Reviews improvement idea

[OnBoard]

This has bothered me quite some time and was wondering wouldit be possible to have the comments start on a totally different page?

Like you read the review and then it say page 2 comments and you have to load the WHOLE review again. Same if you just want to read the new forum posts after the review, I don't want to load the whole page with x amount of pictures and have the page jumping until they are all loaded and I can scroll again.

I'd think that this would save the site bandwidth too, I can't be the only one loading the review pages all over again just to see a few lines of text

[W1zzard]

this has bothered me for a while too but there is no easy fix to put the comments on an extra page. i am thinking about not showing the review in the comments thread so it starts with the comments, or the first post is a link to the review

[pt]

Originally Posted by W1zzard

or the first post is a link to the review

i saw this on other forums, it does the job

[btarunr]

My reviews improvement idea:

1. Let's launch a TechPowerup! channel on YouTube.
2. The review staff, news staff should be permitted to use HTML code to embed the YouTube video of a product review / news item in the post. Other users should be allowed to do so with the permission of an available moderator.

[W1zzard]

youtube? we dont have any videos of the reviews

[btarunr]

My idea is to start having video-reviews and to embed such on the main site and the vBulettin. YouTube's obligations allow us to have our own videos. We don't need serious investment or equipment, it's a community effort., plus a embedded video does not affect our bandwidth, they stream from YT's servers.

[pt]

just my opinion, but don't like video reviews much, i preffer to read reviews

[btarunr]

It's about video reviews enhancing our text reviews. It makes life easy for W1z, making a review wouldn't require much effort when many people share the work, like 1 guy doing the text, one guy doing the pics ready, one with a video. Videos add to the aesthetic appeal of the site.

[W1zzard]

no video reviews .. text for the win

[pt]

Originally Posted by btarunr

It's about video reviews enhancing our text reviews. It makes life easy for W1z, making a review wouldn't require much effort when many people share the work, like 1 guy doing the text, one guy doing the pics ready, one with a video. Videos add to the aesthetic appeal of the site.

the reviewers aren't close
w1z in germany, darksaber in austria, Frederik S in Denmark, t_ski in the states, etc

[btarunr]

You don't need them to be close, think Mozdev. Example, when W1z does a text review, someone authorised from UK could get the text before-hand and the user could work on enhancing the language. Afterall, we have to make the text read interesting too, and then the edited text is sent back to W1z for a final read before he posts it. Similarly with videos, don't bother about logistics, we're working online.

I'm not trying to say W1z's text isn't interesting, just that he is more technical, gramatically correct but sometimes you need "lapping" for cooling the Q6600 better, some text brushup from a literary guy could enhance W1z's reviews.

[W1zzard]

we dont have enough staff to do this .. people are not working fulltime at tpu. also what good would it do?

[btarunr]

People like Malware and Jimmy are close to full time, arent they? Sure they are news staff but news staff generally has people with sharp command over english, and that thair english can be very decorative, your english is 100% fine, but your style of writing is more technical than decorative. You need both.

[W1zzard]

if you want to read decorative reviews go to tomshardware

[pt]

Originally Posted by W1zzard

if you want to read decorative reviews go to tomshardware

thanks for new sig quote

[btarunr]

That could be why they have a high hitrate, they are both technical and decorative. These are two important ingredients of a good review, be it computer hardware or cars. It should cover the technical part seemlessly and also have the appeal on the reader.

[W1zzard]

Originally Posted by W1zzard

this has bothered me for a while too but there is no easy fix to put the comments on an extra page. i am thinking about not showing the review in the comments thread so it starts with the comments, or the first post is a link to the review

this has been added

[OnBoard]

Nice, thank you, it's much better now

edit: I liked the "text FTW" from W1zzard too With videos you should be pausing to see the detail and still not clear enough.

[will]

yeah but tbh videos are just tacky, they're not a very good way of illustrating a review. written reviews have much more information, are much clearer and are generally nicer to see.

[W1zzard]

there wont be any video reviews, dont worry

[King Wookie]

Sounds to me btarunr that you are looking for a little more subjective input to compliment the fairly objective reviews that W1zzard tends to write.

I personally prefer his approach, and do sometimes get irritated with how subjective some reviews are. (not from this site) Most often reviews are used to compare products, and thus need to be objective and consistent. Saying which, the personal input from an experienced reviewer is helpful.

W1zzard, one could say that your reviews are slightly formulaic, and maybe a little more input on your impressions/ personal viewpoints would be nice, to Compliment your current style.

To find someone who is both technically proficient and a gifted writer is a challenge. In spite of the language barrier W1zzard does a sterling job.

W1zzard has his style, and someone like Tatty would have his own unique way of writing.

[WhiteLotus]

I dislike the idea of the videos - the share amount of information that wizz collects when doing the reviews - ie the amount of tables and stuff he produces can not be replicated on a video.

[Polaris573]

Originally Posted by btarunr

People like Malware and Jimmy are close to full time, arent they? Sure they are news staff but news staff generally has people with sharp command over english, and that thair english can be very decorative, your english is 100% fine, but your style of writing is more technical than decorative. You need both.

Nobody works even part-time. W1zzard puts in by far the most work since he writes all the programs, maintains the forums, and does reviews. I'm pretty sure he has a real job outside of Techpowerup, I just don't know what it is. If it appears someone is on the forums for hours on end, they most likely left their browser window open. Moderators get e-mail alerts for PMs just like you and e-mail alerts for reported posts. This allows us to log in for a minute or two, address a problem, and leave. We're not always waiting around.

[btarunr]

I know that everyone keeps a minimized browser window and ends up showing online. By full-time I didn't imply someone who's on TPU all the time but that they are accessible. For example if W1z wants a someone to work on a unreleased review a bit, he could send it over and expect a response from that person, send the unreleased review text to several trusted members who could work parallel if they are willing to, so at least someone comes up with some contribution, else W1z can proceed with his version.

Again, I find nothing wrong at all with W1z's reviews, his industrial/technical style of writing goes well with me but some nifty refinement here and there is always helpful. Afterall we have to strike a chord with even the most dumbest (low know-how) readers.

[newtekie1]

Originally Posted by W1zzard

this has bothered me for a while too but there is no easy fix to put the comments on an extra page. i am thinking about not showing the review in the comments thread so it starts with the comments, or the first post is a link to the review

Or maybe remove all the pictures from the review in the first post? The pictures are what take so long to load and take up the most space.