MALU questions ... Plymyphil answers (Tips / Guides on Helping to Recruit Members to dooyoo)

Member Name: Plymyphil

Product:	Tips / Guides on Helping to Recruit Members to dooyoo
Date:	14/01/04 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Accurate, Honest

Disadvantages: None - a great review

This is only the second MALU challenge I have participated in so I hope I've picked up the questions correctly and posted in the right place. Here are my answers to the Malu challenge.

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q: when did you join dooyoo?

a: 3rd November 2003

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q: how did you discover dooyoo?

a: I had heard from others about paid opinions sites and searched on Yahoo for paid opinions sites that operated in the UK. The first I signed up to was Ciao and I am still an active member there but I soon read an opinion referring to Dooyoo and wondered on over for a look. I ended up staying and enjoy the whole process of writing and reading what others have written.

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q: why did you join?

a: Dooyoo has a great community feel and after enough interest is generated in my writing I get financial reward. (I've just put in for my first cheque so hopefully the financial reward will encourage me to greater participation.) I am also incredibly opinionated about the very best and very worst products. I tend to enjoy the opportunity to write about broader subjects with Dooyoo. Non-product opinions on Ciao usually don't receive payment so I post my reviews of holiday destinations on Dooyoo and stick to product reviews on Ciao.

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q: what was the opinion you wrote:

a: My first opinions were of products I used daily. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 was the first review I wrote specifically for Dooyoo publication. I believe it even went on to receive a crown. Now I write a balance of technical reviews of products I use mainly at work and then other reviews that would not pay on Ciao.

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q: did you find it easy to get the hang of dooyoo?

a: Yes. The only thing I noticed that put me off at first was that the pop-ups that come almost every page when you first log in were really intrusive to my pleasure of reading and writing and rating. Now, I've learned to live with them and they d
on't bother me so much. I do like the community section too that lets me jump to the well written (crowned) reviews and the most recently written reviews. I wish the crowned review section had a slightly greater emphasis. My own opinion is that users should be encouraged to read and rate a certain number of crowned reviews each month and therefore get exposure to the best writing. I have certainly learned and refined my art by reading these best of the best reviews.

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q: did you read other opinions before you posted your first one?

a: Yes. Not many because I had a taste of how it works from Ciao so I was keen to post my first review. Now, I have written just over thirty reviews but have read and rated well over a thousand reviews. I still find the reading and rating enjoyable and do learn from reading the best reviews.

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q: do you write no/some/many comments.

a: I write some comments. I don't comment on every review as sometimes that leads to slightly pointless commentary. I tend to comment if I have something to say. I also comment to leave notes for the writer. I always read comments left on my reviews though and if needed respond to those comments.

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q: when you click on the list of newest reviews, do you read your friends' opinions no matter what they're on/according to subject no matter who has written on it/preferably the opinions of new writers?

a: Yes. I start with newest reviews and go down the list responding to friends and well known names whose commentary and reviews I have respected in the past. I often don't get far down the list having now been a member for three months I have quite a few friends and even more regular readers who whilst not part of my circle of friends I read regularly and see comments from regularly.

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q: Do you write your opinions in one sitting?

a: Usually. If I don't think I have time to write the opinion I will
spend time reading opinions of others rather than writing half an opinion and saving to return later. I find it helps the fluency of my writing if I write without breaks.
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q: Do you use a spell check?

a: Often. This time I am writing straight in to the boxes so not now but usually I write to MS word and then cut and paste.

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q: Do you think you can improve your chances of getting a crown if you suck up to a guide?

a: Never even considered it. To be honest I didn't know until now where the crowns came from. I do have a couple of guides in my friendship circle and some in particular I value as they supported me by reading and commenting even when I was a total newbie. Crowns are a great bonus emotionally and a small bonus financially. I get a buzz when I get a crown as it feels like an endorsement of quality. I do sometimes read articles that are crowned though and sit back thinking 'how did this receive a crown but my review of ... didn't?'. I'm not too bitter though - oh, except for my opinion on Aosta which I thought was my best writing and not only did it not get crowned it didn't even attract many reads.

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q: Are you a member of a forum or chat room?

a: No.

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q: Does it hurt when members praise or condemn you?

a: I sometimes feel frustrated when people have left comments that clearly reflect they have not read the review. I enjoy praise - who doesn't - and I'm beginning to learn by careful use of my circle of friends whose feedback really matters. I don't gety hurt by inaccurate feedback and usually have a reasonable idea of when I have written a good review and when I have rushed and turned out something that was slightly inferior. The whole Aosta review thing still hurts though :-)

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q: What did you do in your spare time before you joined dooyoo?

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a: I had a life. No ... I lie. I read more books, watched m
ore television and flew more virtual flights on my flight simulator. Now it seems as though more of my time gets sucked into this infernal virtual world where the only handle on reality is the pay cheque I work towards.

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q: What do you wish for in the future?

a: Capital letters where they belong would be good. I would also like to see a guestbook that allows me to message member without leaving comments on a particular review. Oh, and a whose online now button so we could chat - not much to ask for really. Less make-up reviews - I do seem to have read a lot of these recently.

Hope this answers the questions and you enjoyed reading. Look forward to any responses.

Plymyphil writing for MALU

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