Tuesday 29th October 2013

PH's review of reviews

More fodder for PH's chattering classes as we review the reviewers

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Some folk think that working for a car website is one long round of business class flights, luxury hotels and designer goody bags. A five-star lifestyle spoiled only by the occasional requirement to drive someone else's car and scribble a few words about the experience.

Frankly, that's a pretty fair description of the average car scribe's lifestyle of a few years ago. But no longer. Since the advent of t'internet, motoring journalism has shifted up through the gears, changing from a leisurely rolling buffet into a cartoonlike fight-in-a-dustcloud between professional hardworking hacks all battling to be first online with the news.

Aston's V12 Vantage S first under the microscope

But being first to file is no good on its own. Quality is essential too. We like to think that PH provides an ideal mix of speed and sense. A considered and accurate view on the latest cars, events and ideas, promptly delivered.

Naturally, every other motoring organ thinks it's offering a similar service. On a forum-based website, the honest brokers are often you, the readers. You form your own views based not only on what you read but also, increasingly, on your own experience.

So we thought it would be fun to bash together a weekly cake out of what we're all writing about the new Thunderblast 5000 or other pressing issue of the day - us here, you there, the rest of the motoring press everywhere - using whatever tasty morsels we can pick up as our ingredients. The result should be an easily digestible confection reflecting the state of the nation. A 'review of the reviews', if you like, with extra currants.

Some of what you read (or write) here will be good. Some will be bad. Some may drift in the grey zone between side-creasing and certifiable. We won't spare ourselves if we've said something daft, nor will we shirk at exposing others who are paid to entertain and inform you. You will be the final bakeoff judge, a kind of powerfully-built Mary Berry without the wrinkles. You may not always like the taste of our cakes, but we'll make you'll always have something to chew on if you can't be bothered to bake your own. And of course you are at liberty to add your own chocolate sprinkles at the end, if you haven't already.

Here's our first jam-laden Victoria sponge: the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S, as tested the other week by Dan 'Flourfingers' Trent.

 

[tomoleeds]

seems pointless

[Rawwr]

This may not sound like constructive criticism but it is:

This idea is fking st.

Warm regards,

Rawwr.

[hsirap]

Pistonheads: Recycling other people's words for a story matters.

[Collaudatore]

Umm, what's this about? Am I missing something?

(If there's cake to be had, drop me a PM)

[muckyman]

I read PistonHeads because I don't want to read the others.
Seems a waste of effort from my perspective

(but ta for trying 'new' things to keep us entertained)

[Chris-R]

Cool - looking forward to some links to FortyOneSix.com!

[Output Flange]

Just an idea, but how about you, the "motoring journalists", write the content?

We'll help out and do the forum stuff, but if you wouldn't mind popping the odd article out every now and again, that'd be knock-out.

If you could run a spell checker over the occasional few as well, so much the better.

[BBS-LM]

hsirap said:

Pistonheads: Recycling other people's words for a story matters.

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking this then?

[Krikkit]

To go against the grain, I'm going to admit that I quite like this. The V12S review aggregate is quite an interesting idea - like a weather-vane to see if PH is still in tune with the motoring world at large, a useful gauge if you rarely read elsewhere (like me, I tend only to read here and Evo).

[AndrewSV]

Seems a good idea, but don't stop making your own stuff

I almost always look at other sites, especially Top Gear, for other views so this should be interesting

Also, off topic, if you'd be able to get a 4C on the fleet that would be good, I'd love to know what it's like to live with

Edited by AndrewSV on Tuesday 29th October 13:42

[Bisonhead]

I dont get it. We are here to read your opinion (as the experts who have driven the cars) on the cars you review...not the opinion of some bloke who has no credentials and has never seen, let alone, driven a V12s.

I get the idea about involving the clientele more, but surely this should focus on things like the layout and topics discussed on the fora rather than the abilities of the cars you review.

It will also, from what I've seen thus far, only lead to bhing and infighting, thus making Pistonheads a rather sad place to retire after a long day at the office.

I understand cuts have to be made and processes streamlined. I also believe that the core fundamentals shouldnt change. Keep it simple guys!

[Benjaminbopper]

I like it!

I don't have time to compare all the different sites, if you don't want to read the feature then don't click on it. Agreed though, don't let it compromise previous output.

[Dan Trent]

Have a look at the finished article and see what you think but, rest assured, this isn't us delegating out reviews to the rest of the industry or opening the floor. What, you think we'd rather sit here going over other people's stories than go out and drive the things ourselves? Nah! Far too much fun to be had out there.

We'll keep doing what we're doing, this is just a chance to see what other people are saying too and the links mean if you're interested in following up you can do. And if you want to discuss it here's the place to do it.

Important we get a few choice PHer quotes in there too.

Anyway, feedback welcome. Preferably based on having had a look at the story first though, eh?

Cheers!

Dan

[750turbo]

I like it, nice to see what others think as well.

[Output Flange]

Dan Trent said:

Anyway, feedback welcome. Preferably based on having had a look at the story first though, eh?

Have read it. It's a very low-value page of text.

Spend the time writing your own articles instead.

[Rawwr]

Dan Trent said:

Anyway, feedback welcome. Preferably based on having had a look at the story first though, eh?

I stand by my original comment. I believe this move just dilutes and devalues the articles on Pistonheads. Reading or listening to one man's opinion on something will give you insight but being drip fed a collection of wholly subjective rhetoric is like trying to watch TV and listen to music at the same time.

I implore you not to do this.

[Bisonhead]

Dan Trent said:

Have a look at the finished article and see what you think but, rest assured, this isn't us delegating out reviews to the rest of the industry or opening the floor. What, you think we'd rather sit here going over other people's stories than go out and drive the things ourselves? Nah! Far too much fun to be had out there.

We'll keep doing what we're doing, this is just a chance to see what other people are saying too and the links mean if you're interested in following up you can do. And if you want to discuss it here's the place to do it.

Important we get a few choice PHer quotes in there too.

Anyway, feedback welcome. Preferably based on having had a look at the story first though, eh?

Cheers!

Dan

Does Haymarket use a social media monitoring tool? It works along the same lines as what you are proposing with the exception that it is automated. It pulls from twitter, facebook etc. by pinging out buzzwords and seeing what content comes back in. You can set filters to split the returned content to give you a good idea of who or what has written about it.

[Mr Scruff]

I like it, think it's a good balance!

[PhantomPH]

To be fair, I don't think this is a bad idea - it's just that THIS article introducing it, is written horrifically. It's amusing in the first instance, but it does a terrible job of trying to explain what PH are trying to do and really comes across as keyboard masturbation in the fullest.

I get what they are trying to do and I like it...in association with their own reviews ("This is what we think...now see what everyone else is saying").

Sorry Dan, but your fella wrote an awful introduction to this concept...you were asking for trouble with that.

P~

[Dan Trent]

Interested in the comments so keep them coming and Rawwr and Output Flange appreciate the fact you're commenting based on having looked at it.

Just to be absolutely clear - this doesn't come at the expense of anything we've already been doing or will do in the future. It's additional, at no extra cost, etc!

And Bisonhead, you may have noticed some new additions to the bottom and sides of the pages that do just this. We're just rolling it out at the moment so we'll see how that goes.

Cheers,

Dan