Product dimensions, material, properties...What to include? Is it repetitive?

Sorry for the length of this thing...I hadn't created a long poll before and forgot that the choices have to be short to be compact.

When I read reviews of something I'm interesting in purchasing, I prefer that the reviewer mention everything possible. But I really like when they comment on those features as well. I'm the type of person who can't picture features in my mind. I need descriptive word pictures, if you know what I mean. I also like to know how someone feels about those features. Also there are certain reviewers who's opinions carry more weight for me. So I especially like to hear how they feel about or what they think of a toys features.

I do like when lots of information is included but I almost always find cleaning and lube compatibility to be repetitive.

One thing I find is that surprise me/description reviews often go out without the product being on-site yet so all the "property" information IS NOT already listed and it pretty much has to be listed in the review. While we can look at the properties page, I feel like an excellent review will answer all my questions so that I won't -have- to.

I do like when dimensions are used. I use them myself but usually try to work them in fluidly. I would say something this "This toy is large/small/medium with a length of X" and a girth of Y" making it perfect for Z" - Z being a type of person like beginner, size queen, etc.

I think the difference is how the information is added, even if it's already on the description page. If it's worked into the review uniformly, I don't mind. If the style of writing is choppier or the facts seem like an afterthought, then it starts to bother me.

I try to leave all of the information I can on the review. I've learned this working in an adult novelty store, that many people don't know about the different materials and sizes and lube compatabilities and such, even if the package says so, they don't usually care to look.

EF is different obviously because it provdes it in a neat little column, but for those that go directly to the reviews section instead of the properties, it does help out alot.

I do agree that certain things, such as lube compatability and cleaning procedures does get old after a while, but it's there for reassurance. At least that's how I see it.

I try to put everything in there because I think it's important to those customers who are reading the reviews.

As a reviewer who owns a lot of toys? It's all repetitive and boring and I don't WANT to have to put it in there cuz having to write it all out yet again causes my eyes to roll back in my head and drool to dangle from the corner of my mouth but...

It's not about me. It's about getting folks the info they need.

At the same time...

Is that really a review? Or have we made reviews into something way beyond reviewing?

I like not having questions about a product when I get to the end of a review, too. I also think the commentary ON the features/dimensions/wh atever is more important than just mentioning the features/dimensions/wh atever.

Adriana makes a good point about style -- if you can smoothly weave information into your review without making the text sound choppy/boring, then that's really great. I totally agree with her there.

And, I hadn't thought about the Surprise Me / Description reviews not having info, so thanks for pointing that out. Maybe the poll will turn into what is [ italics | most ] important to include in a review.

I try to put everything that I can in my reviews. I, for one, hate to have to go clicking to find information on the product. I like everything to be there. Yes, I want to be spoonfed but then I try to spoonfeed anyone who reads my reviews.

And with the surprise me and new products, that information is not available.

I'm one of those that ask about batteries, what type, and how long they last because I hate watch batteries (although I do have toys that use them) and I like to know if I'm going to be replacing them every time I use it. I do try to read most of the reviews as they are posted and I will ask the same basic questions if the information is not in the review. Sorry if I've done it to anyone who reads this.

I also like to know abou thte lubes and materials..

I think the review should be a thorough description that includes as much information as possible for the reader to know the most they can about the product. Maybe I do mine wrong but I try to put all the information available within my review.

I try to be thorough with information, but there's invariably going to be things that I miss or overlook simply because it doesn't occur to me to use a toy in a certain way. A few weeks ago someone asked about whether or not it's possible to stand glass toys up on their end. It was, but I didn't think to include it in the description because I don't want to have my glass toys on display.

I think we all do what we can to be thorough, but I also think it's not possible to think of everything. That's the cool think about having that question option available to people.

And since it's been brought up here... Jesus! How many different ways are there to describe silicone toy compatibility?! I am soooooo over trying to be creative with that. The imagination well has also run dry with the requisite cleaning paragraph.

I look at every review as if someone were reading a sex toy review for the very first time. It's my job to cover all the important aspects and include compatibility, how to clean/maintain, and porosity/condom use. I try to describe functions, battery power, and everything else as well. It can be time consuming but I want to provide customer's with a quality piece of information.

We have a pretty liberal amount of room to write and there's space enough to cover all parts of a product. When I see reviews that stop at 200 or 300 or 400 words I scrutinize them because I know there are few writers on the site that can describe everything about a toy in so few words. It almost feels lazy when people don't give as much information as they should. We shouldn't have to ask, "well, is it girthy? powerful? how many functions does it have?" - these are all things a reviewer should have covered first.

We get free toys in exchange for our reviews, you gotta give steak not hamburgers in return for a product that costs a lot of money. And let's face it, these products we get that cost $50, $70, or the upwards of $100 should have all the gaps filled in in their reviews. This is basically a job we were commissioned to do in exchange for free goods, if you don't really care than it could negatively impact a customer's idea of the toy or skew their perception of a product.

Sometimes, people include so little information and rate it 1 or 2 stars with no beef to back up why it was bad- other times, people will only focus on "me, my, and I". This is why I get annoyed when I see personal statements in description reviews (in the main body, not in the experience section). Description reviews are the first piece of information given and the first thing a customer will read- we have to remember that not all bodies were built alike. *What worked in my vagina or ass won't work in everyone else's.* Personal statements are great at discovering how a toy really works but not everyone shares the same opinion. I try to take myself out of the initial description review because what I think about a toy or how it felt in my vagina, others may not agree with and it may dissuade them from buying it. I put myself with my "me, my, and I" in the experience section because it's my experience. When I see me, my, or I statements replace factual information (especially when the product information hasn't been uploaded by tech yet) it looks careless to me... and a few reviews have looked sloppy because of it. A description review needs to be the best review someone can give of a toy, you were given the title of "expert", this is what a customer will see, if you don't describe a toy to it's full potential than you're really only leaving customers with an "average" impression. And I'll stop here because I'm starting to sound like a review Nazi.

Yes, sometimes we (I know I'm guilty) forget to put in key information but with a review of a product that we did not pay for, we have to do our jobs. If it's a description review that doesn't have product information written on the side, I will go research the toy. I'll hit up the manufacturer's website along with other e-tailers to see if I can find dimensions. Most of the time I measure things myself but I'm not always accurate.

I'm a lot more lax on free product reviews because I love to read about people having a good time. They bought the toy on their own time so they should be allowed to write about whatever they want, however, for those that were given a toy in exchange for review, they must present a quality review that doesn't leave a lot of questions.

I agree with Sleeping Dreamer and Carrie Anne as well. Personally I try to include only the most pertinent information so that onlookers reading for the first time would know what to expect, the dos and do nots.

I'm also right there with Avery Dragon. A friend of mine was buying jelly toys and I asked her if she knew it was important to care for them in certain ways, and she had no idea. Not only that, she completely ignored what I had to say about it. So in some cases the more information the better. New customers can be thinking, "why do I care if I treat this toy right?" Well, because there's a possibility the health of your genitals could be threatened.

If we write the boring stuff out, other members should understand why we did it, most of them do it too. I would feel bad if someone were to get the third degree after publishing a review with questions even new comers could have answered just by looking at the description page (I haven't seen this happen yet, btw). Some information isn't necessary, but if someone wanted to include it that should be okay too.

Well... I have to say I disagree with a lot of you. I certainly don't mind very thorough reviews, but I personally might shoot myself if I had to include all that information in every review I write. Repeating cleaning instructions, for instance, gives me a headache. I can't stand it, and I feel like when I do include it, it comes off really dryly. I guess I'm not creative enough to be able to incorporate everything and make it sound like I'm NOT a broken record, so I just opt not to.

I have to disagree with Sleeping Dreamer that because we received the toys for review, we are obligated to include all of this information. That is not, in my opinion, what a review is. A review is a written version of a personal experience. If I did not think about something in my personal experience (for instance, if a toy is the average 1" in width), I will not mention it. If, however, the toy is too big for me, I will mention its diameter.

As others have said, the battery question is the most ridiculous. There is no possible way you're going to get me to time my batteries, especially because they're rechargeable.

I think as reviewers start 'filling their plates' so to speak, with assignments from several retailers and manufacturers, they tend to find one general way to review that works for them across all their assignments, even if it is not the norm on the site they're reviewing for at the moment.

I have most definitely noted this pattern.

Some of the same people who clamored for what seemed to be expected 'standard' information now can't be bothered to include it in their own reviews. Just look at comments on reviews 6 - 10 months ago and you'll see what I mean. There were often comments asking where the cleaning instructions were, asking more about the material, the batteries and so on.

Interesting...

Has anyone else noticed the new template option available for reviews? It's pretty cool and very thorough. I think that's going to give reviews a lot more structure when it comes to getting the basics covered.

One more though - I voted for mentioning batteries. I try to mention what type and how many but I definitely mention if they're included because that's like OMG amazing when they are included. LOL