Hmmm. Opinions, please?

[cupcake_goth]

Hey, all of you people who read Gothic Charm School and my LJ: what DO you think of GCS now including reviews? My question is prompted by this series of Tweets from someone:

You seem to have misunderstood my tweet. I don't want to see reviews. I want to read your opinions. And no, your review of Noxenlux Chapeau is not an opinion, it's a REVIEW. I regret recommending your book and blog to a friend now...I feel like you're trying to sell things to your readers. I don't want to feel like I've just walked into an airport.

Now I know, you can't please everyone. And lots and lots and LOTS of readers have written in asking for my opinions/reviews/suggestions about all sorts of merchants and artists. But I guess this person's comments just ... I don't know. Not rubbed me the wrong way, but did make me stop and question things.

So. Reviews? You like? You don't like?

Comments

[pocketbearwa.livejournal.com]

I think the line between "opinion" and "review" is extremely personally subjective; an opinion piece about a retailer will sound like a review to some people, and won't to others - and a REVIEW should never feel like a marketing CALL-TO-ACTION.

I have serious issue with that series of tweets - a single review (or opinion piece) causes them to rethink your book and blog ENTIRELY? I call shenanigans, and I'd shout them down in conversation and point at the door.

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Thank you, dear StuntHusband.

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I appreciate your comment!

[slytherin13.livejournal.com]

That’s a confusing message to me too…I don’t understand what they mean that you reviewing something ISN’T your opinion. Of course it is….otherwise it would be an AD for something, not a review….

[squirrelmadness.livejournal.com]

Do whatever you want to do. Your readers read because they want to read your stuff. Don't start second-guessing yourself just because one person decides they want to complain about something.

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

I know, I know. But I've learned it's better for me to ask people about this sort of thing than to fret over it on my own, because that leads to Spiraling Crazy.

my 2 cents

[oldhalloween.livejournal.com]

Maybe a compromise where the reviews are categorized on the GCS web site. Post a quick blurb when a new review/or reviews are added?
No objections here but for some reason the review did feel different. It might just be a matter of getting used to new content. Not bad just different. Why? I have no idea since I generally want to know what you think about products.

reviews are great!

[mr-cutiepants.livejournal.com]

As an eldergoth (and by that I mean, someone who knows their way around goth as an aesthetic, a lifestyle, and a culture, having been here for more than a month ;), I would say that you're more than entitled to review things and recommend them to others.

Maybe you could tag your posts so that reviews and advice go into different categories, thus allowing people to choose what they want to read? Nonetheless, I think that reviewing is an important function -- it's one of the ways that cultural consistency can be passed to the next generation. Otherwise, how is a baby bat to know that giant baggy MC Hammer pants with chains all over them were not the original fashion mode a la goth? (Okay... snarky mode is off now... I seem to slip into that mode quite easily ;).

But really, I think it's a good thing. This person seems to have their 19th-century bloomers in a bunch. I'd take their tweet into consideration, only as one of many possible opinions (and not a very popular one, likely).

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

I think as long as you don't do reviews too frequently, it's totally fine.

People read your site, etc, because they find you interesting and/or value your opinion... and that includes what products/sites you really like. I think as long as you aren't pushing things all the time, and as long as you truly truly love the product you are "reviewing" (or whatever you want to call it) then it's good.

I mean.. as a tall girl with big feet who likes to wear froofy stuff, I get people asking me where I buy my stuff or what I recommend. I've done some legwork so to speak to figure it out for myself, so it's nice for them to have the benefit of that.
you're doing your readers a service by recommending truly good products that they may or may not have know about... AND you are helping to support the gothic craft industry, etc. Things are hard for everyone right now and helping a truly exemplary business get a few extra sales is not something someone should get angry about.

and the twit who twitted is being ridiculous.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

I believe you mean twiticulous.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

Uh, I believe your review of whatever is your opinion of that whatever. As someone who enjoys sharing his love of whatevers with other people and has been told by multiple people that his opinions/reviews of whatevers have gotten THEM to love whatevers and they have been quite happy, I say...you keep on doing what you're doing.

[donnaricci.livejournal.com]

I like unbiased reviews that go out of their way to be completely honest. I feel they are helpful to me as a consumer and provide comfort in my decisions.

Jill no

[jaborwhalky.livejournal.com]

One person whining on the Internet is nothing. Hell, a few hundred or even a few thousand people whining on the Internet is nothing. Do not pay it any heed.

It's your website and you can post anything you like to it. They aren't paying you, so they don't get to dictate terms.

If you don't want to go back to doing a day job, one way you can do that is turning your web site into something other than just an advice page, and that means you're going to have reviews, interviews and other odds and ends.You can make a living off the add sales and other things that come from that like other bloggers do. Just ignore this person and go on with whatever you like.

The more famous and well-known you get the more fussing you will get from other people, and the more outright hate mail you will get. The best way to deal with it is to ignore it and not give it any attention. This is your site and your book, and thus you can put whatever you like there. Until they start paying you, they have no right to complain.

Re: Jill no

[ghostworld00.livejournal.com]

This.

[dravvie.livejournal.com]

Maybe if you didn't post them in the same thread thingy as your actual letters (I know, I'm being very technical here) then it wouldn't rub things the wrong way.

There are times where I would love to see your thoughts on whatever products, but really, I come to the website for the letters. You could provide fancy clicky links, at the end of the letters to your most recent review of fancy products or services and have a sperate area for it?

[dravvie.livejournal.com]

I hit post too fast. However, if you add just more then letters, and you keep up your trend of letters and videos, and reviews and add things like interviews and other fun things, and then maybe have something like a filter for those of us who are hunting for a certain thing (Somedays I want to hear about your thoughts on everything, somedays I want advice, even if it's not advice for myself.) then it might work better.

[reddheart.livejournal.com]

Yeesh. Somebody needs to grab the walking stick and crowbar those undies out of their hindquarters ASAP.

Personally, I think that this one crotchety voice, from the sound of things, is being drowned out by those who DO want your opinions on where to get this and that. Including myself. I would have never heard of the hatmaker you mentioned until you suggested it. It's not like you're being paid to advertise them, afterall. If anything, it sounds like you paid THEM for the experience of getting a hat (or more than one) and to see if they worked out.

As for regret? Well, that's their problem for regretting recommending you. They may regret their recommendation, but I am sure that the person recommended to will not.

(and I won't even touch the airport thing: I've NEVER been approached in an airport to buy anything, even when I was in Munich and London Heathrow, -unless I walked in their space-.)

[sirriamnis.livejournal.com]

Allow me to translate: "Why aren't you doing exactly what *I* want?!?!? Don't you know that what *I* want trumps all? You should be doing things just the way that *I* want them, or you'll never be successful, and since you aren't, I hate you good-bye.

PS, It's all about *me*.

One of the more successful indie gaming designers got one of these comments a while ago, "Why don't you write games I want to play?"

I don't know, maybe because he writes games HE wants to play. And maybe you write columns and reviews/recommendations for things that YOU want to, with input from readers because you're nice like that.

Shit, they're lucky they don't read GGR. My general response to that sort of asshattery is to tell them it's a great, big wide internetz, and there are plenty of guys who write about gaming for guys. Adios. (Why yes, that is specific.)

[staxxy.livejournal.com]

a troll is a troll is a troll is a troll is a troll.

I am right on board with M here.

[leenerella]

Review = opinion. Albeit an evaluative opinion.
So I don't understand that part.

Now, please go straight to Neil Gaiman's oft-quoted reply to readers who decide they know better than he does what and how and when to write. :)

Also relevant for bloggers who do reviews - the FTC Disclosure law. (You'll have to google it for more info, including some organizations who have created badges for you to use on your website.

Sorry I can't supply links for any of this stuff right now - must get back to the whole job thing, but it's all very easily available.

[leenerella]

Oooh, here it is:
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.html

Key sentence:
"__name of writer__ is not your bitch!"

Bookmark it. :)

[rimrunner.livejournal.com]

Reader seems to have flattered him/herself that you decided to start including reviews based entirely on something this one individual said.

To which, I got nothin' but: wow.

[marc17.livejournal.com]

Well, I got similar things when I used to do reviews of records and tapes for my old punk rock 'zine. I always disliked fairly uninformative reviews that simply advised people to buy it or not so I gave fairly technical reviews without too much bias. I was informed by somebody whose judgement I trust that that wasn't the way to do it and just to do it the other way.

Similarly here, if you are going through the trouble of reviewing something, you should just play it up and sell it. You do a good job of that in your post I think however so I'm not too sure what they were really wanting.

[theda.livejournal.com]

I loved reading the review. When half the questions that are asked are how can I find, where can I get, and that sort.. saying where the quality or lack thereof is, is a good thing.

Also considering that a lot of the time the people that I see you holding up for recognition are independent business owners that need every plug the can get, even better.

[weaselmom.livejournal.com]

Goodness gracious, isn't somebody a special, special snowflake? Perhaps Snowflake will be so consumed with disgust at your outrageous behavior (writing about things that interest you? how dare you?) that he or she will leave the subculture altogether, thus sparing us from future idiocy.

Snarkiness aside (but not too far aside, so we may quickly and easily pick it back up if needed), as all these other smart people have said, it might be a good idea to have your reviews/recommendations separate from the advice part. (And I think that's what our snowflake was so inarticulately referring to - he or she wants to read your advice, because reviews are most definitely opinions.) But then I think that this might set a dangerous precedent for our snowflake in which his or her inane bitching actually gets results. Do we want to encourage this?

Today I am taking a dim fucking view of all this jackholery.

[mimibean.livejournal.com]

Don't listen to them. The reviews are fine, and often helpful. I never have felt like you are trying to sell something, and I've been a long-time reader. <3

[meiow.livejournal.com]

I wonder if the reader would have given the same response if your review had been negative. Somehow, I guess not.

Maybe you can reply back with a, "how about I balance it out with a negative review next?" tweet.

[sabishii-sakura.livejournal.com]

I like the reviews. I like getting something Goth-related in between your helpful responses to letter-writers. It helps to pass the time between advice columns. =P

I especially liked the hat review, because it was nice to see the product "in action" as opposed to only on the vendor's site. An honest opinion on how a product performs, as opposed to a vendor's statements and promises, is nice.

Anyone who feels like you're trying to sell them something from a simple review is out of their minds. Recommending a particular vendor is *not* the same as trying to sell their products. You are simply saying "Here's a store/product I like." It's like me saying "Morningstar Farms makes great buffalo chik'n," I'm not trying to get you to buy it, I don't get anything from Morningstar if you do buy it, I'm simply saying I like it and I think other people will too.

Plus, it's the internet. If you don't want to read a review, don't read it. Don't click on the clicky-link. Close the window if you mistakenly opened it. Oh no, .5 seconds of your precious time on teh interwebs has been wrested from you by the fact that you had to look away.

Honestly, I enjoy the service you provide to the goth community. It's nice to know we're not alone in many of the concerns you address. If you decided to supplement your income via paid reviews, I would be supportive. If having to see a review of a product (which is much better than a timed ad or sidebar, btw) means you get to keep on doing what you do and I get to keep on enjoying your writing, then bring it on!

That twittertwat can go sit on a tack and spin.

[icebluenothing.livejournal.com]

"So I spent a long time trying to work out what the audience wanted, what this new audience wanted, what would please them. This was completely stupid. I mean, I must have somehow misplaced my arrogance. Because actually it's not my job to work out what they want. It's my job to tell them what they want." -- Alan Moore (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=511)

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Oh, Zany Uncle Alan. We love him so. :)

[zimon66]

In my book, "opinion" and "review" are one in the same thing. The trolling know-it-all is just out to fed their ego.

[aka-paloma.livejournal.com]

After a wee bit of investigation, I found the person's MySpace page and if it is correct and up to date, they appear to be 17 years old. I'd read a few pages worth of his tweets and wasn't surprised at that discovery at all. I must admit, he does sound as if he has a bit of growing up to do, and I only say that because I remember how I was at that age and I thought I knew everything and was oh-so-wise! Having recently stumbled across some old journals of mine from that period, I've been greatly amused, if not slightly horrified--dear God I wrote a lot of bad poetry back then--and laughing at my earnest 16/17/18-year-old self.

I wouldn't stress over this too much. Yes, it's important in that you want to be fully aware how you come across to your readers, but there comes a point where you also have to be true to what your vision for GCS and for your own life is. Don't compromise because of a baby bat who still has a long way to go in this crazy business called life.

[sidhe1.livejournal.com]

Frankly, I don't really see a huge difference between an opinion and a review anyway. If you give a review, it will naturally be influenced by your own opinion. I think your reviews are fine. I think the person who tweeted that could use a crash course in making one's point politely; they were insulting and juvenile. If they don't like GCS just because of a review, perhaps they need to learn some new coping mechanisms because the ones they're using clearly aren't working for them they don't have to read it.

And that is my review of their tweet. =)