Forum of Infinite Blueness (reviewwritersforum.co.uk)

Member Name: mattygroves10

Product:	reviewwritersforum.co.uk
Date:	07/03/06 (267 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Friendly, welcoming, non - confrontational

Disadvantages: TOO non - confrontational - discourages debate . Currently ugly (but see below)

Aren't we, the 'opinionating community,' a navel gazing bunch? Not only do we write reviews and opinions, but we also write about writing reviews and opinions - both here on site, and on various community message boards. Here I am - I've reviewed items costing a few pence (Tic-Tacs, Tango), items costing a few pounds (books, movies) to things costing thousands (TVs, cars). I have also reviewed websites - both review websites and others (humanclock, scamorama)..

The point is, like many folks around here, I am opinionated, and keen to take my views and my version of the 'community' to a more (perhaps) informal level. I therefore have joined, and am reasonably active in, several messaging boards and forums (fora?), including Tooyoo, Opinionators, and the one on which I plan to write now, Thingywhatsit's forum - http://93733.aceboard.net/(though it seems likely it will move sometime in the near future - this will likely change the look as described below, but not the atmosphere and membership) - known semi-officially as The Review Writers Forum (yes, I know there should be an apostrophe after the 's' in 'writers', but that's how it shows on the site) and rather unofficially as FOIB (Forum of Infinite Blueness - I coined that because the colour scheme is very, very blue).

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The Basics - Just the Facts
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When I joined the forum, it was by invitation only, and on the condition that you used your Ciao username as your username on FOIB. The 'invitation only' condition may well have been lifted (I'm sure Rachel aka Thingywhatsit could confirm this), and there are now those people who use their Dooyoo or Epinions names, but it is still frowned upon to use any kind of name that differs in any way from one's Ciao or Dooyoo name. This request/requirement is in place to encourage 'openness' and, I assume, to attempt to prevent the hijacking of the board by either board spammers/bots or folks who join to cause 'trouble' (more on that later).

As mentioned earlier, the board is a painful electric blue (I understand that the board host doesn't give any options to change that), and so difficult to visit during working hours. The title of the board is at the top in a blue flowery font. Underneath is an advertisement, and then below that, in a blue box is the 'administrators welcome message' - usually in all capitals, sometimes long, sometimes short. Today it is advertising this 'months' (missing apostrophe again) competition on film (you can win a £10 Amazon voucher if you enter - you need to submit a new, unpublished op about travel to Rachel - she then places it on the judges forum, and the op is judged anonymously), and a reminder to vote in the site information topic. The vote is to decide whether and where to move the board.

Below the site announcements currently sits a row of snowflakes, and then below that are the topics, split into "The Forum", "Review Site Talk", "Survey Sites and Other Review Sites", "Have a Blether on Us", "Online and Computer Stuff", "Everything Else", and "Private Messages" (the last you can only see if you are logged on, and some of the sub-topics under the main headings are only visible to members, and others are only visible to members that request access (for example, the 18+ forum residing under "Everything Else.")

In common with many boards (at least the ones with which I am familiar) there are subtopics under the main headings), and the list of sub-sub topics (i.e. threads) can be accessed by clicking on the topic tile. You can also read the most recent posting in any thread by clicking the link under 'last post.'

Again, in common with many boards, you can private message the board's members. Unlike most boards, you can also send a 'fast message,' which appears as a pop-up. It is limited to (I think) 250ish characters, and these are not saved - you read and reply straight away. If you don't reply straightaway, you are likely to forget what it was you were replying to, and what it was you were talking about.

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The 'Feel' - conversations & membership
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There really does seem to be a board for any type of person. If you just want to drop in and say 'hi', there's Tooyoo (or GBs on Ciao). If you want a (sometimes) intellectual, (often) heated, (variably) intelligent discussion about opinion sites and related topics, there's Opinionators. If you want plain strangeness, there's Weirdlist (which I sadly can't get into). If you want a warm, fuzzy place, where everyone knows your (user)name and conflict is discouraged, companionship and conformity is encouraged, there is FOIB.

Understand me, although my description above sounds disparaging, it really isn't. The warm fluffy atmosphere is clearly what some folks are after - after all, people basically want to be liked, approved of and accepted. FOIB is a place to relax, not a place to be stimulated. As well as threads on Ciao, Dooyoo and Epinions, there is also 'Banter Between Members' - this includes a thread entitlted "Mr Roy's Off Topic Thread". Mr Roy is a member who likes banter, and so frequently throws in asides bringing other topics off topic. Rather than censor the member, or moderate him, the Powers That Be have created a thread where back-and-forths caused by Mr Roy's musing can be saved, replied to, and enjoyed (by folks who like that kind of thing). That way, the original thread is (in theory) returned to topic, yet the contributions made by one member are also valued and saved.

The members are, I'd think, predominately Ciao (as opposed to Dooyoo members), though of course there is crossover, and there are active FOIB contributors who are solely or primarily Dooyoo members. The membership is also largely 'exclusively' FOIB based - whilst there has been some crossover between (say) Opinionators and FOIB, the worldview and motivations of the members of each board seem to be so different that they are often incompatible.

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The Good
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The administration (Thingywhatsit/Rachel and Sirg1006/Debbie, I think) is welcoming and friendly. Whilst it appears that they (and, I understand, especially Rachel) are not particularly technically adept, they are trying hard, and are actively trying to improve the functionality of the board, and the atmosphere (in their opinion, of course) of the discussion areas. They regularly canvass opinion regarding proposed changes, and do try to take suggestions seriously, and, when they can, act on them. This sometimes does lead to problems, since sometimes the suggestions are contradictory and so they cannot possibly please everyone all the time. But they try.

The members are by and large friendly (perhaps even to a fault). They are generally non- argumentative and non-confrontational. All sections of the opinionating community are welcomed - from novices still honing their writing skills to seasoned opinion writers who are generally known, sometimes respected and often liked. The seasoned members are free with advice and encouragement, and open their doors to all levels of skill (in writing and discussing) and try to create a friendly, warm atmosphere. So-called 'naming and shaming' is actively discouraged, and back-biting and bitchiness are kept away from the site.

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The Bad - or the downside of the good
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As mentioned, the level of intellectual rigour, writing ability and debating skills/desire vary. Serious debate is often frowned upon, and looked upon as 'confrontational'. The threads are often mutual back-slapping fests: "I agree", "yeah, there must be a conspiracy", "what's your favourite op on Ciao" etc. (Again, please remember that this atmosphere suits some people, and is disagreeable to others).

The spelling and grammar can be...um...creative at times (this can make posts and threads difficult to read and follow), and large, moving, overly cute avatars and signatures seem to be the order of the day (indeed, there is even an avatar competition). Kittens and rabbits seem to be favourite themes for avatars.

Those issues above are simply a matter of taste - some people prefer a place for serious debate, others a 'bitch-fest', and still others a warm and pleasant place to visit in their spare time. However, there is an issue that I see as a real problem, and indeed is one that discourages some members of the review writing community from joining, and so actually reduces the inclusiveness of the site that the administrators have worked so hard to foster.

A few weeks ago, there actually was a serious (and seriously interesting) debate on the definition of Ciao abuse. A few people (including myself) were accused of creating conflict, denigrating or insulting the intellectual ability of other members, and scaring some members away from the 'conversation.' Speaking for myself, I can honestly say that at no time did I name-call, accuse other members of stupidity or anything else. Some members (who, it should be noted, are also members of other forums) disagreed with a few members. I stated my case (I thought) clearly and politely (if, at times, heatedly). I was told by the administration that I (and a few other folks involved in the thread) was 'scaring' other members away from the 'discussion'.

Thing was, the thread was a stimulating and interesting debate - not a mutual back-scratch fest. I (along with a few other folks) was defending a viewpoint, and using language and rhetoric to do so. I was not being personally offensive to any other member in any recognised definition of the term. I was initially informed that there had been a complaint. That another member had found my 'posting offensive'. Specifically, the complainant had found my comment: "I won't be silenced simply so that [other members] can feel comfortable ... (replying) without fear of correction [of facts] or disagreement" offensive. (Yes, I did say that).

To be fair on the administration, I subsequently received a message inviting me to "Feel free to post and don't be restrained by anyone". However, this does demonstrate the problem I mentioned above - the admin are trying so hard to please everyone, they risk satisfying no-one.

There is also the issue of accuracy. People make mistakes, and form opinions based on inaccuracies (I mean, there are people in the world who still believe the moon-landing was a hoax, and Elvis is working in Macy's). However, because of the reluctance to engage in debate, and to risk offending ANYONE, some theories are presented as fact, and discussed as fact. When someone points out that there is no basis in fact, people will say 'well, I have a right to my opinion'. As an example, during the recent investigation into clicking cartels on Dooyoo, quite a few FOIB members were (as it turned out) temporarily blocked. They were understandably upset - and there is no problem with that. Some were bitter, and most were sympathetic with the blocked members. Again, no problem. But then a 'theory' started spreading like wildfire that Dooyoo had blocked all these members in order to avoid paying out, because Dooyoo supposedly had financial difficulties (this was, apparently, because they pay out for not useful ratings). That was patent nonsense - but people believed it, and discussed it as if it were gospel fact. That's not even an opinion that people have a 'right' to - it was a fallacy, and a dangerous one.

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The Ugly (and probably the temporary)
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At the moment, the site is ugly. It is electric blue, and really does look unprofessional. No I do realise that it ISN'T professional, and nor is it meant to be. But nevertheless, compare the look of the current host: http://93733.aceboard.net/ with (what will truly be an improvement) the likely replacement http://reviewwritersforum.editboard.com/index.htm. The new site is still blue, but it resembles other similar forums in look, and so should be easier to navigate.

BUGS - The current site has lots of bugs. I won't delve into these in too much detail, as it does seem that the site is going to move. The move should correct some or all of these. But in the interests of completeness, and to give an idea of the feel of the site, I will mention these.

·# A problem with newsletter delivery (it seems that some folks who wantrf to unsubscribe from the newsletter are struggling to do so - this may have been fixed).

·# I find I have to constantly refresh the site to update the little envelope icons that indicate whether a thread has been read (just going into read the thread doesn't do it - I have to read the thread, come out of the thread, and then refresh).

·# I have often received the same 'quick message' multiple times in succession. Since it is a pop up dialogue box, every time I refresh the page, the pop-up (I think it's actually javascript, but I could be wrong) pops back up.

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The Conclusion (or, the Readers' Digest Condensed Version of this Review)
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The Review Writers Forum is one of several places members of Ciao, Dooyoo and other review sites (though primarily Ciao) can go to make friends, discuss both review and non-review oriented topics, have fun, and get information (gossip is a universal - it is present on all these types of sites). It is a warm and friendly place, with a cross section of personalities, skills, talent, desires and motivations. Having said that, as might be expected within any semi-private club, the members tend to have similar requirements from such a site - in this case a warm fuzzy fluffy place to visit.

The administration actively tries to improve the site - both its functionality and its atmosphere (by 'improve', I mean if you like warm fuzzy). They take on board advice, and encourage suggestions for improvement. They care about the opinions, feelings and good will of the site's members.

There is a lack of meaningful debate. It seems to me that this is by the choice of its most active members. To me, this is unfortunate, and it seems to be at least partly as a result of the desire of the administration to please everyone. Therefore, eventually, those people who enjoy a good debate leave for other pastures, since debate is actively discouraged, and confrontation seems to be a dirty word.

The site is ugly and bug-riddled, but this does look set to change, possibly any day now. It remains to be seen if the administration have the technical ability, or will receive the support from the host or other folks who are technically inclined, to run the site technically efficiently (now there's an awkward sentence). I should point out here I've never run a board, so have absolutely no idea what is involved, and how much expertise it takes.

So, my recommendation is...difficult. I visit FOIB. I sometimes post. I've been involved in some fluffy stuff, and some debates. I have argued vehemently, and been castigated for it...but have had the reprimand rescinded. However, it's not my primary message board site. It is TOO fluffy, and often (in my opinion) dull as a result. There are site games (Big Brother, would you believe), and that suits some. It doesn't suit me. I tend to restrict my visits to the Ciao and Dooyoo discussions (not exclusively, but mainly), and contribute when I actually have something to say. I find that long posts are largely ignored, and debate is unwanted. The way I see it, if we all agreed on everything, there would be a haggis shortage, and life would be dull.

I am about to make a gross generalisation, and I exaggerate slightly for illustration. But I have noticed a trend. I think I can often guess which Ciao members would prefer FOIB to the other message sites out there. I suspect that folks who read all the poetry in the café, who feel Dooyoo is poorer for its lack of Guest Books, who feel the community is the most important aspect of Ciao will probably enjoy FOIB over its 'competitors'. Those who stick to product ops (probably not candy bars), who feel that overrating is rife, and believe (not always correctly or justified) that they have a personal and sacred duty to improve the standards of rating and writing on the sites would probably prefer other message boards. That doesn't necessarily make one site right or wrong, or one 'faction' is better than the other. But I know which I prefer.

I wish that there were an 'it depends' option on the 'recommended' button below.

Summary: A warm and fuzzy place - welcoming board though it discourages serious debate