Are ratings by subscribers applying ?

from WinCustomize Forums
I noticed that ratings seem a bit off lately. Most of the time it it 'feels' like my rating doesn't even apply. I hit the star and my cursor seems to bounce off. Sometimes a page starts to reload when I hit a star to rate.

What I'm noticing is that a lot of different galleries the ratings on various items remain what they were given when uploaded from moderation. Its like the subscribers ratings are nulled out and can't over ride a moderators rating at all. Even in screen shots I've noticed that my rating doesn't change anything when it always did before.

For example:
WWW Link
This wall has 1 star. There is nothing wrong with this wall. It may not be a Masterpiece but it certainly merits more than a 1 star rating.

2 subscribers gave this wall 5 stars and yet it remains on 1 star. I cant see how this is possible if ratings are being applied.

This is only one example...Ive seen quite a few items like this. Ratings aren't changing from the initial rating even though some items have 10 + comments ( all good )

15,202 views 78 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Its like the subscribers ratings are nulled out and can't over ride a moderators rating at all


They don't over ride mod rating they are averaged with it.
Just to test I gave linked wall 5 stars, it came up 1/2 a star.( should move up more than that)
If I remember that wall started with a mod rating of 2 or 2 1/2 stars, looks like some have hit it with 1 star.( adjusted it back to a 3 star rating from me, it dropped back to one star, tells me it has a few one star ratings on it.)
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

They don't over ride mod rating they are averaged with it.
Just to test I gave linked wall 5 stars, it came up 1/2 a star.( should move up more than that)
If I remember that wall started with a mod rating of 2 or 2 1/2 stars, looks like some have hit it with 1 star.( adjusted it back to a 3 star rating from me, it dropped back to one star, tells me it has a few one star ratings on it.)


I'm aware that they are averaged...but as jafo explained to me before...his rating holds more ' pull' than others ratings. It may take 6 people to rate something he has rated to change the rating.

That particular wall I referred to had been at 1 star for awhile. Zoombas said he was not uploading any walls with less than a 2.5 rating to gallery.

I would still like a moderator to check this if they have a chance.

My main point was I notice " My " ratings don't seem to be applying. I should of been a bit more specific. Maybe its just my imagination...
Thanks Cavan
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This is only one example...Ive seen quite a few items like this. Ratings aren't changing from the initial rating even though some items have 10 + comments ( all good )


Hey Fairyy~, good comments do not mean it has been given a rating to match comment. I have comments on some of my stuff where someone states "5 Stars" yet since my rating has not changed they have apparently not actually rated it.

I had just test rated some other items to respond to another thread, on some it took 1 star higher, on some it took 2 stars but rating was changing (all tested rerated = to mod rating) Mods Access Class are from 6-9, these ratings carry the most weight.
Needing 1 to 2 starts from me to move rating is due to who gave mod rating. My access class 3 plus mod of 6 compared to a mod of 9 and my 3. Takes more to move average if modded by a access class of 9.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey Fairyy~, #3 posted before seeing your reply #2.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Now with all that said, awhile back ratings were broken, first user rating was replacing Mod rating. T-Man has fixed this issue, and maybe while he was in there has done some other tweaking.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I had just test rated some other items to respond to another thread, on some it took 1 star higher, on some it took 2 stars but rating was changing (all tested rerated = to mod rating) Mods Access Class are from 6-9, these ratings carry the most weight.


That again is my point...you and I are both access class 3 ... normally if I gave a 3 star screen shot 4 stars it would move. Now - even 5 stars from me moves nothing.
It feels like my rating is not really applying. I noticed this a couple of weeks ago.

Something just feels ' different'

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Maybe its just my imagination..


No, as I said above it took 5 stars from me to move the wall you linked, if you have rated it higher and sydney did, it seems like it may have many 1 star rates on it.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey Fairyy~, good comments do not mean it has been given a rating to match comment


Again...a specific wall comes to mind. Po Smedley's Christmas Wall with a Fairy. It came out with a 2.5 rating. It had tons of comments ( positive ) and your right, maybe no one rated it at all...but I gave it 5 stars from day 1 and it remained at 2.5 forever. Just seems odd...
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Now with all that said, awhile back ratings were broken, first user rating was replacing Mod rating. T-Man has fixed this issue, and maybe while he was in there has done some other tweaking.


I was aware of this..maybe he tweaked too tight
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I would still like a moderator to check this if they have a chance.

My main point was I notice " My " ratings don't seem to be applying.


Your rating is there. It's working.

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Just tested some screen shots, I see what you mean, at least for screenies. Found one with 2 stars, took 5 stars to move rating. Maybe someone with Access Class of 9 is doing screenies now. Hit two 3 star shots with 5 stars, they did not move. Either many had already given these ratings same as mod or T-Man may need to do more tweaking.

I know from the past, from my skins, a 3 star skin would go to 4 stars with one 5 star rate from access class 4 (journeyman). Now on some, you and I can't move a 3 star with a 5 star rate. Either evryone is rating new skins as soon as they get posted or the ratings are not being averaged properly.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Your rating is there. It's working


Hey Super K, did you get out a calculator and the weighting chart for Access Class and average all the ratings to see if the 1 Star rate is correct for that wall.
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I just looked at the ratings table and they are being properly calculated.

Additionally, after looking at the table, it is becoming very obvious that people are not using the ratings system as intended.  People are not giving ratings according to what they think the work actually IS, but instead giving it higher ratings to try and artifically raise the overall score to what they feel it should be.  This is something we see particularly with lower-rated entries more and more.

If something is rated a 2 star and you feel it should be a 3 star, you give it a 3.  You don't give it a 5 because it will help raise the average up to a 3 faster. 
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey Zoomba, not disputing what you said; just tested some new releases(object dock icons), rated 1 star from moderation, putting 5 stars (then rerate back with 1 star after seeing rating movement) on from me moved rating 1/2 a star. In the past rating a skin like this with 3 stars would move it 1/2 sometimes 1 whole star. Should not take that much higher a rate by Access Class 3 to move a rating, 4 stars higher to move 1/2 star.?
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It's not 1 star..... it's 1.5.
But no, I didn't actually do all the calculations, not knowing the access of everyone that have rated the wall...... so let me rephrase that. I don't know if it's working correctly, but it is working.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Zoomba, reply 14 typed and submitted before seeing your edit of 13.

I think some who rate higher do so after seeing a 3 star skin drop to one so put a 5 to even out low rating. The artifical raise you talked about does still happen the other way.

As I stated above, in the past it would take 1 1/2-2 star higher or lower rate to move average rate 1/2 star.(some on new skins, so good chance my rate was first other than Mod rate.)
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Cavan: it gets harder and harder to move a rating the more people that vote on it.  
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
not knowing the access of everyone that have rated the wall

I don't know if it's working correctly


I thought you knew everything Super K may need to start calling you super k, until you earn back the upper case S and K

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Additionally, after looking at the table, it is becoming very obvious that people are not using the ratings system as intended.  People are not giving ratings according to what they think the work actually IS, but instead giving it higher ratings to try and artifically raise the overall score to what they feel it should be.  This is something we see particularly with lower-rated entries more and more.

If something is rated a 2 star and you feel it should be a 3 star, you give it a 3.  You don't give it a 5 because it will help raise the average up to a 3 faster. 

Exactly. I've said this time and again. Which is worse: someone rating low because they don't like something, or someone rating two stars higher than they should because they disagree?

If you rate in a responsible and sensible manner, the system works fine   

Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
may need to start calling you super k, until you earn back the upper case S and K


As I tell my wife...... call me whatever you like, except 'late for supper'.
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Cavan: it gets harder and harder to move a rating the more people that vote on it.


Hey Zoomba; yes that goes without saying but on the two new items I tested, since no downloads yet so mod name showed on expanded download stats. Modded by Access Class 7, 1 star, rated by me Access Class 3, 5 stars (again as a test) the 7 carries that much more weight that rating only moves 1/2 star. So someone with Access Class 1, using my test as an example would not affect overall rating by rating 4 stars higher.
If this little movement with my exaggerated rating, it would take many in line rates to give little overall movement.

Not that any of this really matters to me as I only rate out of line (low) on broken (comments given) or ripped skins, and only given out a handful of 4 and 5 star rates. That said, things do seem out of whack compared to before ratings broke and Mod rating was being replaced.
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I just double checked this rating again against our ratings algorithm and the final score checks out perfectly.  The issue is that higher levels are more heavily weighted than people think.

This blocks the drive-by raters from dropping a skin artifically, or from someone else having all of their friends sign up to the site to raise the score artificially.
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Okiely Dokiely
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
/me contemplates a whole "Ratings are the Devil's work" hijack

/me realizes it's been done



Move along, move along
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey Zoomba, on last question; since I am aware of a couple ratings issues, one of which was reported to an Admin by me, has the ratings algorithm recently been tweaked to help negate drive by ratings thus affecting ratings overall.

OK, now you can go back to something more important than this