Apple reviewer system has a serious flaw.

[Ripplinghurst]

Is it just me or most reviews in the Apple store are not helpful enough?

I don't mean the top reviews but if you dig deeper and read the reviews, specially the 1 and 5 star reviews, most of them look like they're written our of spite or simply because they were forced to

The most helpful reviews seems to be the 2 to 4 star reviews, occasionally you find a 1 and 5 star reviews that really REVEALS what is to like and why something doesn't work. However, ALL of them have the same weight in the app's ratings.


I've seen good 0apps with overwhelmingly bad reviews. Simply because there's an overwhelming number of people who don't take the time to understand the software or hardware: for exemple, we all know that the GPS works with much more precision on the iPad 3G, but that is a fact that most reviewers omit when they review GPS software. Some photography tools can be tricky to use, and yet people give one star and say: "it sucks". Well, care to elaborate?


So yeah, some reviews can be really lame, hateful, vague, unhelpful or simply just annoying. We should be able to access the apps overall stars discounting bad reviews.


I propose we should write Apple collectively and suggest some upgrades. Maybe somebody can hear a big forum such as this.


MY OWN suggestion: they should put people's names/nick names and link to OTHER reviews from the same person (like Amazon does), so that you can check how serious that person is and what her interests are.


In addition, you should be able to blacklist some reviewers (reviews from employees or for instance anybody under 18, or somebody you simply strongly disagree with).


Somebody who posts reviews only on games can be an useful expert. Same with photography apps or cookbooks. Someone could perhaps earn recognition for that (Voted Most Helpful reviewer in a category, or what not). Somebody who only post reviews for apps from the same soft house should be immediately banned. And so on.



What do you guys think?


RH

 

[FrostyFire]

Most of the time I give something a star rating on the review system is when I'm deleting it. If I'm deleting it, it's because it sucks, so 1 star it is. I think that IS the flaw, you're only prompted to give it a rating when deleted. I've only seen a few developers code their apps to prompt you to review it after a couple days of use.

 

[Matth3w]

The inherent problem, and no offense to people on this board if the shoe fits, but this is a device used often by underaged idiot kids or morons that don't understand how things work, or can't read.

Apple can't fix the stupidity of people by making them take an IQ test before they review so I doubt you'll see this fixed.

For example, you will see an app that says "you cannot use this app to do X" and then some moron will review it "this app doesn't do X?!?! I can't believe it!"

 

[gentlefury]

Sadly that is true, if you are deleting an app you obviously aren't going to give it 5 stars....lol

As for written reviews, I think you should have to have content in your review in order to review it. Any time I review an app I give reasons for my rating. Sometimes its high other times its low, but I never just say its great or it sucks...if it sucks I detail how it could be improved....hell if I love an app I usually give it 4 stars and detail what I would like to see it become to achieve 5 stars with me.

 

[FrostyFire]

The inherent problem, and no offense to people on this board if the shoe fits, but this is a device used often by underaged idiot kids or morons that don't understand how things work, or can't read.

Apple can't fix the stupidity of people by making them take an IQ test before they review so I doubt you'll see this fixed.

For example, you will see an app that says "you cannot use this app to do X" and then some moron will review it "this app doesn't do X?!?! I can't believe it!"

This is very true, or they expected a feature that wasn't there in the first place and they were too useless to read the description.

Unfortunately, I still don't agree with Apple's model of selling Apps with zero trial offer. What they should do, is build in a 24-48 hour trial period for paid apps. That way people don't need to guess whether that $10 app is actually worth it or not. Until they change this model, I will continue to use things like Installous. I've lost count how many times I've downloaded a $10+ app from Installous, and deleted it after 5 minutes because it was garbage. I'm not spending that kind of money to test if something may or may not be good.

 

[gentlefury]

The inherent problem, and no offense to people on this board if the shoe fits, but this is a device used often by underaged idiot kids or morons that don't understand how things work, or can't read.

Apple can't fix the stupidity of people by making them take an IQ test before they review so I doubt you'll see this fixed.

For example, you will see an app that says "you cannot use this app to do X" and then some moron will review it "this app doesn't do X?!?! I can't believe it!"

This is very true, or they expected a feature that wasn't there in the first place and they were too useless to read the description.

Unfortunately, I still don't agree with Apple's model of selling Apps with zero trial offer. What they should do, is build in a 24-48 hour trial period for paid apps. That way people don't need to guess whether that $10 app is actually worth it or not. Until they change this model, I will continue to use things like Installous. I've lost count how many times I've downloaded a $10+ app from Installous, and deleted it after 5 minutes because it was garbage. I'm not spending that kind of money to test if something may or may not be good.

So very true! Installous fills that gap tho. You can use it to install that $30 vnc app and the $25 and the $10 and not have to spend $65 to find out the $10 app works the best (personal experience here, I bought iTeleport $30, Desktop Connect $25, and RealVNC $10, and so far the $10 one is the fastest!! I like the auto discovery of iTeleport tho...so it does have a use...but Desktop Connect is useless!)...use Installous to get it on the device and test it for free....then if you dig it go ahead and buy it, if it sucks delete it...no harm no foul. Unfortunately until Apple makes a legit trial program we have to stoop to "illegal" means.

**disclaimer: I am not condoning the use of illegal apps...but I also feel that apple should have a trial period for more expensive apps. 99¢ apps don't really matter if they suck...you lost a buck...but $30 is a little steep for a useless app.

 

[Matth3w]

I said this when I first joined the forum. I created a topic called "One thing android does better than apple"

 

[NumbLock]

I said this when I first joined the forum. I created a topic called "One thing android does better than apple"

I remember that, and it was controversial - but holds true to this day.

 

[Matth3w]

http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-gene...much-better-than-apple.html?highlight=android

 

[FrostyFire]

The inherent problem, and no offense to people on this board if the shoe fits, but this is a device used often by underaged idiot kids or morons that don't understand how things work, or can't read.

Apple can't fix the stupidity of people by making them take an IQ test before they review so I doubt you'll see this fixed.

For example, you will see an app that says "you cannot use this app to do X" and then some moron will review it "this app doesn't do X?!?! I can't believe it!"

This is very true, or they expected a feature that wasn't there in the first place and they were too useless to read the description.

Unfortunately, I still don't agree with Apple's model of selling Apps with zero trial offer. What they should do, is build in a 24-48 hour trial period for paid apps. That way people don't need to guess whether that $10 app is actually worth it or not. Until they change this model, I will continue to use things like Installous. I've lost count how many times I've downloaded a $10+ app from Installous, and deleted it after 5 minutes because it was garbage. I'm not spending that kind of money to test if something may or may not be good.

So very true! Installous fills that gap tho. You can use it to install that $30 vnc app and the $25 and the $10 and not have to spend $65 to find out the $10 app works the best (personal experience here, I bought iTeleport $30, Desktop Connect $25, and RealVNC $10, and so far the $10 one is the fastest!! I like the auto discovery of iTeleport tho...so it does have a use...but Desktop Connect is useless!)...use Installous to get it on the device and test it for free....then if you dig it go ahead and buy it, if it sucks delete it...no harm no foul. Unfortunately until Apple makes a legit trial program we have to stoop to "illegal" means.

That's an easy said solution for your techno-friendly user. Your regular consumer (85+%) doesn't have a clue and isn't jailbreaking anything.

 

[Bremen]

Back on topic.... agree, the very fact they give the option of rating an app when you are deleting it makes the ratings (for the most part) useless. In Apples mind, I guess it is a way to get more ratings for the app, and therefore a broader base of opinion. But in reality, it just makes it tough to get a high rating..... When I do see an app with lots of ratings, and is a 4+, I have to think it is a REALLY good app....

 

[4phun]

Is it just me or most reviews in the Apple store are not helpful enough?




What do you guys think?


RH

I only read summaries of new threads but this one caught my attention for I totally agree with the author and some of those who have expanded this thread. Apple needs to make it more like an Amazon experience with the reviews including sub comments that expands or refutes a point a reviewer makes.

Also the ability to submit a rating on deletion should require at least one sentence explaining the rating. I do not like apps that run in 2x mode on an iPad, so I delete them when I notice this.

 

[Ripplinghurst]

Back on topic.... agree, the very fact they give the option of rating an app when you are deleting it makes the ratings (for the most part) useless. In Apples mind, I guess it is a way to get more ratings for the app, and therefore a broader base of opinion. But in reality, it just makes it tough to get a high rating..... When I do see an app with lots of ratings, and is a 4+, I have to think it is a REALLY good app....

Exactly.