How long should the ROS section of a review be?

[Wheretonow]

There are some ROS's that are clearly too short - don't provide enough (or even) any useful information. But I submit there are others that are clearly too long. These "War and Peace" reviews, no matter how well written (and some of them are especially well done) are torture to get through to find the pertinent information.

For instance, I'm not sure it's useful to know what color the sheets were or what flavor wine you brought or what the traffic situation was on your way to the incall, etc. There's an excellent bit of advice given to beginning journalism students: "Simplify, simplify, simplify."

Am I alone in this or are there other fellow ECCIEers who wish that some reviewers would save wear-and-tear on their keyboards and rachet it back a notch?

[Guest082216-1]

http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=206767

Always look for and READ the stickys at the tops of the forums. Lots of great info there.

[Wheretonow]

Originally Posted by Bubba3452

http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=206767

Always look for and READ the stickys at the tops of the forums. Lots of great info there.

I submit that this particular sticky could use some editing as well.

[Guest082216-1]

What you may find unneeded others like. Better to have more, not less information.

[TinMan]

How am I to know what you find important? For example, you dismiss "what flavor wine you brought" as being irrelevant, whereas I like to have a drink or two before BCD and appreciate any intel regarding a woman's beverage preference.

I'm not a fan of the epic review, either, but when I encounter one I just scan for the information I'm looking for and move on. I'm just happy the guy put in the effort to post about his experience.

[Wheretonow]

Originally Posted by Bubba3452

What you may find unneeded others like. Better to have more, not less information.

It's not just that I consider it lengthy, it's not laid out particularly well. Scrolling through long paragraphs of small text is tiring and difficult to keep on track. Take this paragraph from the sticky for instance:

Part I: This will serve as an introduction that will precede your BCD comments where you describe the activities. Tell us about how you contacted her, something about her screening, perhaps what it was about her that interested you, such as the reviews you had already read of her or the new pictures in her website. Anything you share here can help others. Was her incall easy to find and clean? Were there candles lit or music playing? What was she wearing? Did you all talk for a few minutes or maybe you all shared a glass of wine? Use this part of the review to share first impressions you may have had, anything that may have dissapointed you such as the room smelling like smoke, this is an opportunity for you to give the readers as much information as you can that will lead up to the next part of the review, the main body where you will describe the BCD activities you enjoyed or did not enjoy

and compare it to have it could have been laid out:


Part I: This will serve as an introduction that will precede your BCD comments where you describe the activities.

• tell us about how you contacted her
• something about her screening
• perhaps what it was about her that interested you, such as the reviews you had already read of her or the new pictures in her website
• anything you share here can help others
• was her incall easy to find and clean?
• were there candles lit or music playing?
• what was she wearing?
• did you all talk for a few minutes or maybe you all shared a glass of wine?

Use this part of the review to:

• share first impressions you may have had
• anything that may have dissapointed you such as the room smelling like smoke.

This is an opportunity for you to give the readers as much information as you can that will lead up to the next part of the review, the main body where you will describe the BCD activities you enjoyed or did not enjoy.
______________________________ ____________________________

I personally think the second layout makes it much more likely that a person will read and understand the information that's trying to be conveyed.

[Wheretonow]

Originally Posted by TinMan

How am I to know what you find important? For example, you dismiss "what flavor wine you brought" as being irrelevant, whereas I like to have a drink or two before BCD and appreciate any intel regarding a woman's beverage preference.

I'm not a fan of the epic review, either, but when I encounter one I just scan for the information I'm looking for and move on. I'm just happy the guy put in the effort to post about his experience.

TM - I agree that it's great when a review is comprehensive. It's when they become a graphic novel that I find fault. There's an old saying, "What can be done with fewer is done in vane with more."

Some of these long reviews are quite entertaining, but I wish the reviewer would find another outlet for their writing practice and stick to the facts for reviews.

[txcwby6]

I prefer too much to not enough info in the ROS portion of a review. What one person may find trivial might be important to someone else.

[TinMan]

I know most reviews would never pass muster in a technical writing class, but let's get realistic for a moment. A lot of guys are trying to get these things documented quickly and don't have a lot of time to edit. I'm not saying you are completely off base, just that your expectations (and the time commitment to achieve those expectations) may be unrealistic.

Hell, I'd be happy if folks learned how to spell "thief". Mastering bullet points is expecting the impossible, IMO.

[Guest021812-3]

You're making the assumption that the one sole purpose of all reviews is to inform. While you may wish this was true, many write reviews as
• tributes to their ATF
• to entertain their buddies
• to feed their own ego
• because they think of themselves as amateur novelists
• to fantasize about what they wish their sex life was like
• etc.

As for me, I tend to look at the fee and activities primarily, with the ROS being an afterthought. All I'm really looking for there is whether or not the girl was fun and enthusiastic or bitchy and mechanical. I can determine that with a quick skim.

[Prolongus]

Originally Posted by TheBizz

You're making the assumption that the one sole purpose of all reviews is to inform. While you may wish this was true, many write reviews as
• tributes to their ATF
• to entertain their buddies
• to feed their own ego
• because they think of themselves as amateur novelists
• to fantasize about what they wish their sex life was like

Yep... +1.
Also, break up your paragraphs, boys...it's a lot easier on the eyes to read 4-6 paragraphs as opposed to one loooonnnnnggggg one.