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Take a look at the guidelines below. Follow these suggestions and you won't have any trouble writing a good review.
Facts to always include in reviews
1. What category is your product in? (graphics, utility, etc.)
2. Product name and version
3. Product cost, rebates, special offers, etc.
4. Company/manufacturer's name
5. Company URL, phone, or contact information
6. Special system and hardware requirements
7. Use simple terms to tell about what you liked.
8. Use simple terms to tell about what you didn't like.
9. What is your overall recommendation? Should others buy and use the product or not?
1. Reviews and articles should not exceed 600 words.
2. Submit reviews or articles as WordPerfect documents, or in ASCII text (such as Notepad) either as an e-mail attachment or on a floppy disk. (Please do not send Word documents due to the high risk of macro viruses!)
3. Reviews/articles should be submitted by the monthly meeting date. (If the review is going to be delayed for some reason, please inform the editor and discuss your proposed schedule.)
4. Please do not format the text by adding underlines, boldface, indents, justifying type, or use more than one typeface. Also, please do not double-space after periods, or use all caps. In addition, be sure the vendor's name and product name are spelled correctly, as well as the text in the article.
5. Send one copy of your review to editor@orcopug.org, and to reviews@orcopug.org, if e-mail is used. If snail mail is used, send to either the editor or review editor. You can also bring your review to a meeting and give it to Linda and Terry. It's best to provide printed copy and a floppy disk of the document.
1. Program installations are not interesting, unless they are unique—for instance, it took eight hours to install, you needed a doctorate degree, or a rabbit’s foot and special incantations. Write, instead, about what happened after the installation.
2. Write for other users. Ask yourself, "What would my friends be interested in knowing about the product and my experience?"
3. Use personal pronouns, such as you and I, not "one" or "a person."
4. If you have a scanner, send a JPEG or GIF of the product (from the box, manual cover, etc.) with your review or article. Or, you might find a product image you could send on the manufacturer's web site.
5. After the review or article, please include a couple of sentences about yourself: the type of work you do, how long you’ve been in the club, why you joined a computer group, and anything you think is interesting about yourself. It could be that you just bought a new computer, or you built your first computer, or you just started using a computer, or you just moved to Orange County, etc. (If you have a photo of yourself, it would be great if you would include it. We can use it alongside your review. Members like to see who is doing the review!)