"Equipment Review" Minding My Manners

It seems that when you voice a negative opinion about a product, you risk offending more than
just the manufacturer.

The people who use and like that product seem to think you're taking a swipe at them as well.

This is of course completely unfounded and unnecessary.

I come from the Donald J. Trump School of Decorum...    

Seriously, it is always best to be honest and let the chips fall where they may. Naturally, one should word such as their subjective opinion. The bigger issue is the conundrum regarding bad reviews re products that just happen to be sponsors/advertisers on that very forum. One wet shaving forum is infamous for banning people for that very reason.

Hey, I get it.  Sometimes products I've tried don't equal the hype and have shared my experience with them.  What I'm talking about is when a review crosses a line between "product" and moves to "maker".  I see no benefit of ramping up a situation and breaking ranks with decorum.  (And I appreciate your participation on this forum bpman.)

I value honest reviews that discuss the pros and cons of a product. Even if the reviewer is unable to find any pros the review can still be helpful, informative and respectful. 

If you don’t like a soap because you find the scent strength to be too weak/strong or you find it dries your skin, those are good things to know. It’s a given that it’s your subjective opinion. Claims that a product is the worst ever and a POS and the maker’s friends and family should be ashamed to know them are disrespectful and of no help or interest to anyone else. 

I will grant you that there are people who, despite an honest and respectful “negative “ review will go ballistic and attack the reviewer. That’s their problem and shouldn’t be tolerated. There are so many products on the market today that a good network of honest and trustworthy reviewers is important. I am not likely to blindly buy something I’ve not seen reviewed by trusted sources. Even the big name “trusted” reviewers have their subjective biases and if you read enough reviews you eventually figure it out. If you’re lucky you’ll find a reviewer whose subjective biases closely match your own.

It seems that when you voice a negative opinion about a product, you risk offending more than
just the manufacturer.

The people who use and like that product seem to think you're taking a swipe at them as well.

This is of course completely unfounded and unnecessary.

I would not use the term negative opinion.  Instead try, "I tried it and it is not for me because it irritated my face".  I do not believe that is negative.

I read an article yesterday that made me wonder if there might be appropriate circumstances for a negative blast review. The article focused on the role of critics in the music and restaurant businesses specifically referencing celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s 500 seat restaurant in NYC. The critic put his review in the form of a letter to Fieri detailing why the restaurant was awful and basically asking him WTF? Have you ever even been to the restaurant?  Fieri was butt hurt and responded on the Today show basically saying we’re doing our best but we’ve only been open for two months so give us a break we’re going to improve . I wondered why they were even open and charging customers full price if they weren’t at the top of their game?  I had a similar experience in Las Vegas a while ago st Bobby Flay’s. It was terrible and I’d never go back. 

Now if in the wet shaving context, a respected artisan with a reputation for quality product started putting out inferior product like for example, Wolfman contracting out razor production to a budget shop resulting in low quality product at full price?  Now that would warrant a (polite-ish) negative blast.

Here's the article I mentioned

https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/a...ir-or-foul

I read an article yesterday that made me wonder if there might be appropriate circumstances for a negative blast review. The article focused on the role of critics in the music and restaurant businesses specifically referencing celebrity chef Gu 500 seat restaurant in NYC. The critic put his review in the form of a letter to Fieri detailing why the restaurant was awful and basically asking him WTF? Have you ever even been to the restaurant?  Fieri was butt hurt and responded on the Today show basically saying we’re doing our best but we’ve only been open for two months so give us a break we’re going to improve . I wondered why they were even open and charging customers full price if they weren’t at the top of their game?  I had a similar experience in Las Vegas a while ago st Bobby Flay’s. It was terrible and I’d never go back. 

Now if in the wet shaving context, a respected artisan with a reputation for quality product started putting out inferior product like for example, Wolfman contracting out razor production to a budget shop resulting in low quality product at full price?  Now that would warrant a (polite-ish) negative blast.

Here's the article I mentioned

https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/a...ir-or-foul

I agree with you.  If an artisan that is well liked begins to sell an inferior product just to make more money there should be criticism.  However, you know how these threads turn out people start piling in and sooner than later the thread is closed.  But, it should be brought to the attention of the members.  

And Fieri is not a chef.  He did not graduate from a culinary school (4 years)  He took hotel management in Las Vegas.  Living in LA I see dozens of restaurants come and go.  I will not go to a celebrity chief's restaurant regardless who they are unless they have one location and they are always there

I really was thinking about our hobby-centric vendors but MAN don't get me started on restaurants. Restaurants in general leave me flat and I agree, the ones I really enjoy are usually ONE location with ONE chef controlling the output. So ther are times when a bad review are helpful I suppose.

You should feel free to rip on products that you don't like. When you buy a product you're also buying the right to speak your mind about it. Just make sure the criticism is informed, fair, and impersonal.

You should feel free to rip on products that you don't like. When you buy a product you're also buying the right to speak your mind about it. Just make sure the criticism is informed, fair, and impersonal.

Said so well.  Informed, fair, impersonal.  The reviews that are not are the ones of which I speak.  It bothers me, and I guard against not knowing what I don't know.

I read an article yesterday that made me wonder if there might be appropriate circumstances for a negative blast review. The article focused on the role of critics in the music and restaurant businesses specifically referencing celebrity chef Gu 500 seat restaurant in NYC. The critic put his review in the form of a letter to Fieri detailing why the restaurant was awful and basically asking him WTF? Have you ever even been to the restaurant?  Fieri was butt hurt and responded on the Today show basically saying we’re doing our best but we’ve only been open for two months so give us a break we’re going to improve . I wondered why they were even open and charging customers full price if they weren’t at the top of their game?  I had a similar experience in Las Vegas a while ago st Bobby Flay’s. It was terrible and I’d never go back. 

Now if in the wet shaving context, a respected artisan with a reputation for quality product started putting out inferior product like for example, Wolfman contracting out razor production to a budget shop resulting in low quality product at full price?  Now that would warrant a (polite-ish) negative blast.

Here's the article I mentioned

https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/a...ir-or-foul

I agree with you.  If an artisan that is well liked begins to sell an inferior product just to make more money there should be criticism.  However, you know how these threads turn out people start piling in and sooner than later the thread is closed.  But, it should be brought to the attention of the members.  

And Fieri is not a chef.  He did not graduate from a culinary school (4 years)  He took hotel management in Las Vegas.  Living in LA I see dozens of restaurants come and go.  I will not go to a celebrity chief's restaurant regardless who they are unless they have one location and they are always there

So Fieri is basically a manager with bad hair who hires talent.  Unfortunately when these celebrity "chefs" open their branded restaurants in places like NYC, LA or LV they're depending on tourists and their business model is "there are a lot of people who will dine here once because of the celebrity connection". I can't imagine they would score high on the return business and that's too bad.  How dare they! (insert angry Greta meme).  

Lipripper660 I didn't mean to redirect this thread to restaurants, I was drawing a comparison on the role of criticism and critics which play an important role in things like restaurants, entertainment or anything that you buy online on faith - you pay your money (or at least are obligated to in the case of restaurants) before you get the product.  Sure you can always return items for refunds but its a hassle.  Imagine if we all had a Pasteur Pharmacy down the street?!  

I agree with what you're saying Blackland Razors  - as a customer you have the right to comment on or criticize a product, as a matter of fact that wet shaving space depends on people doing this to inform their purchasing decisions and as you say, keep it informed, fair and impersonal which I summarized as respectful.  Respect the maker, the product the audience and yourself and the result is helpful addition to the body of information on the subject product.  Personal attacks are bound to degenerate into unpleasantness.  Artisans are human being too and just as likely to bristle at rude and unfair criticism as anyone.  Honestly, its impressive to see how composed artisans remain in the face of some pretty nasty stuff.  Good discipline and common sense goes a long way.