# Those reviews aren't mine!



## Sammael (Mar 12, 2005)

I just noticed a "Reviews: 5" label under my avatar. Well, the problem is, I've never written a book review for either ENWorld, or any other RPG site. There are indeed five reviews linked from my profile, but I did not write them! I have no idea whose reviews they are, but they certainly aren't mine.


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## Darkness (Mar 12, 2005)

Maybe someone used the same name as your message board name for reviews, back when reviews and boards were separate?

If not, the bug might still be from the time the two system were merged...


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## Berandor (Mar 12, 2005)

They're mine. MINE!


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## Nyarlathotep (Apr 2, 2005)

Is there a way to see what our "reviews" were?


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## Michael Morris (Apr 2, 2005)

Yes - no I haven't installed it yet.


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## Mark (Apr 2, 2005)

And not enough time to install the "(This many) fewer reviews than Crothian, even if they ain't yours!" script either?


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## Gez (Apr 2, 2005)

Darkness said:
			
		

> Maybe someone used the same name as your message board name for reviews, back when reviews and boards were separate?
> 
> If not, the bug might still be from the time the two system were merged...




These reviews were written by Sammael99, who no longer posts here since he no longer plays D&D. (You can still see him over at RPGnet, though.)


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## Michael Morris (Apr 2, 2005)

Mark said:
			
		

> And not enough time to install the "(This many) fewer reviews than Crothian, even if they ain't yours!" script either?




Both the jokes required 3 lines of code.  Several of these fixes require multiple pages of code. You're comparing a quiz question to a term paper.


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## Brother Shatterstone (Apr 2, 2005)

nevermind


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## Mark (Apr 2, 2005)

Michael Morris said:
			
		

> Both the jokes required 3 lines of code.  Several of these fixes require multiple pages of code. You're comparing a quiz question to a term paper.




Nope.  I'm comparing a problem that has been here since the server change, that doesn't seem to have seen any progress fixing, despite multiple promises, to a joke that surely required researching and implementing.  It would be nice if three lines of code had been dedicating to disabling the publisher ratings system (until it can be properly fixed) that has my 4 of 5 star company (for which I have worked my ass off) being branded as a 2 of 5 star company for the last several months on the most visible d20/D&D site ion the Internet.  Just disable it until you can figure out how to fix it.


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## Brother Shatterstone (Apr 2, 2005)

Mark said:
			
		

> Nope.  I'm comparing a problem that has been here since the server change, that doesn't seem to have seen any progress fixing, despite multiple promises, to a joke that surely required researching and implementing.




I bit my tongue the first time...  Hence my post that said nothing more than, "nevermind" but Mark, the last I looked this was all volunteer work that Michael is doing and to be honest I think we all should be happy that he does it instead of badgering him about stuff he hasn't gotten too.  



			
				Mark said:
			
		

> It would be nice if three lines of code had been dedicating to disabling the publisher ratings system (until it can be properly fixed) that has my 4 of 5 star company (for which I have worked my ass off) being branded as a 2 of 5 star company for the last several months on the most visible d20/D&D site ion the Internet.  Just disable it until you can figure out how to fix it.




Yes, but its not three lines of codes...  As for your ranking, to be honest Mark, I bought my last product of yours quite some time ago and it has nothing to do with your perceived rank and all with how I perceive you as an individual now…  I’ll just sum it up and say it’s not in a favorable light and I doubt I’m the only one with that view.    

Anyhow, it’s just my honest opinion* of things do with it as you will.  I doubt you I can change your mind and I doubt you can change mine...  I just think we should all be thanking MM and not badgering him.

Anyhow, thanks Michael!  I appreciate everything you do here. 

* opinion expressed has no affiliation of ENworld.org


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## Mark (Apr 2, 2005)

Brother Shatterstone said:
			
		

> I bit my tongue the first time...  Hence my post that said nothing more than, "nevermind" but Mark, the last I looked this was all volunteer work that Michael is doing and to be honest I think we all should be happy that he does it instead of badgering him about stuff he hasn't gotten too.
> 
> Yes, but its not three lines of codes...  As for your ranking, to be honest Mark, I bought my last product of yours quite some time ago and it has nothing to do with your perceived rank and all with how I perceive you as an individual now…  I’ll just sum it up and say it’s not in a favorable light and I doubt I’m the only one with that view.
> 
> ...




It's not badgering.  One of my primary responsibilities to my company is to make sure it is properly represented in the public eye.  While you might be able to understand the problems with the review section by reading this Meta forum, there are thousands of people who do not read any of the forums at all and only know publishers by what is visible in the reviews section, including the publisher rating system.  With no ability to fix it personally, my only recourse is to have spent the last few months trying to get it either temporarily disabled or permanently fixed.


Furthermore, I've personally offered to help, and even suggested that all publishers could help if they had access to editing their own sections, months ago.  It's one thing to not have the time, or perhaps the ability, but it is another entirely to turn down help and allow problems to persist because of it.  I've thanked MM plenty, as well.

As to how you perceive me, I cannot help that I suppose.  I';m doing everything I can to offer my help while following through on my further responsibility to my company.  I wish you understood my position more fully.


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## Mark (Apr 2, 2005)

BTW...



			
				Brother Shatterstone said:
			
		

> ...I bought my last product of yours quite some time ago and...[/SIZE]




What CMG products have you purchased, please, and from what source?

*edit* Due to the need to make sure my customers receive the most updated versions of any product they purchase, and revisions where necessary, I keep very good records.  I see that I have sent you two free products, one for your Community Supporter pledge a year and a half ago (the Sorcerer/Wizard Spellbook), and another as part of a contest (the Unlimited Titles generator, version 4), but I am afraid I can find no record of any purchase, either through my own records, those of RPGNow.com, or through Paypal).  I apologize if this has caused you to not receive any updates that you are due but even if you don't wish to receive them can you please email me to help me clear this up? *end edit*


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## Nyarlathotep (Apr 2, 2005)

Mark said:
			
		

> ... stuff ...




Totally OT, but I don't think I ever got a link for my free thing from CMG for the server drive, any chance you could check into that for me Mark?

TIA!


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## Mark (Apr 2, 2005)

Nyarlathotep said:
			
		

> Totally OT, but I don't think I ever got a link for my free thing from CMG for the server drive, any chance you could check into that for me Mark?
> 
> TIA!




Shoot me an email, Ron.  I sent one to you at the time but received no response.  You're already an SRD 3.5 Revised Bundle owner (Many thanks, again!), so I'll need you to choose either the Favorites Bundle or the Variant Rules Pack 01.  Sorry I didn't have the time to follow up more fully but with over 400 people to gift a free CMG prize in support of EN World's Server Drive, I had to adopt the policy that those who didn't respond to the initial email I sent felt like passing on the freebie that time.  Out of curiosity, did using the Sorcerer and Wizard's Spellbook you had received the previous year influence you at all in your purchase of the SRD 3.5 Revised Bundle later on?


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## Nyarlathotep (Apr 3, 2005)

Mark said:
			
		

> Shoot me an email, Ron.  I sent one to you at the time but received no response.  You're already an SRD 3.5 Revised Bundle owner (Many thanks, again!), so I'll need you to choose either the Favorites Bundle or the Variant Rules Pack 01.  Sorry I didn't have the time to follow up more fully but with over 400 people to gift a free CMG prize in support of EN World's Server Drive, I had to adopt the policy that those who didn't respond to the initial email I sent felt like passing on the freebie that time.  Out of curiosity, did using the Sorcerer and Wizard's Spellbook you had received the previous year influence you at all in your purchase of the SRD 3.5 Revised Bundle later on?




I'll email you when I get away from this hell-hole know as "work" .

I hate to be brutally honest, but I didn't even look at the Sor & Wiz Spellbook until Jan. of this year (found it while cleaning hard drives this year ). I got the SRD based on positive feedback on the forum's here as well as the reviews of it (I think it was Crothian's review that I read). I sure liked the completeness of it and the fact that I could print single monsters easily, but ended up using Sovelier's HTML SRD because it was a little faster for me. About 2 months ago, I finally sat down and spent 10 minutes (can't believe I procrastinated it so long) figuring out how to navigate through your SRD quickly and have been using it ever since . Definately one of my better PDF purchases.


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## Mark (Apr 3, 2005)

Nyarlathotep said:
			
		

> I'll email you when I get away from this hell-hole know as "work" .




I'll watch for your email, you watch your back getting out of the "hell-hole"... .



			
				Nyarlathotep said:
			
		

> I hate to be brutally honest, but I didn't even look at the Sor & Wiz Spellbook until Jan. of this year (found it while cleaning hard drives this year ). I got the SRD based on positive feedback on the forum's here as well as the reviews of it (I think it was Crothian's review that I read). I sure liked the completeness of it and the fact that I could print single monsters easily, but ended up using Sovelier's HTML SRD because it was a little faster for me. About 2 months ago, I finally sat down and spent 10 minutes (can't believe I procrastinated it so long) figuring out how to navigate through your SRD quickly and have been using it ever since . Definately one of my better PDF purchases.




Interesting!  I'm glad you've come around, eventually, and even more glad it worked out to your benefit.  Thanks for the kind words and I hope to continue to find ways to produce products you'll find useful.


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## Nyarlathotep (Apr 3, 2005)

Well I made it out, and with only a couple of negative levels to show for it. Email sent.
Thanks again Mark.


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## Michael Morris (Apr 3, 2005)

I've applied a quick fix to hide all publisher ratings for the time being.

I wish I could find more time to work on this - but between working 40 hrs a week and going to school 15 hrs a week (not to mention the 2 hr drive to and from school). Oh, and WotC has work for me to do that they pay for - and I'm sorry but paid work comes before volunteer work. Needless to say, I'm spread a little thin. I can appreciate the fustration in that I haven't been able to take a look at the reviews site engine yet, but trust me I will when I get some time freed up for it.


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## Mark (Apr 4, 2005)

Michael Morris said:
			
		

> I've applied a quick fix to hide all publisher ratings for the time being.




Thanks!



			
				Michael Morris said:
			
		

> I wish I could find more time to work on this - but between working 40 hrs a week and going to school 15 hrs a week (not to mention the 2 hr drive to and from school).




Oh, yes.  I certainly understood this, which is why I've been a proponent of the stop gap methods of turning off the ratings and getting access to publishers for their own sections so they can help you.



			
				Michael Morris said:
			
		

> Oh, and WotC has work for me to do that they pay for - and I'm sorry but paid work comes before volunteer work.




Money always needs to come first.  Anyone who disagree either has more than they need or doesn't pay their own bills.  No one could ever fairly fault you for being a responsible adult and prioritizing paid gigs over volunteer work.



			
				Michael Morris said:
			
		

> Needless to say, I'm spread a little thin. I can appreciate the fustration in that I haven't been able to take a look at the reviews site engine yet, but trust me I will when I get some time freed up for it.




Thanks for understanding my side of things.  Like I say, give pubs access and a lot of the other little problems can be handled by those publishers who are concerned and willing to put some time into EN World, too.


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## Darth K'Trava (Apr 4, 2005)

Michael Morris said:
			
		

> I've applied a quick fix to hide all publisher ratings for the time being.
> 
> I wish I could find more time to work on this - but between working 40 hrs a week and going to school 15 hrs a week (not to mention the 2 hr drive to and from school). Oh, and WotC has work for me to do that they pay for - and I'm sorry but paid work comes before volunteer work. Needless to say, I'm spread a little thin. I can appreciate the fustration in that I haven't been able to take a look at the reviews site engine yet, but trust me I will when I get some time freed up for it.




You do a great job, Michael!!!


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