I think the biggest issues with reviews and discussion is it is very subjective. For example, I wouldn't buy a Gee because it isn't shiny. Seriously. No matter how good the coffee was, how good the internals were. I can imagine plenty of people would think that is an absolutely stupid viewpoint, and that's how arguments seem to start. People need to just remember that equipment is equipment, and prospective purchasers, while after opinions, will still make their mind up about what is important to them based on both sides of an discussion. In short, people should be free to give opinions (ie me saying that the Gee is overly plasticy), and not feel like they should be shot down by people telling them that's a stupid viewpoint. The fact is, if one person has that viewpoint, then others may or may not see that as important, and if the prospective purchaser thinks it's unimportant, they'll just gloss over it. Whenever I'm talking about my machine, I always talk about the pros and cons of it, whereas plenty of people only talk about the pros. In addition to all of this, some people will have opinions based on long term use, whereas others will not see something as a problem. Example here is some people who have had the Silvia for a long time experience rusting, so the steel chassis might cause issues. I've seen people bring this up, only to be shot down by vendors as it being a "non issue". It is a real issue, and having someone bring it up as something that may happen down the road can only be a good thing, as people who do still pick that machine will decide it knowing that they should check regularly inside to ensure no water pooling (which actually is better for the vendor, as the more the customer is aware of the quirks of the machine, the less likely they are to have catastrophic breakdowns). Some forums make it so that reviews can't be replied to, and while that is a bit extreme, it's for this exact reason.
