Getting Rid Of The Thread Rating System...

Thread ratings are great for a forum that has really mature members who don't take personal disagreements into thread ratings. However, its becoming more and more evident that this thread rating system has just become a way to poop on other peoples threads. For example, why is the MLB thread in sports ranked 1-star? C'mon. Same with the Yankees thread, although I can understand anti-Yankeeism. Same with a thread I started in G/D. Not that I really care, since it was a joke thread, but its an annoyance that someone rates the thread low without even posting.

Anyways, I'd like to see the thread rating system done away with. Thanks.

Obviously you do or you would not bring up I give you the same advice I give my daughter when my son is trying to pester or get on her nerves --- ignore and he will stop! If you keep bringing the subject and drawing attention to the fact -- then you are doing exactly what that person wants you to do! Of course, this is assuming you are correct and that some people are trying "poop on other peoples threads." If people care enough to vote, the system will take care of itself. If it really is that big of a deal to you (which you say it is not BUT then you mention it), PM people and tell them to take a stand.

And to think some members wanted to enable the "Rate the Member" feature!

My advice to you, DJ - ignore the ratings. I do.

Check out the rating of this topic! I was going to rate it high but then saw that DJ posted in it and then gave it a 1

DJ - I rest my case.

I know this is a few months late but I agree with DJ here

I have rated threads maybe once or twice. I remember rating the 'cereals' survey by blibbleblabble very high I ignore them completely. But I want them removed for a different reason. They spoil the layout of the webpage. All those small icons saying the thread is hot, stars, etc.

I was just thinking... if we are not going to get rid of the thread rating system, how about a link that shows who actually voted and what their rating was. That way if there is one jerk who keeps giving everyone a one star rating, we know exactly who it is.

The way I see it, if someone feels it's important to start a new thread based on what they are thinking then nobody should rip on it because they don't like it. If they don't like it then they shouldn't post. Otherwise, they should contribute to the thread to make it better in some way. The whole rating thing is too anonymous and I don't like it when someone starts a thread and it automatically gets one star based on who started the thread, not on what the topic is about.

For what it's worth, count me as one of those who would like to see the thread rating system done away with.

Now, SC has said in an earlier post in this thread, to simply ignore the ratings. Well, it's a little like trying to ignore the 800 pound gorilla in the room.

Perhaps it seemed like a good idea at the time to the people who created the BB software, but I honestly cannot see what good has come of the thread ratings. What I have occasionally noticed is that a meaningful, serious thread can end up with a one-star rating while pure fluff and frivolity can end up with four or more stars. It's not that one thread "is" or "should be" rated higher (or "better") than another - my point is, perhaps they shouldn't be. Perhaps the playing field should be leveled, and kept level.

There have been many changes, upgrades and improvements to the BB since I first joined. But, the ratings are one feature that I feel doesn't really add anything or improve my BB browsing.

Signor V.

Haha, I never realized till today that 1 star was a bad rating. I thought that you could not give a bad rating at all, with the uninteresting ones not getting any star at all. To me, 1 star meant "something interesting" because it is better than no star. I haven't rated more than one or two threads, but if I rate something one star, then I at least like it.

See that's why I don't like the rating system! It's not clearcut what any of the stars mean! Obviously the more stars the better, but to some people the fact that it even got a star means it's interesting while to others it means it's a bad thread because it's the lowest rating you can give. What svsg says makes sense though, the fact that so many threads don't even get ratings must mean they are bad threads right? But then I think, well maybe they are just so plain (not good or bad) that nobody bothers to rate them.

Honestly, I have been taking SC's advice on just ignoring it, but like Signor Vitelli said it's like trying to ignore the 800 pound gorilla in the room. It's hard to ignore the stars.

I hardly ever even notice the thread ratings...

But in any event, my opinion differs (I took a few stats classes in my day)... First off, a particular person can only vote ONCE, so their vote won't effect the total that much as long as many people vote.

Secondly, if 100 people voted and the topic has only 1 or 2 stars... maybe it actually does suck!

Lastly - They have MEMBER rankings that I told them I'd NEVER use!! Talk about asking for trouble!!!

The only thing thats hard to ignore are all the banana peels on the floor.

There probably IS some doofus who gets off on grading each thread with a one star rating but many others don't ever use the feature (to counter the miscreant's vote). If more people used it, we'd get a truer idea of what our members thought of a particular subject.

In the meantime, DON'T PAY IT ANY ATTENTION!

Yeah, what SC said! That's what I was implying...

That makes me wonder even more why you even bother to have them!



Awright, awright...

Point taken.

(But I can be as rank as the next guy... )

Signor V.

Don't sell yourself short. You're more rank than most.

Geoff, SC, SV you guys are the rankiest as far as I'm concerned.

I too never have used the rating system (well maybe once on the PLaw remembrance thread). It doesn't bother me.



TIS

I, too, only used the thread rating system one time.

An extremely good thread had only been given one star and I felt I had to make my point by trying to improve the rating.

So, I did.

And, now - strangely enough - I can't for the life of me remember what that thread was!

That was the first and (so far) last time I rated a thread.

Signor V.

I think I might get rid of the topic ratings after all, it's pretty unsightly now... what do y'all think?

Dump it.

The ratings (as I see them) have no correlation to the topics' usefulness.

Get rid of it and the post count.

I agree, dump it

Post count, too?

Can you also get rid of so many symbols alongside the star ratings that clutter the display (like the hot topic indicator and sticky symbol)?

I got rid of the ratings, and I upped the minimum # replies/views to the "hot" topics so they show up less often. There are still quite a bit, though, but overall I think it's better than it was. Sticky topics need to be designated, and I have no problem with polls nor calendar events being displayed as well.

Thanks!!

Did the new update make it to where the word games threads don't count towards post counts?

Yep.

Really? I thought I tried and didn't see a difference. If so, then my mistake.

So now we can play games for the fun of it, without being labeled a post count whore! ABC game, here I come!

Does anybody know how many posts Irishman would have had all his "wordgame" posts not counted?

Would he even be in the top posters at the side of the forum?