Calahan

I have decided to give Anime Planet until either the end of this year (2013), or until shortly after the re-design (whichever occurs last) to show some efforts towards establishing even a modicum of quality control regarding some of the core features of the site. Should such efforts not be forthcoming, then I will be finding a new home for my anime needs. Since the frustrations I regularly have to undure when using the most relevant features (for me) of AP have now become so untenable that I am no longer willing to put up with them. So either AP improves, or I find an alternative.

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During the two years I have been using AP I have noticed with greatly increasing frequency the total and utter lack of quality control that exists on AP. Absolutely ANYTHING can be (and has been!) passed off as an anime review, and many AP members have used that very fact to post some of the worst excuses for reviews I have ever come across in my entire life. And that includes all types of reviews, not just those relating to anime. I have actually seen spam advertising penis enlargements (and the like) that have arguably been more relevant and valid as a review than some of the absolute junk reviews on this site. And actually less frustarting to encounter as well (as I would never waste my time reading such spam under the illusion of it being a proper review. But have had my time wasted reading junk reviews, hence why junk reviews rank below spam on the "annoying waste of time" scale)

Never before have I come across a website so unwilling to take even quick and simple steps to address such an obvious and long-running problem. Such as deleting them when they are reported. I guess nothing else matters to AP other than padding out its review count by whatever means necessary, and to that end a willingness to accept, and even encourage, pure garbage reviews if need be to achieve that padding aim. 

There have been some half-hearted pledges (although that is an overly kind definition on my part) to do something about this problem, but nothing has ever emerged from the discussions, and hundreds if not thousands of junk reviews continue to plague this website, and judging by the date of many junk reviews, seemingly have done for years. So it is far from a recent problem. These junk reviews completely put me off using AP, and is the main reason why I will stop completely unless something is done (and done as a priority, not as some dust-gathering backburner project).

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The situation regarding recommendations is only marginally better IMO, as some of the completely nonsensical and spurious (to put it mildly) reasons given by some members when recommending one anime based on another, are nothing short of a joke. But not a funny one.

Some recommendations are so bad as to make the whole recommendation system redundant, as if the only barrier to entry for recommending an anime is a persons own imagination (to create a ridiculous connection when none exists), or a persons own desire to pursue their fanboy agenda by promoting and recommending their favourite show (despite a total lack of a valid connection). And if such recommendations are allowed (and not pruned), then no recommendations can be relied upon, and so it would be quicker and easier to just do away with the recommendation system and simply link the entire anime list as a recommendation for every single anime.

Indeed, in effect that is the state of affairs that currently exists for a vast number of recommendations on this site, since it seems the only requirement for a recommendation to be accepted is that both shows need to be an anime. Although that is simply conjecture on my part, as maybe even that is not a basic requirement. If I find a recommendation that says "if you like eating icecream then you will enjoy this anime", which I would not be at all surprised to find to be honest, then I'll know my conjecture was mistaken.

"This show is an anime, and I recommend this other show not because the two have any connection at all, but simply because they are both anime. Oh and I also happen to be a big fan of the other show, so I want to tell everyone about it any way I can".

I have actually seen recommendations to that effect on this site. IMO it is ludicrous that recommendations similar to the above, or worse, are deemed to be acceptable. It is especially laughable considering I often see talk on the forums of the "Recommendations" being the main strength and selling point of AP (over its rivals).

It is an oxymoron to be proud of the recommendations on this site, and to see them as a strength, not when given the vast number of ridiculous recomendations that have been put forward (and it seems, accepted through the medration process). If the recommendations underwent a huge clean-up, then they would be a source of pride. But to claim pride in them without such a clean-up is wishful thinking to say the least. Maybe the recommendations were a source of pride and strength in the (distant) past, but a lack of quality control has seen that strength eroded to dust over time. As IMO they are not fit for purpose in their current state, and certainly not something to boast about.

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I have politely asked if anything is ever going to be done about the above problems (as I see them), and the answer I have received each and every time has basically been...

"No nothing is being done, and there are no real plans to do anything soon, but something might be done in the future". 

Well I have waited patiently for the "future", and for something to be done, but I have been nothing but disappointed and saddened by the total lack of urgency being shown to address problems that infect some of, I would imagine, the most widely used and important features of the entire site. That being reviews and recommendations (or at least they rank as some of the most important features for me).

I am not willing to wait forever though, hence the deadline I have given at the start of this text for these problems to be addessed.

There are several other issues I have with AP, such as the complete lack of a (IMO) desperately needed "ignore other member feature", and the desperate way in which AP is attempting to whore itself to any and every social media outlet on the net purely in order to satisfy some behind-the-scenes vanity project of making AP a Anime-slash-Social-Media-hub. I personally see that move as simply another reason for me to leave the site.

There was a point when I might have been happy to continue using AP if some sort of quaility control existed, even if only relating to reviews and recommendations. Since they are the features I use the most on AP. Or more accurately to say the features I want to use the most. But not anymore due to the both the overwhelming frustration I experience whenever I try doing using those features (caused by the lack of quality control), and due to AP changing stance from Anime Tracking Site to Wannabe Social Media Whore. Hence why my usage of AP in general has dropped dramatically in recent months (and will end completely when I finish migrating my anime list).

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The above text is entirely for my own benefit, as I wish it to act as a constant reminder to myself (when I visit the site) to both act on my resolve regarding committing myself to leave AP (which I've been considering for a while), and to find an alternative anime site to use well before my self imposed deadline.