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