You sound really frustrated, and I’m sorry to hear that. I thought I’d offer a few ideas that might help you, if that’s ok.

Sometimes the day or time of day you publish a review can make a difference in how quickly it gets bumped off the front page of reviews. If you publish reviews on the weekend, or in the evenings, they’ll get lost in the shuffle a little more quickly simply because a lot of people publish reviews those days and times. If you can publish them during the week, and maybe even during the day, they’re more likely to stay on the front page longer, thus giving them a bit more exposure.

If you’d like to take further steps to make your reviews more visible to the community, you can post about them in these threads: Post your latest review and rate the one above you or Post your published reviews for March 2012. (Mike seems to do a new one for each month, so keep an eye on those if you like!)

Also, when you do get comments on your review, try to reply to them regularly. When you post a reply on your review, that reply gets posted on the walls of everyone who follows you – so that gives them another chance to see your review and decide if they’d like to read it.

Also keep in mind that nothing on EF is instant. I have reviews that have been up for 6 months and only have 8 votes. The reviews and videos I did on them are great, they just aren’t high profile toys, so they don’t get investigated a lot. My reviews that have 30 or more votes are reviews that have either been up a really long time, are highly coveted or new toys, or were nominated for a Rumble or a Round Up. All those things gave them more notoriety, but they also took time. If we do a good job on the review, and our video… and then get our $25 gift card… we can’t really ask for more.

I think sometimes too it’s good to reexamine how realistic our expectations are. If you make it a point to vote and comment on certain reviewer’s reviews, but you’ve never explained to them that you would appreciate a vote and comment in return… I can guarantee you that they are not aware of that expectation you have. So of course you’ll be disappointed, because you’re expecting them to do something for you that they are completely unaware of. So maybe mention that to the people you follow, and ask if they would like to make a pact to vote on each other’s reviews. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll continue to be disappointed, and the other people will continue to be clueless.

I mostly only read reviews on items I’m interested in, or on items I’m reviewing too (to make sure I don’t include all the same info as the other reviewers). Occasionally, if I have time and energy, I’ll just go through and read random reviews, but that’s a rarity anymore. Life is so hectic, and when I get a spare minute I like to spend it doing other things.

I know it’s hard, but try to be patient, and consider discussing your expectations with your EdenFriends before writing them off completely. I would be willing to bet $1 million that they have no idea what you are expecting them to do. I’d also be willing to bet that they’d be willing to consider scratching your back if you scratch theirs… if you’d only mention it to them. less

I am so new to EF it is crazy. But I saw this and just wanted to chime in a little. I do not understand the vote and rating very well. I know they are connected somehow. But for me, I read a review for a product ( and before I had any clue at all what EF review program was about ) if the review seemed to give me some information I would vote useful or very useful. I never vote for ones that don't seem to have much information. IDK why, I just have not.
But I am starting to ..

Now that I joined the community and started doing a few reviews myself I'm starting to understand what the voting is all about so I make it a point to follow people now and have alerts for new reviews sent to my email so I can read them. I did this not for the idea of voting for them but really to see others reviews without having to search for a product to find them. This way I can read lots of reviews and get more ideas of how I can improve my own reviews. But I DO vote for every review that I read now.

Since I am now writing reviews I see how exciting it is to get a new comment or vote on your review. It gives you a seance of pride and accomplishment. It lets you know you did good and helped someone.

Rest assured every review that comes my way I am voting for. I don't always comment because I'm lazy and don't like to type much sometime. But I am voting !!!! less

No I don't think voting on your review is a common courtesy. I think that sort of thinking is against the very idea of what EF's review program is all about.

We write reviews so that other people can learn something about the product from real people who have tried them. Notice that EF has no manufacturer advertising junk in the information sections.

The voting process is a way for people to express how useful your information is and for you to take as feedback. It shouldn't be an expectation that because you voted on my review that I now should feel that to be polite I go back and look at one of yours and vote on it. That's no different than saying "I did this for you so you should do this for me"

I only read reviews on products that I am interested in and that I may actually buy one day. I do follow some reviewers because I have found their reviews to be of the highest quality and full of great information. That being said I do not read all of their reviews, just ones on products I have interest in. I also don't expect them to look at any of mine just because I read theirs.

This really smacks of a popularity contest where you want to know why all your friends didn't vote for you and you are angry because you voted for them. Honestly I would suggest asking yourself what you can improve about your reviews that will make people want to read them or how you can build your reputation up that of some of our premier reviewers instead of getting upset because people you voted on haven't "returned the favor" less

No I don't think voting on your review is a common courtesy. I think that sort of thinking is against the very idea of what EF's review program is all about.

We write reviews so that other people can learn something about the product from real people who have tried them. Notice that EF has no manufacturer advertising junk in the information sections.

The voting process is a way for people to express how useful your information is and for you to take as feedback. It shouldn't be an expectation that because you voted on my review that I now should feel that to be polite I go back and look at one of yours and vote on it. That's no different than saying "I did this for you so you should do this for me"

I only read reviews on products that I am interested in and that I may actually buy one day. I do follow some reviewers because I have found their reviews to be of the highest quality and full of great information. That being said I do not read all of their reviews, just ones on products I have interest in. I also don't expect them to look at any of mine just because I read theirs.

This really smacks of a popularity contest where you want to know why all your friends didn't vote for you and you are angry because you voted for them. Honestly I would suggest asking yourself what you can improve about your reviews that will make people want to read them or how you can build your reputation up that of some of our premier reviewers instead of getting upset because people you voted on haven't "returned the favor" less

I did not say my friends did not vote because to be honest they do so there how you like that one. I am not here for popularity if that was the case I be up there in the 8's or 9's not a 5.5. My reviews are just fine and I have done well since I started on here from my first review. less

This really has been bugging the crap out of me. This is the second time within the past couple weeks. I sat and worked my ass off for this last review I did on The Nexus iStim. I even did a video, which I was nervous about doing. Now the review is up and I got 15 votes, out of all the people that are on this site. Also all the people whom I sit and vote and comment on daily. My email flooded with alerts and I get to them all. To have 15 damn votes. Excuse my language but I wish I could say what I really want to say. This is just putting it mildly. I am starting to see a trend and I will not be part of it. If you can't return the favor for me, even if you don't comment at least vote. I am going to go through my alerts again and remove more people. Now I want you to tell me on this poll that if you don't vote and return the favor, I want you to let me know now. So I can stop wasting my precious time. For all those that want to get up there real fast well it won't be coming from my end. I will not help those out anymore. I am not trying to get up there with ranking status and all of that. I enjoy doing what I do. I actually put a lot of work into this last review and it was the only one that took me days to do. So with that being said leave your thoughts and comments and let me know if you vote or not.

Thanks that is all Kiki less

Oh wow...I came to this thread thinking you were frustrated about the same thing I was (seeing a 7 minute video review that sucked...had no written review and is being kept up - and yes - I did contact JR about it) and instead I see it is about this.

I must be horrible then. I have 247 people who follow me. I follow 33 (I cut it down recently and will probably cut it down more). Of those 33 I get alerts when ONE PERSON posts a review..that is it. I do plan to add two more people - maybe three - when I return home from a trip.

I go to reviews from my wall when I see someone commenting on a review. I'll go to a review if the product interests me, or I know the reviewer and want to read what they're saying or if there are comments on the review that get me interested in it for some reason. Other than that - I don't have the time to go to reviews very often (unless I'm shopping for something).

I hope the 247 people who follow me aren't feeling the way you do - because it's truly not personal. I don't have the time to read everyone's reviews and when I followed over 70 people, my wall moved so fast that I felt like I wasn't keeping up with the people I really cared about the most and contacted the most. That's why I cut way back.

15 votes isn't bad...wow...I have a lot of reviews that have 6 of 7 votes and I've been COTM and won the rumble two or three times - and I still have reviews that don't have 15 votes.

Sorry that you were upset...hope things go better for you and maybe folks have helped you feel better. less

"so there how you like that one."

this kind of attitude is really not what this community is about!

please don't take out your anger over things you've misunderstood on this community. we're not perfect or anything close, but we do try to keep a jovial and respectful tone. this is not what this whole thread has been like.

you should really reevaluate how you're coming off to people. it's rude. and really uncalled for.

noone is owed anything on EF except for respect. it is not disrespectful to not vote on someone's review just because they voted on yours. you're really missing the whole point. i recommend taking a day off the forums to cool down, then re-read and digest what folks who have been here a long time have said, and all with good intentions. nobody is trying to attack you, and there's no need for you to attack us. less

I did not say my friends did not vote because to be honest they do so there how you like that one. I am not here for popularity if that was the case I be up there in the 8's or 9's not a 5.5. My reviews are just fine and I have done well since I started on here from my first review. less

This really has been bugging the crap out of me. This is the second time within the past couple weeks. I sat and worked my ass off for this last review I did on The Nexus iStim. I even did a video, which I was nervous about doing. Now the review is up and I got 15 votes, out of all the people that are on this site. Also all the people whom I sit and vote and comment on daily. My email flooded with alerts and I get to them all. To have 15 damn votes. Excuse my language but I wish I could say what I really want to say. This is just putting it mildly. I am starting to see a trend and I will not be part of it. If you can't return the favor for me, even if you don't comment at least vote. I am going to go through my alerts again and remove more people. Now I want you to tell me on this poll that if you don't vote and return the favor, I want you to let me know now. So I can stop wasting my precious time. For all those that want to get up there real fast well it won't be coming from my end. I will not help those out anymore. I am not trying to get up there with ranking status and all of that. I enjoy doing what I do. I actually put a lot of work into this last review and it was the only one that took me days to do. So with that being said leave your thoughts and comments and let me know if you vote or not.

Thanks that is all Kiki less

Alice, Airen, and HSTM are all going on the right direction.

The Review Program is for the customer or anyone who comes along and wants to read more about a product. Product reviews totally show up in search results too.

Rather than stating what went wrong on this thread or how it started, I'd rather direct readers to the Expectations of Conduct.

If (general) you feels an intense emotional need to post something on a forum thread, review, or anything online - don't. Don't post it. It's better to stay quiet and calm down rather than post something that may feel good but make matters worse after the fact. less

Alice, Airen, and HSTM are all going on the right direction.

The Review Program is for the customer or anyone who comes along and wants to read more about a product. Product reviews totally show up in search results too.

Rather than stating what went wrong on this thread or how it started, I'd rather direct readers to the Expectations of Conduct.

If (general) you feels an intense emotional need to post something on a forum thread, review, or anything online - don't. Don't post it. It's better to stay quiet and calm down rather than post something that may feel good but make matters worse after the fact. less

I want to make a statement but I want you to know that it is NOT directed personally at your reviews. I'm thinking about reviews in general.

You talk about common courtesy and voting on reviews - but there are times I will read a review and out of courtesy, I won't vote on it because I honestly can't give it an EU or a U vote. Out of courtesy and not wanting to hurt someone's rank, I will just close out of the review and walk away. Sometimes it is a newer reviewer and other times it is someone who may have been around for a while but I can tell the review isn't one of their best. I read a review recently where I felt like I was reading porn as the person talked about gushing with a product and how it will work for "everyone", etc. etc. and I knew it wouldn't work for everyone (I have it) and the way they described the gushing and stuff was just...I don't know - it didn't appeal to me at all. I have noticed it is part of their style...so I backed out and didn't vote....out of courtesy for them.

I understand it can be discouraging when you're newer here and trying to get folks to read your reviews, let alone vote and post on them. It really does take time to build up a "following" of folks who read your reviews - I probably had at least 75 reviews up before I started seeing more folks following me - and I have no idea how many have alerts set (I'm assuming not all of the 200+ who follow me).

I hope you understand somehow that it isn't that we don't care - but it is simply that many of us have limited time for reading reviews because we're so busy writing our own, etc.

I hope you feel better somehow after this discussion. Poor JR - I know that sometimes I've dumped on him (or on friends here privately) when I've gotten frustrated about stuff. I find that sometimes my friends will help me get a different perspective....I hope you can develop some good friendships here with folks you can message and vent with.

Have a great day! less