Apogee GTZ

[gabe]

Yes


Now that is a good idea but I'll bet you dollars to dimes that he doesn't see $100.00 /month..
People just WILL NOT pay for what they feel they should get for free no matter if they are right or wrong.
Look at Bok's Free Dc stats page, used by thousands but how many donate?
VERY few.
I sent him $25.00 twice and thats probably 30% of what he's received this year.

very sound observation..

but I'm practical, so let's push this one step further

Either things go back to the way they are.. a few independants doing this as a hobby, for glory or fun, and/or some free hardware, or {suggestion} we take a tight knit community like XS interested in uncompromised data, and set up a fee based section of the forum to publish that data.. There are many practical issues with that, but it could be a way to get it done..

Someone rightfully suggested that reviewers should be compensated. Everybody agress (I think) that manufacturers cannot/should not/must not be involved. So how does it get done?

[Movieman]

very sound observation..

but I'm practical, so let's push this one step further

Either things go back to the way they are.. a few independants doing this as a hobby, for glory or fun, and/or some free hardware, or {suggestion} we take a tight knit community like XS interested in uncompromised data, and set up a fee based section of the forum to publish that data.. There are many practical issues with that, but it could be a way to get it done..

Someone rightfully suggested that reviewers should be compensated. Everybody agress (I think) that manufacturers cannot/should not/must not be involved. So how does it get done?

Just speaking for myself but I think there are many that feel this way;
People who review are generally "into" the hardware, it is a hobby but lets face it, it can be an expensive one.
We all have different financial abilities. Some guys can go and buy the state of the art twice a year but most of us can not and I surely can't.
What I have is time and investing that time to do a good in depth review of an item with the "payoff" of that item to me is a fair trade.
Now when I reviewed those HS and found them to be horrible as shipped I said to the company "Do you want me to ship them back to you?"
They said no.
I would have said the same to you had I found your kit to be crap but everything I said in that review was the God's truth or I wouldn't have put my name on it. To me it is that black and white and I'll say it here again, whoever wrote that manual in that kit is a resource not to be lost.
Now some here will think that I'm kissing your backside here but that is not me.
When I see a great product the little kid still inside this 56 year old body wants to share that with his friends so they can benefit from what I've learned. Yes, black and white.

[gabe]

Just speaking for myself but I think there are many that feel this way;
People who review are generally "into" the hardware, it is a hobby but lets face it, it can be an expensive one.
We all have different financial abilities. Some guys can go and buy the state of the art twice a year but most of us can not and I surely can't.
What I have is time and investing that time to do a good in depth review of an item with the "payoff" of that item to me is a fair trade..

right, I was just discussing the same thing with another member, and he made the very same observation.

which is one more reason to find creative ways to compensate reviewers without alienating their independance. We need good reviewers!

suggestions welcome on how to achieve that.

[Movieman]

right, I was just discussing the same thing with another member, and he made the very same observation.

which is one more reason to find creative ways to compensate reviewers without alienating their independance. We need good reviewers!

suggestions welcome on how to achieve that.

The first and biggest hurdle is trust, on both sides.
Also a feeling that we can work together talking straight to one another.
My feeling is that when a company has sent something to me they are taking a gamble that I will be honest with them and maybe I'm old fashioned but that trust means a lot to me. Lets face it, who the hell am I?
To honor that trust I owe them my best and that is why I spent that day reworking those heatsinks.
Niksub said I should have been paid for it but in a way I was.
The guys here who bought those heatsinks benefited from that sunday I spent and that's enough for me.
The company also benefited in that they sold a better product and thats my thanks to them for their trust in me.
It's a two way street or it should be seen that way, not an "us" and "them" mentality.

[kazgirl]

very sound observation..

but I'm practical, so let's push this one step further

Either things go back to the way they are.. a few independants doing this as a hobby, for glory or fun, and/or some free hardware, or {suggestion} we take a tight knit community like XS interested in uncompromised data, and set up a fee based section of the forum to publish that data.. There are many practical issues with that, but it could be a way to get it done..

Someone rightfully suggested that reviewers should be compensated. Everybody agress (I think) that manufacturers cannot/should not/must not be involved. So how does it get done?

Hi all,

I am currently in the market for a new WB and trying to look into the best product came across this thread, and started reading through the posts eagerly to see some test data and analysis...

I have gotten as far as this post and have been following the conversation with interest...

I have to say that what Gabe has said on this point has been correct from the beginning, and that if a reviewer is to be compensated in any form, then that compensation should come from a source with no affiliation to/with any manufacturers who provide materials/products to be reviewed, but from the beneificiaries of the rreviewer...

However this also then passes a burden onto the reviewer who might then feel obligated to provide results for those people who have provided compnesation to receive those results....

In other words I think what Gabe suggested was some kind of subscription part of the site where subscribing users, having paid a fee, could gain access to the reviewers results, and that the subscription fee's would be passed to the reviewing members..... or maybe could be collected and distrubuted to the approved reviewers on a per review basis....

But the situation arises then that subscribing users having paid a subscription to be able to access review data, if for whatever reason reviews cannot be submitted in a timely fashion, then would some subscribing users then feel dissatisfied with the service they have paid for.... to put it another way... the work currently udertaken by Martin et al, is at the moment unrewarded other than with the gratitude of a close knit community here at the XS forums.... I have to say I am a relatively new member, and if I'm honest I feel that I am benefiting greatly from the information that is catalogued on these forums..... I for one would be happy to pay a small subscription fee, for the privelage of being able to have access to the experience and aid that can be found here....

Though truth be told back when I was a beginner at all this, I most likely would have justc clicked away to another site..... so its a really difficult area to address...

What I think I would suggest is a kind of special access area that is provided for users who pay a subscription fee, and that maybe the particular area have a free to view list of: currently available reviews, author of the review, and maybe users ratings of the review as an 'x out of 5' star rating scheme..., and that the special access area also have a one-time access smaller subscription fee for a 24-hr period to a section with only the latest review, or review of their choosing........ so that users only interested in a particular review are able to decide whether or not they want to pay to gain access to that review, based on the knowledge of who has carried out the review etc...

Again this would however be placing perhaps an unwanted burden on the likes of Martin et al, to feel an obligation to provide reviews, and adding pressure on them.....

So I have another suggestion, and that is for a user scoring scheme in conjunction with a user subscription to be renewed on an annual basis that would be accumulated into a funds pool for the forum, that would be administered by a reputable and long-standing senior member, or site administrator...... and for each review that a reviewer contributes, and that other users rate at say 3-4 out of 5, or some other way of showing approval for the review........ that the site admin provide a pre-approved amount to the review submitter, from a pool of the accumulated subscription fee's....

The amount paid for each review needn't be a huge amount of money, as I'm sure that poeple like Martin and others would be appreciative of any gesture of thanks for their work, that might be of assistance to them in subsidising a little of the expense they incur.

This would leave the reviewers free of any burden, would leave manufacturers out of the rewarding scheme, reviewers woud get rewarded based on the quality of the review submitted by them, and also by the gratitude of the Forum User Base...., and the remainder of the forums would still be accessible to non-subscription paying members...!!!!

Anyway with all that said I'm going to continue readin the rest of the thread and gain from the insights posted here...!!!!!

Just wanted to add my 2c's worth....!!!!!

PS: Wonder if Gabe or anyone else can advise if this is going to come with a AM2 mounting plate, or if one can be purchased optionally... the WB is avaialbe now for pre-order at this site: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...odid=WC-032-SW and it says that AM2 etc would also see possible benefits from the newly mapped surface....but theres no mention of a compatible AM2 mounting kit, or an option of pruchasing one.... I really want o place my order, but need to know this first...!!!!

TIA

[twwen2]

<snip>

Nice post kazgirl, there's definately some good ideas in there.

Now, it's around 10.30am here in OZ (July 31st), which means the evening is quickly dissapearing over in the good 'ol US of A, and no internal shots to speak of?