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Future of Product Testing on THP

SuperStroke
"Now that's a FIRE!" I think this is long over due. I also think testers should be critiqued on their post so they know if they are offering the information that is needed. Praise is great but it does not make you better at something. A little constructive thought would be great. The best product in the world could be in the hands of someone that has a hard time expressing themselves. This does not need to be in a public way but a PM might work just fine.
 
I quite like this new plan.
 
GolferGal said:
This is an interesting suggestion. Yes, that would be a lot of work but I am always up for extra work if it helps the forum. My only concern is that people will take what they see as 'correct' and just mimic it without using any personal creativity. There isn't 1 set in stone way to do things, but it could be used as a guideline as long as people know it is just that, a guideline. Let me think about this one some more.
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I have to agree on the creativity sided of things. For instance the reviews the Griff put together on the latest Blind Ball test were some of the best I have seen on THP. Not dissing the efforts from anyone else, he just put a different spin on the test/review process and it was refreshing. Perhaps citing various examples could help the creativity process rather than stifle it.
 
Just my .02, but if you go in a testing thread and read the reviews, leave a comment, I know and still in the nicklaus testing, not many people were saying anything, and at times I felt like it was pointless cause it seemed like no one cared, just a thought, testing is a tough process and seeing people following you and commenting makes you feel good

I tapatalk better then I tapaputt
 
Tadashi70 said:
"Now that's a FIRE!" I think this is long over due. I also think testers should be critiqued on their post so they know if they are offering the information that is needed. Praise is great but it does not make you better at something. A little constructive thought would be great. The best product in the world could be in the hands of someone that has a hard time expressing themselves. This does not need to be in a public way but a PM might work just fine.
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Yep yep - like that as well. Unfortunately, some really have no idea if they are doing good/bad and need that one on one feedback for reassurance or motivation either way.
 
IceyShanks said:
I think the new policy is good, I just have a question about structure, are there ever specific questions the companies have that they would like testers to answer? Is there a sheet to fill our or some recommendations on how to summarize the findings, I know you could copy and paste someone else's that has already posted, but I was curious if there was a THP recommendation.
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If a company has requests for a specific testing then we will let the testers know, otherwise we want them to the things outlined in my post. As mentioned earlier, I am going to think about that "Do this not that" thread for testing but I do not want the testers to sound like robots repeating exactly what someone else said. I do not want to lose the creativity of the testing.
 
Tadashi70 said:
"Now that's a FIRE!" I think this is long over due. I also think testers should be critiqued on their post so they know if they are offering the information that is needed. Praise is great but it does not make you better at something. A little constructive thought would be great. The best product in the world could be in the hands of someone that has a hard time expressing themselves. This does not need to be in a public way but a PM might work just fine.
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I like this idea a lot. I'd love to hear from others reading reviews what they would like to hear more about. It would help improve both the testers feedback and the readers get specific info they are looking for.
 
Sounds good to me
 
MattyKrack17 said:
Just my .02, but if you go in a testing thread and read the reviews, leave a comment, I know and still in the nicklaus testing, not many people were saying anything, and at times I felt like it was pointless cause it seemed like no one cared, just a thought, testing is a tough process and seeing people following you and commenting makes you feel good

I tapatalk better then I tapaputt
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This is a great idea and something I have heard from several testers. When they aren't getting responses they feel it's time to stop the testing. This is the same issue we get with our homepage articles. We bust our butts to write those reviews and articles and only a small percentage of the forum members ever comment. We actually get more hits on the homepage then we do the forum and we know people are reading the articles, but having that reassurance that we are doing a good job, or giving us criticism on what we need to do better really helps. It keeps the motivation alive.

I would love to see more comments, questions and overall interaction from the other forum members.
 
Makes me want to pick up one of those $115 camcorders on 1saleaday.com next time they're up there.
 
GolferGal said:
Ok everyone, we are looking to do some more forum equipment testing, and I hate having to post in this thread but there are some things we need to talk about. When doing equipment testing it's not a 1 post a week job and it's not a job where you post after 5 rounds and then never post again. This is a long term, tedious task that requires constant feedback. We want to hear how you feel about the clubs, how are they working, how is the technology, is it living up to the hype, how does it sound, how does it feel, is it performing as advertised? We don't want to hear how your game is doing, what I want to hear is how the club is working. For example "The driver was launching much higher than my current driver," or "I was seeing a lot of backspin..", "The advertised X technology of Y club is not living up to my expectation, it claims it will do this but it's doing that." You get the picture. You are also there to answer questions because people want to know how it's performing and they will be asking you questions and it's your responsibility to answer them.

Take Videos if you can, post your thoughts, and if you are going out to play a round of golf, make sure to bring the club with you. This is going to be a testing process that lasts months and months, not 5 times out on the course. If these are responsibilities that you are not interested in fulfilling then please do not sign up. I am going to implement a new rule, per the companies requests, if you cannot and do not fulfill your responsibilities as explained here then you will be required to return the merchandise so a new tester can be selected to hopefully finish the duties you could not. If you have questions about how you are doing as a tester, just ask. But if you are in the thread everyday and talking about the club you are testing, and answering the other forum members questions then you probably already know you are doing a good job.
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Testing is a responsibility and an honor for me. My rounds, scoring, and play schedule is altered so I may help others learn more about golf equipment.

I remember when the Hirzl glove testing came around I passed not because I thought the glove was no good, not because it was a disposable item, not because I wasn't extremely interested in the glove, but because I have no clue what goes in to making a glove or how one would perform better than another. I don't always use a glove and when I do I still don't recall what brand it is. I sat down and started to fill out my response to the testing sign up thread and stopped. I knew there were far better candidates than myself. Glad I did because I have learned some wonderful things from those testers and when I buy another glove it will be a Hirzl. Learned so much that I can safely say I know more than the average bear when it comes to gloves.

I have a test coming up and I tell you what, I feel the pressure. There's a lot riding on my responses for the company providing the equipment and for THP's integrity in choosing me for such a unique challenge. The rest of my golf season will be dedicated to testing equipment. I have a passion for it and I've been golfing....well, a long time.

Ultimately I just want everyone here at THP to learn from each other and make some friends along the way. GG, no matter what you and JB and others decide to do in the future you have my support. I trust your decisions and have been a fan since last year when I first discovered THP. My only regret is not joining earlier.

And to everyone else questioning the testing process's integrity, take it to PMs. Just because you feel the need to say something doesn't mean you should.
 
griff said:
Testing is a responsibility and an honor for me. My rounds, scoring, and play schedule is altered so I may help others learn more about golf equipment.

I remember when the Hirzl glove testing came around I passed not because I thought the glove was no good, not because it was a disposable item, not because I wasn't extremely interested in the glove, but because I have no clue what goes in to making a glove or how one would perform better than another. I don't always use a glove and when I do I still don't recall what brand it is. I sat down and started to fill out my response to the testing sign up thread and stopped. I knew there were far better candidates than myself. Glad I did because I have learned some wonderful things from those testers and when I buy another glove it will be a Hirzl. Learned so much that I can safely say I know more than the average bear when it comes to gloves.

I have a test coming up and I tell you what, I feel the pressure. There's a lot riding on my responses for the company providing the equipment and for THP's integrity in choosing me for such a unique challenge. The rest of my golf season will be dedicated to testing equipment. I have a passion for it and I've been golfing....well, a long time.

Ultimately I just want everyone here at THP to learn from each other and make some friends along the way. GG, no matter what you and JB and others decide to do in the future you have my support. I trust your decisions and have been a fan since last year when I first discovered THP. My only regret is not joining earlier.

And to everyone else questioning the testing process's integrity, take it to PMs. Just because you feel the need to say something doesn't mean you should.
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Great post griff! ++1
 
I like the new policy!
 
T0AD said:
Makes me want to pick up one of those $115 camcorders on 1saleaday.com next time they're up there.
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no doubt I could use one right about now with the 3W testing
 
MattyKrack17 said:
Just my .02, but if you go in a testing thread and read the reviews, leave a comment, I know and still in the nicklaus testing, not many people were saying anything, and at times I felt like it was pointless cause it seemed like no one cared, just a thought, testing is a tough process and seeing people following you and commenting makes you feel good
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Thats a really good point, I hadn't thought of that. I read a lot of reviews for different products, sometimes get really pumped up over a certain review (RonInThornton and his Wilson irons for example) but dont comment or anything unless I have a question. Some positive feedback for the testers would be great to see and something I can do easily.
 
IceyShanks said:
I think the new policy is good, I just have a question about structure, are there ever specific questions the companies have that they would like testers to answer? Is there a sheet to fill our or some recommendations on how to summarize the findings, I know you could copy and paste someone else's that has already posted, but I was curious if there was a THP recommendation.
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If we gave out a sheet, then everybody's review would like almost exactly the same. The idea behind forum testing is to get different takes on different things that are noticed.

Tadashi70 said:
"Now that's a FIRE!" I think this is long over due. I also think testers should be critiqued on their post so they know if they are offering the information that is needed. Praise is great but it does not make you better at something. A little constructive thought would be great. The best product in the world could be in the hands of someone that has a hard time expressing themselves. This does not need to be in a public way but a PM might work just fine.
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I know this will sound weird, but if you dont get a PM, then you are doing fine. And if you do get a PM, acknowledge it. We have sent PMs to a lot of testers saying "pick up the pace". Some never even acknowledge getting it. Others get defensive. Others understand and make it work.

MattyKrack17 said:
Just my .02, but if you go in a testing thread and read the reviews, leave a comment, I know and still in the nicklaus testing, not many people were saying anything, and at times I felt like it was pointless cause it seemed like no one cared, just a thought, testing is a tough process and seeing people following you and commenting makes you feel good

I tapatalk better then I tapaputt
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Welcome to our home page reviews. A new item is up on our home page every single day. Honest question, how many have you read and commented on?
 
JB said:
If we gave out a sheet, then everybody's review would like almost exactly the same. The idea behind forum testing is to get different takes on different things that are noticed.



I know this will sound weird, but if you dont get a PM, then you are doing fine. And if you do get a PM, acknowledge it. We have sent PMs to a lot of testers saying "pick up the pace". Some never even acknowledge getting it. Others get defensive. Others understand and make it work.



Welcome to our home page reviews. A new item is up on our home page every single day. Honest question, how many have you read and commented on?
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To the bolded, That answeres any questions i may have had.
 
JB said:
Welcome to our home page reviews. A new item is up on our home page every single day. Honest question, how many have you read and commented on?
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Lately? None, but as you see most all my posts are on tapatalk. I only use a computer at work, and when I do I comment on the home page, I comment on the radio shows. I have commented on a lot of home page stuff, just not recently since my laptop crashed


I tapatalk better then I tapaputt
 
MattyKrack17 said:
Lately? None, but as you see most all my posts are on tapatalk. I only use a computer at work, and when I do I comment on the home page, I comment on the radio shows. I have commented on a lot of home page stuff, just not recently since my laptop crashed


I tapatalk better then I tapaputt
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The home page can be read in a mobile version, in fact it comes up automatically. Im not coming down on you, just pointing out that it is hard to ask others to do something that you are not doing either. Feedback is a must on things such as this to make things work. And not feedback like "great writeup ABC guy". But actual feedback.
 
JB said:
The home page can be read in a mobile version, in fact it comes up automatically. Im not coming down on you, just pointing out that it is hard to ask others to do something that you are not doing either. Feedback is a must on things such as this to make things work. And not feedback like "great writeup ABC guy". But actual feedback.
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Good to know, I never even tried going to the home page since having tapatalk, but now I know I can I will!

I tapatalk better then I tapaputt
 
MattyKrack17 said:
Just my .02, but if you go in a testing thread and read the reviews, leave a comment, I know and still in the nicklaus testing, not many people were saying anything, and at times I felt like it was pointless cause it seemed like no one cared, just a thought, testing is a tough process and seeing people following you and commenting makes you feel good

I tapatalk better then I tapaputt
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I am guilty of this and I've been trying to get a lot better. I think my banter needs to go down a little so my quality THP'ing goes up. Some good posts in this thread today!!
 
JB said:
The home page can be read in a mobile version, in fact it comes up automatically. Im not coming down on you, just pointing out that it is hard to ask others to do something that you are not doing either. Feedback is a must on things such as this to make things work. And not feedback like "great writeup ABC guy". But actual feedback.
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JB, could you maybe give me an example of quality feedback? Say on a driver review that I have never used or seen in person. I would like to step up my game in this department and give some better feedback to the testers. Sometimes I find it a little hard when I am not familiar with the product and therefore struggle with what to say. I would really appreciate some advice or suggestions.
 
ripper said:
JB, could you maybe give me an example of quality feedback? Say on a driver review that I have never used or seen in person. I would like to step up my game in this department and give some better feedback to the testers. Sometimes I find it a little hard when I am not familiar with the product and therefore struggle with what to say. I would really appreciate some advice or suggestions.
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Something more than "great review" comes to mind.
Take anything from the actual review you are reading and say something about it is a big deal to people. Less on the home page as much as on the forum. But reviews are all reviews.
 
It's good to get kicked in the butt a little bit now and again... I know I am guilty of some of things that have been discussed. I'll pick it up where I know I need to...
 
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