Adding User Ratings and Comments

[thiggins]

Please let me know if you'll use this capability if it is added.

 

[Syngensmyth]

I do like user experience comments and sometimes find them useful. Your followers should be net savvy and may have experience worth noting. Moderating comments could be a pain.

I enjoy your very informative site. It has been an excellent resource for network information and to-the-point product reviews. Thanks for doing it.

 

[simon76]

I would imagine that having a rating feature, which requires no authentication, to be too unreliable - after all, many people have financial incentives to falsify product ratings. Otherwise I think it would be a welcome feature.

 

[thiggins]

I would imagine that having a rating feature, which requires no authentication, to be too unreliable - after all, many people have financial incentives to falsify product ratings. Otherwise I think it would be a welcome feature.

Even with registration, people can use throwaway email addresses and aliases.
IPs will be logged, of course, and only one rating/comment allowed per IP.

 

[Kiwi]

Yes I will use it as appropriate and hope that there will be useful information from other readers.

 

[odoketa]

I'm a little concerned about spam ratings myself, but, as you say, spam will happen regardless. I certainly think ratings make sense. If you're really feeling fiesty, let me build my rating pool from other users - people who have shown they have something useful to say.

 

[totoro]

I'm all for such a feature, although I'll hardly write many comments but will give my ratings as much as possible.

Not sure about single rating/comment per IP, though... This could prevent me from giving my rating/comment if using a NAT'ed internet access instead of my home dedicated IP...

 

[thiggins]

Not sure about single rating/comment per IP, though... This could prevent me from giving my rating/comment if using a NAT'ed internet access instead of my home dedicated IP...

Connection from a NAT'd router is logged as the WAN IP address, not the private IP.

 

[DaveMcLain]

Most of the time when I'm searching around on the Internet for information about a product that I'm thinking about buying I will read reviews and then check out the user comments/reviews. I tend to find that if you would graph the responses they would make a U shape with a high number who think the product is great, a high number that think it's terrible and a few that think it's ok. It's pretty unusual to find some product that's universally praised or panned OR one that has a lot of middle of the road comments.

I like to read the user comments and sometimes that's more meaningful than their rating of one to five stars. And often it will point out some feature or weakness that can influence my purchase decision.

I'd say give it a try on a few of your most popular reviews and see how it works out. Adding this feature could give your readers greater insight.

 

[ttran55]

I think it's a very nice feature. No doubt that SNB is a good website so learn about setting up networking, equipment and Tim's reviews are very very helpful but you will be surprised that the users may have different opinions.

 

[avvidme]

User Rates

Yes, I think it would be a great addition and would be useful.

 

[totoro]

Connection from a NAT'd router is logged as the WAN IP address, not the private IP.

Yes, that's why I'm concerned about it. If, by any chance, another reader of your website happens to leave a comment from the same WAN before me, I'll be prevented from leaving mine. Such things happened before.

 

[thiggins]

Yes, that's why I'm concerned about it. If, by any chance, another reader of your website happens to leave a comment from the same WAN before me, I'll be prevented from leaving mine. Such things happened before.

If your ISP frequently changes your WAN IP, it's possible. But IP based control will still be used.

 

[rpwoodman]

Nice idea, but it should be done for registered users only for the reasons already cited. In my experience, this is the most common way, and I think it works well.

 

[saturation]

User ratings are helpful to me, its often done by CNET or PCMag, so there is a comparison between the formal review and general opinion. However, to avoid folks with biases, ratings should be rated, so readers who read them can reduce or strengthen the value of those reviews, giving it accountability.