Blank Reviews

[Aqualung]

Someone called Callum Jordan has added a load of reviews of the Chester area with just a score. I was under the impression that the software wouldn't accept a blank review. Like me, he didn't like the Old Harkers Arms and I'd love to know why!

[ROBCamra]

Someone called Callum Jordan has added a load of reviews of the Chester area with just a score. I was under the impression that the software wouldn't accept a blank review. Like me, he didn't like the Old Harkers Arms and I'd love to know why!

He's put a full stop in most of them, which seems to qualify it.

Dave, I think this needs an amendment!

I've hidden them all for now.

[Dave M]

Hmm, I've seen this done in odd one off cases but never like this.

Does anyone have bright ideas for dealing with it?

[Mobyduck]

Hmm, I've seen this done in odd one off cases but never like this.

Does anyone have bright ideas for dealing with it?

Ban him.

[Blackthorn]

Hmm, I've seen this done in odd one off cases but never like this.

Does anyone have bright ideas for dealing with it?

On Trip Advisor your review has to be a minimum of 100 characters. Seems reasonable to me.

[Aqualung]

Hmm, I've seen this done in odd one off cases but never like this.

Does anyone have bright ideas for dealing with it?

Banning him wouldn't stop someone else coming along and doing the same thing.

Don't allow reviews that don't have any alphabetic characters? This could be made more elaborate to exclude single or few letter reviews. The trouble is going too far may exclude valid reviews such as Closed 2017.

I've felt like doing something similar myself when faced with a stack of pedestrian JDWs!

[Dave M]

On Trip Advisor your review has to be a minimum of 100 characters. Seems reasonable to me.

Worth a try, but will that just result in a review of 100 full stops?


Banning him wouldn't stop someone else coming along and doing the same thing.

Don't allow reviews that don't have any alphabetic characters? This could be made more elaborate to exclude single or few letter reviews. The trouble is going too far may exclude valid reviews such as Closed 2017.

I've felt like doing something similar myself when faced with a stack of pedestrian JDWs!

Yes, we could certainly make it a bit more sophisticated. Character limit and requirement for actual letters. But that may just lead to reviews of "This is a rating only as I don't want to write a review".

This may be an unpopular thought but I wonder if it may be time to revisit the ratings without a review discussion.

To be clear I'm not thinking of the bad old days of BITE where pubs would suddenly get dozens of ratings from anonymous sources to take them to the front page leaderboard.

This guy wants to make his feelings known about a bunch of pubs on a scale of 1 to 10, but doesn't feel comfortable writing a review. Perhaps if he were allowed to leave ratings, which appear in a section separate from the reviews but are still fully audited so we can see what's going on then maybe that is a good thing. Particularly if we can then find a way of trying to nag users to leave a review. Anyone who uses an Android phone may have seen Google doing similar tricks and Facebook also do the same. For example maybe he gets a notification next time he logs in along the lines of "Aqualung noticed your rating of The Old Harkers Arms and would love to read your thoughts one the pub, why not leave a review".

I'd be interested to know if any of the reviewers out there would be interested in just leaving a rating for pubs that they don't want to write about. As a subtle warning to others about a particularly grim pub for example?

[bcfczuluarmy]

Email him and thank him for his contributions thus far and suggest it would be nice to have a rough feel for the place via a review no matter how brief etc. No need to get the pitchforks out just yet.

[Aqualung]

This may be an unpopular thought but I wonder if it may be time to revisit the ratings without a review discussion.

To be clear I'm not thinking of the bad old days of BITE where pubs would suddenly get dozens of ratings from anonymous sources to take them to the front page leaderboard.



I missed out on that debate as I only started here in 2012. Surely the fact there is no table of best pubs would deter all that BITE scoring nonsense?
It's the only foolproof way of avoiding blank reviews.





This guy wants to make his feelings known about a bunch of pubs on a scale of 1 to 10, but doesn't feel comfortable writing a review. Perhaps if he were allowed to leave ratings, which appear in a section separate from the reviews but are still fully audited so we can see what's going on then maybe that is a good thing. Particularly if we can then find a way of trying to nag users to leave a review. Anyone who uses an Android phone may have seen Google doing similar tricks and Facebook also do the same. For example maybe he gets a notification next time he logs in along the lines of "Aqualung noticed your rating of The Old Harkers Arms and would love to read your thoughts one the pub, why not leave a review".




I think you've hit the nail on the head there as I can't imagine he is being malicious. He's just posted a load of scores for local pubs he knows.





I'd be interested to know if any of the reviewers out there would be interested in just leaving a rating for pubs that they don't want to write about. As a subtle warning to others about a particularly grim pub for example?

It's not for me as if I think it's grim I'd rather say so!

[Aqualung]

Email him and thank him for his contributions thus far and suggest it would be nice to have a rough feel for the place via a review no matter how brief etc. No need to get the pitchforks out just yet.

I agree.

[sheffield hatter]

I'd be interested to know if any of the reviewers out there would be interested in just leaving a rating for pubs that they don't want to write about. As a subtle warning to others about a particularly grim pub for example?

I don't understand this "don't want to write about" concept. If you feel something about a pub, to the extent that you give it 1/10 or 10/10, surely you have some words that will explain why you feel that way. If you don't, why leave a rating?

I can understand better why some of our regular reviewers never use the rating system. There could be many reasons for not leaving a rating (the system is imperfect; their words should stand on their own; one person's 4 is another person's 7; etc).

There's nothing subtle about a rating without a review. How can we tell that it's not just a mistake, a slur of the keyboard? Anyway, it's the grim ones that are easy to write about...

[Aqualung]

I don't understand this "don't want to write about" concept. If you feel something about a pub, to the extent that you give it 1/10 or 10/10, surely you have some words that will explain why you feel that way. If you don't, why leave a rating?


It could be lack of confidence about producing the review, possibly due to poor spelling, grammar, punctuation, eyesight, computer literacy or whatever. Some people may just get put off after seeing one of John Bonser's or PSM's more epic reviews.

[rpadam]

No idea about this person's motives, but there is no context with a rating without a review, and a big risk that the 'grudge merchants' who inhabit the darker reaches of certain other sites could (and, in many cases, probably would) start to spread infection of their trolling to a site that has carefully avoided such activities so far.

As below, I suggest that the first move is to politely explain to the person concerned that it is helpful to everybody to leave a review (however brief or extensive) to support the rating given.

[Quinno]

No idea about this person's motives, but there is no context with a rating without a review, and a big risk that the 'grudge merchants' who inhabit the darker reaches of certain other sites could (and, in many cases, probably would) start to spread infection of their trolling to a site that has carefully avoided such activities so far.

As below, I suggest that the first move is to politely explain to the person concerned that it is helpful to everybody to leave a review (however brief or extensive) to support the rating given.

agree

[Dave M]

No idea about this person's motives, but there is no context with a rating without a review, and a big risk that the 'grudge merchants' who inhabit the darker reaches of certain other sites could (and, in many cases, probably would) start to spread infection of their trolling to a site that has carefully avoided such activities so far.

Definitely a concern which was why I would aim to not make it a prominent feature, more along the lines of something one might use as a personal record.

So perhaps all that happens is there is a note on the pub page to say that Callum Jordan has visited the pub, but doesn't display the rating publicly and doesn't include it in the average rating. Callum himself would be able to see how he rated it.

[Aqualung]

No idea about this person's motives, but there is no context with a rating without a review, and a big risk that the 'grudge merchants' who inhabit the darker reaches of certain other sites could (and, in many cases, probably would) start to spread infection of their trolling to a site that has carefully avoided such activities so far.

As below, I suggest that the first move is to politely explain to the person concerned that it is helpful to everybody to leave a review (however brief or extensive) to support the rating given.

... and once again I agree, I hadn't considered the possibility of trolling scores from the Dark Side which incidentally is still down.

[Farway]

It could be lack of confidence about producing the review, possibly due to poor spelling, grammar, punctuation, eyesight, computer literacy or whatever. Some people may just get put off after seeing one of John Bonser's or PSM's more epic reviews.

Good point, especially if English is not their first language.
How about something on Trip Advisor lines, a selection tick box?
I know there is a pub details area but it is not readily visible when entering a review, perhaps if the first part, somehow, was minimal score box, was your visit enjoyable, good pint etc, have to keep it short or it would p*55 everyone off

[ROBCamra]

He's at it again. I've just hidden another 10 in Liverpool!:mad:

[aleandhearty]

He's at it again. I've just hidden another 10 in Liverpool!:mad:

The right call, as far as I'm concerned.

[Aqualung]

Mr Jordan has posted 3 more blank reviews.

[aleandhearty]

Now deleted / reported to admin.

[sheffield hatter]

Another one has been reported today (http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?27587-Blank-entry&p=92815#post92815) . I have "hidden" the posting, which as with previous "reviews" from this contributor (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/userinfo.php?name=thumbhead97) consisted of a full stop.