Review-You Probably Closing
I was thinking about Review-You last night whilst tidying up in the bedroom (completely irrelevant, I know) and have come to the conclusion that it is probably best if I close the website when the domain name expires.
Don’t get me wrong, I love reviewing, love owning the site and love the fact that people specifically demand I review them because they think what I say is worthwhile.. but it’s become a victim of its own success. When a review is finished and posted, the queue is usually only open for about an hour before someone else has submitted and someone else wants a review. This’d be fine and funky but it seems neither I nor my ‘staff’ have the time to complete reviews anymore — there are people waiting who submitted their sites last June. People have been complaining (not that it gets to me — whiners just get removed from the queue).
I think I’ve got three options really. 1. Close the site, move the finished reviews back to a subdomain for the purpose of archiving and then just do unrequested reviews in my own time. 2. Kick my lazy staff (that’s not all of ’em, just me and a few others) up the butt and get them to finish reviews on time. Lastly, 3. Take on new reviewers who might not quite be up-to standard.
I don’t want to do option 3, because I’m a perfectionist and fussy. I don’t want to do 2, because I know that every one of my reviewers has a life and things to do, myself included.. but at the same time I don’t want to do number 1, either. What to do, what to do?
Vera said:
On 26 Feb at 4:23 pm
that’s sad really. I really feel guilty now, still I wouldn’t have been able to cope…. I’m just sorry that I didn’t get my site up soon enough for you to review it at R-Y. Maybe, though you’ll find a solution that does not involve closing it down :(
Jenny said:
On 26 Feb at 4:29 pm
Sometimes, I don’t like reviewing sites that I don’t like reviewing but there won’t be anybody in the queue that I want to review. (basically, have the motivation to review) Why not ‘form’ a little alliance type thing where you get a review site and you ‘merge’ say? For a little way or something until your queue’s are all down. At Umb-Rella, we were feeling quite lazy too but we managed to pull through by doing lots of joint reviews. :P
Stephanie said:
On 26 Feb at 5:26 pm
That pesky life thing really needs to go away.
Anna said:
On 26 Feb at 5:56 pm
I hope you find another solution that closing down =/ I really like the site, been contemplating submitting but figured you guys had enough on your plate as it is. If you need to close it, I def. vote for keeping the archive up! It can be very refreshing to read old reviews, good and especially bad ;)
Sami said:
On 26 Feb at 7:14 pm
Why don’t you just close the review submission and try to focus on getting one review done at a time? Or at least get to me. ;P I know how it is when a site just becomes a weight on your shoulders.
Jem said:
On 26 Feb at 7:16 pm
The submission form is closed, it automatically de-links itself when there’s 20 people in the queue. It doesn’t mean I feel any more motivated to review the people waiting. The problem is I find it easiest to review people with shit websites, and most of the people in the queue don’t have shit websites.
Mi said:
On 26 Feb at 7:16 pm
Aw, I wouldn’t like to see it closed down either! Hmm, why not change things so that people submitting their sites aren’t actually guaranteed a review, and only do only the ones that are most interesting to actually review, thus making it seem less like a chore to trawl through the backlog? Either way I do hope you find a solution! :)
kachii said:
On 26 Feb at 7:20 pm
If I were you I’d just finish the pending reviews then close it. It’s not a very nice thing to do but it’s just the best option if you know you don’t have time.
Jen said:
On 26 Feb at 8:38 pm
I’ll probably be able to squeeze another review in the next three weeks. I could blame school, but that would not be entirely true. Either way, I’ll try at least once a month, although that is one off the two we agreed to in the terms. Sorry ’bout that.
Belinda said:
On 26 Feb at 10:26 pm
Ah it would be a shame if you close your review-site (just when I’m starting to form a blog with actual reviewable content! Darn :P), I think so many people with review sites have problems like this. If it’s only a pressure issue, rather than a “I don’t like reviewing anymore” issue, you may not HAVE to close R-Y. You can open up for reviewers with very stringent requirements or even invite webmasters you think may be good reviewers, to review sites. I remember when I have had a review site years back, it did get boring when your queue is filled with not-brilliant sites, and yet not so bad a site that really warrants a detailed review. Just those boring sites that hover around the middle where you just can’t think of anything to say to them. Boo. Oh last idea, why not just open the form and pick and choose what to review from the queue? Smack on a disclaimer saying that not all sites that are submitted are to be reviewed.
Carly said:
On 27 Feb at 12:16 am
Have it as a subdomain and keep the staff on, but only review random sites YOU want to review. That way no chore and still ace reading for us…! You could call it “you dont want reviewing, but we’re going to REVIEW YOU anyway.” “The submission form is closed, it automatically de-links itself when there’s 20 people in the queue” That’s bloody ace…
Brigitte said:
On 27 Feb at 1:01 am
Maybe just move it to here? I liked it when it was part of the “Jemjabella Network” anyway. I think it’s really valuable, and when I have time to contribute I’m proud of it (which says a lot) so I think it would be a shame if it faded away entirely.
Fel said:
On 27 Feb at 3:09 am
You could always put it on a hiatus, till you have more time. I mean the site has great potential! It’ll be a waste to just close it. =) But it’s up to you really. Good luck with your decision!
Shannon said:
On 27 Feb at 3:33 am
Heh, I know exactly what you mean when you say you like reviewing shit websites (referring to comment above). I like reading shit reviews for some reason. I don’t know about the choices. I like R-Y, but it’s so… inactive. Maybe you should have the archive and everything. I’ve always wanted to review, but I’ve noticed that I seem to get un-devoted to things every few months, so that’s why I have to tie myself up not to apply to be staff at sites.
Jordie said:
On 27 Feb at 9:12 am
I feel really bad for being lazy, but truth be told, I am up to my ears in assignments, some of which are due this week and desperately need to be finished, lest I get homework demerit notes for late hand-ins. I hardly have time for myself these days, so I’ve put ‘Internet’ and all that comes under it down on the priority list. But at the same time I don’t want to quit because that wouldn’t be fair… I only rejoined the staff a little while ago and you trusted me to keep up to speed. I did start the review for Lime-Tree.org, but if it would be better you can give them to someone who has a bit more time and I’ll take a new submission on the weekend perhaps.
Chien Yee said:
On 27 Feb at 9:20 am
I think you better decide. You’re thw webmaster and all but I think you choice is the best for everyone – even if it means no more R-Y as well.
Amanda said:
On 27 Feb at 10:14 am
Like Jenny said, sometimes you just have to close the submissions form. If you can, close it for as long as you want, until the list has been whittled down. In our case at UR, we place every site that applies on the list (unless it’s unsuitable like last year’s MM drama showed), and we’re now only reviewing sites that we feel like reviewing. In that sense, a site might be in our queue for six months, but if we don’t want to review it, it doesn’t get reviewed. But of course, when it comes down to it, it’s your choice. It’ll be disappointing to see something as good as Review You go, but if there are Unrequested Reviews to be had, I’m sure my desire for Jem-sarcasm can be sated.
Vixx said:
On 27 Feb at 11:01 am
*insert guilt here* I *love* reviewing’; I think it’s fantastic. I love reviewing sites I like as well as those I don’t, but I have so little free time. GG.net has gone crazy and the rare free time I have now gets eaten up doing commission work. :( I’d hate to see it go, I really, really would. There’s so few in-depth, consistent and knowledgeable reviewing sites out there – which is why it’s so damned popular. Ultimately, no-one can make this decision for you. If I need to pull my finger out and give more time when I can find it, I swear that I will. Wish there was something positive and constructive that I could do. V xx
nimil said:
On 27 Feb at 12:27 pm
i have fun reviewing sites there…but i don’t seem to get any reviews myself. :/ seems kind of dead and alot of the sites aren’t even working anymore. it was a good idea but i think it’s probably better to be closed down.
nimil said:
On 27 Feb at 12:28 pm
and then my brain woke up and i realized i was thinking about a completely different website…durrr… just ignore me, i haven’t slept yet…
Mariah said:
On 27 Feb at 1:29 pm
Thats too bad. I never got around to doing anything that was up to my full potential and that I felt was good enough to be reviewed. I like someone’s idea of “let them apply” but only review those you want too. *shrugs*
Carina said:
On 27 Feb at 2:02 pm
Oh, Jem :(. Please don’t close Review-You. Like others said, just close submissions until the queue is clear. That could take a long time, but… hmm. It could be like Vortex. When Vortex closed, a million other forums were created. Anyway, maybe if you do end up closing Review-You, you could join another reviews site? That way you could still review, but you’d have a bit more of a ‘spread’. It’d be nice if all the reviewers at review-you all joined one review site.
Demoness said:
On 27 Feb at 9:59 pm
… Hire more reviewers that will be up to par?
Jem said:
On 27 Feb at 10:06 pm
Demoness: You try finding someone who is up to my standards and wants to review. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Stephanie said:
On 28 Feb at 3:57 am
Well, I could review but it would be a 15 minute crap job and my perfectionism gets in the way of that. So it’s not that we’re not up to par, it’s that we don’t have the time to show it. Jem, I’ll see what I can do this weekend but I can’t promise much of anything.
Elea said:
On 01 Mar at 7:10 am
It’s interesting that while the Review-you queues have been full, TRF’s has been empty save for the stray false submission or two (I could’ve probably promoted it a lot more than I did). While I don’t really have much time what with school and work, I was intending to at least churn out a few reviews now and then.. =\ If you had to choose between the listed, number one or two would be your best options. While number three would keep Review-you alive, one of the best things about RY is the uncompromised quality of the reviews, and you don’t want to give that up for the sake of efficiency alone.
Lynn said:
On 02 Mar at 1:03 am
Well, I’ve been a downright sucky reviewer. I tried to review more but then I got a job, also online, and just all of everything decides to come up. So, because I’ve personally had to re-commit to previous commitments, I’m with you all the way and am willing to re-dedicate my time to RY…if only to get the current queue finished (if you decide to move it to a subdomain again). I wouldn’t pick up reviewers that don’t fit up to your standard though, Jem, because when that happens you’ll end up frustrated and unhappy with the site – even if they ARE good enough, you won’t feel that the reviews are, and it’s your peace of mind that matters. In all honesty, and I say this as a “lazy reviewer”, I think you should kick us all up the butt and make us work. Crack that whip, Jem! =D
Sarah said:
On 04 Mar at 10:54 pm
“there are people waiting who submitted their sites last June” > That’s me! Haha.