joe@lakesys.UUCP (Joe Pantuso) (03/24/88)
I've decided to heck with it, I'm going to post now and try to go ahead with
this thing.
I wish to start up "Usenet Reviews". I am well aware that it is not
origionally my idea but I believe that I am so bloody enthusiastic about it
that if I don't do it I'll die trying.
Proposal: To start an electronic review system for new Amiga software and
hardware. It would be distributed by Usenet, then placed onto local bbs's.
Reviewers would be impartial members of Usenet.
I have to have feedback on this, I will summarize by next friday the responses
I recieve. I need a response from nearly everyone who reads this (my mailbox
overfloweth).
Mail to me for any of these reasons:
1) If you dissapprove of the idea altogether.
2) If you approve of the Idea but not me :-)
3) If you wish to be an official reviewer
4) If you wish to recieve it/think it's a good idea
5) If you wish to and can be an "official" rep on local bbs's for
the reviews, i.e. You would unshar them and post them (I
forsee not only text reviews but iff files of charts, and
graphics from reviewed programs).
6) If you know of a company or are part of a company that would wish
to place a product up for review.
I really want this to happen. I believe it has a tremendous potential as a
source of information and a way for companies to advertise cheaply. In this
manner very small companies, or shareware authors, could get reviews in.
Instant publicity.
I believe that it would have to be officially recognized by Commodore,
and they would hopefully inform magazines and companies. This would make NR
more legitimate.
Thoughts already:
Up to the minute reviews of just released stuff, and
compilations of types of stuff that has been around. Older things would be
reviewed as well.
There would be guidlines. There would be ratings systems. It
would be comprehensive and your ultimate source of information for almost ANY
purchase.
Send in your thoughts!
Snail Mail: Real Mail: ///
*-------------------* {ihnp4,uwvax}!uwmcsd1!lakesys!joe /// USENET
|Joe Pantuso | joe@lakesys.UUCP /// REVIEWS?
|1631 n. 69 St. | \\\ ///\ _ _
|Wauwatosa WI 53213| "Rascality has it's limits, \\\///__\ |\/| | / _ |_|
*-------------------* Stupidity does not."-Napoleon \XX/ \| | | \_/ | |schein@cbmvax.UUCP (Dan Schein CATS) (03/26/88)
In article <540@lakesys.UUCP> joe@lakesys.UUCP (Joe Pantuso) writes: > >Proposal: To start an electronic review system for new Amiga software and >hardware. It would be distributed by Usenet, then placed onto local bbs's. >Reviewers would be impartial members of Usenet. ^^^^^^^^^ Hmmmm...... This looks fine with me. We have been kicking this subject around for some time now, and with someone actually willing to take charge - lets do it !! > 3) If you wish to be an official reviewer > > 4) If you wish to recieve it/think it's a good idea > > 5) If you wish to and can be an "official" rep on local bbs's for > the reviews, i.e. You would unshar them and post them (I > forsee not only text reviews but iff files of charts, and > graphics from reviewed programs). > Count me in for all three of these. Since we are going to have guidelines for the review(s) - do we need guidelines for the actual reviewer? (Not to follow, but requirements to become a reviewer) > I believe that it would have to be officially recognized by Commodore, >and they would hopefully inform magazines and companies. This would make NR >more legitimate. > I think that with the fairly high number of CBM folk on the net, odds are CBM would be involved in one way or another (Unofficially or Officially). Once we set up some kind of actual guidelines and reviewers, im sure that a few of the comp.sys.amiga readers can arrange coverage in the Amiga magazines ;-) >|Joe Pantuso | joe@lakesys.UUCP /// REVIEWS? -- Dan Schein uucp: {ihnp4|allegra|burdvax|rutgers}!cbmvax!schein Commodore AMIGA ARPANET: cbmvax!schein@uunet.uu.net 1200 Wilson Drive Bix: dschein Plink: Dan*CATS West Chester PA 19380 phone: (215) 431-9100 ext. 9542 +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Call BERKS AMIGA BBS - 24 Hrs - 3/12/2400 Baud - 40Meg - 215/678-7691 +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ I help Commodore by supporting the AMIGA. Commodore supports me by allowing me to form my own suggestions and comments.
rap@ardent.UUCP (Rob Peck) (03/28/88)
In article <3527@cbmvax.UUCP>, schein@cbmvax.UUCP (Dan Schein CATS) writes: > In article <540@lakesys.UUCP> joe@lakesys.UUCP (Joe Pantuso) writes: > > > >Proposal: To start an electronic review system for new Amiga software and > >hardware. It would be distributed by Usenet, then placed onto local bbs's. > > Once we set up some kind of actual guidelines and reviewers, im sure that > a few of the comp.sys.amiga readers can arrange coverage in the Amiga > magazines ;-) Once a year or so, Info World publishes its guidelines for reviews - that is, how THEY go about evaluating a product. I believe that manufacturers who are interested in getting their product reviewed can also obtain this information just by writing to them. It seems like it might be the basis for starting such a project, anyway. Then, so as not to look too much like a clone (they could sue us for all of the non-profit we made on this) of the Info World guidelines, we could modify some of the criteria - like instead of "Does it run on all possible versions of PCDos at all 80xx(x) processor speeds" we could substitute something about Amiga instead (grin). My $0.02 worth. Rob Peck ...ihnp4!hplabs!ardent!rap
karl@sugar.UUCP (Karl Lehenbauer) (04/06/88)
I have been following this Usenet Seal of Approval business with interest, albeit also with some skepticism. I'm not sure if this amorphous blob of hackers can get it going and keep it together. Also, I am still concerned about using the name "usenet", like, that it belongs to someone. In any case, if it does get set up, someone should maintain a mail link by which the rest of us, those who aren't directly participating, can "denounce" software being reviewed; that is, we can report any bugs or problems that we have encountered with the product. Thus, the coordinator would post a list of software being reviewed that month and a solicitation of user experiences. The rest of us would send in what we know. These bug reports would be verified, if possible, by the "movers." It helps them, too, because a hardcore user will have found more bugs than a reviewer; also, it helps point at places to look for problems. P.S. I do not think backwards compatability to 1.1 should be required as a condition of approval. Regards -k -- "Weekends were made for programming." -me ..!uunet!nuchat!sugar!karl, Unix BBS (713) 438-5018