Re: Product reviews (was pedal abuse (was sitar))

[Per Boysen <per@boysen.se>]

On Aug 7, 2005, at 2:39, hazard factor wrote:

>  Do they ever 'guide' or change things in
> your reviews?

Every mag has its own set of guidelines (or templates) for which  
areas of the product a review has to go into. All Swedish magazines  
I'm writing for usually send a copy of the manuscript to the  
manufacturer, or product agent, before it goes to print. So if the  
reviewer should have misunderstood something, it can be corrected. If  
the product is found to suck and gets bashed in the text, the agent  
has the chance to send in information on eventual plans for upgrades,  
special customer support regarding that product etc.


> How come reviews in the 70s and 80s seemed to be a lot more
> honest?

Because there were less products back then to review and the general  
speed in the working society was slower, giving the reviewer a better  
chance to get to know the product hands-on.

> And how come, sometimes,  *within the pages of a review* there are
> full page ads for the product that is being reviewed?

Any company can buy ads in a magazine. Without the income from  
selling ad space there wouldn't even be possible to put out a  
magazine. And if a review is happening the ad buyer typically does  
request ad space on neighboring pages.

> Why do a lot of
> reviews spend half of the words telling you the features- you can  
> look up
> the ad in the same issue to see those.

Thus the reader can get the full picture by reading the review.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.looproom.com (international)
www.boysen.se (Swedish)
--->  iTunes Music Store (digital)
www.cdbaby.com/perboysen