Thread: Classifieds/Honing Services

I believe the visitor messages is the feedback he's referring to. If so then the fact that it's in there as visitor messages and not in a "feedback" section would be one reason why it is hard to find.

One easy feedback area for member services is simply the comments section below the add, as can be seen here: Honing By Lynn, Founder of SRP - Straight Razor Place Classifieds
I used Lynn's ad since he's the head honemeister so it just seemed right to use someone who is undisputedly good at this.

The official feedback and rating area can only be gotten to by clicking on the member-in-question's name while in the classsifieds section: Member Profile - Straight Razor Place Classifieds
If you go to their profile from anywhere else in the site you cannot reach this section (as far as I can find). Now, it seems pretty obvious to me that those saying the feedback system is hard to find/use are right because even Lynn's actual feedback is completely blank and instead people use his ad's comments or visitor messages to give feedback. We have an entire rating system here that is being largely ignored because most people don't know about it or can't find it.

I don't have a really helpful opinion on any of this, I'm way too new for that, but I saw that people were referring to the feedback system and thought this might help a little.

EDIT: Looking at a few other honers' profiles it seems that some have had their feedback systems used, but not all, so it looks like some people really don't know about this system. Perhaps a simple guide for this linked in the classifieds section as a sticky somehow (if there isn't already one that I just missed)?

I didn't know about the system, but do see a flaw. First is that I believe most of us don't even (I didn't know until now) know about it. Second is that I think that I could enter feedback on someone without executing a transaction with them. I bought a slurry stone a few months ago from member "Zib". Pulled up the feedback section and see only one feedback...but I could and will leave feedback for him. I know he's offered/sold more than one item other than my slurry stone.

Originally Posted by shooter74743

Second is that I think that I could enter feedback on someone without executing a transaction with them.

Five or six years ago that was the case with ebay. They changed it because of abuse, both positive and negatives left spuriously.

I don't think we need a well oiled feedback machine. Just "something", that is placed in a well traveled area so it is discovered and used.

I go back to the OP and then as an afterthought, looked at the honing classifieds & really don't see the issue since I know of most of them...or at least of them. They have been around a while...

Well, while we still run vbulletin there is always the itrader ratings system. But in other forums I am involved in, it is not used very much, nor very well, by the members.

Please allow me, for a moment, some maudlin reminiscences:

I guess that perhaps the good old days where reputations were earned over time and by word of mouth are slowly ebbing away as the forum becomes bigger and bigger. We started out as a picket-fenced 3 bedroom bungalow on a quiet street, but now we are becoming an apartment block in the middle of the downtown area. Good information is not as easy to spot amid the noise and bustle. More and more people are out to make money off the hobby, vested interests come to the fore.

Oh well, that is growing pains I guess. As long as we have a decent group of members, we cannot get too far off track, or if we do, we will not stay off track long. God bless SRP, and all who sail in her!

James.