This is exactly what hurts the rating system or rather how it makes rating unfair.

I read a lot of "If I like it I rate it high, if I don’t like it I rate it low" This way of rating is what has damage the entire system.
Ratings should be given by judgment on the work and not by personal taste. The fact that a design is not appealing to a particular person doesn’t mean it's not appealing to others. Ratings should be awarded based on the characteristic of the design and its functions.
There are a lot of designs that I don’t personally like and that I wont download or use but the author did a good job on it and I will rate it because it's a good design and not because 'I don’t like it'
I’m more than sure that a vast amount of ratings have been given out to designs taking nothing else under consideration but personal taste or how the rater feels about the author, in other words "if I like the author I rate it high, if I hate the author I rate it low"
I hope the changes they are making for a better rating system can solve many of these issues.

#26 by Scribe Apocalypse_67 - 1/9/2004 3:57:33 PM

I'll second that!

There are a lot of designs that I don’t personally like and that I wont download or use but the author did a good job on it

You shouldn't rate anything you haven't downloaded, and used. You really shouldn't be rating the screenshot. Ratings should be based on the look and function. How would know the author did a good job, if you don't use it?

and another thing (since it's been brought to my attention recently)
You shouldn't rate to bring the average to where you think it should be.  If you've used a skin that is rated 8, and you think it should be a 6, then 6 is what you should rate it. Not a 4 to bring it down to 6.

[Message Edited]

There are a lot of designs that I don’t personally like and that I wont download or use but the author did a good job on it

Koasati, that comment was aimed at wallapapers designs which you dont have to download in order to see their function.
Skins for applications are a total different story.

If you've used a skin that is rated 8, and you think it should be a 6, then 6 is what you should rate it. Not a 4 to bring it down to 6.

This is another interesting point that should be exercise at all times.


[Message Edited]

Yes, I meant to come back and say that this doesn't necessarily apply to walls, (although you do have to download it to view it ) but you beat me to it.

ack! can't spell..............




[Message Edited]

You should ask Jafo for a copy of his spell checker

I have a copy, but it only works with Australian text.

don't forget to prime it with a pint first!
[Message Edited]

If you've used a skin that is rated 8, and you think it should be a 6, then 6 is what you should rate it. Not a 4 to bring it down to 6.

Thanks. I got scalped for saying this. It really annoyed me that 'senior' members were rating stuff 'to make up for others'. All skins should be rated on merit, nothing else. I do not apologise for saying anyone, whatever their title, should have their rating privilege removed for 'adjusting' ratings.

ditto=Fuzzy+Koasati

IMHO, I think one should not look at the appeal of the wall to that particular user, but to how much work was involved, it's function, it's design, etc. If I see something that was a simple cut-and-paste, or a screenshot (in the screenshots section) then I won't rate it very high, even if it may look good. Personally, I think screenshots are cheap ways to boost one's rating. But aside from that, ratings should be based both on quality of work, and of effort. Just my two cents.

Ratings are your personal decision, just like voting you can rate however you want. the trick is to find a way to decipher all the different interpretations of the ratings into some meaningful figure.
At least this is the way I have seen thus far. Now I go by the comments to get an accurate rating, if the person has a thought of mind to post a comment then it is worth reading. If I see a lot of praise in the comments, I think that peice might be good and I will probably download it, however if the peice has few comments or the comments aren't praise then there is less of a chance for me to download it, unless I'm bored of course.

Pot or schooner....not a 'pint' at all...

Now I go by the comments to get an accurate rating

The rating that you award to a skin or design should be based on your own perception on the skin/design's attributes and functions and not on the opinions or amount of comments by others.