Hi Guys,

I was just browsing around in the Reviews section to keep up to date on whats new and all and noticed that out of the first 10 posts, eight have been started and perpetuated by shops/importers/brand pimps etc.

Now I have nothing against shops and team riders etc pimping posting reviews on the new products as they become available, as I have done the same myself with some of the gear we promote, but this season as we get further into retail, I have spent more and more time talking to everyday kiters and quizzing them about their buying habits.

It would seem that many regular riders (not connected to a brand) buy their gear, without demoing it, purely on the strength of the hype/pimping on the forums. Many I have spoken to were not as pleased with the gear as the reviewers would have led them to believe they would be.

What does everybody think about a seperate section maybe under or within the Reviews section that is for importers, retailers, team riders and shops to post reviews, that way anyone interested in a review knows if there is a financial gain to be made by writing the review and pimping?

I think it is important for persons with vested interests to be able to write a review of new gear. I mean how else would the average rider get to hear about the range of new gear coming out every year? However, the "Reviews section" should maybe be left to the regular riders, of course retailers etc can answer posts asking questions, but it would be nice to have impartial reviews on gear by regular riders that have bought and paid for their own gear.

Same also goes for retailers or brands with multiple logins, yes, they are out there! Posting reviews and then answering their own posts to generate perceived interest. Perhaps Laurie or our beloved admins can delete or regulate posts by multiple login shops or sellers

Lets try and keep it real people. Shops and sellers in one category and everybody else in the other, that would give people in the market for new gear, a more realistic idea of whats Hot and whats not.

What are your thoughts people?

Good winds,

Not sure if separating them would work but maybe as long as people stated at the start of there post who they are and who they work for or if they import it that way people can take the review or leave it its up to them. One thing that i have learned over the years is that if you talk something up and it turns out to be siht then the next time you do a review nobody will take you serious and then your reviews are worthless.

I'll stand by the fact that i have never recommend some thing that i would not use myself and i know you are the same Darren, the pure pimps will always be found out and then there reviews just fall of the page. I always read the reviews and know who is purely pimping and who is just trying to give good info about products that work. I do agree that shop should not be able to do multiple post under different names and if found out then maybe a bit of name and shame might stop that stuff going on.

Jacko

Yeh, but whats to stop them from starting up another account and posing as someone else??

Just remember to use it as a guide. Its a bit like listening to a pissed mate at the pub 2am on sunday morning.

walshd said...

Yeh, but whats to stop them from starting up another account and posing as someone else??

Well thats the main problem isn't it, people with multiple log ins.
The only reason someone would make a second or multiple log ins is to cause mischief and sh!tstir.

So my suggestion is for someone to help Laurie with some IP Address matching software, or search and match facility, then Laurie should just ban all the log ins from that user.

People should say if they have a brand affiliation of any sort when making a review.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Why not just put some sort of warning as a header under gear reviews, telling people that they should be carefull that most of the information below is from retailers or pimps and to read between the lines.

Cheers for pickin that up GreenPat, edit button got it sorted. Good analogy tho.

As I’m pretty green to all of this I’m amazed that businesses / team riders would start posts that they reply to under another login for the sole purpose of generating good reviews about their products.
The ACCC may be very interested in this technique !

PS. we had seebreezes on the 16th & 17th this month in Whyalla, do they count as the first one's this season

JB said...

I think a Trade or industry section would be good. I have noticed that one of my post in the review section has been seriously red thumbed, now I can only assume that this is because that someone believes that I have used aliases to keep my thread moving. BTW, this is not the case. Anyway, it would be good to have a section to quote your thoughts on products, and then let non industry riders discuss it in the Gear review section, where industry could aid in answering questions etc.

I urge you all to realize that most people in the industry are very passionate (probably even more than you) about kiteboarding, and love to tell you all about their experiences on the new gear, I know I am. My posts are generally done in my own time, and are not provoked by work at all, I have access to lots of information and experience that I like to share with people to spread the stoke. I hope Laurie can come up with a way were we can do this without being stamped "PIMP" and red thumbed.

Regards,

JB

If your so passionate about kiteboarding and your reviews are not provoked by work, why don't you write reviews and pimp other brands that you don't sell or are affiliated with????

I would love to if I had the time and oppitunity to. Unfortunately at the moment I only really get to ride on work demo trips or in Comps (Kids pretty much each majority of my spare time). But when I do get to odd chance to try a different kite I do post a review (as I did last year with the switchblade), but I don't believe on reviewing something I haven't ridden (properly). If you look through my posts in the SUP forum, you'll see I have reviewed many boards of different brands, this is simply because it is much easier to do (don't have to wait for wind, and only takes halfa). As the season gets on I am sure I will get the oppitunuity to try some other kites, and I'll definitely be putting up my review at this time. Besides, at the moment there aren't many of the 2009 kites about, so it increases the difficulty. In a perfect world, every kite would be available for demo at every spot and the wind would always blow, but until this happens, reviews are pretty good to share your experience with others weather they are bias or not.

Regards,

JB

What might be nice is a sponsor page, divided by state ie WA NSW NT etc and all the industry listed under each state and which products they support. with an easy quick link to their website and an ability to PM direct.

angie pangi said...

Jeues Paul1 from the goldie, Wonder who is red thumbing JB then.
Most people that put reviews on have got some kind of a shop connection, isn't that pimp'in the brands from that particular shop to!?
Yours sounds like a best or cab shop LOL after reading some of your comments on gear reviews and pimp'in those 2 brands.

Pretty funny really, i really find it hard to see the difference with what JB does to what others do when simply it's only to benefit the whole aussie kite community.

In the end if you like the product then put a review on gear section about and if you don't like it then don't read it or reply, it's really that simple.

XX Angie

I am not affilliated with any brand or shop if thats what you are insinuating. I just think it would be nice not to have biased reviews, the same as most people on here clearly do as well.

Laurie, might be time for a poll.

Q: What do you think of industry kiters making reviews of products they sell/represent on Seabreeze?

A 1: Hate it, make it illegal

A 2: Love it, lets me know about new product when it is first available.

A 3: Don't really care.

There is a lot of traffic through Seabreeze that doesn't post (very often), and if they knew this might effect the content of what is posted, they might support it by participating. This will tell you if there is a need for an industry section, or just leave the industry out of the forums all together.

What do you think?

JB

kusu said...



They should be buried in their own bricks and mortar...

nice one

Disclosure

Paul1 said...

I still like the idea of the structured review template which would cover all these points. What happened to that, is it still in the pipeline?

It was a great idea that got floated but didn't get much support. Kitehard put forward quite a review template, which, whilst good value, it kinda made posting a review look like homework! (See www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=38992 if you'd like to re-energise the discussion...)

The Gear Review section might even need a rename from Gear Review to Gear Talk or something similar.

@JB .. interesting poll answers! :-) I think "persons with a vested interest" should be able to review gear, it's just handy for the casual reader to know they might happen to have a vested interest.

It would also be good to know the expertise & kiting stye of the kiter, but even that is tricky.

e.g. "More power, jumps higher & turns faster" means different things coming from an experienced guy who's demoed 5 new kites -vs- a weekend warrior on his second kite in 3 years!

waveslave said...

The Industry always wants to turn the forum into its own private flea-market.
Remember...
For every pimp and brand-whore posting on the forum....
there are trolls and axegrinders at the ready.
Pimp at your own peril.
Let the BS freely flow, it's funny when it explodes into a sh1tstorm.

Exactly.

Real problem is that sponsors who pimp are protected by their status as sponsors.

(I criticised a sponsor's opinion once by pointing out he may have a vested interest in sh1t-canning a specific brand that he no longer stocked - I was censored by Laurie, even though I did not personally criticise the sponsor but for the vested interest).

Therefore, let sponsors pimp (I mean review) to their hearts' content, but also let them wear the consequences if anyone has the hide to suggest they are pimping.