Writing Script Reviews
Why post script reviews?
The main purpose of reviews is to help people looking for scripts tell which ones are decent/great, and which ones should be avoided like the plague.
More importantly, many of the good scriptwriters will periodically look at their script reviews to learn what they can do to improve them. Everyone wins when scripts improve.
Shameless promotion of suggestion to add RSS feed to script review pages. Click here to vote for it.
The meaning of rating levels (1-5)
Here's a system I quite like, and one I would highly recommend. I think these are listed officially somewhere but have been modified to be appropriate for script reviews.
Rating levels (1-5 stars):
BAD - Script either doesn't work correctly or is utterly useless. You can't think of any significant reason why someone should give it a try and are recommending that it be avoided completely.
POOR - Script is of low quality, usability, or just doesn't do what it says it should. You are recommending against this script, while noting that it might have some redeeming value for a few people.
PASSABLE - May have some design issues and/or some missing features. Any problems it has are not drastic enough to recommend against, and some people may still find it useful. Recommended for those who need it and are willing to give it a try.
GOOD - Useful and easy to use, though not necessarily special. This script is recommended but may be more suited for some people over others.
EXCELLENT - Not only does everything it claims, but it is significantly more useful than scripts of similar nature. This script is likely to be one you use often and you highly recommend it.
Rather than including the entire rating system above in your review to help the scriptwriter understand your rating, consider adding a link to this guide in your review as follows:
<a href="http://userscripts.org/guides/33">Meaning of rating levels</a>
Note: If it turns out that these rating are posted elsewhere, I'll update the link above to that page.
Useful Tools
You may find the following scripts useful while posting script reviews, comments, or even while posting in the forums.
Userscripts Comments Fix by sizzlemctwizzle - Packed full of features that make using Userscripts.org easier! (I like the quick quoting function the most myself ~Phasma)
Textarea & Input Resize by PhasmaExMachina (original by Florian Höch) - Re-size textarea, input, and select elements by dragging the edges. Remembers and restores sizes so you don't have to re-size elements every time you go to a page.
Review Etiquette
Always try to keep the hard work a scriptwriter put into his or her work in mind when posting a review. Be respectful and constructive in your feedback.
If you love a script, say so in a review. If you hate a script, say so in a review, but provide information so that the script's author can make improvements. You could also list features that you would like to see added and/or that would increase your opinion of the script. Take the time to answer the script's author if they contact you with reasonable questions about your review.
Try to get in the habit of looking over your past reviews from time to time to see if the script's author has implemented changes. If they have, try to update your review accordingly.
Here are some situations with suggestions on how to be constructive in each case:
| Don not post ... | Instead Try... | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| "This has already been done ... by me!" | "Please consider giving credits to or mentioning some of the other people that have already written similar scripts." | The script's author may not have looked carefully for similar scripts. What's more, chances are you yourself are not the first one to try the idea. |
| "This is not your script. Don't take credit for work you didn't do!" | "There appears to be no difference between this script and the original at [provide link]. Please remove it unless you make significant updates." | Having other scriptwriters breathe new life into old scripts can be a good thing when credit is properly given, but there is no excuse for direct ripoffs. |
| "bad code" | "The code does X but should do Y. You should never do Z, because it can result in W. Try V instead." | The term bad is subjective and not specific enough to help the author improve his or her script. Give specifics, or don't post a review at all if you are not willing to take the time. |
| "You're a real jerk, and your script sux!" | Contact the author privately and politely ask them to modify their behavior. Explain why their behavior bothers you. | Script reviews should be about the quality of a script, not about the script's author. If you must rebuke someone in a public manner, a script review is not the place to do so. |
