Ok, since we’ve had a bit of a hullabaloo over on the PS thread regarding testing and what not. I’ve had an idea regarding the testing and reporting system.
I think it would be fair to all to have a report form system sent directly to androtics only. This would contain all the information which you’d normally have in a report. This has the benefit of stopping the hype which leads to new-comers and non-reporters from buying out the shop before reporting testers have had the chance to test. Secondly it stops people from ‘leading’ others with their own test results and writing about what they think is the expected result. The results would be pretty much blind from one person to the next and it’d lead to more useful data for androtics to use.
It’s a more scientific approach, Androtics gets the research it wants and ensures those that bought report back or are withheld from buying the future.
If androtics does produce these test batches at a loss then surely they’d want to make sure they get something back in return. Auditing via a forum board is not the ideal method in my opinion. The cynical might say that the forum is a great way to “market” some of the test mixes, and the effects of that are obvious. MX292 was continually sold out for months as everyone jumped on the bandwagon, yet half the other MX’s rarely get a mention.
Once all the data relevant data has been collected the posts could then be posted on the forum for all to see. By which point everyone is satisfied with the outcome. Obviously, reports on commercial products would continue as normal.
Hola. Welcome aboard to the world of experimental anonymous free-for-all open-forum testing. It’s a good idea but it takes away a little bit from the magic of the board. I think that the system currently works quite well but maybe a disclaimers should be written to warn newbies not to rush in and buy experimental mixes… wait hang on, I think it’s stickied already.
Nah, currently, the forum works quite well in my opinion. A system like that would not contain the OMG I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO TEST XXX AND IT WAS AWESOME excitement that gets me going.
I agree, however this disclaimer does little if not nothing when something is hyped to high heaven to stop the inexperienced users from loading up.
It’s those kind of posts that first distort your perception of what to expect which defeats the purpose of testing in the first place and secondly encourages everyone to load up on pheros preventing alot of users a chance to test.
Whilst I understand your view point, I think if Androtics really wanted to get serious feedback on products then this is the way forward. As I said in the opening post, the cynical amongst might just think this a great way to promote products which may or may not be being sold at a profit. In all honesty I have my doubts that any of the experimental mixes would be sold at a loss. Unless Androtics is cash rich, it simply would not have the resources to pay for such research which did not gaurantee feedback. It would be insane for any company to do such a thing and the fact they would continue to do so in the midst of a crippling recession would be suicidal.
Even if they decided to make such a change based on motivation to have more of a blind testing system do you really think that if MX*** turned out to be absolutely awesome that news wouldn’t hit the board sooner or later? And once that news hit the board there will be a mad dash for that MX as there was one for MX292.
The only way to truly eliminate this problem would be for them to delete this message board all together. And something tells me this board is WAY to valuable of a resource for them to delete it all together.
