General thoughts about Mouthshut! As the topic suggests, I will be writing about whatever general thoughts come to my mind about this site(whether good or bad).
If I say this is the most fascinating, addictive, enlightening and temperate website on the Internet it won’t be an overstatement. We are like a family here and if you don’t have anyone to lend you an ear this is the right place for you to be heard! Each member whether new or old is treated with equal respect irrespective of his views or writing talent!
This is a democratic site. All members are equal. Each member has one vote(of rating a review) and has the right & opportunity to voice his opinions(through reviewing or commenting). There is also a censor board to keep the site clean of “anti-social elements”! Thus, the basic principle of democracy i.e. to the people, by the people and for the people; is flourishing here!
If you want to find good friends, MS is a far more effective place than a chat room(unless you are as lucky as me - I found my Pari in a chat room). Majority of the members are decent, polite, kind & friendly and you won’t have to go through the painful process of meeting some licentious people in a chat room, while searching for a good friend!
Another effective feature I found about this site was the Mouthpad service! Many members are still not aware of it, so for their sake I’d like to describe it briefly. If you want to write a review on some product or service and it’s not available in the present list you can always post your request for that product/service and the MS team will add it very soon in their database if they find it sensible enough!
I have also been thinking of requesting a category on Mouthpad. You may feel that the idea is creepy but still I thought it wouldn’t be a bad thing if I see the kind of feedback this thought gets! And the category I have been thinking of requesting is - Members! Shocked? Well, before you rush to give this review a low rating because of this unconventional idea let me explain it in a better way!
Yes, I do feel we should be given the freedom to write reviews on members. You may say it will create a lot of unwanted controversy, if someone misuses it! But aren’t controversies created on other products too? Does that mean we stop writing, because of some mindless people who come to create controversies here? Aren’t we writing on five best reviewers and five worst reviewers? If we can write on the 5 best and the 5 worst then why not on the rest of them also? It will add a lot more zest to this site and each member will become more attached to this place!
Not only this, but it will also make each of us a better writer! When others will write a review on us we will know what exactly our strengths and weaknesses are! We will be inspired to write more when our efforts are appreciated and also we can improve a lot when someone is there to tell us about our weaknesses.
Now some critics may say, that this website is just to inform consumers on which products to choose! So, there is no place for such rubbish things like “Member Reviews” here. I’d say “Member Reviews” is a very logical thing from this purpose also. Not all the members here have time and money to read each and every review on this site! They can easily see which member is more recommended than the others and it will help them in making their choices clear, on what they want to read! Thus, members can themselves choose their star writers just like public chooses their leaders in democracy!
Other than this it will obviously add lots more spice to this place just as I mentioned before! Just imagine reading stuff like this – 99% recommendation for afrank based on 44 reviews, diver being given 4 stars out of 5, juggernaut being added in someone’s wish list! Tell me honestly wouldn’t you like to know what others feel about you! Wouldn’t you like to make someone’s day by giving him the appreciation he deserves? Remember, it’s a two-way process, others will make your day too by writing reviews on you!
One of the main reasons I’ve written this review is because I want to know what you think about this idea of mine! I’d request it on Mouthpad only if I get a positive response from the majority of the members! As I’m not in favour of starting something which may not be of taste for others. So what do you say guys? Would you like to write and RRC member reviews or not?
© Tanmay Singh, 2004