Could we lay back on the text styling?

Contributor: Adriana Ravenlust Adriana Ravenlust
I've seen a handful of reviews lately where there's so much bolding, italicizing, underlining et cetera that it's distracting! It's like a 4 year old got into a box of highlighters. While I understand that EF would want to place some links and maybe highlight the name of the toy in the review, I think it's really becoming too much and emphasizing some words and phrases does not add to the review at all - in fact, it does just the opposite.

Would it be possible to not do so much?
11/24/2008
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Contributor: Victoria Victoria
Quote:
Originally posted by Adriana Ravenlust
I've seen a handful of reviews lately where there's so much bolding, italicizing, underlining et cetera that it's distracting! It's like a 4 year old got into a box of highlighters. While I understand that EF would want to place some ... more
I actually hate that! I now do the editing here and don't leave in the bolding, have only been italicizing the name of the toy, and unless it's a hyperlink, no underlining. I agree and it will take some time for me to edit some of the past reviews, but I plan on keeping the reviews clear and readable. I don't change the original text unless it's a spelling / grammatical error but I do clean up the formatting. I think it's, more than anything, a case of very excited newer contributors who are trying to express their enthusiasm through emphasis - and in their zeal, they go a little nuts with the underling and bolding ..and, of course, the all caps. I hope this is helpful and reassuring information for you.
11/24/2008
Contributor: Adriana Ravenlust Adriana Ravenlust
Quote:
Originally posted by Victoria
I actually hate that! I now do the editing here and don't leave in the bolding, have only been italicizing the name of the toy, and unless it's a hyperlink, no underlining. I agree and it will take some time for me to edit some of the past ... more
Well, I know at least one of the reviews which was submitted over the weekend was not styled at all by the reviewer and there was bold, italic AND underlined text. I think that's just.. too much.
11/24/2008
Contributor: Victoria Victoria
Quote:
Originally posted by Adriana Ravenlust
Well, I know at least one of the reviews which was submitted over the weekend was not styled at all by the reviewer and there was bold, italic AND underlined text. I think that's just.. too much.
which one?
11/24/2008
Contributor: Backseat Boohoo Backseat Boohoo
Yeah, I want to puke when I look at my TantraBeam review now. If you want to add hyperlinks, fine, but there's no need to bold and underline random crap.

I'm glad you plan on cutting back on that!
11/24/2008
Contributor: Victoria Victoria
Quote:
Originally posted by Backseat Boohoo
Yeah, I want to puke when I look at my TantraBeam review now. If you want to add hyperlinks, fine, but there's no need to bold and underline random crap.

I'm glad you plan on cutting back on that!
Yeah, random use of those applications is literally not my style!
11/24/2008
Contributor: Ariane Ariane
Quote:
Originally posted by Victoria
Yeah, random use of those applications is literally not my style!
Good to hear! Though, that does explain what happened with my Tri-Pod review. A bunch of words were randomly underlined!
11/24/2008
Contributor: Beautiful Dreamer Beautiful Dreamer
Quote:
Originally posted by Adriana Ravenlust
Well, I know at least one of the reviews which was submitted over the weekend was not styled at all by the reviewer and there was bold, italic AND underlined text. I think that's just.. too much.
I didn't think we had to capability (as reviewers) to stylize?
Can someone tell me how to this? Thanks!
11/24/2008
Contributor: Spiking Glue Spiking Glue
Quote:
Originally posted by Beautiful Dreamer
I didn't think we had to capability (as reviewers) to stylize?
Can someone tell me how to this? Thanks!
You can. I asked a looong time ago (uhm, three months ago? I think?) if there was a page that showed what allowable html or styles there were, but never got a reply.

You can see the style codes by checking an older review. In there, words were stressed for interest/relevancy. I always forget and have to double check when I need 'em, so I stopped using them entirely.
11/24/2008
Contributor: Dragon Dragon
Ummm. Am I missing something? Reviews are going up that are being edited by Eden? I'm assuming-
1. Verified reviews only.
2. Are we talking about just formatting? or text?
3. Are we talking about editorial inserts like "this toy is not recommended for anal use" or actual edits.

I'm bothered because there was a time when Eden edited reviews and did a CRAPPY job. At one point they edited a review to add links and screwed up the grammar.
11/24/2008
Contributor: Spiking Glue Spiking Glue
Quote:
Originally posted by Dragon
Ummm. Am I missing something? Reviews are going up that are being edited by Eden? I'm assuming-
1. Verified reviews only.
2. Are we talking about just formatting? or text?
3. Are we talking about editorial inserts like "this ... more
Eden's been editing reviews as they are posted, for emphasis usually.

For instance, if you go to my goldfrau review, "my Victorian dildo" is italicized, when I didn't even know how to do that at the time. My goldfrau review was a nonverified review.
11/24/2008
Contributor: Ariane Ariane
Quote:
Originally posted by Dragon
Ummm. Am I missing something? Reviews are going up that are being edited by Eden? I'm assuming-
1. Verified reviews only.
2. Are we talking about just formatting? or text?
3. Are we talking about editorial inserts like "this ... more
In my case, it was a non-verified review; Eden's system automatically formatted a bunch of buzz words to be either underlined or italicized.
11/24/2008
Contributor: Spiking Glue Spiking Glue
Quote:
Originally posted by Ariane
In my case, it was a non-verified review; Eden's system automatically formatted a bunch of buzz words to be either underlined or italicized.
I'm fairly sure it's not automatic, though. I think whoever is in charge of the Reviews Program goes through and changes namebrands into relevant links, and etc. I admit, though, I'm surprised to hear that spelling and grammar is also edited.
11/24/2008
Contributor: Dragon Dragon
Wow! I don't think any of my non-verified reviews are edited. They publish instantly.

The grammar screwups were quite awhile ago.
11/24/2008
Contributor: Spiking Glue Spiking Glue
Oh, no, mine were, too. I mean, someone goes back *after* they're published and makes alterations. I've only noticed links, italics, bold, and underline. I haven't noticed spelling and grammar edits, I think that's new for In the Pink, I don't think Cock Wrangler did it.
11/24/2008
Contributor: Victoria Victoria
Quote:
Originally posted by Spiking Glue
Oh, no, mine were, too. I mean, someone goes back *after* they're published and makes alterations. I've only noticed links, italics, bold, and underline. I haven't noticed spelling and grammar edits, I think that's new for In the ... more
Not that I want a protracted forum conversation about past employees, but...yes, he did. We fix spelling and contextual (their vs they're) type errors. Which is completely normal for websites that host user content.
11/24/2008
Contributor: Cock Wrangler Cock Wrangler
Just to be clear here, since I'm being referred to... I edited all assigned reviews, per the company policy. I also occasionally made edits of unassigned reviews when they were atrocious/I noticed errors. My edits were ONLY spelling/punctuation/b asic grammar guideline changes; I would occasionally rephrase things for clarity. I formatted titles of books, movies and CDs based on AP style. That is the only editing/changing of text I ever did.

Hyperlinks are added by other company employees, and any non-standard text styling (such as italicizing of product names) is performed either by the reviewer or by other company employees. I come from the editing world and do not make arbitrary edits like those.
11/25/2008
Contributor: Dragon Dragon
Quote:
Originally posted by Cock Wrangler
Just to be clear here, since I'm being referred to... I edited all assigned reviews, per the company policy. I also occasionally made edits of unassigned reviews when they were atrocious/I noticed errors. My edits were ONLY spelling/punctuation/b ... more
How many people are able to edit reviews? Victoria, perhaps you'd like to answer this one?
11/25/2008
Contributor: Ariane Ariane
My most recent verified review came back with every instance of the product name italicized (not by me). Is this something automatic that the review submission system does?
11/25/2008
Contributor: Airlia Airlia
Quote:
Originally posted by Cock Wrangler
Just to be clear here, since I'm being referred to... I edited all assigned reviews, per the company policy. I also occasionally made edits of unassigned reviews when they were atrocious/I noticed errors. My edits were ONLY spelling/punctuation/b ... more
CW you were awesome
11/25/2008
Contributor: Adriana Ravenlust Adriana Ravenlust
I was thinking of this one: link
there's antoher one but I do not recall what it is. Besides italicizing and link the product - maybe the category - I really do not see the point of adding any other emphasis (like scent/flavour italics) and find it frustrating
11/26/2008
Contributor: Snappy Snappy
I second this request. I had to go in and edit all of the misplaced italic and bold face in one of my reviews.
11/28/2008