Don't keep your mouthshut! (mouthshut.com)

Member Name: David A. Brett

Product:	mouthshut.com
Date:	20/10/01 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: another opinion site

Disadvantages: more time

Firstly there was Ciao, a consumer site where you write reviews in exchange for a few pence. Then I was introduced to Dooyoo, another consumer site where again you write reviews, but in exchange for dooyoo miles! Now I have been told about mouthshut.com, which is you’ve guessed yet another consumer site very similar to the other two (except based in India), with which you get paid in MS points™.

Home Page
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The home page is pleasant enough, nothing spectacular, nothing exciting, but basic and efficient. On the left of the screen you have a list of around 17 categories. On the right is a box which details a star writer, while nearing the bottom of the screen you can see the latest five opinions written by members, and one click leads you to the latest 30 opinions. Log in is at the top of the screen, while also to the right is a box with a list of opinions that are wanted! (Namely: opinions that have been asked by member to be written).

Registration
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As stated Mouthshut is an Indian based site that is ‘global’. You register with the site by filling in a simple form asking for the normal details, username, password etc. It takes just a few minutes.

Opinions
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These need to be at least 75 words long, informative and honest. After all what’s the point of writing an opinion about something you know nothing about – it helps no one! No offensive words, or phrase will be allowed. Once you opinion is written you can choose one of the following by clicking in the box!

*Get email alerts when you opinion is read (I did this and ended up with around 50 emails when I first wrote a few ops. Each email was the same just the user who had read it was different)

**Get email alert when you opinion is rated. (Not as many emails as above but still a few)

***Get email alert when you get a comment on your opinion (A far better choice, a
s they tend not to comment much on opinions on Mouthshut).

MS-Points ™
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There is a slight difference here between the other sites I have mentioned. You get 10 points for registering for a start. In addition for every opinion you write you get a further 5 MS points™. But the difference is you actually earn points by reading and rating other peoples opinions! Two points for every opinion you read, while a further one for rating it. Bonus points are added frequently, for opinions the company rates excellent. However, there is a draw back to all this. You have to earn 600 points before you can think about cashing them in, and you can’t think about that until six months has lapsed! Plus being in India I am not sure what the system is like for cashing points in the UK is like. You can exchange your points for gifts or cheque so the site says, but what gifts I am not sure?

Reading and Rating
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This is much the same as on the other two sites, you can rate an opinion- highly recommended; recommended; somewhat recommended; not recommended. You can add products (whether or not you’ve written on them) to your likes/dislikes list. You can also add people to your ‘circle of trust’ or ‘distrust’ When you read and rate someone’s opinion you get paid one MS point ™.

Flagging and Mouth sealed
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Members who abuse the system are chased up and dealt with. Firstly they are given a blue flag, which is a warning. Then follows a red flag when their accounts are disabled. Following this, the account is closed (mouth sealed). A good idea, which the other two sites might like to adopt!

Categories
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There are 17 original categories including; Automobiles; Books; Business; Computers; entertainment and more. Each: with there own number of sub categories. However, being Indian based there are
many which are not relevant to the UK. However, you can always ask for a new product to be added.

Help
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You can obtain any help by emailing the company, or visiting the F A Q in the community centre.

Mouthshut is a good site, which I enjoy using and writing on. However as for the rewards that remains to be seen. Six hundred points may seem like a lot, but in truth the points soon mounts up, and remember if no one reads your opinion’s, you can always earn points by reading and rating someone else’s. If you have time to write for another consumer site then why not go for this one?

Thanks for reading - Dave

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