Meet Niki. She is a twin, well-- kind of!

Meet Niki T. Please welcome Niki to the Viewpoints community!

I am Niki from North Carolina. My birthday is on June 7 so that makes me a Gemini. Since they say there are two sides to a Gemini because it is the twin sign, I feel like this applies to me because while I am introverted in real life but not on the Internet!

Because of my shyness, I’ve always focused on reading and writing. I always excelled academically and got a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Library Science from East Carolina University. After working in the library, I decided I wanted to write, and the Internet has given me plenty of opportunities.

I’ve concentrated on nonfiction, mainly on book reviews. I’ve written about everything including software, people over fifty, and medical issues. I have had one short story published and hope to have more fiction published in the future.

I’m a bookworm and have many favorite writers. Even though she only wrote one book, Harper Lee would be my absolute favorite because I am from the South, and I would want my novel to evoke the same response I had to her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Besides reading and writing, I like to watch television and walk for exercise. I like to spend time with my family which includes my parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I have attended the same church all my life and am involved there. Places I usually travel to are in the Southeast U.S. like Myrtle Beach, South Carolina., Williamsburg, Virginia, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Of course, I love to go the bookstores there, and I also like to walk on the beach or through the mountains and go to amusement parks. I love rollercoasters even though the last time I rode, I could tell I am getting a little older. I adore lazy river pools at hotels, and although I am not much of a swimmer, I can do a mean backfloat. What people would say about me is I am shy even though I can talk plenty to the right people, and I am thrifty(some may say cheap!). I am a bargain hunter, bargain traveler, and book lover.

Alpha Ah-hah's continue

I think I need review therapy already.
I now see the world through a different lens (and so does my bank account!). Everywhere I go, I think review. I walk down the street, walk into my kids schools, see a play, take a cooking class, read a magazine. I now think- ah hah! I can review it!

60 reviews was a breeze.
I just started writing about things I am passionate about. Before I knew it, I had 60 reviews. And, the proof is in the pudding. Libby, our featured reviewer last week, has nearly surpassed me. Patty, Jo and Cat are close after. Anne has reached 180+ reviews. And, Bryan wrote 10 reviews in 3 days. Wow!

So many categories, so many options
As you all know, we are a totally open network. That means you can rate and review any product or service you want. I have managed to make a mark in the baby's and kids category. However, I just scratched the service of my travel reviews. I could write forever! I love the opportunities are endless.

I love my profile page-- but love others more!
On my profile page of the site, I can post photos of my family, receive compliments, see all my reviews, see fans of my work and read others reviews. (I can see the newest reviews from my "friends and fans") But, more importantly, I love exploring everyone else's profile pages. I like seeing photos of where they live, the kids, their passions, their love for nature, etc. I am thrilled to get to know all these great people! P.S. I have invited my husband and brother on to "test" for me since I know they will be brutally honest. So if you stumble upon them, tell them how lucky they are to have me (hehehehehe)!

I have realized more than ever that to be successful, you need to be one with the community. Running a company from afar just doesnt work. You need to know the community, appreciate the community and listen to their voice. And, we do! On a daily basis, we listen attentively, incorporate feedback from our test reviewers and refine the service.

This is such a great ride and we are lucky to have such great passengers!

One month to go before we open the doors! I cant wait to have you all there.

Meet the Reviewers: Libby Loves it!

Hi All.

I wanted to introduce one of our top reviewers- Libby. She is a fabulous travel writer, but also has many other great experiences to share in a fun, easy to read manner. I have personally enjoyed getting to know Libby over the last few months. She is dynamic, engaging and completely on the ball :) (did I happen to mention that I love that?)

Here's what Libby has to say:
Lucky me - I'm a professional freelance writer, based in tropical southwest Florida, but travelling constantly for articles about great destinations and hotels, food, special events, and fascinating personalities. (See clips of my work at www.libbymcmillan.com) My calendar is filling up for this year, with upcoming trips to Fort Lauderdale, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, the Grand Canyon, Sonoma, Mendocino, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Palm Beach, Singer Island, Miami Beach and more!

I'm about to launch a personalized web site that shares my favorite places in great detail, and include handy travel tips and the ability to book rooms - I'll be featuring the best places I know to create your own special memories. (Sneak preview: My favorite spots in Italy will be featured, as well as the great American Southwest, Maine, the Blue Ridge Mtns, and plenty of Florida hot spots).

In the meantime, BestOfSanibelCaptiva.com - the web site I own about the islands where I'm based - also keeps me busy: Our message board gets 1,000 people per day, all planning their trip to southwest Florida.

Please visit me at Viewpoints, and thanks in advance for reading my reviews! ;-)

My Alpha Ah-hahs

The last time I wrote was last Friday. It seems like forever ago. I really missed writing in my blog. I have realized that it is a great way to keep track of what's going on and an even easier way to disseminate information. I guess you can say that I am a believer in the medium. I wish I just had more spare time. (getting a new business off the ground can be time consuming ;))

While I believe in blogs, I am an even bigger believer in reviews as a medium to help others. Over the last week or so, we launched our alpha and invited about 20 people in to test the site. I have had such a great time being on the site with actual users. Here are a few of my key takeaways.

• People are insightful. Really insightful. The people on our site are really great. The review quality is very high and people are thoughtful about what they share. They have such deep knowledge and a really compelling voice. I am so impressed with the caliber of people that have been willing to join and help build the community. I really want to thank them for their amazing contributions to date.
  
• I am really enjoying writing. I have written about 50 reviews since January and although I dont really want to admit it, I am really enjoying it. I feel compelled to share my research and experiences with other people. I have written about everything from home workout equipment to baby bath tubs to shoes to silver. Cool!
  
• Rating and reviewing any product or service is so compelling. We debated the topic of having an open platform for a long time. After lots of thoughtful conversations, we decided to take the leap and let people tell US what was important to write about. I think this is so compelling. And, from what I have heard from reviewers, a huge breath of fresh air.
  
• Photos tell the story! Photos have made all the difference in the world. Real photos help close the gaps on the story. They fill in the blank. They make the anonymous world of the Internet more personal. Photos have gone a long way at building the community!
  
• It is a great way to keep track of my favorites. I love that I can now direct my friends to my personal page (well, after launch) and they can sort by topic and see my favorite travel destinations, baby products, home fitness items, etc. It saves me a ton of time. And, it lets me leave a bit of an imprint on the larger world.
  

Oh, did I happen to mention that I am now poor? With reviews from about 20 people that I trust, I have spent more money over the last few weeks than I have in months. These writers are great! They have opened my eyes to so many valuable products and services. I have to curb this quickly!

All in all, I am really excited to introduce more of you to the community. The next round of invites will likely come in mid-April. Many of you have reached out already asking to be included. For those that havent, let me know and I can see what I can do. This is great fun! But be careful, because it really is addictive!

Art Institute of Chicago makes a lasting impression

I wanted to share with all of you a sample review that I posted on Viewpoints in the alpha. This will give you an idea of what we are building toward. Honestly, this is a long review from our perspective, but when you are passionate about the topic, you cant help yourself. Enjoy!

Background
The Art Institute of Chicago is a second home for me. Having gone since a small child, I know most of the collections inside and out. In addition, I have taken classes at the museum and even interned there while in college-- one of my majors in college was Art History (Journalism was my primary one). I have visited art museums all over the world and even studied art in Italy. That all added to the fact that my mom is an artist makes me an absolute art lover!

The Permanent Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago
French Impressionism is my passion. So, that is what I will focus on in my review. Short of going to France and the Louvre, you really cant find a better French Impressionism collection than the one at the Art Institute of Chicago. They have an outstanding collection of Monet, Cassat, Morisot, Manet, Renior and Degas-- all the leaders of the impressionist movement. They also have two very large paintings that adorn many impressionist books- Paris, A Rainy Day by Caillebotte and Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Seurat (the large painting of people sitting on the Sienne made out of all dots). Those two paintings alone are worth a visit to the museum. They are the signature works.

The post impressionist collection is also quite strong with a nice collection of Van Gogh, Rousseau, Picasso (some blue period), Cezanne and others. It is also located on the same level as the Impressionist work, so you can run through very easily. While the Impressionist collection is the hallmark of the museum (in my opinion) the Asian, Armour, African and Furniture exhibits are all good too. If you are looking for contemporary art, you will find a solid collection here. (though, if you want to get really modern, I would recommend that you walk through the Art Institute collection and then head to the museum of contemporary art located about a mile away.) You should be certain to check out Grant Woods' American Gothic, Edward Hoppers' Nighthawks, and several of the Kandinksy's and Pollacks. They also have a good collection of Dali, O'Keefe and Warhol's.

The Special Exhibits
The Art Institute of Chicago generally has some outstanding special exhibits. Often times, they are linked to Impressionism-- so check before coming.

Tip
Did you know that the Art Institute of Chicago is donation based entry? It is one of the only art museums in the world that will take any donation and let you in. So, you can pay $1 and still get in and enjoy all the benefits of entry. They of course recommend that you pay more (and I am a big believer of supporting the arts), but if you cant afford it, they dont want to turn you down.

Personal Story
I once took a group of women from a homeless shelter to the museum and gave them a private tour and history lesson. I was able to make a $20 donation and get everyone in. Once we were inside I walked them around and gave them history on all the paintings. They felt so special and so cultured. I realized that anyone can love art... its not what you know, it's how it makes you feel. And, the AIC makes you feel really great when you visit.

Links:
Sunday Afternoon Write up
Art Institute of Chicago Website

Meet Jo- She might bench press you!

Hi Everyone!

Given that we are in alpha launch and several of you are testing the tool, I think I can reduce the amount of entries I write on my blog weekly. (for those of you that want to be a tester but dont have access now, email me and I can see what I can do!) Expect starting next week to hear from me 2 times per week. I will plan to give you the same updates just in a condensed format. I will also randomly insert some of my own commentary too.

Now... back to business. Wink.

Meet our reviewer of the week- Jo. I have spent a great deal of time with Jo since we started the business. She is an avid writer online with tons of knowledge of the online space. She is passionate and excited and always eager to jump in...

Jo took a moment to write her profile, viewpoints style on her blog. I thought some of you may be interested in reading more about her.

Here's a snippet from Jo's blog. For more, check out her blog.

I am a mom; wife; daughter; former social worker and former substitute teacher (Yes I did have paper airplanes thrown at me and that was by 11th graders.). I am currently a Certified Personal Trainer; computer addict; traveler; camper; lover of dogs; and am political. I bike ride for fun; I take pictures for fun and I write for fun. My children thought I was having a mid-life crisis when in my 40s I announced I wanted to become a trainer. They quickly loved having a trainer as a mom.

I am married for the second time and have two amazing daughters from my first marriage. I will tell you but only if you ask that I don’t recommend marrying into a stepfamily until the children are out of the house!My husband and I married when the girls were three and five. My stepson was at a really tough age – eight. The girls’ biological father wasn’t a drug addict; wife beater; or drunk. He was just absent. My husband adopted the girls in December, 2004 when they were 24 and 26. My step-son is doing well as an entrepreneur. Our now 26-year old is a medical doctor; and our 28-year old is a Ph.D. student who recently got married.When I am not at the gym or doing errands I’m a stay at home mom to the most adorable 3-year old Pomeranian in the world. I don’t know how she hasn’t been discovered yet! I must brag though and tell you that she has been photographed by the AP and our local newspaper.I practice Yoga and meditate.I have strong thoughts about a lot of things. I have written about my dislike of the term broken home; the word dysfunctional; the word tolerance and the word stepchild. There may not be a subject to which I haven’t put my voice (or in this case fingers).I met my husband through a personal ad and if you don't believe in love at first site you should! I'm a liberal Democrat, a baby-boomer and I was at the real Woodstock in 1969. I'm pro-choice, against spanking, a proponent of the public schools and feel a woman has the right to breastfeed or not and don’t believe in coincidences. I don’t believe education is ever wasted. I don’t believe children spoil; only fruit does. Although I don’t march in Washington anymore we went go to a peace rally when W was at Kennebunkport, Maine for a wedding.I support our troops; I don’t support war- specifically this one.We love to travel and try not to go to the same place twice. Our most exotic trip was to the Galapagos Islands. The most relaxing was sailing in the British Virgin Islands.

For more on Jo, check out her blog.

American "Idiot", I mean "Idol"

Who watched American Idol last night? I did and I felt like an American Idiot. Who voted these people on? There were performers with promise early on. Haley and Sanjia? Come on.

I have to say that it was one of the most disappointing shows I have seen them produce. (and I am a big fan. I have a huge soft spot for normal people that 'make it') To add insult to injury, they highlighted Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, Fantasia and Carrie Underwood- all amazing performers.

The only saving grace for me was Diana Ross (I really like her!) Who doesn't?

I look forward to seeing what happens tonight. Hopefully Melinda, Blake and Lakisha stay. They have the most promise in my opinion and deserve a shot and stardom.

Industry News- Are we in a bubble?

Today I watched an interesting (albeit dark) video: "Are we in the Web 2.0 bubble?" Putting my business hat on, I have to admit that I am finding many new websites questionable in terms of business models. Many seem all about the here and now. I think one can argue that we are in the era of 'build first and figure out how to make money later'. While in some cases that approach has legs, I really start to question staying power. I am happy to say that I dont put Viewpoints in that camp!

Here is another recent news story. The YouTube copyright issue surfaces again. Viacom is suing YouTube/Google. "The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in New York, marks a sharp escalation of long-simmering tensions between Viacom and YouTube and represents the biggest confrontation to date between a major media company and the hugely popular video-sharing site, which Google bought in November for $1.76 billion."

$1.76 billion. Billion! I am blown away every time I see that number.

Laughter is my friend...

As you all know, we are currently in test mode at Viewpoints. We have a "live" site that is password protected and being used by a small # of people. They are writing reviews, testing functionality and providing direct feedback to us on what we should change.

We are also working diligently to add new functionality on a rolling basis. This past weekend, we rolled out the first phase of our profile functionality which introduced photos and home pages for all of writers. While it wasnt perfect, and there is definitely some tweaking to do, it was great to finally see faces on the site!

In fact, I had so much fun that I spent the afternoon yesterday (while my kids were asleep- pooped out from our zoo visit) playing around with photos on my MAC. For those of you that have a MAC, you probably have discovered the photo feature that allows you to distort photos. I must say, I was laughing out loud at myself. (so much so that my husband commented on what an odd ball I am!) I am including one of my favorites. It reminds me of the Picasso Blue Period. (my mom the artist would be so proud) There are a bunch of other photos that are too freaky for here, but I posted them on viewpoints.

I have to admit, I am addicted already to the viewpoints site!!! :) I guess that is a good thing for the community leader. I cant wait for all of you to join me on the site. We are weeks away now, but who is counting...

Community *^%*#@$^???? HELP!

My latest challenge is what to call myself in the Viewpoints community. I am really struggling here!

Let me give you an example. I want to send people congratulations emails when they post their first review. My preference is to have them be highly personal and signed from ME. But, if they dont know who I am, how do I describe myself?

Certainly not, Jolie Fleming, VP, Content & Community. Definitely too formal! Official, but formal. I would like to come up with something that is fun, friendly, conversational AND demonstrates that the buck stops with me. I also like alliteration. There is a reason my kids are Cole and Campbell. Both C's. (gosh, is that the right English term? Do I need to diagram a sentence to?)

So, I am coming to you-- my creative spirits! What do you think? If you received emails from me, etc what do you think it creative yet not corny? Now that many have you have gotten to know me, perhaps you have a smarter way to describe me.

Help!

Jolie
The Community Composer (or just Poser!)

Reviewer of the Week- She promises not to drop kick you!

Meet Patty Therre. She is one of my favorite writers that I have come to know since the launch of Viewpoints! Patty is incredibly knowledgeable, sincere and hard working. Here's how Patty describes herself.
I AM...a mother, a wife, a writer, a shopaholic, an animal lover, a lover of all things that stimulate the mind, committed to staying young forever, into health and fitness, an advice giver, a bath and body products worshipper, dedicated to giving back, deeply respectful of elderly people....

A few other points on Patty. Patty is a central New York based writer who has been published in many women's magazines as well as in just about every professional wrestling magazine printed. Patty is an avid beauty products reviewer and shopper and has tried all the magic potions and has the skinny on what is hype and what really works to help turn back the clock. At age 42, she is comfortable in her own skin and wants you to be too!

P.S. I find it interesting that we have Laura the black belt and Patty- the wrestling guru. Go ladies!

Selling Your Soul to Get Into Preschool

I read this article in the Washington Post this past weekend and I was literally laughing out loud. Anyone who knows me, knows that I was VERY diligent about evaluating all the preschools in my area. I literally visited about 10, wrote up summaries and then put all of my efforts toward getting my son in. I had no choice. The process was nasty. It was cut throat.

I really dont want to participate in all the silliness, but, like I said, I had to otherwise we would never get in. My poor kids would be stuck at home with me! (now that would be bad)

But it's 2 year olds, right? How could it be soooo obnoxious?

Read here to see what it is like in my neighborhood. Scary-- really! Even if you dont have small kids, its a fun read. You can see what you are in store for... or your children/grandchildren are in store for!

Should Reviews be Reviewed?

I generally dont think reviews should be reviewed.

I am a user of TripAdvisor and CNet, but when I go to post reviews, I feel a bit of a buzz kill. I write a thoughtful review and BAMM- I get smacked in the face with a message that basically tells me my review may be good enough. "Thanks for your submission, Jolie. Your review will be posted in 7 days (if it meets our criteria)."

I completely understand why sites like CNet and TripAdvisor do it, but I feel disappointed each time. I am a credible person, right? Why am I penalized because others arent always as honest?

Personally, I thrive on the instant gratification. I like knowing that I can write the review and then I can see it live instantly!

I am also a big believer in communities. I think people are smart and have good intuition. Reputation matters. People can sniff out those fraudulent reviews and not let them rise to the top. Maybe not on day 1. But over time, it becomes clear who you can trust.

Am I missing something?

Travel websites clamp down on bogus reviews (Reuters Friday, 16 February 2007)

....Trustworthy sources of information are sometimes difficult to find on the Internet, and user reviews have become a way for many sites to offer apparently unbiased opinions...But the authenticity of the opinions has not always been reliable.

"We have certainly seen instances with other properties where insiders have put reviews up for a particular hotel or a particular thing and it's not a legitimate review," said Jeff Boyd, Priceline.com's Chief Executive. "It's somebody who's in effect been paid to make the property look good." Boyd said, speaking at the Reuters Hotels and Casinos 2007 Summit in Los Angeles this week.

Priceline.com says it addresses the problem of bogus reviews by only allowing users to post opinions if its records show that the person has stayed at the hotel.

Every review on TripAdvisor is read by a person trained in fraud detection. If a fake review does slip through, it is taken down immediately, and hotels seeking to "game the system" are penalized, said TripAdvisor spokesman Brooke Ferencsik.

Rob Solomon, CEO of SideStep... estimates that 1 per cent to 2 per cent of the reviews on SideStep and other travel sites are bogus. But he says the industry and users are aware of the problem and addressing it.

"We do a little bit of quality control and then the community starts policing itself. The cream of the crop starts rising to the top," Solomon said.

"It will never go away completely, but I think you can minimize it," he said. "Consumers are pretty smart. They can smell a rat. I don't see (fake reviews) as an imminent threat."

Recommendation Repository- I CANT WAIT!

Viewpoints-- where are you when I need you? You arent working fast enough!!!

This has been a busy week of referrals for me. Despite not having a voice (sick again!), I have passed along a lot of recommendations and referrals this week.

If only I had a single repository of all my reviews-- I could just send them to my site. Here's a snapshot of some of my recs from this week!

Recommendation #1- My bro. He and his wife Lucia are interested in buying a second home in Chicago. They want a downtown loft and needed recs on places to live, a good real estate agent as well as an inspection company. Since they have never owned a condo/loft before, they also needed some tips on what makes a good condo purchase. After hours of writing everything up, I realized that someone else could really benefit from this knowledge too. For example- read the board docs before buying, comb through for special assessments, ensure it is clear whether or not you can rent your unit. Also, can you have pets? As a former condo board member, I know a lot of the ins and outs. I plan to keep my notes and post them in essay form on Viewpoints when we are live. P.S. Elizabeth Ballis is THE agent in Chicago.

Recommendation #2- My visitors from Germany. My nanny's parents are here visiting for 2 weeks. They wanted to know the Top 10 places to visit while in Chicago. They especially wanted to check out authentically Chicago stuff. So, I made them my top 10 list. Of course it included places like the Art Institute of Chicago, Bahai Temple (only one in North America), Green Mill Jazz club, etc. To no surprise, my nanny wanted to send them to the outlet mall. I will keep this list too and post it when we are live!

Recommendation #3- A friend of a friend. A friend of a friend saw my holiday cards and asked the name of the photographer I used. I sent the info along but I also asked about her budget. There are a lot of fabulous photographers but many are more expensive than others. My high end pick would be Margaret Busk, owner of Garbo Productions. My middle of the road pick would be Portraits by Picasso. They do a really nice job and specialize in kids photos. Funny-- last year I took my son there for his birthday. Since his birthday is near Easter, they had bunnies and chicks in the studio. I dressed him adorable (of course!) and sat him down with a chick. Minutes later, he told me he was wet. Yes-- the chicks pooped on him! Needless to say, we had nude photos last year.

Well, those are 3 off the top of my head. I cant wait to write about those and more at Viewpoints. It will be very nice to have a single repository of all my favorites that I can simply direct people to. There's the added benefit that I really like to help people whether they are visitors from far away, family or friends of friends. If I have a good experience, I enjoy spreading the word!

How many recommendations have you passed along today?

Corporate Happenings- Weekly Digest

Below is a summary of where we stand as of today.

We are finishing our first wave of testing.
Over the last few months we have been defining, refining and tweaking our review platform. We have a few users on the system writing reviews, evaluating the design, testing overall functionality and creating bugs. We believe in pushing the system to its limits to create errors. The more kinks we can work out now, the better the result for all of you.

We are actively listening to our usability feedback.
We believe in actively listening to our users and designing for the community. Based on preliminary comments, we are adding new functionality, revising existing functionality and reconsidering design choices such as font and layout. Given that we are a small and nimble team, we have the competitive advantage to make changes happen quickly. We are committed to actively listening now and in the future.

We are on schedule!
We are excited to say that we are actively working toward opening the doors to beta users in April. Now, we know the service won't be PERFECT, but the only way to make it perfect is to let you in, give you a chance to provide feedback and for us to actively make changes.

What can you expect from the Viewpoints pre-release beta?
We have high hopes for the Viewpoints review platform. And, we have lots of great features planned for 2007. But, they all wont be there at beta launch. As a team, we believe in iterative development. Meaning, we hope to really nail a few features in the first release and then begin development on the next wave of changes. So, be prepared for the basics in the beginning and to hopefully be blown away by the additions throughout the year.

Great Press
We have been fortunate enough to be in the eye of the press this last month. We have appeared on radio, in Fortune magazine and the Chicago Tribune among other places. Check out http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutUs/press.html to see a summary of our press to date.

I hope this keeps you all up to date on corporate happenings. If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to send them my way! Happy day.