I came here last month by chance on a link from a Google search. I refuse to swim in the turgid Facebook and MySpace ponds. There are quite a few who post interesting, entertaining and thoughtful comments here, and it makes for time well spent online (for me, anyway).
If the majority of banter at those two other 'social networking' (how quaint) sites is mindless, and the aggregate IQ at those sites is dropping, then what term applies to the next level down??
I have to rate some of your comments more often; I get caught up just reading them and forget to do that. Sorry.
Thanks to those of you who have cast positive votes for what little I've posted so far.
My verdict: I'm staying. Those damned MySpace and Facebook twerps will have to carry me outta here!

This is no longer a valid reason, since the RIA geeks installed the "Me/My Feed/Everyone" filter. This filter, in my opinion, is one of the two best features on the site, along with the ability to leave an unlimited string of comments on a review. The administration had either anticipated the invasion of techno-embryos who thought someone might actually be interested in knowing that they had never heard of Canada... or responded to the ennui of the regulars.

When I first settled-in to the site, I kinda felt that this was the Algonquin Hotel of the web. Then, waves of oily, sandy, smelly Spring Breakers flooded the restaurant and lowered the property value. Now, with one click...POOF!"...they're gone. The site gets the numbers and the regulars don't have to sit throught the shit storms.

Good move...

Really. Good. Move.

To be honest, I don't log out of RIA unless by accident. It was about 1 month ago when I sat there and thought to myself, geez I miss those facebook and myspace users. They used to make me look smart. So I ventured to the filter, changed the setting to see all activities, closed the window, and clicked on Home. I stared at the screen for 5 sec. and it struck me I must be going out of my mind to think I missed them. I then proceeded to open the filter again.

Next time if I miss the one-liners I'll just write them myself.

I'm sure over at Facebook they are having a discussion about the long-winded blowhards from RateItAll who occassionally come over to their site and fill up the comments boxes with 10 paragraph diatribes about politics and consumer products.

WTF - LOL!!!!

. . .the writing has improved somewhat from the level of retardation we've seen in the past (and it was quite awful). . .and it attracted morons and would scare away a few who value the careful measurement of language like a wonderful wordsmith like moi. . .

I get it- this place has to expand to stay in business. . .but by expanding you include more of the general population. . .and if the general population reads on a middle-school level imagine the low level of linguistic disasters we've had to sit through. . .

the myspace and facebook thingies are flavors of the month that will move along until the next gee-whiz technological communications method comes into play. Until then, the slight decline of overall quality reviews will suffer- and that isn't a terrible reason to leave the place.

Now what can we do about that damn star. . .

These silly people are annoying, but easy enough to ignore.

I'll stick around to see what the management does about them.

 UPDATE:

It's getting worse. 

If it reaches a point where most of the reviews are "Eeewwwww!" or of that ilk, there will be nobody worth my attention here. I have no problem reading a well written opinion that opposes mine. I have a bit more of a problem with people who leave reviews such as " I've never heard of it, so it must suck." or "I don't know."  Should this continue to increase, I won't be the first one to leave, but I will be one of them.

Every once in a while a facebook or myspace user will contribute a worthwhile review, but they are definitely few and far between. It wouldn't be so bad if their reviews didn't show up on the recent reviews page. I can deal with it, but I can understand why some would leave the site or use it less frequently because of these reviews.

I pretty much try to ignore the Myspace and Facebook one line comments.  But there are those occasions when it is perfectly acceptable for one line comments, depending on what the subject is.  Sometimes it doesn't need much elaboration.  Nothing wrong with short and to the point.

In my opinon, this would be a pretty lame reason to leave RIA.

I'm fortunate on my own weblists because it's kind of hard for a facespacer to put hellztothenaw and Spooky Tooth in the same sentence. But I agree that its a veritable flood of buffoonery.

I've gotten so I just scroll past the MySpacers and the Facebookers. The problem is, these kids will clutter page after page with inane comments and it takes awhile to get to the good stuff. However, I do enjoy CarrollCountyKid immensely, who is here courtesy of Facebook. Magellan, I am looking forward to the upcoming resolution you mentioned.

Cluttered?   Inundated more like.

At least the Grizz morons were good for a laugh.  Sometimes the face-spacers make me wish the internet had never happened.

Note to admin: This problem is becoming critical for those of us with a semblance of intelligence.  Please figure out a filter soon.

Kind of a split for me. I detest the average myspace/facebook review, but I post too many one-liners to hate on that style...

RIA use to be easy to use but now has been taken over by FB and Myspace users that comment without substance. To find regular posts from RIA faithfuls you have to weed through a lot of nonsense. It's too bad really but I guess RIA needs them to make money.