TrueAudio
192khz
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Richmond, CA
1 edit | Our recent Review Uprising
Holy crap .. those kids ripped into the reviews like a pack of wolves. Im not exactly sure why everyone is so skeptical about reviews, just because theres a bunch in one day. Everyones a freakin conspiracy theorist.
OK.. so maybe 6 or 7 good reviews of a company have never been made within a short period of time... theres a first for everything. Its not like its a miracle of god or anything.
I don't think its shady to e-mail your customers and sort of nudge them over to a site and right a review if they are interested in writing one. Alex has paid to advertise his ISP on this site, and theres nothing illegal or against this websites rules to NOT send e-mails to users asking if they will right a review of the service they feel is appropriate. If anything.. it brings more poeole to the website which might bring more income to this website....
DSLR has suspended Etheric's account based on "Assumption", and probably all the hearsay chatter in the review responses. I think that is down right low of this website. No wait.. listen to that again.. "they've suspended Etheric's account because of too many good reviews in a short period of time. LOL!! wtf?? So your actually penalized for bringing traffic, and having good reviews.
Is there a actual review limit??? I mean.. this makes no sense to me..
Basically a company is guilty until proven innocent and thats BS in my opinion.
I believe Alex sent e-mail to the site owners. Its still a pain in the ass to deal with .. just because you got some GOOD reviews all in one day.
Anyways.. I just wanted to vent and the Lady's sleepin 
so .. here I am 
--
An Evening with CoCoA TeA
The Etheric.net Forums |
|
jshadley
join:2000-07-06
San Jose, CA
| Yeah, I get the idea some idiots just want to cause trouble. The only thing against the rules is for the ISP to "post fake reviews or to post customer reviews on their behalf without consulting DSLR first".
I think it's completely cool for the company to ask their customers to give a public review. I suspect other companies don't to that becuase they are certain they'll get hammered! 
Mine is real and verifiable, and I'm confident that the others are, too, given my experience with Etheric. If what you say is true (Etheric's account suspended?), that is *WAY* uncool. |
|
prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA
| reply to TrueAudio
You know, this is silly. Of course it probably hasn't happened before, but this is no reason to suspend their acccount. I think Etheric had a great marketing idea - "word of mouth." And that is exactly what Alex's e-mail was a few months ago.
This service isn't for everyone. It's not for Mr. AOL and the casual surfer or e-mailer. Putting out magazine ads and other advertisements would probably actually hurt Etheric at this time in their growth. Their business isn't big enough to handle the mass growth they would achieve by using conventional means of advertising. This website, BBR, is a great place to to that. And just because 6 people write reviews in one day, they get all pissy ? WTF ?
By people spreading the good word person to person, they can keep their growth at a controlled rate, and also sign up people that actually know a little something about the Internet and networking. This reduces the number of support calls they get, because most users can troubleshoot their own problems up to the radio. As stated before in my review and other reviews, this service isn't for the casual surfer or the newbie to the Internet. It's for the power-hungry speed-craving netizen.
I applaud Alex's tactic to get people to write reviews. It was a great idea and I'll stand behind him in any future promotions or nifty ways of advertising. Got any bumperstickers ?? However, I do think that getting 6 reviews in one day can cause the wolves to come out and start sniffing around for trouble. But that sort of thing can't be controlled. Probably one person posted and then another saw and thought "hey, what a great idea" and then posted and so on.... I think that BBR and it's readers should realize that this is the result of good business practices and encourage other ISPs to follow suit by Etheric showing them how it's done.
--
Blue Skies ! |
|
TrueAudio
192khz
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Richmond, CA
| reply to TrueAudio
Yeah .. I would have liked to see a moderator come in a flush out all those BS comments, instead they suspend Etheric's account. Go figure!
The thing that gets me.. is .. its people that don't even live around here, or would care less about our service any other time. Lurking Review Trolls.
Im not going to let it bother me anymore... Whatever. You and i both know those reviews are legit as this website is.
It almost makes me you want to protest against this site for unfair business practices, but i realize its a powerful tool for the Etheric and myself.
Anywaze.... the chatter will mellow, and everything will be back to normal. I wonder how they actually determine those reviews are "Real". They must send e-mails to the reviewers or something.
--
An Evening with CoCoA TeA
The Etheric.net Forums |
|
cabana
now in peppermint
Assistant
join:2000-07-07
New York, NY
Host:
AT&T Southeast
56k Lookout (Broad..
| A GENERAL STATEMENT about The review process on our site:
We encourage reviews, however, we discourage reviews being used purely as a marketing tool. For example we strongly discourage telling customers that if they place a "good" review on DSLR then they get a discount etc. This dilutes the purpose: which is to have an honest forum for consumer feedback. We feel the value of the reviews lies not in the "advertising" but in the measurement for customers honest assessment of services rendered.
If an ISP would like to recommend that their customers place a review on DSLreports.com we recommend that they merely "suggest" that a venue exists on DSLreports.com if they would like to review an ISP service. In order to
maintain the fairness of the process we ask that the customer is made aware of the review option at the beginning of the service process...and never "selectively" given to customers at the end of their experience.
We feel this is the most equitable approach and insures that the review tool provides a company with the most accurate measurement of your customer's opinion regarding their services.
Now a statement on this issue here:
We believe this ISP has received fair treatment...when they came to us last week upset with what they thought was an unfair negative review we listened and mediated between reviewer and the ISP...we responded to this ISP promptly.
Yesterday we saw an unusually high amount of reviews in one queue (negative or positive does would not have mattered) but for a small ISP it was high... also we received a high volume of users saying that they thought the queue was being spammed...and last we did receive a private correspondence from the company that prompted us to make this decision to temporarily suspend access to the listing (not suspension to the access to the reviews) while we review the situation.
This is between the ISP and DSLR/BBR. We reserve the right to review what is posted on our site...
A GENERAL STATEMENT :
We work hard to be a consumer advocate site and not a giant marketing tool for ISPs ..we are trying to be a voice for both...ISPs and for the users of those services. It is not always an easy line to walk bit we try... whether you are a user or an ISP on this site we promote treatment with respect and fairness...ISP listings are $100...and this is only a recent fee...and only for DSL..the rest are free...again to help out the small startups...ie wireless companies...
If we feel the spirit of reviews is not being honored and that the queue is turning into a giant marketing tool...and the ISP constantly complains that anyone posting a negative comment must be a liar then we reserve the right to moderate.
Thank you for your consideration. |
|
prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA
| reply to TrueAudio
Two comments :
quote:
We encourage reviews, however, we discourage reviews being used purely as a marketing tool. For example we strongly discourage telling customers that if they place a "good" review on DSLR then they get a discount etc.
Ok, I totally agree with this. Etheric does not give special discounts to those that review highly or negatively or anywhere in between. I believe they are too modest for this. Alex's email simply asked people to come to this site and give a fair review. That was done. There's always going to be one bad apple in the bunch, and clearly he/she has posted their review.
quote:
If an ISP would like to recommend that their customers place a review on DSLreports.com we recommend that they merely "suggest" that a venue exists on DSLreports.com if they would like to review an ISP service. In order to
maintain the fairness of the process we ask that the customer is made aware of the review option at the beginning of the service process...and never "selectively" given to customers at the end of their experience.
The e-mail that Alex sent out was a suggestion. I would think of it as a promotion idea to get his business noticed, and it worked! Clearly before this there was very little talk on these forums of Etheric and their services.
And you are right, the customers should be made aware of the review option before installation. Maybe the installers could tell people that during installation or maybe during the sales call. Unfortunately, most people only find this site AFTER getting service and hooked up for a little while.
I would also like to say that the e-mail was not selective. It was sent to everyone, or at least that is what I am led to believe. Even the bad apple got it and posted a fair (although unhappy) review of the service.
I just don't see why it's so hard to believe that a company can offer exceptional service. When they do, they get dinged for it. I'm sure if 1 out of 10 reviewers was unhappy with the service, then maybe Etheric would "Look and feel real" but at this point people think that it's a joke. I can assure you that this is no joke. I can also tell you that the service has not always been rosy and stable. They had their initial bring-up problems that any startup WISP goes through.
I do think that BBR is fair, but the skepticism is overwhelming from the visitors and members, especially those who don't even live in this area and just like to start trouble. What more do people want to see other than speed tests and traceroutes ? As stated before by CoCoA TeA, come over to my house and I'll show you that it's real...this is no joke, and the service is that wonderful (99% of the time)
--
Blue Skies ! |
|
jshadley
join:2000-07-06
San Jose, CA
| I *really* cannot believe what I am reading from the Mods! I, too was hoping that the "reviewing" would consist of questioning why people outside of this ISP's service area are even bothering, but instead you suspend the ISP??!??! Incredible! I used to trust DSLR completely, but now I'm really questioning it.
Alex, the president of Etheric, has offered $10,000 for anyone that can prove the reviews are faked. And to suggest that he's offering discounts for favorable reviews is really, REALLY low of you. He's posted the exact e-mail that he sent (it's what I got, I assume it's what the other subscribers received and responded to).
I think what you're seeing is simply the result of very happy customers. Why is this so hard to take? Isn't that the point of having reviews on here, so prospective customers can make a smart decision? It's what I originally came here for.
If I could review DSLR/BBR itself at this moment, you'd be in the Horror Stories column, this is a black day for you guys. |
|
fatness
subtle
Janitor
join:2000-11-17
fishing
 ·EarthLink
Host:
Earthlink DSL
TekSavvy
Forum Feature Requ..
Need Site Help?
Rants, Raves, and ..
| reply to prag
said by prag  :
I would also like to say that the e-mail was not selective. It was sent to everyone, or at least that is what I am led to believe. Even the bad apple got it and posted a fair (although unhappy) review of the service.
A fair number, perhaps a majority, of people who visit this site are dissatisfied with their ISP. In BBR's view that dissatisfaction doesn't make them "bad apples" and is not a comment on them. It is an honest consumer comment on their ISP. said by jshadley :
Alex, the president of Etheric, has offered $10,000 for anyone that can prove the reviews are faked.
Great, another marketing ploy.
--
the sunshine walked beside her. |
|
jshadley
join:2000-07-06
San Jose, CA | Help! Who do you call when you need someone to moderate the MODS? This is absolutely outrageous! He posted it IN REPONSE TO THE IDIOTS CLAIMING THEY WERE FAKED! |
|
prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA
1 edit | reply to fatness
Bad apple, ugly duckling, white zebra, whatever you want to call it. It's a metaphor meaning of the few that are unlike the rest. In Etheric's case you have 95-99% happy customers. I don't know the exact number....well, ok 1 person that I have heard about had a bad experience. Alex goes out of his way to make sure that you are happy with your service. Look at Cocoa Tea's initial review, then the downturn, and then the outcome. I'd really really like to see a DSL or Cable provider provide that kind of service - Personal, professional, prompt, and curteous.
I do hope you mods dig and dig to find out that all the reviews are legit. Hopefully it will silence all the naysayers and restore confidence in your rating system. I then want a front page article apologizing for your accusations. Well, Ok, maybe just a formal apology.
I await your findings.
--
Blue Skies ! |
|
cabana
now in peppermint
Assistant
join:2000-07-07
New York, NY
Host:
AT&T Southeast
56k Lookout (Broad..
| 1) There was a distinct separation in the post I made...I made careful note to say GENERAL note which meant no accusations were made only simple explanation of the review policy
2) a second note that said THIS issue...a clear distinction...we only said we were taking a closer look for both the benefit of the ISP and the user.
Clearly you have not gotten the point...private discussions with the president of the company say that they have gotten the point and have agreed with what our goal is and was...although your statement of a 10k reward seems to have defeated the purpose...thanks for sharing the comment. We will be sure to discuss this with them further. |
|
jshadley
join:2000-07-06
San Jose, CA
1 edit | reply to prag
[note: sorry prag, this is not really in reply to you, it's a reply to cabana]
Exactly what is "the point" that I am clearly not getting?
- that DSLR/BBR is really only a place to grouse about bad service and that positive reviews are immediately suspect as "marketing" because there can be no such thing as a happy customer?
- that the accusations of a few rabble-rousers carries more weight with moderators than legitimate reviews?
- that you don't understand your own policies? ("recommended" and "suggested" are quite different from "required" -- if you don't want ISPs to do this kind of thing, require that they don't and stopy pussy-footing around with your wording!)
Writing off your comments as "general" is pretty lame. You posted them in a very specific thread in response to some very specific comments. You think simply labeling them as "GENERAL" makes it all better? Very provocative if you ask me.
So anyway, I guess you're right -- I *don't* get the point at all. I thought this was a place to provide honest reviews and verify that you're getting what you're supposed to (whether at the request of the ISP or not, which is clearly NOT in violation of any of your rules -- but anyway I'll restate that I suspect few ISPs would even tell their customers of the existence of DSLR Reviews because they know they'd get scathing reviews!).
To sum up:
I'll be recommending Etheric wherever I can.
Not sure about DSLR/BBR anymore, though. |
|
TrueAudio
192khz
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Richmond, CA
| reply to TrueAudio
I think jshadley has said exactly what needs to be said. AAAAAMEN!!
Your obviously penalized for doing good, and having to many good reviews in a short period of time. Lets face it.. both mods have said it in both, a direct way and a non direct way of wording.
What a weird idea... making customers happy.
--
An Evening with CoCoA TeA
The Etheric.net Forums |
|
cabana
now in peppermint
Assistant
join:2000-07-07
New York, NY
Host:
AT&T Southeast
56k Lookout (Broad..
1 edit | The action was triggered by an email the ISP sent to us and was worked through in a private correspondence with the ISP ... an issue they agreed with and have emailed us saying they are on board with... if the ISP understood why we took the action we took ...then perhaps you can be understanding as well...
the GENERAL note ..ahem..yes...was to give an overview of how the review system worked...seems appropriate to give a background and then address the issue. |
|
TrueAudio
192khz
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Richmond, CA
| reply to TrueAudio
Of course hes not going to object to your actions taken. What choice does he have? Goodness. Hes basically strong armed into agreeing with you wether these reviews are fake or not. Any level headed person would just suck it up, and and go with the flow. It's not rocket science.
How do you think it makes someone feel when there punished for merely advertising there company & yours on a website that promotes just that? How would you feel after you put all this hard work in small company providing awesome service to folks and getting judged and penalized based on previous review patterns?
Alright.. maybe im beating a dead horse, but its the principal of this whole ordeal that really makes you question the nature of the owners of the site. Seems like the power of this site went straight to the head. I claim shenanigans on DSLR.
--
An Evening with CoCoA TeA
The Etheric.net Forums |
|
aligzanduh
Premium
join:2003-02-04
Mountain View, CA
| Re: Our recent Review Uprising - cease fire
I believe DSL Reports was acting in good faith when they froze our isp listing based on our receiving a 'suspiciously large number of good reviews'.
We (Etheric) described precisely what we had done - (ask our clients to review us) they decided to unfreeze our listing.
I think Etheric's supporters should not damage DSL Reports reputation - as they are trying to preserve the integrity of their websites objectivity . If one of our competitors tries to "slant" the review process - we will cheer DSL Reports for saying - lets take a look at this.
I have been amused by the counter-attack (Its nice to have friends) - and I totally relate to what the viewers are saying - but I do not think DSL Reports did anything FUNDAMENTALLY incorrect - in doing a little vetting and analysis.
By squaring off against the mods it creates an us against them mentality - which is not what we want.
Here's the cool thing about the DSL Reports process - it encourages ISPs to provide good service. If SBC sent out a mass email saying please rate out service - I think it might come out just a tad different
Cheers
Alexander Hagen
President
Etheric Networks |
|
jshadley
join:2000-07-06
San Jose, CA | Alex, you're taking the high road (I'm not surprised). I don't necessarily agree about DSLR, as I think Etheric is really a diamond in the rough and the reviews are well-deserved -- but I guess we just have to let time tell that tale, eh?! |
|
