This article may flop. It may be a failure. But here are some of my suggestions to new reviewers on J2O:
1: Don’t ever use terms like “you suck”, or “you’re terrible at this” when reviewing. If you really think someone needs some guidance, go pm them yourself. It never pays to slam someone, and it’ll probably get removed by an admin.
2: When reviewing, don’t include past submissions in this level’s review. It’s stupid, and it hurts the reviewee.
3: If a level really stinks so badly that it hurts to say it, don’t. If you must absolutely say it….[sigh] Then at least say why it stinks, and be sure to give advice on how to fix it up. I know, nobody’s perfect. But at least try to make them enjoy being on our site, and keep newcomers interested!
4: Never EVER for any reason include a hate message in your review.
5: Never EVER for any reason include a hate message in your review.
6: If your review has a helpful average of, say, 0 out of 6 people, don’t just go and delete it. READ YOUR REVIEW. Then you can figure out why people don’t like it and you can fix it.
7: Try and keep an open mind when reviewing. Don’t expect the absolute worst in a level, neither go looking for the absolute worst in a level. The author probably spent many hours working on his/her/its submission, and likely doesn’t want to hear crud from reviewers.
8: Take this from a victim. When reviewing, and you give a low rating, and someone accuses you of a revenge action, don’t EVER dignify something like that with an answer. Unless it’s true. They are just a bit cranky, and upset that their level got a bad rating. Don’t ever lose your cool and blast em right back. If you need to let off some steam, use the PM [which, btw, stands for PRIVATE MESSAGE…] system. It works way better than embarrasing yourself, and more often that not it will help you resolve the situation and become friends.
9: Be polite in your reviews. Be cordial and nice, and be appreciative of their work.
10: The most important rule of all——BE FAIR IN YOUR REVIEW. Assume the best of a level, and if it is good, well then! If not, then avoid a biased review to the best of your abilities.
That’s all for now, hope these tips help you in your reviewing!