Hi everyone:

Weekend was bliss after the rigours of a hectic week. Slept like a log and ate like a horse. Wonder how most of you spent your weekend.

Just a point.

As MouthShut.com is expanding we are obviously attracting a lot of eyeballs, more than ever before. The registrations have seen a never-before surge - an increasing number of members are writing reviews and diaries. But there is a twist to the tale, a little unfortunate one at that.

Most of the new review writers hardly get any audience - very few members rate their reviews and comment on them. Agreed that a lot of the new reviews are "uninspiring, trashy and/or insipid." But it also means that the review writers are in need of guidance, especially from the senior members. Also, it does NOT mean that these reviews cannot or should not be rated or cannot or should not be commented on. MouthShut.com is your web site and the new members part of this large and extended kin. Do welcome them.

They need encouragement and guidance. Do rate their reviews honestly and help them improve by offering them your invaluable comments on their reviews.

Regards,
Jasmine Ahuja
Head - Member Support
MouthShut.com

Hello everyone:

A big congratulations to Team India on behalf of MouthShut.com. It was a collaborative effort, a total team effort. Sachin, Saurav and Sehwag scored well in the first innings while Dhoni and Sehwag came good in the second innings. As far as the bowling was concerned, Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma took the honours. Dhoni, the current captain continues his winning spree. 2-0 score against the mighty Aussies is a matter of pride. A fitting farewell to Saurav Ganguly and Anil Kumble.

Come on guys, do write reviews on Team India and its heroes. Also, how about paying a tribute to Ganguly - the man who started the cricketing renaissance - by writing a review on him?

Let the reviews flow in. This time no special points and no prizes for the best review writer. This time each review will be the best review as it will come straight from the heart, a heart filled with pride for its cricketing heroes.

Regards,
Jasmine Ahuja
Head - Member Support
MouthShut.com

It’s faith alone that sees one through the darkest of times. My faith is that this Festival of Lights will bring peace and prosperity and envelop the universe in a glorious glow of love and compassion.

The Light Shall Always Illuminate.

Have Faith.

Happy Diwali!

Hey everyone: We're very, very close to the Festival of Lights. With Diwali knocking on our doors, we have decided to add some new Virtual Gifts for this glittering festival. Do take a look at these auspicious Virtual Gifts included recently. Thali of Sweets, Laxmi Murti, Crackers, Dry Fruit Box, Diya, and Diwali Card.

What are you waiting for guys? Do send these propitious gifts to each other for a smile and a blessing in return. Regards, Jasmine Ahuja Head - Member Support MouthShut.com

Hi guys:

A small suggestion is required. We have been getting quite a few emails from members regarding comments on SMS Reviews. Some members feel that because of too many comments, their mobile Inbox gets flooded. We looked into this issue and noticed that a lot of members (in their enthusiasm of course, not out of any malice) post too many comments, many of which are irrelevant and in no way connected with the SMS review. We have no objections with the comments and the eagerness which goes behind them, but it is the members who find it inconvenient since these comments find their way to their Inbox.

At an internal meeting, it was suggested that we restrict the number of comments per member to 10. Another great suggestion was that we leave the decision to you - our members.

Please do let us know of your opinion by tomorrow 23:59 hrs. If the majority of members say NO to restriction then we shall respect your decision and if most of you say YES, then YES it shall be.

Regards,

Jasmine Ahuja

Head - Member Support

MouthShut.com

Update: Photo Gallery is working fine now. Thanks for your support and cooperation.

(Updated 17:00 hrs)



Hi everyone:

A small update. The Photo Gallery will be down for a couple of hours due to a technical snag. Please do bear with us. We regret the inconvenience caused. What this means is many of you may not be able to view or upload photos.

We’re really working on it to get it up as soon as possible.

Regards,

Jasmine Ahuja

Head - Member Support

MouthShut.com

PS: MouthPad is up and running. All requests shall now be processed.

Dear Friends:

Due to certain technical issues, MouthPad has been delayed. We regret the inconvenience caused. Our engineers are working towards rectifying the problem. Please do bear with us.

I assure you that in the next few days, things will be back to normal.

Regards,

Jasmine Ahuja

Head - Member Support

MouthShut.com

Dear Friends:

Hope the new week has begun well for all of you. At MouthShut.com, it begins with a bang. I take this opportunity to announce a new category - Employers. Yes, you read right - Employers it is.

You can now write reviews on your employers. Our engineering and product teams have burned the midnight oil to come up with this brand new category where you can talk about your employers. Good, bad, ugly ... whatever ... your review should be truthful, honest and YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE. Let the world know about the company where your services were used.

As an example, your review can contain any/all of the following points:
Company Ethics
Work Atmosphere
Remuneration
Leadership Vision
Overall Experience

Please click here to view this category: https://mouthshut.com/product/categories.php?cid=21

Regards,
Jasmine Ahuja
Head - Member Support
MouthShut.com

Dear Friends:

It's time to collect points once again. Like last time, the points are going to be very high, but this time it's just not just the SMS which will get you points, but also good old REVIEWS. Start writing reviews on any product listed on MouthShut.com and earn 100 points per review.

Yes, one review can get you 100 points. So, write as many reviews as you can and get 100 points per review.

The last date to get 100 points per review is September 30, 2008.

Regards,
Jasmine Ahuja
Head - Member Support
MouthShut.com

Here I am once again, continuing the thread of my last diary post.

Categories and Products
I have noticed that some members tend to get confused between the terms product and category and use one for the other. Members write in to me saying that "I have submitted a new category called Nokia N72. When is it going to be posted?" Or "I want to write about Saris. When will you add it as a product?" Now, Nokia N72 is a product and Sari is a category, or rather a sub-category. While a product is usually added within 2-3 working days, a category takes time. At times we do not add a category immediately as the addition of a new category involves deliberation on issues like validity, relevance etc. Once these issues are addressed at the internal level do we take a decision.

Why does MouthPad take time?
Yes, MouthPad does take time, occasionally. You might retort: "Hunh! Occasionally? It's occasionally prompt." Yes, MouthPad usually takes 2-3 days to be processed but at times it does get delayed due to certain reasons.

Am putting down a few here:

Huge queue
A huge queue of MouthPad requests is the main reason for the delay. The content team huffs and puffs its way through a lot of requests. At times, some requests are totally irrelevant, some are in between and require a lot of tweaking - all this while the quantity of the requests is mind-numbing.

Bulk upload and addition of new categories
Every month we add products in bulk (hundreds and thousands of products) in various categories. The addition of the same delays MouthPad because the system used for the addition of "Bulk Products" is the same as used for adding MouthPad requests. Also, new categories and sub-categories also cause delay. However, we are trying to come up with a solution to this problem.

I would encourage you friends to have patience. A lot of members simply post reviews in irrelevant categories. Please wait for at least the regular 2-3 days. And if you have a random thought, do post it as a Diary.

Formatting Issues
I know that most of you format your review with a lot of love and care. However, the current MouthPad feature does not support formatting. Our content team tries its best to format but the way they would format your review would be different from the way you would. The best way to resolve this issue is to get into the edit mode and format your review the way you wish to, once it has been posted.

I close now. Awaiting your reaction.

Regards,
Jasmine Ahuja
Head - Member Support
MouthShut.com