Writing Reviews

[the blur one]

Just a reminder to all those reviewers/potential reviewers out there...

What a review is:
A review is an evaluation, it lists out and explains your opinions on a particular series, book etc. It is a critical examination and analysis of the story, of the performance of the actors etc.

And according to SPCnet review guidelines, a review should be at least 250 words in length (note: REVIEW, NOT the summary/synopsis or retelling of the story). This means there should be AT LEAST 3 mid-sized paragraphs on PERSONAL opinions/analysis.

What a review is NOT:
It is NOT an essay of the story from start to finish! Unfortunately the bulk of reviews submitted to this site lately have consisted of just that. Essays retelling the story

If you must have a summary of the story, then keep it BRIEF. That's what a summary is. It's supposed to be brief (at the most two paragraphs!)


There, I just needed to rant a bit

Thank you for your attention

[junny]

Just to add:

Blur and I are editing the stack of reviews that have just come in through the new system, and we would just like to ask for a little consideration on the part of the reviewers.

As Blur mentioned, a review is supposed to be an analysis of the serial/movie you have watched. It's not a summary of the plot. Please don't flood the review with minute details of the serial or movie unless they're critical to your analysis. I know some of you have a list of favourite scenes that you'd like to introduce to the readers, but there can be too many favourite scenes, which is tantamount to retelling the plot, just that it's disguised differently.

You can help to make our jobs easier. All we ask is that you put a little more effort in the review and do a general check on spelling and grammar before you submit it.

Thank you for your attention.

[Lady Zhuge]

Is this in regards to all reviews in general(including ones in this specific forum and its threads), or just the reviews submitted to you via email. etc.? I apologize if it's the former for the lack of quality and quantity in my reviewing, as I was not aware it had to follow a more stringent and profound formula.

[junny]

We mean the reviews submitted via the new system. It's not that there are stringent guidelines, it's just that we wish people would put more effort into a review instead of submitting a three-page essay containing nothing but a recounting of the storyline.

Did you submit a review? I don't think we've seen any with your name.

[Lady Zhuge]

Originally posted by junny
We mean the reviews submitted via the new system. It's not that there are stringent guidelines, it's just that we wish people would put more effort into a review instead of submitting a three-page essay containing nothing but a recounting of the storyline.

Did you submit a review? I don't think we've seen any with your name.

Okay, you've answered my question. I wasn't sure if you were referring to the reviews posted in the "On Reviews" thread in this forum, in which I've shared some of my views, or ones actually submitted . I haven't submitted any reviews, though, so I think I'm safe. If I do, I'll be sure to avoid any plot summarizing, etc.

[CrazyT]

I'm also surprised there's only two editors. The amount of reviews are increasing everyday. I don't know how you ladies (I think I'm correct here to use that term. But don't kill me if I'm wrong) do it but my hats off to you.

[junny]

Thanks, CrazyT.

We're still managing OK, so far. At last check, there are 10 more to go, ack.

Actually, editing is all right, and I rather enjoy it sometimes. It's just that the bad grammar tends to drive me crazy.

[Em]

for a sterling job with the editing! Thank you.

I'll have a little more time on my hands after October, so I might be able to offer a helping hand if you need it (and of course if you think I am good enough!) but in the meantime, I hope you don't get too snowed under!!

Just out of curiosity, do you reject the long drawn out summary reviews? Maybe you could suggest that the authors post them on the Episode guide forum instead as that might be a more suitable home for them.

[spcnet]

It's nice to keep the summary brief but if a reviewer wants to delve into the plot, I usually don't mind, as long as your analysis following it is equally as long!

[spcnet]

Originally posted by Em
Just out of curiosity, do you reject the long drawn out summary reviews? Maybe you could suggest that the authors post them on the Episode guide forum instead as that might be a more suitable home for them.

Reviews aren't rejected unless they don't meet our guidelines and the most important one is that the review must have at least 3 paragraphs of personal analysis. Also, if a review is so poorly written in grammar and structure that every other line needs rephrasing then I'd say reject it too and ask the reviewer to re-write.

[Yon]

I thought Hkopinion is also working on editing.. no?

Thank you Blur and Junny for the editing.

[Funn Lim]

Maybe increase the no. of editors? That may help a lot.

[junny]

Yon, if HKopinion is editing, I haven't seen him around. I think Blur and I are the only editors.

Funn: actually, I'm fine with Blur and myself being the only editors, we can handle the workload fine. If SC feels she needs another editor, sure. But what would really help is the improvement in quality of reviews.

[CrazyT]

If you want, I can make it so that the review system will "accidently" lose half of the reviews. We can blame it on a system crash or something. That should lessen the workload. Hehe. Just a thought...

[junny]

Don't let SC hear you

Currently, Blur and I are suffering from a phobia of seeing a particular reviewer's name

But I'm still editing away...

[Goofy]

but on the other hand, I enjoy reading the detailed summary of old series as well as its review part.

They help me decide which series to get, etc.

[junny]

Originally posted by Goofy
but on the other hand, I enjoy reading the detailed summary of old series as well as its review part.

They help me decide which series to get, etc.

Then by all means read the synopses. Synopses detail the plot, and nothing else.

A review doesn't. It analyses what's good and bad about the serial. It discusses acting, cinematography, mis-en-scene, and so on and so forth. It is NOT a rehash of the plot details. What's the point of reviewing if all you're going to do is to retell the plot, either by narrating it from start to finish, or listing them out in your "favourite scenes" list?

I'm not saying that a review can't have plot details. But they should be kept to a minimum because it is not the purpose of a review to rehash plot details.

[Goofy]

but the balance of both would be nice for old (unobtainable) series, IMO.

However, I see your points too. I am not for 'favorite scenes list' either. I like the recount of story along with analysis...

[spcnet]

Originally posted by CrazyT
If you want, I can make it so that the review system will "accidently" lose half of the reviews. We can blame it on a system crash or something. That should lessen the workload. Hehe. Just a thought...

Hmm.... I think it'll be good for you to learn how to make scheduled backups for the database then.

Actually as long as junny and blur don't feel burdened for now, then the number of editors is fine. Though good help is always wanted.

I do need someone to be the image person, someone who will find/crop/upload/add pictures into a review and finalize a review after it has been edited. I'm getting pretty bored with doing it.

[zutalors]

It might interest you guys that yesterday I came across a LOCH review posted here that was passed off word for word by another person as their original work in another forum! It was actually posted in a completely chinese forum where posts are normally in chinese, and the plagiriser (?) had claimed that he'd decided to write his first english review after thinking a lot these few days! Unfortunately for him, I found his review oddly familiar & I can't stand plagirism so he's received his just deserts

In case you're wondering why he bothered to plagirise.... in that forum you get points rewarded if you submit original essay type comments on series which entitles you to d/l stuff from their FTP.

I've just recently discovered that there are actually huge numbers of those forums around in Chinese, and they have extremely decent collections on their FTPd....has anyone else heard of them?

Oh & keep up the good work editors (you have my sympathy!). Yeah, please do keep the reviews concise