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Following - http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2011/feb/10/bloggers-review-previews-theatre - http://distantaggravation.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-could-have-screamed-but-instead-i.html - http://oughttobeclowns.blogspot.com/2011/02/response-to-matt-trueman.html - http://parabasis.typepad.com/blog/2011/02/reviewing-previews.html

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Impassioned and interesting debate re. the practice of reviewing previews. Little to be added save this -

It is pernicious to attempt to apply a code of conduct, or indeed any form of standards or structure to the process of reviewing over the internet. The choice rests with the reader. As a example - I knew that I would not like Spiderman: Turn off the Dark after this http://parabasis.typepad.com/blog/2011/01/spider-man-turn-off-the-dark.html Whereas I knew it would be unlikely to be judged as excellent by a more mainstream audience after this: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/8306871/Spider-Man-Turn-off-the-Dark-the-not-so-super-hero-of-Broadway.html -

The internet revolution allowed us to become our own editors - we must trust audiences to do this.

Why this is important is better explained through the work of Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw on videogames over at The Escapist. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1968-Viewers-Choice-Duke-Nukem-Forever By being cynically honest (although obviously passionate about the industry he reviews) Yahtzee gives a accurate run-down of the standards of the games he reviews - fanboys, developers and industry PR don't appreciate the lack of hype - but for a particular end reader (who is none of the above) his work punctures a industry that for too long has been self referential and wildly inaccurate about its products.

Internet blogging must remain a free market to allow a free narrative to permeate - as soon as we decide to start trying to impose practices upon each others blogs (however noble and well meaning we are) we are taking a step towards neutering the very thing that makes the internet and blogging important.

We must trust the readers judgement, otherwise we end up with this anachronistic horseshit: http://www.thedaily.com/

Thanks

@georgemaddocks