Review Section?

[Pugwash]

I recently posted a watch review and because it was an IWC, I posted it in the IWC section, like a dutiful member should. However, it had so few views our very own By-Tor commented on it with apprehension. The review was hidden away in a not often trawled location and was knocked off the front page very quickly.

Now, rather than getting upset and feeling unloved, I decide to ask here if we can have a "Watch Review" section for people to post their reviews and the like.

Ideas? Comments? Etc.?

[retep]

Good idea!

But what got my attention more is; I am on holiday in Scotland from 20th Dec until 4th Jan......WTF.... again?

[TwoTone]

@Pug

Push HERE for the Review Forum...

Forum Description:

Reviews

Watch reviews, strap reviews, accessory reviews....

TT

[fotoman]

with the forum up and downs with being online over the last few weeks i had put up a thread with some photos that i thought would have alot of interest. And it only had like 30 views.

So i bumped it - it got back in rotation people commented then it quickly went up into the hundreds.

There are lots of threads that i don't catch till the 2nd or third time around on my new posts screen that are pretty good.

You should have a good idea of what will be interesting to most and just to a few, if its not getting the hit count that you would expect, bump it, someone will comment and it can take on a life of its own

[By-Tor]

I don't think we need a review section. That wouldn't be a good idea. If people search information and reviews of IWC they should search it from the IWC section.

We should make brand-specific NOTICEABLE subforums for the major rep brands: Omega, Rolex, Panerai, Breitling, IWC and TAG. Actually...just like it is now... but they should be proper subforums ala TRC and RWI, not some unnoticeable and obscure "photo galleries".

People constantly post brand-specific questions and discussions about new rep models to "General discussion" (which is totally idiotic, imho). It also makes searching for information extremely difficult. Not people's fault... it's just because we don't have a proper place for these questions. This is the best watch board in the world, but it's also the only watch board in the world that doesn't have proper BRAND-SPECIFIC subforums. Most watch boards are built around these.

I think we should get rid of as many low-traffic subforums as possible... "RWG activities" has 8 topics. "Tips" has 33 topics. Do we really need these?

The only change from the "photo gallery" is to make the font bolder and bigger and change the "photo gallery subforums" to ROLEX FORUM, PANERAI FORUM, OMEGA FORUM, etc. Look how it's done at RWI and TRC... and almost all watch boards on the Internet.

I don't like separate "eyecandy" forum, either. Why not keep it as simple as possible: If you got nice shot of your PAM why wouldn't you post it to the PAM forum? People could post PAM eyecandy, questions, references and reviews and all PAM discussions to Panerai forum. Could it get any simpler than that?

I always click "view new posts", but apparently many people don't. Personally, I don't see any other proper way to read the posts (and make sure I don't miss anything).

Some of my reviews (which I thought were fair efforts) went virtually unnoticed as well. Especially watches that don't create huge mainstream interest. IWC makes wonderful watches, but it's not a mainstream brand like Rolex or Omega. When you review a Submariner or Planet Ocean you'll get lots of attention.

[TwoTone]

@BT

Excellent Idea...

TT

[Pugwash]

Some of my reviews (which I thought were fair efforts) went virtually unnoticed as well. Especially watches that don't create huge mainstream interest. IWC makes wonderful watches, but it's not a mainstream brand like Rolex or Omega. When you review a Submariner or Planet Ocean you'll get lots of attention.

You're absolutely correct. I should expect a smaller readership for the more obscure watches. Ok, as usual, you're the voice of reason. I'm convinced.

[Sherrington]

The only change from the "photo gallery" is to make the font bolder and bigger and change the "photo gallery subforums" to ROLEX FORUM, PANERAI FORUM, OMEGA FORUM, etc. Look how it's done at RWI and TRC... and almost all watch boards on the Internet.

I'm with By-Tor on this one. The sections over on TRC are much easier to follow, and find. The gen forums operate this way as well. Time for a tweak I think.

[By-Tor]

Hmm... didn't happen with the forum upgrade... but I guess transferring the "photo gallery" to proper subforums would be still fairly easy to do?

I don't want to pester Thomas any more or I'll get banned.

[Admin]

By-tor, there were several things I simply did not get to finish during the upgrade. I was just getting started on the re-organisation when I noticed that it was time to get the forum back online. So be patient

[cornerstone]

Actually, since this has been bumped, if someone does a review of a less known brand - why shouldn't they be able to drum up interest in it? If anyone goes to a lot of effort doing up a review, do they have to be condemned to a lack of enthusiasm because it's not a main brand? They might find that people are really interested in it if more people get to see it. And often I think that is the case - great reviews sell watches.

For example, I'm sure a Hublot sub-forum wouldn't exactly be heaving, yet it's 'watch of the day' in the main discussion.

[says he, still burned from posting photos in a sub-forum and getting next-to-no views ]

[By-Tor]

Actually, since this has been bumped, if someone does a review of a less known brand - why shouldn't they be able to drum up interest in it? If anyone goes to a lot of effort doing up a review, do they have to be condemned to a lack of enthusiasm because it's not a main brand? They might find that people are really interested in it if more people get to see it. And often I think that is the case - great reviews sell watches.

For example, I'm sure a Hublot sub-forum wouldn't exactly be heaving, yet it's 'watch of the day' in the main discussion.

[says he, still burned from posting photos in a sub-forum and getting next-to-no views ]

Why do you think "Other watch brands" subforum wouldn't draw any traffic and attention? And if people used the "view new posts" option this wouldn't be any kind of problem at all.

Using "Other brands" subforums works in the gen forums as well (and in the RWI too). And if some brands starts to get more attention we could always add another brand subforum. That's what Thomas has been doing at TRC (he added Breitling and Omega when the demand grew big... and the rep catalog grew big and impressive enough).

[cornerstone]

Why do you think "Other brands" subforum wouldn't draw any traffic and attention? And if people used the "view new posts" option this wouldn't be a problem at all.

But it doesn't, and there's always been the "view new posts" button - I don't think browsing behaviour will change.

Perhaps an idea would be to have a main photo review section, and then file the threads in the appropriate sub-forum as you say down the track as a record. At least then the less-known watches might get some fair attention when the reviews are new - it doesn't take any less effort for the reviewer to photograph and review an IWC over a Rolex.

[EDIT: I should add that I am talking about filing the best of the reviews]

[By-Tor]

But it doesn't, and there's always been the "view new posts" button - I don't think browsing behaviour will change.

Perhaps an idea would be to have a main photo review section, and then file the threads in the appropriate sub-forum as you say down the track as a record. At least then the less-known watches might get some fair attention when the reviews are new - it doesn't take any less effort for the reviewer to photograph and review an IWC over a Rolex.

I disagree. Creating more and more subforums will only make it more complicated. Look what happened to Ziggy's reviews and breakdowns: there's perfect archive of fantastic information available, but very few newbies ever find them from Expert Area -> Ziggy zone (you only have to look at the number of views which are very low).

It's sad but most members don't bother to search for anything. If they want IWC information they are going to look it from the IWC section, not from "reviews -> brand subgallery ->". Important reviews like Breitling Guide and Puggy's upcoming IWC guide should be pinned at this brand specific subforum... just like they're now (in the photo gallery).

I agree smaller brands getting less attention is a problem, but it's not necessarily only because of the subforum arrangement. They just don't interest masses and "who has the best Sub and PO newbies", even if the review is good.

I think keeping it as simple as possible is still the best option. Dividing and separating things is a problem. Or perhaps we should still consider keeping the general "Reviews" section available... if people feel uncomfortable posting reviews of smaller brands to "other brands". That could be a solution.

[cornerstone]

Fair enough - we're talking a little bit at cross-purposes because I'm not really advocating more and more sub-forums.

What you're saying makes total sense - that's a great way to organise things. What I'm saying is, when someone puts a review in the right place no-one looks at it, but when they put it in General Discussion many times more people look at it. You can understand, then, why it would be tempting just to put the review of a rare brand where people will look actually read it.

[By-Tor]

Yes, I completely understand what you mean.

But "general discussion" is still not the place to post watch reviews and any brand-specific questions (when these brands have their own section). But currently it's the only proper place if you want to create any discussion. I started THIS Rolex thread in the general discussion yesterday. But only because we don't have a Rolex subforum. It would have been strange to post it to the "photo gallery", don't you think?

Perhaps the forum title should be "general replica discussion", since we already have "off topic"? Then it would be logical to post questions and stuff about smaller brands there as well.

Perhaps the best solution is to have a read-only "Reviews" section with the brand subforums where all the detailed and helpful watch reviews could be double posted. You know... an archive-type of thing. Perhaps we could merge this with the "knowledge base"?

But we definitely need the brand subforums, imho. Nothing wrong with just changing the "Photo gallery" subforum titles like I suggested. So there would be no need to move threads and rearrange anything. Just change the font and titles.

[cornerstone]

But we definitely need the brand subforums, imho.

With you 100% on that - changing the photo galleries to brand subforums would be a great idea. I think I see what you're saying then, that the change to brand subforums might increase the traffic for reviews, as opposed the current tumbleweed rolling through some of them

[By-Tor]

With you 100% on that - changing the photo galleries to brand subforums would be a great idea. I think I see what you're saying then, that the change to brand subforums might increase the traffic for reviews, as opposed the current tumbleweed rolling through some of them

Yes. It would make things logical, searching for information easier... and also make these sections visually attractive for casual browsers.

I'd say those "photo gallery" subforums are the most important sections of the RWG already. And they have never been just "photo galleries", either. Still... for the average readers they're almost invisible in the forum layout (although they contain TONS of information).

Same as "Ziggy Zone" actually. All the regulars know who Ziggy is, but how do the newbies relate "Ziggy Zone" to valuable information of watch movements?

[RWG Technical]

I can certainly state the the "Ziggy Zone" is probably mislabeled, if I count the number of PM's I get asking tech or review questions, only for me to respond "Have a look at my subforum, and you will find the answers..."

If you also look at the "hits" you can see for the most part, it's completely ignored, so what is the point of having good technical data, how-to's, movement reviews, general info, etc, if no one can find it, or know it exists...

Maybe re-naming it from my board name, to what it actually contains, would help identify this to the new members?

"Technical info, How-To, Movement reviews etc..." section...

I dont' know, there must be a short title that would be descriptive for something like this.

RG

[Thor]

I can certainly state the the "Ziggy Zone" is probably mislabeled, if I count the number of PM's I get asking tech or review questions, only for me to respond "Have a look at my subforum, and you will find the answers..."

If you also look at the "hits" you can see for the most part, it's completely ignored, so what is the point of having good technical data, how-to's, movement reviews, general info, etc, if no one can find it, or know it exists...

Maybe re-naming it from my board name, to what it actually contains, would help identify this to the new members?

"Technical info, How-To, Movement reviews etc..." section...

I dont' know, there must be a short title that would be descriptive for something like this.

RG

Good point Rob

[Admin]

Well, like I wrote above, a "major" clean-up in the forums was planned, but I nevet had the time to do it before it was time to bring the forum back online. Unfortunately, more members than I had imagined have had problems with the new software and the new layout. Because of this, I haven't had the time to finish my to-do list, but had to concentrate on correcting errors and bugs. I guess you all understand that's how it sometimes has to be when you make major changes. Anyway, I will listen to all of your suggestions, do some changes, put the board back online and hear what you think

[By-Tor]

Take your time Thomas. We really don't need these changes now... or tomorrow... or even next week. Just when the time is right for you. No stress.

And thanks again for all your efforts.