Should we include ISBNs and links in reviews?

[FreeTrav]

When we print a review, we include the publisher's URL, if available, in the information box at the top of the review. That, and the title, are the only identifying information we include. It's been suggested that we include the ISBN of the product when we review it. Should we?

Also, we've treated the magazine as though it were a print publication - links are not clickable, for example, and we don't embed audio, video, or code such as javascript into our pages. It's been pointed out - quite correctly - that we are not a print publication, even though our choice of layout facilitates printing, and thus we should not avoid such things as making links clickable.

What do you think? Should we allow our links to be clickable? Should we include ISBNs in our review infoboxes? Where, if anywhere, should we link to?

 

[rust]

I am not sure whether ISBNs would make much sense, since at least
over here normal bookshops rarely accept orders for roleplaying ma-
terial, and the normal FLGS usually does not need the ISBN to under-
stand what the customer is talking about. In fact, I do not remember
that I ever needed or used an ISBN with roleplaying material - but
this may of course be different elsewhere.

The only problem I would see with links is that they have a habit of be-
coming dead or misleading links after a while, so there would be a ne-
cessity to check, update or delete them now and then, which would re-
quire some more work from you.

 

[GamerDude]

When we print a review, we include the publisher's URL, if available, in the information box at the top of the review. That, and the title, are the only identifying information we include. It's been suggest

Ok, looking at the bigger picture than one small country... I couldn't click my choice... Include ISBNs and the Publishers SKU, and the link to the publisher's site, and leave it at that.

Not every item gets an ISBN (just look at MGP's catalog at any time) but they always have SKUs. On some sites it's easier to search by SKU or by ISBN than it is by title, and those numbers let you confirm what you are ordering. Yes, I myself have been bitten by the confusion of trying to order or find something on a website (or over the phone) and without an ISBN or SKU I was being sold the wrong thing/couldn't find what I wanted.

I have used both with my FLGS to order things, and had to do so mainly because they didn't wish to think about what they were doing (one store the employees swear that Pinnacle Publishing - Savage Worlds, went out of business years ago, and tell you to get out when you try to show them the Alliance/ACD catalog or the full shelf of current Pinnacle products they have in stock).

I've also used the ISBN to order RPG books at Border's and Barns & Nobel (also B. Dalton's and Waldenbooks when we had them). Heck, one game store in the mall takes both pieces of info to ensure they can get exactly what you want (http://www.unclesgames.com).

In closing, let me add that including the SKU & ISBN takes how much effort, takes up how much room in the article? maybe 20 characters total?

 

[zero]

I'd say include the ISBN (My local Waterstones bookstore stocks some major RP books like 4th Ed D&D and they can order books in) but dont bother about clickable links, just include the URL, as pointed out above, as they age links become dead or lead to something else entirely and changing them regularly becomes a bother.

I do agree that some written web address should be included however.

 

[IanBruntlett]

I'd like to see ISBNs where available - its helpful to know which books you can get from Amazon or not