Rating System for Reviews

Ye' olde thumbs up / down definitely sounds like a good idea, and it's easy to pull off. I agree.

If this is not possible then I request all members to leave a 'TFTR' on every review they read.

TFTR = Thanks For The Review.

A simple gesture to appreciate someone's efforts.

Yeah, it is difficult to know, and or disappointing to not know who is reading your work.

I for one, click on and at least skim most of the new reviews.

I agree with the sentiment-- although I'd hate the clutter of TFTRs all over! Parts of this website need a reboot, and this is a great candidate. (Also stock pictures of bottles haven't been added for 2 years, and the search function is flat-out not working.) Some time back..., @Jean-Luc mentioned a possible significant website re-vamp coming? Would be great to hear when!

I guess most of we reviewers think we're doing some kind of public service, but without some kind of feedback (about whether we're helping 1, 10, 100, or 10000 prospective buyers) it's easy to lose motivation. I even feel like slowing down too... And I would guess that the number (and QUality) of reviews would substantially increase if this were done.

I have found the reviews helpful in making purchasing decisions, and when I'm not buying I do enjoy reading a good review.

Some message boards have a "Thanks" button that readers can click. A list of those who clicked is then compiled in a box at the bottom of the page. No clutter of "TFTR" responses.

I don't really mind if my reviews don't get an immediate response. I figure we're offering a useful service by compiling a database of reviews that people can reference when they're considering a particular whisky. I've written a few that had no response for a year, until someone happened to be looking for opinions on whatever I reviewed. Plus, a lot of us review hard-to-find IBs and other obscure stuff for which we can't expect big readership. (Of course, I read Serge Valentin's reviews every day, and most of us will never try 95% of the whiskies he samples!)

So, yeah, a simple way of saying "thanks" would be nice. Otherwise, I just reason that our reviews will be there if and when somebody wants to read them.

@tabarakRazvi Also, your review of Talisker 18 has been the featured review on the front page for at least a year. ;)

@MCM yes, I know my Talisker review's been on the home page for a long time. I don't agree with that either. I think featured reviews need to be randomized.