BOI Category? Review the buyers and sellers of garter snakes

[Selkielass]

In perfume trading groups I have participated in each person who sells or trades has their own thread in a reviews section of the website or in a feedback thread in their own journal. Buyers/ traders are encouraged to leave comments regarding trades once they arecomplete, and trustworthy traders soon accumulate añd give many glowing comments.
Less than stellar comments may be replied directly to by the reviewed with their side of the transaction, but negative comments are uncommon - its a positive reinforcement. System that encourages everyone forrest each other well and saygood things when there is good to be said.
Here is a link to my perfume trade journal with links to my feedback 0ages
EJ's Journal

[Stefan-A]

One of the Finnish herp forums I use has a feedback system, where you can give a positive (+1), neutral (0) or negative (-1) point and leave a comment. So far, I haven't gotten a single review one way or another, despite the fact that I've done several transactions through the forum and nobody's had any reason to complain (to my knowledge). A single negative one, from a someone with a personal grudge, could potentially ruin my reputation there. In theory, a person could also start multiple accounts and/or leave multiple negative reviews and there is no way to respond to a misunderstanding or outright lies. This sort of system, with points but no discussions, favors the reviewer regardless of who's right. It's not even word-against-word, only the accuser's word is given any room.

A system that enables discussion would turn into what we see over at Fauna (at least the last time I was there), which is essentially a sad parody of a trial. The forum I mentioned earlier did have a system like this before. I got a couple of positive reviews then and no negative, but others weren't so lucky and no, the truth doesn't necessarily prevail.

I don't know if word of mouth is any better, but at least it's not built into the forum, rigged in the favor of one party, or likely to start a public fecal storm.

[infernalis]

One of the Finnish herp forums I use has a feedback system, where you can give a positive (+1), neutral (0) or negative (-1) point and leave a comment. So far, I haven't gotten a single review one way or another, despite the fact that I've done several transactions through the forum and nobody's had any reason to complain (to my knowledge). A single negative one, from a someone with a personal grudge, could potentially ruin my reputation there. In theory, a person could also start multiple accounts and/or leave multiple negative reviews and there is no way to respond to a misunderstanding or outright lies. This sort of system, with points but no discussions, favors the reviewer regardless of who's right. It's not even word-against-word, only the accuser's word is given any room.

A system that enables discussion would turn into what we see over at Fauna (at least the last time I was there), which is essentially a sad parody of a trial. The forum I mentioned earlier did have a system like this before. I got a couple of positive reviews then and no negative, but others weren't so lucky and no, the truth doesn't necessarily prevail.

I don't know if word of mouth is any better, but at least it's not built into the forum, rigged in the favor of one party, or likely to start a public fecal storm.

I simply must agree with everything said.. (except the fact I have never participated nor even looked at any Finnish forum)

I know for a fact that several very good people have been slandered horribly on fauna.

Furthermore it's human nature to complain rather than praise.

A transaction goes smoothly, no one says a word. If someone gets a bug up their hiney, they tend to go mental finding fault.

On to the hypocritical side of things, I remember once upon a time, right here on Thamnophis.com, there was a big slander campaign against a certain "Bob" who was catching blue phase Pugets and selling them.

The very same people who were posting all sorts of crap about the guy either owned a snake they bought from him, or were out gathering wild specimens themselves.

This "do as I say, not as I do" mentality is the greatest flaw in such a system.

[twgrosmick]

Furthermore it's human nature to complain rather than praise.

A transaction goes smoothly, no one says a word. If someone gets a bug up their hiney, they tend to go mental finding fault.

While I agree I feel as though the thamnophis community (from what I have seen) is in no way like the group of people on fauna. Garter snake keepers, while there are exceptions, seem to be in a group all their own. I think that the +1, 0, -1 along with a comment is a great idea.

[infernalis]

While I agree I feel as though the thamnophis community (from what I have seen) is in no way like the group of people on fauna. Garter snake keepers, while there are exceptions, seem to be in a group all their own. I think that the +1, 0, -1 along with a comment is a great idea.

So why not just start a thread like everyone else does, similar to this

"My snakes arrived today from (insert seller here) and I am very happy"

problem solved.