/04/2008 - (11:12 AM)
We all have to eat (it's true, don't listen to those breathairians...), and while sometimes it's just about putting enough fuel in to keep our bodies running, there are certainly times when eating should be treated as a luxurious exploration of the senses. A feast for mind, body, and soul. If you would like some tips about food worth waxing lyrical about, check out today's Crown of the Day from larsbaby called A carnivore feast from the Pampas in our Restaurant - International category. This review is just one of many great ones from this member in recent times as he introduces us to the dining pleasures to be found in the land of clogs and windmills.
One more thing... getting back to the whole mind/body/soul connection, you might have noticed yourself feeling a little more zen than usual today while perusing the pages here at dooyoo. It's probably because we have now 'centred' our pages, to make the viewing experience a more visually-pleasing one. We had received feedback from some members that the layout was a bit heavily weighted towards the left hand side of the page (depending on the size of the screen being used), so we've brought everything back into balance. A little tip though, if you do find anything looking a little wonky on the screen following this update, try pressing Control + F5 and this should resolve the problem.
-Elise
dooyooTeam
Celebrated dooyooers: It's No Secret
08/04/2008 - (01:12 PM)
Pssst!...Just a reminder to all you dooyooers interested in quality writing not to forget to drop by the dooyooTeam profile to see who is being featured in our Circle of Friends as part of this week's celebrated reviewers.
-Elise
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
07/04/2008 - (04:12 PM)
Another Monday has arrived and some of us will no doubt have a few weekly chores to deal with... one of those chores has to be the weekly shop. Today’s Crown of the Day goes to bollinger28’s review of mysupermarket.co.uk, entitled You'd be mad not to! This site might be just what we all need to earn back money while trailing the aisles from the comfort of our home. It made perfect shopping sense to dooyoo, why not take a look at this review and decide for yourself?
-Bret
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
04/04/2008 - (10:08 AM)
Happy Friday dooyooers! The working week is at an end and it's time to think about weekend fun, which makes today's Crown of the Day just the perfect thing... Kingfisher111 answers the question Who's In The Bag? in her entertaining and informative review of the Board Game of the same name. The game sounds like so much fun we can't resist joining in. So, kingfisher111, is one of the answers Hugh Grant?! To find out what it's all about, make sure you check out this great review.
-Elise
dooyooTeam
You speak, dooyoo listens
03/04/2008 - (04:06 PM)
Since the new My Accounts (the dooyoo members homepage) page went live on the site earlier this week we've had a lot of positive feedback about the new features and layout. One thing that you did feel was missing though, was the link to the Newest Reviews List that was on the old page. We really do listen to your feedback, which is why we have replaced the link on the My Account page so that you can go directly from there to catching up on all the latest reviews from your favourite reviewers. Of course you can always access the list from the link at the left of this page too.
So, once again, thanks to everyone who sent us feedback over the last couple of days and helped us to make the site better - for you!
-Elise
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
03/04/2008 - (03:31 PM)
Today's Crown of the Day is a must read about an item that is apparently a 'must have'. The review, called A Real Smoothie, by plipplop, is certainly a smooth ride through the features and facets of the Blackberry Curve 8310. The review is elucidative** to say the least, not to mention an extremely useful resource for anyone in the market to pick up a new piece of Telecommunications hardware. Check it out.
**1. elucidate: to make lucid or clear; throw light upon; explain; 2. to provide clarification (today's word of the day).
-Elise
dooyooTeam
Quality on dooyoo: You little wonder, little wonder you...
02/04/2008 - (03:06 PM)
We have so much great quality writing to share with you today; from Celebrated dooyooers of the Week to Monthly Competition winners, it's all going on!
As for March's competition winners? Well, between the Monthly Competition, Review of the Month, and First Review Draw there were quite a few happy dooyooers receiving bonus dooyooMILES! Firstly, the illustrious Review of the Month Award. It was a tough choice, as always, but we eventually decided on a review that we thought was not only extremely entertaining, but also equally informative. Definitely not an easy thing to achieve, and we congratulate hillcrestsan on his fantastic review "Good telly, crazy name".
The winner of last month's Monthly Competition, in the category of Photography, was cmh4135, in second place was rleigh, and in third place was thebigc1690. All of these were really excellent consumer reviews and we commend the writers on their excellent work! For the full run-down on these reviews and more make sure you check out the Competitions page.
On to our highlighted writers of the week.... We seem to have selected a crack squad of specialty writers this week...somewhat like a bunch of review-writing superheroes. First up we have Lillamarta, whose special power is concentrated upon the Fragrance category - she sure has a nose for writing a good review. She is followed closely by The Polar One who has a superhuman tolerance for seriously bad DVDs but still manages to turn his reviews into pure gold. Leaping over tall buildings in a single bound may not be berlioz II's strongest point (although it may be, we haven't had confirmation on that yet), but we do know for sure that when it comes to Music he certainly has superhuman strength. Koshkha has focussed her considerable skills on Printed Books and Travel, and we here at dooyoo HQ are sure glad that she chooses to use her powers for the forces of good not evil. Last but not least is the benevolent and somehow all-knowing collingwood21 whose reviews are equally as good whether in the Discussion, Professions & Occupations, or even Household Products categories. Bravo!
-Elise
dooyoo Team
Ch-ch-changes: Updated My Account Pages
02/04/2008 - (07:54 AM)
We know that for many dooyooers, the social interaction and community aspect of the site is one of the main reasons that you love dooyoo. That's why we've been working on some changes that make it easier for you to know more about the dooyoo Community that you're part of and to find other members who share your interests.
You will probably have noticed that we launched a brand spanking new My Account (for dooyoo members only) page layout today. One of the things that we love the most about the new layout is that it is now so much easier to let other dooyooers know a little bit about you. We've put the About Me text box right up front on your account page so that you can update your text as often as you like to let your friends know who your favourite reviewers are, what you're currently reviewing, or even just what you're up to - it all makes it easier for people on the site with similar interests to find each other.
Another great new feature is that you can now see who has dropped by your profile to check out your reviews. The last six dooyoo members who have visited your profile are displayed at the top right of your account page, along with the last members to rate your reviews. Pretty nifty, huh?
We've also rearranged the information on the page better, so that it's easy to see at a glance what information you've requested from dooyoo in your Email Alerts (and allow you to manage these alerts), how many dooyooMILES you've already earned, and details about your membership.
We hope you like the new layout and that it helps you stay in contact with or get closer to your dooyoo friends. If you've got comments, questions, or feedback about this new design please feel free to contact the dooyoo Team or drop us a personal message at the dooyooTeam profile. Have fun out there!
-Elise
dooyoo Team
April Fool's Day: Get Pranking
01/04/2008 - (11:26 AM)
It's the 1st of April - that day where you have to remember to check the sugar in the office kitchen to make sure no one has replaced it with salt, that there is no cling-wrap over the toilet seat, and that there is no errant honey on the doorknobs around your house... You're probably prepared for those possibilities and feeling pretty confident you won't be caught out, right? Well, be warned, there are far more unusual ways to be pranked (or, if you're feeling mischevious, do a little pranking yourself!). Pay attention, dear dooyooers, we have some tricks to share with you...
Top 5 April Fool's Pranks (that, with any luck, won't get you arrested or fired):
5. Send word to everyone in the office that a colleague of yours is expecting them to drop by his/her desk at 3:00pm for a quick meeting. Watch the suprise and confusion as everyone mills about not knowing what's going on. Mischief rating: 2/5. dooyoo inspiration: The Office - Series 1 (DVD)
4. For this one you'll need an opaque container of milk (i.e. one in a cardboard carton). Simply add a couple of drops of food colouring to the contents and watch the spillage... Great for kids who think that mum will be on the receiving end of any pranks - not vice versa! Mischief rating: 2/5. dooyoo inspiration: milk
3. A couple of hours before the target is likely to brush their teeth, take a paper cup (glass will crack), fill it with water, put the toothbrush in and place the whole lot in the freezer. Then, a few minutes before teeth-cleaning time, take the toothbrush out, remove it from the cup, and place it back in the normal place in the bathroom. Bewildering. Mischief rating: 2.5/5. dooyoo inspiration: toothbrushes
2. Sneakily retrieve the car keys for your boyfriend/father/brother/co-worker's car, slip out when they won't notice, and put a large For Sale sign in the window, complete with a very low price tag and their mobile phone number. Mischief rating: 3.5/5. dooyoo inspiration: Dude Where's My Car? (DVD)
1. We LOVE this one, pleasepleaseplease send us a video if you do actually find a way to pull this off. Is there ample instant coffee in the kitchen at work? Sneak in when there are no witnesses around, empty the coffee granules out and replace with instant gravy powder. Ha! Mischief rating: 5/5 (messing with the coffee is LOW!). dooyoo inspiration: gravy.
-Elise
dooyoo Team
Crown of the Day
28/03/2008 - (01:43 PM)
Want a review of vast and great proportions? Today’s Crown of the Day goes to Richada and his review of the spectacular Cologne Cathedral, entitled An Outstanding World Heritage Site. Once the words tallest construction, Richada does a superb job of walking us to the top of the huge spired towers, this review taught dooyoo some very interesting facts as to what makes this a European centre for pilgrimage, we hope you enjoy it too.
-Bret
dooyoo Team
A Call to Duty...
27/03/2008 - (01:42 PM)
A last minute call for all those budding photographers out there in dooyoo: this month’s Monthly Competition is for you and set to end very soon. That's right, this month's category, in case you didn't know, is Photography. So far cmh4135 has given us her Xtreme underwater review, TheChocolateLady has gone snap happy with Olympus, and thebigc1690 found his king of point and shoots. Think you can do better? Then get your photography based reviews here in a flash to make it in on time.
-Bret
dooyoo Team
New Guides!
26/03/2008 - (04:35 PM)
We're almost done topping up our Guides team and have been lucky enough to pick ourselves up two more fantastic Guides who are starting this week. The first will be keeping a watchful eye over the Music category in conjunction with current Guide Frankingsteins. I'm sure when we say that this new Guide is synonomous with the words "really excellent music review" you'll probably know right off the bat that we're talking about rleigh. We're sure he's going to make a great contribution to the site as one of our new Guides, and to top it off he's a very friendly guy. Feel free to drop him a message or stop by to say hello next time you're looking at the Music category.
The second new Guide is oxonian, a fantastic reviewer (just check out all those Crowns!), a popular member of the dooyoo Community, AND a former age group National Javelin Champion! You couldn't ask for much more in a Sports Guide, could we? We're really happy to welcome oxonian to the Guide team and we're sure he's going to do great things in that category.
-Elise
dooyoo Team
Celebrated dooyooers
25/03/2008 - (03:56 PM)
Hi everyone! Hope you all had a fantabulous Easter long weekend, and that the chocolate hangovers have not caused too many problems on your return to work. For us here at dooyoo HQ it was a sugar-fueled, high energy, albeit late, start to the week and we were thrilled to see so many great reviews had been written over the long weekend. Keep up the good work team!
We have garnered a small selection of some of the top writers of late for you to check out in the dooyooTeam circle of friends. The first of this week's celebrated dooyooers is CoupeQueen, who although she's only been with dooyoo since late last year, has a remarkably high hit-rate on Crowns - check out some of her great writing! Next we have samueltyler whose film reviews should be part of the staple diet of any self-respecting movie-lover. Blue_ashleigh has been doing some fantastic work of late in the cosmetics and Internet Sites categories, while tange is fast establishing herself as one of our in-house food (and drink) critics with her great reviews in that category. Finally on the list we have another film buff, Ailran, our co-Guide for Film, constantly surprises us with the quality of his writing. Take a look at these great writers this week, if you haven't already, you won't be disappointed.
-Elise
dooyoo Team
Survey prize winners and more...
20/03/2008 - (10:32 AM)
A few weeks back we asked the dooyoo Community to help us improve the site by telling us what you think and participating in our member survey. A big thank you to everyone who contributed their brainwaves, we were thrilled to have such a high level of input. As a little sweetener for giving us a few minutes of your time, we had three great prizes up for grabs for randomly selected participants in the survey. We've now got our winners, so congratulations to...cmh4135, Nevikrose, and Zmugzy! These three lucky toads will soon be receiving their prizes (which are, in case you've forgotten and would like to be made green with envy; a Nintendo DS Lite, an Apple iPod classic 80 GB, and a Sony Ericsson W580i). Awesome.
In other dooyoo news, we have a whole new category that we wanted to bring to your attention. If you wear contact lenses I am sure you know how difficult it can be to find the best ones to suit your eyes and your needs, not to mention the necessary appurtenances** like eye drops and contact lens solution. We're hoping our new Contact Lenses category will help to change all of that. So make sure you tell us all about your favourite, staple, or most hated products and help the rest of us become experts
** 2. appurtenances: Equipment, such as clothing, tools, or instruments, used for a specific purpose or task; gear (today's word of the day).
-Elise
dooyoo Team
Crown of the Day
19/03/2008 - (02:08 PM)
When it comes to book reviews, taking an opinion about what was read is usually a good start. Well, we know one reviewer who certainly has no trouble with that. Today's Crown of the Day from koshkha, titled A Nasty Book About Nasty People Doing Nasty Things (and if the title of that review doesn't give you a clue about what she thought of the book I'm not sure what will), is a rather damning account of the book Off the Rails in Phnom Penh by Amit Gilboa but more importantly it is simply a great review. Make sure you check it out.
-Elise
dooyoo Team
New Guides and Celebrated dooyooers
18/03/2008 - (11:21 AM)
Plenty of exciting things we want to draw your attention to this week, dear dooyoo members... The first being a few changes to our team of wonderful Community Guides. Two new Guides have joined the team this week, the first is collingwood21 who is rejoining the Guides team as the new Guide for the Services category. Existing Guide shroud has changed roles slightly and will be working with plipplop to keep up with the very busy Books and Magazines category. Stepping into the gap is new Guide thebigc1690, who will be keeping a watchful eye over the Photography category for us.
Speaking of Photography...don't forget that is the category for this month's Monthly Competition so make sure you get your reviews in by the end of the month! We've already had some fantastic entries but we're hoping for a few more before the month is out.
We also have a brand new crop of "Celebrated dooyooers of the Week" for you to check out. First up we have Shaaza who, since joining us late last year, has made quite an impression with her thorough, helpful reviews and high level of community involvement. One of dooyoo's longest standing members and a seriously good reviewer, MALU also makes this week's list. Hillcrestsan is one of the crop of excellent new writers in 2008 and has been making regular high quality contributions to the site over the last three months. One of our Guides, dididave is known both for fantastic commitment to the site and high quality reviews on a variety of different topics. Last on the list this week is another new member who has been creating quite a stir - make sure you check out some of the fab new reviews from Butterfly-Wings.
-Elise
dooyoo Team
Crown of the Day and Competitions
14/03/2008 - (11:25 AM)
Do you love having your neighbours' pets do their business on your lawn? No? Didn't think so. Well, maybe you'd like to take a look at today's Crown of the Day Scent Off, by sweetdaisy. You'll find this extremely useful consumer review, along with lots of other handy hints and recommendations, in our Garden Chemicals category.
Have you got some of your own House and Garden tips that you'd like to share? Now's the time, and if you write the first review for a product in this category (or one of this month's other nominated categories) you'll go in the draw to win a bonus 2,500 dooyooMILES in our First Review Draw - see the Competitions page for further details.
And speaking of competitions, don't forget that this month's category for the Monthly Competition is Photography, so make sure you get your masterpiece review in before the end of the month to be in the running to win a sweet dooyooMILES bonus.
-Elise
dooyoo Team
Crown of the Day
13/03/2008 - (01:29 PM)
Most of you have probably come across the work of hillcrestsan, and if you're anything like us it made you laugh. One of our favourites for entertaining reviews that nevertheless tell you something useful, hillcrestsan's recent review Don't expect too much and you'll get bucketloads of the Aldi supermarket chain is well worth a read. It contains loads of helpful info about what Aldi does best as well as providing you with new material for the weekly grocery shopping banter with your better half. Take a look.
-Elise
dooyoo Team
Crown of the Day
12/03/2008 - (02:34 PM)
Today's Crown of the Day has a lot of fans, indeed we received a whopping number of nominations for this particular gem. Rather engagingly titled "518ft and 9 inches of pure pleasure!" this review of Blackpool Tower in the National Sightseeing category is jam-packed with useful information about this national treasure and the myriad joys it entails. Congratulations to thebigc1690 for a thoroughly enjoyable and comprehensive review.
-Elise
dooyoo Team
Celebrated dooyooers
11/03/2008 - (03:02 PM)
We're giving shout outs to quite an eclectic bunch of reviewers this week, but they all have one thing in common - excellent reviews. First up we have Hip Hop and Rap music enthusiast XICripZ, who is keeping us up to date with what 'the kids' are listening to these days. AmyAmy has been focusing her considerable powers on the Food and Drink category, generously keeping us in stock of healthy and delicious products to try. We have ourselves a bit of an all-rounder in marymoose, but she has particularly impressed with her book and DVD reviews. hogsflesh's reviews are a must-read for all horror film lovers out there plus a few notable excursions into the Printed Book and Speakers Corner categories. Finally on our list of this week's highlighted dooyoo members we have FourPaws whose contributions to our Pets and Animals category are always a pleasure to read. We think these five reviewers are ace, and we think you'll agree, so take a look at some of their work this week...
On another note, you may have noticed that the weekly Crowns were awarded on Tuesday instead of Monday this week. Since Monday is usually a rather busy day for us here at dooyoo HQ as we catch up on business from the weekend, we are moving the weekly 'coronations' to Tuesdays from this week onwards.
-Elise
dooyoo Team
Crown of the Day
07/03/2008 - (04:34 PM)
Anyone interested in a shampoo that "smells of old people wearing too much perfume" and whose active ingredient is made out of "young animals"? Anyone?
One of the best things about dooyoo is our reviewers who bravely go where no reviewer has gone before and test out new products so you don't have to. Case in point, dooyoo member blue_ashleigh and her review of Sunsilk Voluptuous Volume Shampoo. This review has it all, covering the packaging, the use of the product and its aftermath, with a quick diversion into pondering where the ingredients come from before finally wrapping things up with a recommendation. It's a brilliant review and today's Crown of the Day.
-David
dooyoo Team
- dooyooCommunity Home
- Newest Members
- Newest Reviews
- Newest Crowns
- dooyooCommunity Guides
- Competitions
- Member Search
- Contact the dooyooTeam
- Report a Bug
Home - About dooyoo.co.uk - Advertising - Contact dooyoo - Terms and Conditions
Newest reviews - Newest products - Rewarded reviews
dooyoo Europe:
Deutschland 
España 
Italia 
France - Sitemap - Product Index
