... or do lots of them not seem to have used any of the stuff they're reviewing?
I certainly don't mean all of them. Some have obviously used them. Some take the stuff out into the world and film them using the stuff as part of their review. So there are certainly exceptions to what I'm saying.
But lots of reviewers take their pristine, obviously unused equipment -- sometimes unboxing it right on camera -- and try to do a review with the stuff in their home. While I'm interested in a physical description of products I'm considering purchasing, and while I'm interested in price points, neither of those things is the thing that makes a good review, well, good.
The thing that makes a good review is using a thing for its intended purpose, and then describing what went right and what went wrong. The strength of a good review isn't hearing some stranger's first impressions of something when it comes out of the box. It's hearing the impressions of someone who seems to know what they're talking about, and part of that is actually using the thing.
Please tell me this isn't just me.
I certainly don't mean all of them. Some have obviously used them. Some take the stuff out into the world and film them using the stuff as part of their review. So there are certainly exceptions to what I'm saying.
But lots of reviewers take their pristine, obviously unused equipment -- sometimes unboxing it right on camera -- and try to do a review with the stuff in their home. While I'm interested in a physical description of products I'm considering purchasing, and while I'm interested in price points, neither of those things is the thing that makes a good review, well, good.
The thing that makes a good review is using a thing for its intended purpose, and then describing what went right and what went wrong. The strength of a good review isn't hearing some stranger's first impressions of something when it comes out of the box. It's hearing the impressions of someone who seems to know what they're talking about, and part of that is actually using the thing.
Please tell me this isn't just me.