lmao... you guys...

look back to the root cause of the thread and ask yourselves if this really, really merits discussion. I think we know these two well enough now to take them with a huge grain of salt. Well, more of a boulder of salt. I mean come on; the outrage is over the fact that padding one another's rating isn't 'sticky'. This is not the perspective on which to base change at any level.

They subscribe to get unlimited downloads. Which is not incompatible with not being capable of objectivity.

"Are you being sarcastic, Pat?"

Yes, Extremely!

"I do believe the top download list and the top author list should be removed, but I think the download number should still be shown. It's nice to know how many time your stuff was downloaded, good or bad. "

Thats my point! Ratings is a "different" way to measure the status of a skin.

Downloads is not a perfect system.
Comments is not a perfect system.
Ratings is not a perfect system.

THERE IS NO PERFECT SYSTEM. BECAUSE EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND HAS DIFFERENT TASTES.

So because everyone is different we have different ways of looking at the skins to help you sort through them.
So for all those people who say we should get rid of the Rating system because its not perfect or because they do not agree with it please step back a bit and apply those same rules to everything else around you. If you did I bet you would be getting rid of Everything. Why is this such a hard concept to understand.

Because the rating is connected to display skins to visitors for controlling bandwidth. It shouldn't be. Rate and download all you want, but if you start to use it as a means of exclusion I think it's not fair.

This is the only point I am trying to make here.........not abolishment of ratings, or comments, or download counts. I am merely pointing out how one person abusing the privilege can have negative repercussions.

Pretty compelling arguments, T-man. I agree.

No one hates rating systems more than me. Our software at download.com gets maliciously trashed every time and they allow anyone to vote.

But at a macro level, they work pretty well. They don't exist for the benefit of the skin author. They exist so that casual users can sort by rating and get a rough guestimate of the nicer skins. It's not perfect but it works "good enough".

by JamMeister33 - 12/11/2002 1:50:57 AM
Now, don't get me wrong, I am for the rating system; however, I think that once a person who has the privilege of being able to rate a skin has made a choice, they should not be able to go back and change it.

The rating system is being abused by malicious minded people who either have a grudge, or just get a twisted
pleasure out of having the power to negatively influence other people's hard work.


Hmmm. I didn't want to "GO THERE" BUT...This whole stupid thread started from someone who gleefully wrote me that he'd down-rated Bakerstreet's wallpaper out of "revenge"...

Oh the hypocrisy! Rich!


'Tis the Season for folly

I agree with you Jobe........

#39 by darkseraphim.com - 12/11/2002 12:32:56 PM
by JamMeister33 - 12/11/2002 1:50:57 AM

Hmmm. I didn't want to "GO THERE" BUT...This whole stupid thread started from someone who gleefully wrote me that he'd down-rated Bakerstreet's wallpaper out of "revenge"...

Now that statement is patently untrue, and you are just trying to stir things up as usual, Devil Witch, or whoever you are today. You don't want to "GO THERE" ?... all you DO is go there.

i'd like some clarity here.

is the main problem some people have with ratings just that some ratings are low? your skin or wall you worked on and liked well enough to upload got a low rating? or you feel sorry for someone who got a low rating on their piece?

or is it that many ratings are far too high for mediocre work?

if it's the first, i think we need to remember that any time work of any kind is graded or rated in any forum, whether on the internet or not, it's a tool used to try to improve quality - usually the quality of the exhibition. it's not a device for making people feel better, or bolstering their confidence. we should not give out high ratings or avoid giving low ones for the sole purpose of 'not hurting somebody's feelings.' that's not what it's about. it's about the quality of the work, and sometimes the work isn't very good. yes, they tried - maybe they could have tried harder, maybe not. but if the work isn't good, it isn't good, and even though it might hurt their pride a bit, they deserve to know. they are still are friends, and what we think of them as a person remains unchanged.

if it's the second, i agree. looking through the site [particularly the wallpapers] there are many mediocre pieces rated too high. i would imagine this is due to 'getting one's buddies to pad it' or a misplaced sentiment of 'not wanting to hurt their feelings.' as far as i can see, there's no real way to combat this, and frankly it's not out of hand, but rather an occasional bother. it generally evens out, as i now routinely see -many- pieces with nearly a dozen or so ratings.

as i've said countless times before, compared to what it's like trying to get your work shown in a 'brick n mortar' gallery, or trying to sell it to design clients, the ratings system and moderation policies here at wincustomize are incredibly forgiving.

hopefully, when one sees their work online here and rated well, they feel a great sense of accomplishment.

Migellito, the point is about certain 'people' maliciously giving low ratings to someone they don't like for their own twisted enjoyment.

hi

if this conversation between jm and ds needs to go any further, please take it to email.

thanks

I think when they have WinCustomize be able to rate skins, the actual people that are rating skins will increase, at least by one.