Bike reviews - Minimum post count

[Woosh]

Hi all,

I work for Woosh Bikes, a relatively new outfit (2 years old).

I am generally in agreement with what has been said but can I make a suggestion?

Instead of reviews being written by people who have used the bike perhaps for only a few weeks (if not days), why not get long established members to review the bike? After all they command respect, so their comments would carry clout and keep things neutral - good for everyone.

We have a new bike - the Sundowner. As the ruling stands it will take many weeks, if not months, for it to be reviewed. Would someone like to take up our suggestion therefore.. and maybe this could become the pattern? New users would benefit from this, would they not?

Woosh Sundowner:

 

[funkylyn]

Hi all,

I work for Woosh Bikes, a relatively new outfit (2 years old).

I am generally in agreement with what has been said but can I make a suggestion?

Instead of reviews being written by people who have used the bike perhaps for only a few weeks (if not days), why not get long established members to review the bike? After all they command respect, so their comments would carry clout and keep things neutral - good for everyone.

We have a new bike - the Sundowner. As the ruling stands it will take many weeks, if not months, for it to be reviewed. Would someone like to take up our suggestion therefore.. and maybe this could become the pattern? New users would benefit from this, would they not?

Woosh Sundowner:
View attachment 3669

I think the whole point of the exercise is to stop unknown new members coming onto the forum to promote their own makes of bikes under an alias , then disappearing.......

There is nothing wrong with an enthusiastic owner reporting on how THEY personally find their bike......and it IS all personal opinions.......as long as they are genuine forum members here without a 'hidden agenda'.

Personally I find owner reviews of far more interest than 'official' reviews......or at least every bit as interesting.

Generally, members will post a 'first' review of their opinion on the bike and then follow up later with more in depth information after having owned and run the bike for a lot longer.

Seems to work ok to me

As you are trade it might be a good start to register here on the forum as an official trader, then you wont incur any wrath from advertising your bikes in posts......just a suggestion.

Lynda

 

[Eaglerider]

I like a good bike review as well Funklyn, but of course, we must all beware the wrath of......The Thread Inspectors!

 

[funkylyn]

Aah....yes....of course......the Thread Inspectors........I remember them well

Lynda

 

[Synthman]

I suspect one member (who has not posted in this topic) of having commercial interests

 

[eddieo]

I think a post count of 10 far to low, as a few spam postings and a review is up there...More like 100

 

[GaRRy]

I think a post count of 10 far to low, as a few spam postings and a review is up there...More like 100

Hey something we can agree on

Although any limit is still ultimately open to abuse. I have seen long term contributers on other forums who have decided to get into the business turn from unbiased members into raving product pushers almost overnight.

Can I suggest that maybe all reviews should begin by pointing out when member joined the group and post count as a reference might be more usefull ?

 

[Nigelk]

Hi

I submitted a review on about the 27th may, have I done something wrong as its still not showing.?
Thanks for any help.

 

[neptune]

I have over 400 posts. If someone gives me a new bike for free, with a 5 year guarantee including battery, I will promise to give it the best revue you have ever read.

 

[indalo]

I have seen long term contributers on other forums who have decided to get into the business turn from unbiased members into raving product pushers almost overnight.

Here too GaRRy!

Indalo

 

[flecc]

Hi

I submitted a review on about the 27th may, have I done something wrong as its still not showing.?
Thanks for any help.

No, you've done nothing wrong Nigel, thanks for your contribution. Reviews have to be checked by admin before appearing to avoid the risk of "spoilers" being published by rivals or posted for malicious reasons.

 

[tillson]

I don't think that there is an effective way to stop someone coming on here, making a few posts to bump up their count and then going on to promote a product in which they have a commercial interest. By the very nature of this type of Internet forum, this sort of activity is always going to happen.

It is really down to the consumer of the information to filter out the rubbish for themselves and this can only be done by looking at members posts over a period of time. There are people on here who buy their first ebike and are blind to the shortcoming of the actual bike because they are swept away by the novel experience of electrical assist. Others passionately defend / promote whichever brand of ebike that they have stumble upon. And some promote a particular ebike because they stand to receive some form of benefit from so doing. There are a few people on here who write a balanced review based on knowledge and ownership of various types of bike and drive system. They are able to compare and contrast the various aspects of models and back up their opinions with evidence and facts.

The trick is to identify who the latter people are and what they say. This can only be done by spending time looking at postings on the forum. There are no shortcuts.

 

[indalo]

There are a few people on here who write a balanced review based on knowledge and ownership of various types of bike and drive system. They are able to compare and contrast the various aspects of models and back up their opinions with evidence and facts.

Yes Tillson, I agree entirely with that. It took me a long time to identify the handful of contributors here who have the intelligence, experience and ability to describe ebikes objectively and impartially. Having found the members whose opinions and advice I respect, my greatest discovery thereafter was the "ignore" facility which has allowed me to avoid the inane drivel from one little clique and the terminally boring stuff from old electricians re-living their day-release course learning at the local Poly.

I'm afraid I'm a bit like Donald Sutherland with that tank in Kelly's Heroes when he said something along the lines of, "Hey man, I don't know what makes them work; I just drive them!" Basic electric motors are pretty simple devices and anyone with the most rudimentary knowledge of electrics...(or the ability to do a Google search) ....ought to be able to understand how an ebike works. A multimeter and some hand tools should solve many problems but if not, the answer is probably obtainable here from venerable members.

Personally, the Pedelecs forum is preferable to Endless Sphere with all the weird and wonderful stuff going on there, much of which relates to illegal machines that I'm never likely to ride. I'm not a fan of people trying to re-invent the wheel. Nor do I see the point of building a moped then living in denial, pretending it's a pedelec and it's simply the law that's an ass.

Oh.....and the minimum post count should be a number large enough to deter opportunist marketeers!

Indalo

 

[Nigelk]

No, you've done nothing wrong Nigel, thanks for your contribution. Reviews have to be checked by admin before appearing to avoid the risk of "spoilers" being published by rivals or posted for malicious reasons.

Okey dokey thanks for replying, It doesn't matter if it doesn't get put on at the end of the day. Just trying to make a contribution to the forum, which I enjoy reading.

 

[flecc]

As a genuine review it will appear Nigel, the two administrators Russ and Richard have other duties keeping them busy so there's often a few days delay.

 

[n0ct0]

I've never seen another forum that does anything like that. I'm lurking while I wait for my Gazelle to be delivered. I will probably write a review eventually, and as has been said, it's easy to bump up posts to 10 and so it all seems a bit pointless.

What other forums have is something along the lines of 'reputation' where users have had their posts recommended by other users. I'm sure anyone that trawls the 'net for reviews, or any information, will take anything they read with a pinch of salt anyway.

 

[rog_london]

(quote)
and the terminally boring stuff from old electricians re-living their day-release course learning at the local Poly.
(end quote)

I'm afraid that's a bit after my time, Indalo....

Rog.

 

[hech]

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the old electricians who have taken the time to lend others the benefit of their knowledge and advice. It is to their expertise that I look on the all too few occasions I have the time to visit this fine forum. Personally I can do without the gossip and the snide whining which some are bound to post from time to time, but each to his own eh and censorship probably best kept to a minimum.

 

[jazper53]

Hi all,

We're going to introduce a minimum post count before members can submit bike reviews. As has been pointed out, someone will come on to post a review never to be heard of again.

We'll probably start at a minimum of 10 posts, but we will be looking at the content of those posts to make sure they are not just random fluff to push up the post count before a review goes live.

I have noticed that there still seems to be PERSONAL Bike reviews from new members, with little as a two post count. I did make a comment on one of these reviews, on this particular subject, but seems to be ommited ?

 

[the_killjoy]

We could use the system that appears on many boards where contributer's contributions can be rated and a count given.

Whilst this is a good way of defining whose contributions are worth consideration I think it would be a poor way to limit the postings of reviews.

There are a lot of people like myself who are basically lurkers and only post when we have a problem ~ or want to post about their latest toy.

So post a 'score' for each contributer but don't use it to limit postings.