And so after a very long wait, we have finally launched (or re-launched)
PlanetFeedback ratings. Curious what people think.

I'm certainly mindful that "raising the bar" of constructive-consumerism
won't happen overnight, and many have told me that it just won't happen.
Certain users are set in their ways, they say. Things are they way they
are. Change never happens. I just don't buy it! I've seen amazing things
happen on this site. I've also seen more companies tuning into the site,
and making an effort to proactively address real issues being raised by
consumers. PlanetFeedback.com started its mission in 1999 long before the
rest of the world discovered "consumer expression" and I think its time to
shine new light on our potential!

Lately I've been spending more time on PlanetFeedback. Overall I'm very
pleased with the quality of content, but I'm still very concerned about the
innappropriate and personal attacks of many of the letter writers. I'd like
to ensure we keep the conversation constructive and forward moving. Will
be sharing more thoughts as I dive deeper into the dynamics of the site. I
do sincerely appreciate the commitment of so many on this great site. It
can certainly be better, and we're committed to that.

I recently posted the following letter to the home page of "15-Minutes of
Fame." The topic is so important I'm reposting it to my PFB blog. I will
make every possible effort to respond to any feedback you provide on this
topic:

*************************************************

I am the founder of PlanetFeedback. I'm writing to share my thoughts
regarding some of our community dynamics; especially "comments".

This site was founded in February 2000 with the goal of respecting and
empowering the consumer voice. Our mission statement makes this clear and
unapologetic:

"We will help consumers reward companies that serve them best. Consumer
feedback positive and negative is inherently productive. Consumers want
value, and they will provide loyalty in return. We are committed to making
that exchange easy,frequent and rewarding."

This remains our goal and I daresay it is more important than ever.
Embracing the consumer is hardly "anti" business. In fact, as a marketer
trained at one of the largest corporations, Procter & Gamble, I can assure
you that businesses today are embracing the consumer voice like never
before. Companies recognize that consumers have greater control and power
and they are beginning to pay attention.

Our "comments" serve the objective of expanding and enriching the
conversation around our letters for the benefit of all visitors. We're not
looking for a pipeline of "happy-grams" nor are we looking for uncritical
consensus. We welcome and encourage debate and we deeply value the power of
diverse voices entering the conversation.

We've received many letters from customer service representatives who've
noted that some of the best suggestions and solutions for how they can
better address the issue raised in the letter emerged in the comments. Some
even use the comments for call center training and brainstorming.

This leads to my request of every community member. Let's keep our great
conversation constructive and value-added - always! Let's also hold each
other accountable for the highest quality dialogue. Criticism is fine but
personal attacks or comments unrelated to the letter at hand have no place
on this site. If you feel compelled to attack because you suspect
letter-writing abuse, excessive "freeloading," or personal identity
manipulation by certain letter writers, hold your fire and just let us
know.

Recently, quite a few first-time visitors have been leaving the site in
total disgust because they've been presumed guilty before they finish
their first sentence. That's not what this site is about. Our site's
default behavior is to respect and listen to the consumer voice. If any of
you have issues with this approach, the beautiful diversity of the web
presents many other options like "CustomersSuck.com".

I absolutely love this site, and like so many of you, want it to be
something truly great -- something we can all be proud of.

Thanks so much for listening.

- Pete

If you haven't yet taken time to listen to our Consumer Podcasts, please
do. They are excellent, and the product of superb interviews by our
outstanding Mr. Helpful.

Things continue to progress here at PFB. Our "MySpace" meets PFB strategy
seems to be paying off, and I'm enjoying following all the new (and highly
creative) "profiles" that emerge across the site. Greg Brummer's (aka Mr.
Helpful) been an absolute delight to work with, and I daresay I have hard
time keeping up with him. The consumer podcasts appear to be on the right
path, and I think it adds an entirely new dimension to feedback to "feel
and hear" the actual voices. It's a whole new level of understanding.
More cool stuff to come. KEEP SENDING suggestions.

I must admit, it's pretty exciting watching this community grow and evolve.
We've had to make a ton of choices about where to start and what to
prioritize, but we've always put "building the community" front and center.
Although many of the areas are still pretty clunky, I'm proud to say that
we're generating more comments and letters today on PlanetFeedback than we
were in the dot.com heyday. That will grow even more over time. I'm really
enjoying seeing the new profiles pop up where and there. Please continue
helping us make this a greate community. -- Pete

I really like your icon. Not sure why.

I post a lot on this site, and I love reading and commenting on the
letters. The real reason I love this site, though, is that it gives me a
way to get in touch with seemingly unreachable companies and make my
opinions and experiences known. Thanks for putting so much time and effort
into this awesome community!

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Pete Blackshaw I'm the
original founder of PlanetFeedback. The idea was hatched back in 1997 after
my wife Erika and I had a bad experience with an airline while traveling.
We just felt the web could help facilitate meaningful dialogue between
consumers and marketers. I'm passionate about the objectives and mission
of the site, and remain as commited as every to this core principle in the
PlanetFeedback Mission Statement:

"We will help consumers reward companies that serve them best. Consumer
feedback positive and negative is inherently productive. Consumers want
value, and they will provide loyalty in return. We are committed to making
that exchange easy, frequent and rewarding."

I sincerely hope you will not only take advantage of the various services.
I also urge you to become a resource and advisor to other consumers in
their efforts to constructively communicate with companies.