Hey everybody, and welcome to our seventh Reviewers Spotlight!!! The new time as you can see is 8pm Eastern, to hopefully allow more people to attend the meeting.
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Dwtim has been a beloved member of the community since March of 2010. In that time he's gotten very active in the community, teaching us about glass toy safety (dropping and temperature changes), and has even modeled lingerie for us a time or two.
"Way back in March of ’10 (Seems like forever), I was searching for prostate massagers. After failing to find a brick and mortar store close to my new home, I did a quick Google search and Eden was the first result to pop up. I spent about two hours that day looking at all the products; I am still amazed at all the different toys, lubes and lingerie that EF carries. After placing my order I was showing the wife all the sexy lingerie (Something else that our new city does not have) and noticed the “Write your review” option. Well that pretty much did it for me; I was addicted, hook, line and sinker.
I enjoy everything that EF has to offer but I find the forums are what draw me in the most; everyday is a learning experience; so much that can be learned. I have made more good friends here than I have in my new town and I like it like that. Not too many folks around here share my love of sex and playing round with toys.
My advice to new folks just starting out with reviews has always been based on a comment (By Sam) that was made to me more than a year ago, write like you are talking to a friend. Early on I fell in love with Sam’s style of writing; it was like we were good friends chatting over a cup of coffee. To the folks that ask for advice and my students, I always told them this; “Make believe you are talking to a good friend that has never used a sex toy, they have no clue what the different materials are, how to care for them or how to use them.” By doing this you not only make the review enjoyable to read but you add personality to the review as well. I also tell folks to take EF slow, there is sooo much to do and see. As exciting as it is, if you stop and think about what you are about to say or do for a second, it will save some embarrassment and make life at EF more enjoyable."
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ZenaidaMacroura has been with us since late 2007, and has been the most active in our Porn Club. She's an accomplished reviewer, and we love having her around.
"I first heard about the EdenFantasys review program back in 2007. I was looking for my second vibrator (my first one, which I had gotten at a mall, had died on me), so I searched the internet for somewhere to buy one. EF was the first, and last, place I looked. I saw that there was a review program, so after I got my new vibrator and tried it out, I submitted a sample review, and I was accepted. There were no advanced reviewers and such back then, just reviewers, so I started getting free toys right away. They were also kind of randomly assigned, however, so I didn't get to really pick out what I wanted. I just reviewed what I got (which can be awesome or sucky, depending on the toy). The program has grown so much since then, and it's always improving.
I stayed because, hey, I was receiving free sex toys and reviewing them! I had never heard of such an awesome hobby. My first reviews were fairly awful, though. Back then, reviews were written a bit more like erotica and less like an actual, detailed review. I had no clue what I was doing. I didn't know about different materials and their safety, thought glass was the scariest idea ever, and just didn't know much about sex and toys in general. To be honest, I only got better at reviewing in the last year or two, from experience and reading other reviewers' work and seeing how it should really be done. Now, aside from the awesomeness that reviewing can be, I stick around for the amazing community. There are all kinds of events, clubs to join, and friendly people to talk to, from all walks of life.
The hardest review I've ever written...um, all of them? I'm not a natural writer, and it takes me a long time to write every review and figure out what to say, so most reviews are kind of difficult for me. The worst, though, would probably be any toy type that I'm new to. Like my first anal toy, my first paddle, my first cock ring, and so on. When I don't have a lot of experience with a type of toy, it's hard to know what's great and what's horrible because I don't have a reference point. But it only gets easier as I gain more experience and try new things.
My biggest advice for people just starting out as reviewers would be to enroll in the mentor program (it would have been so helpful to me if that had existed when I started). It's a great tool that can turn a "not useful at all" reviewer into an "extremely useful" one. Aside from that, get to know some people in the forums, join some clubs that look interesting to you, read some helpful reviews to get an idea of what kind of information makes an awesome review, be completely honest -- if a toy has all five star reviews, but you'd only give it a two, then give it a two! Everyone is different, and honest reviews are the best reviews! -- and have fun! Ooh, and use a spellchecker! That's always nice."
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Please join me in welcoming Dwtim and ZenaidaMacroura to this spectacular Reviewers Spotlight, and make sure to join us on Thursday, September 1st at 8pm Eastern to ask them all some questions, give them some lovin', and maybe even learn something for yourself while you're at it!
***
Dwtim has been a beloved member of the community since March of 2010. In that time he's gotten very active in the community, teaching us about glass toy safety (dropping and temperature changes), and has even modeled lingerie for us a time or two.
"Way back in March of ’10 (Seems like forever), I was searching for prostate massagers. After failing to find a brick and mortar store close to my new home, I did a quick Google search and Eden was the first result to pop up. I spent about two hours that day looking at all the products; I am still amazed at all the different toys, lubes and lingerie that EF carries. After placing my order I was showing the wife all the sexy lingerie (Something else that our new city does not have) and noticed the “Write your review” option. Well that pretty much did it for me; I was addicted, hook, line and sinker.
I enjoy everything that EF has to offer but I find the forums are what draw me in the most; everyday is a learning experience; so much that can be learned. I have made more good friends here than I have in my new town and I like it like that. Not too many folks around here share my love of sex and playing round with toys.
My advice to new folks just starting out with reviews has always been based on a comment (By Sam) that was made to me more than a year ago, write like you are talking to a friend. Early on I fell in love with Sam’s style of writing; it was like we were good friends chatting over a cup of coffee. To the folks that ask for advice and my students, I always told them this; “Make believe you are talking to a good friend that has never used a sex toy, they have no clue what the different materials are, how to care for them or how to use them.” By doing this you not only make the review enjoyable to read but you add personality to the review as well. I also tell folks to take EF slow, there is sooo much to do and see. As exciting as it is, if you stop and think about what you are about to say or do for a second, it will save some embarrassment and make life at EF more enjoyable."
***
ZenaidaMacroura has been with us since late 2007, and has been the most active in our Porn Club. She's an accomplished reviewer, and we love having her around.
"I first heard about the EdenFantasys review program back in 2007. I was looking for my second vibrator (my first one, which I had gotten at a mall, had died on me), so I searched the internet for somewhere to buy one. EF was the first, and last, place I looked. I saw that there was a review program, so after I got my new vibrator and tried it out, I submitted a sample review, and I was accepted. There were no advanced reviewers and such back then, just reviewers, so I started getting free toys right away. They were also kind of randomly assigned, however, so I didn't get to really pick out what I wanted. I just reviewed what I got (which can be awesome or sucky, depending on the toy). The program has grown so much since then, and it's always improving.
I stayed because, hey, I was receiving free sex toys and reviewing them! I had never heard of such an awesome hobby. My first reviews were fairly awful, though. Back then, reviews were written a bit more like erotica and less like an actual, detailed review. I had no clue what I was doing. I didn't know about different materials and their safety, thought glass was the scariest idea ever, and just didn't know much about sex and toys in general. To be honest, I only got better at reviewing in the last year or two, from experience and reading other reviewers' work and seeing how it should really be done. Now, aside from the awesomeness that reviewing can be, I stick around for the amazing community. There are all kinds of events, clubs to join, and friendly people to talk to, from all walks of life.
The hardest review I've ever written...um, all of them? I'm not a natural writer, and it takes me a long time to write every review and figure out what to say, so most reviews are kind of difficult for me. The worst, though, would probably be any toy type that I'm new to. Like my first anal toy, my first paddle, my first cock ring, and so on. When I don't have a lot of experience with a type of toy, it's hard to know what's great and what's horrible because I don't have a reference point. But it only gets easier as I gain more experience and try new things.
My biggest advice for people just starting out as reviewers would be to enroll in the mentor program (it would have been so helpful to me if that had existed when I started). It's a great tool that can turn a "not useful at all" reviewer into an "extremely useful" one. Aside from that, get to know some people in the forums, join some clubs that look interesting to you, read some helpful reviews to get an idea of what kind of information makes an awesome review, be completely honest -- if a toy has all five star reviews, but you'd only give it a two, then give it a two! Everyone is different, and honest reviews are the best reviews! -- and have fun! Ooh, and use a spellchecker! That's always nice."
***
Please join me in welcoming Dwtim and ZenaidaMacroura to this spectacular Reviewers Spotlight, and make sure to join us on Thursday, September 1st at 8pm Eastern to ask them all some questions, give them some lovin', and maybe even learn something for yourself while you're at it!
