Getting an opinion online on just about anything<\/p>\n
Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, Jakarta, vmahmud@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
The Matrix Reloaded is playing in theaters near you, but you've
\nheard rumors it's not worth the price of the admission ticket. Or
\nyou want to buy the latest ecothriller but don't know if the book
\nis good or not? Or perhaps you need to get a new laptop but are
\nconfused by the endless choice of computer brands that may or may
\nnot fit your particular needs?<\/p>\n
Short of calling an \"expert\" within your circle of friends,
\nfinding opinions in the \"old days\" (like five years ago!) meant
\ndigging through newspaper movie reviews, book listings and
\nmagazine articles. Now, thanks to the World Wide Web, everybody
\nwith a unique perspective and an Internet connection can air
\ntheir own outlook on practically anything.<\/p>\n
Although the web allows people to post their own point of view
\nand political stance as personal homepages, what you really need
\nis a site that has a collection of reviews and opinions to help
\nyou research towards making that next big purchase. The 'Net is
\nfilled with such sites, but only a few really stick out.<\/p>\n
For books, where else would you go but Amazon.com, the world's
\nlargest bookstore? Not only do they have a listing of products
\nyou may be looking for, but also reviews by internal staff and
\nprevious buyers that provides feedback for future potential
\nshoppers to make up their mind.<\/p>\n
Any user is allowed to post their own thoughts regarding their
\npurchases. Simply enter the book name or author in the search box
\nand see what other users have written about it. Or enter your
\nown. Thus, people may be spared from buying a book that turns out
\nto be (in their opinion) a totally boring and useless paperback.<\/p>\n
Don't be surprised if Amazon recommends other titles as well.
\nArmed with a gigantic database, the site also records similar
\npurchases made by previous users, so those with similar tastes
\ncan find new and exciting items. Like Tom Clancy thrillers? Why
\nnot try Matthew Reilly books, such as Ice Station?<\/p>\n
Considering the high number of turkeys being released by
\nHollywood these days, viewers are advised to do careful research
\nby checking out movie reviews. The \"mother of all\" movie review
\nsites is perhaps the irreverent Rotten Tomatoes. At
\nrottentomatoes.com, you can find written evaluations that either
\npraise or pan a movie from professional movie critics, usually
\nfrom U.S.-based publications, both traditional media (print) or
\nonline (web).<\/p>\n
Amazon, in partnership with the Internet Movie Database,
\nimdb.com, also has a wealth of knowledge of film such as cast
\nlists, production notes and movie reviews. You can even get a
\nlist of all the movies your favorite film star was in (did you
\nknow Sean Connery once played Robin Hood opposite Audrey
\nHepburn?). Even for new movies like The Matrix Reloaded you can
\nfind user submissions of what they thought about it in the
\ntheater section.<\/p>\n
While Amazon also sells electronics and computers, you can get
\nmore professional reviews from the Asian division of CNet,
\nasia.cnet.com\/reviews. In addition to information about the
\nlatest computer hardware and peripherals, you'll find a wealth of
\nreviews for the newest cell phones, digital cameras and Personal
\nDigital Assistants (PDA) to enter the market.<\/p>\n
Speaking of cell phones, you can also tap into the Indonesian
\ncell phone user community at forumponsel.com. Reviews, tips,
\nlatest prices and complaints can be found at this site. You can
\neven buy or sell phones here. As some Indonesians change their
\ncell phones once every three months, keeping up to date with the
\nlatest telecommunications technology is very important for them.<\/p>\n
There are also some specialty user review sites such as
\nepinions, epinions.com, or Pintunet, pintunet.com. Both try to be
\na central website to accommodate user reviews from all aspects of
\nlife, from cars to banks, hotels to hospitals. Unfortunately,
\nthey are not as well-known in the Internet community as is
\nAmazon; yet these sites have tremendous potential and have a lot
\nto offer consumers.<\/p>\n
Of course, one of the fastest ways to finding a review is by
\nusing search engines. Use google, google.com, or Yahoo!
\nyahoo.com, and enter the appropriate keywords such as \"apple
\nibook 900 review\". Keep an eye out for the results as some of the
\nlinks may lead you to personal websites that provide deep
\nanalysis of their purchases.<\/p>\n
It is extremely important to always research before making a
\npurchase. Too many people easily fall victim to hype and
\nmarketing and finally purchase an item that they ultimately do
\nnot need or use effectively. Why buy a General Packet Radio
\nSystem (GPRS) phone if you'll never use it? Knowledge is power.<\/p>\n
And, for the record, The Matrix Reloaded failed to live up to
\nthe expectations produced by its propaganda. If you're looking
\nfor some serious martial arts action, find any Jackie Chan or Jet
\nLi movie made in the past decade (those two don't use wires that
\nmuch for their Kung Fu and are highly skilled). Sci-fi
\nenthusiasts should perhaps read some William Gibson to see the
\n\"original\" Matrix. But then again, that's just my point of view.<\/p>",
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