Internet intercourse..of course (reviewwritersforum.co.uk)

Member Name: thegarleon

Product:	reviewwritersforum.co.uk
Date:	16/06/06 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Simple yet interesting.

Disadvantages: Like all forums, needs regulars to keep it going.

I don’t really like message boards or forums. Now I know that’s not the best way to start a review on one, but It’s best to start off on the right foot, an honest one. The thing with message boards and forums is that they can be a bit……intimidating.

Imagine the scene, you have a question, and you want an answer to it. Or you would like some information about a specific subject. So you walk into a room full of Scientists, Poets, Artists and Philosophers and ask your question…

“What was the name of that woman who did the porno then went on to sing ? I think her dad is famous or rich or something.”

Firstly there would be stunned silence. Then outrage and probably ridicule and insults. Just like a night at home for me. Nah what I’m getting at is that in my previous experience, a forum or message board is a place where you should be able to go and get the answers or information you need. However it all depends on the question AND the audience. If instead of walking into a room full of Scholars, it might be better to track down some geeks and nerds, or in this case the Carmen Electra and Paris Hilton appreciation society. Finding the right place to ask the right question, and a group of people who won’t talk to you like you are an idiot, is difficult. So when It was suggested that I visit a certain website/forum I was a little reluctant to say the least.


----- Is this a website I see before me? -----

A forum or message board for those of you who don’t know, is a place where like, minded people gather to exchange information. In the days before Blogs, Chat rooms, instant messaging and Community sites, message boards and forums were one of the most popular ways of chatting to folk from all over the world. You picked your subject (or Topic or Thread as they are known) and wrote a few lines, then other folk commented on that and the thread grew etc etc etc. A nice simple idea that can still be as popular today ….as long as people join the forum AND contribute. Once you have registered using a handle or nickname, you choose an Avatar (small jpeg picture) that sits alongside your posts, and the whole thing is policed by the Jedi Knights of the forum world….the dreaded MODERATORS. These folk are normally regular contributors or general know-it-alls who police posts. They can kick members off, offer advice or delete offending posts.

Where forums can fall down is if they are started following a movie or book or band. For example I am sure there are just as many Da Vinci Code forums on the go today as there were Star Wars ones whenever a movie came out. If you catch the forum at it’s height the members can be snobs and “Flame” newcomers for not knowing anything. On the contrary if you join at the start then you can help shape the forum.

So this forum that I was asked to visit appeared to be targeted at me…The Review Writers Forum, may not be the most imaginative title, but IT is a website for Review Writers, and I write reviews, so hence therefore and ergo, I suppose I couldn’t help but pop along.

----- The Forum for me ?-----

Like I said , based on previous experience I was a little reluctant to “walk in the room” . But a quick scan of the Member’s list shows a lot of names I recognize from Dooyoo and Ciao. Ok off to a good start. I know some of these people already….and more to the point they know me. So that cuts out the “look at the new guy” situation. Once you register you get a welcome e-mail, as per usual, but when you log on thereafter the top of the page shows when you last visited and the Info box tells you about any ongoing competitions etc.

So a quick run through of the Topics and areas or threads follow for your perusal:-

All Site Information –
Standard “welcome stuff”. Telling you how to post, use and get around the site. There is also a guide to Avatars (the little mole like creatures of the underworld…..nah, as I have said they are the little “me” pictures you put next to posts.). Avatars are a regular changing thing on TRWF. You are actively encouraged to change them depending on your mood or the current Avatar competition. This is where you can read the rules and sign up for the newsletter as well. Newsletters are always a good way of keeping occasional posters advised of what is going on, and to remind them to come back and post!

Site Competition-
Win a holiday to Barbados or a Million £’s ? Nah, most of the prizes are £10 Amazon vouchers. Because of the nature of the site these competitions tend to be review related. Surprise surprise. Entry normally consists of submitting an unpublished review on a particular topic. However there is a short story competition (at the time of writing).The Avatars competition is voted for by the members of the site itself.



***** Now we get to the main area of the site. Review Site Talk *****


Ciao-
Topical topics on Ciao. How to use it, problems or questions or advice that members may have. Advice on product proposals and community points. Diamonds are always a great source of debate !

Dooyoo-
As with Ciao. Information and member’s experiences on Dooyoo. How to use it and get the best results. No diamonds here though, the jewelry of choice for debate is the crown !

Other Review, Reward and Survey Sites-
If you want to find a new site to write on, or earn on, folk will point you in the right direction. Read or post about portal shopping sites that pay you, or market research sites that……..DON’T. oooh intrigue. Personally I found a few mentioned that I had never heard of before and intend to check out. The members experiences do appear genuine.

Which? Help members by sharing views-
A sort of “Which magazine” for members in this section. From “which fake tan works the best “ (ahh Bisto if you ask me) to which “MP3 Player”. Half decent experiences on what to buy or not.

Epinions-
As with both the Ciao and Dooyoo areas, you will find threads specific to Epinions. Ranking and proposals are discussed amongst other things.

General Review Site Chatter-
If it relates to all the review sites, such as comparisons between them, or just reviews in general, post it here. How to write a good review, Including spoilers….oh and how to get paid by the review/market research sites!


***** And after a hard day on the pc writing reviews, why not visit Members Fun Area ? *****

Banter and Fun-
If you like, you could debate “daylight” or “Help! I don’t understand Planes”. Job interview experiences and even embarrassing photos. A sort of an anything goes section.

Entertainment-
Posts specific to Film, Music, Sport or Television. Ronan Keating to the Da Vinci code, now that IS a mystery. Topical posts are obviously well contributed here. Like the thread on the apprentice.

Current Affairs-
Which raisins are bonking at the moment. Only kidding. Semi serious stuff in the Fun Area? Cannabis, Monogomy and wind turbines…..Blow, stuck and blow haha. If it is in the news you could read about it and express your opinion here.

The Arena-
No not Manchester or Birmingham. In this place there are challenges from other members to play online games together. These normally consist of external links to flash sites. Nice bit of entertainment and a good way of finding time wasting games to play at work! Let the games begin “Awooogaaa” as John Fash used to say on Gladiators.

All About Books-
If you like your literary you are BOUND to find this area of interest. “Have you read a good book lately” , “Dean Koontz” for example. Soft or hard…..back that is, can be debated here.

Word games-
Like countdown for forum members. “Words containing X” or “change a letter”. Posts that encourage participation of posts….that’s what it’s all about. “Interview the person below you” or “ in my pants” have to be read to be believed. Simple yet effective humour.

Ebay-
Apparently there is a little website somewhere that you can buy and sell stuff on….. nah, it will never catch on. But if it does, you can share advice or info in this section with other members. If you like you can also find out about the Ebay song!

Free Stuff Online-
Where to get your free sample and be put on countless mailing lists. Yes the free bar of chocolate seemed like a good idea, but did you really want a Tena Lady sample and some Dog Biscuits as well? If you see a free sample or want to know about one then read and post in this bit.

***** So that’s it then?*****

Just at the bottom of the main page is a wee box. It tells you who is online, how many registered members there are. Who the new guys are and strangely, who the next birthday is. Ok fair enough, a good way to get presents. Other than that there is an overall sense of attempted harmony on the site. As I have said I don’t really like forums or message boards because they can feel intimidating. Members can get too cocky or fill the boards with arguments. There is nothing worse than a whole thread, pages long of insults and abuse targeted at some poor new guy who asked a “silly” question. There IS a no name rule which in theory is a nice idea but must take some amount of moderating. Speaking of moderating, there is active moderation. Posts are read fairly quickly by the Jedi Knights, and swift justice or comments are made.




----- Forum and against-um -----

The site is very basic looking, and does appear to be in it’s infancy. There are about 170 members but only about half of them are regular posters and a quarter have joined but never posted. It seems to have been constructed using a template for a forum. This may look like a bad thing, but it does make the site remarkable easy to navigate and use. They aren’t trying to break and records in design and innovation, just make the place feel welcoming. The search and help areas are satisfactory, and the private message system does work. Registration is easy, and you do have to register to post. Anyone can read, so feel free to Lurk. There is some great info there to be found. As with all text based sites, trawling through the posts can be a bit tedious, but if you are a contributor of a thread, it is nice to see the thread take off. There does appear to be a genuine sense of well being on the site. Members are encouraged to speak freely which is strange considering the “no naming rule”. I understand the need for this rule, but they need to watch that it does not become their downfall. Threads are added regularly and do appear to be well moderated so as to remove aged or redundant threads. There is nothing worse than seeing a “competition for Christmas” in June ! The main areas for Ciao, Dooyoo and the growing Epinions section are mainly where most members post, but they DO appear to chill out on this site as well.

In conclusion, (ooh that sounds official), I would recommend this place. There is enough room for improvement and main topics on reviews make it interesting. Some helpful Moddys and Posters too make it entertaining.


----- A little thing to remember -----

One major thing to remember about Forums is that the quantity and quality of content depends on the members. If there are a lot of members all of various backgrounds, all of them contributing, then you can get a great sense of community. If you get a lot of “Lurkers”, then in time the whole thing can collapse. Lurking is not a crime, but it is nice to post a few messages or replies, rather than just read all the time. The members are the ones who can make it garbage or great !


….now I’m off to post that thread about Ronan Keating playing in goals with the team that has the dog afraid of flying, in the hope that Stephen Speilberg turns it into a movie!

----- How to get there -----

http://reviewwritersforum.editboard.com/index.htm





Thanks for reading

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