No paxx, that reference wasn't specifically for you or I would have stated so. You've been on record for a long time as believing that the rating system is useless. Just making the point that many people wonder why Delicious brings this up so often. To many people it's a silly argument and pointless to bring up, but to her and others it's something that, at least in their mind, they deal with every time they upload something, therefore it shouldn't be trivialized. You don't agree that perceived "injustices" would be more relevant to someone who uploads once a week than they would be to a person who uploads once a year? It has been about a year for you though, hasn't it? I'm still waiting for the XP version of iWIN.

someone knocks on my door at that time of night a number of time will get hosed down...

but I understand your point...

oh I've got one of those Jafo, well, more than one actually, with peace symbols on em

and bandanas and flops, a few single ear rings and a couple of high times teehirts

mmm...

Interesting, Sad and yet hard to believe.

For a Company and a program that is based around change and not wanting to change their site policies is a tragedy.

It is also a sad situation when they have to "spy" on the ppl that rate skins. I wonder how many ppl that rate a skin know that they are submitting their name also. How many are going to hesitate now that they know.

Living in the USA I guess I am custom to privacy rights and this appears less than being a private voting system. What advantages are to be gained by intruding on a vote but to gather info about the voter. Is that a privacy issue? I say yes.

But Please don't make any change because that just might improve the site.

Delicious, the site isn't going to change, it's been discussed countlessly on this board and on the admin board, and it's not gonna happen. When I made this rating chart, I made it because I thought that without the SAME evaluating grid, people would not be rating the same things. I made the grid when I finally realised the rating system was not going to go. That was probably two years ago, or around there.

Also, about the private rating thing. Only admins see it, and it's VERY useful. And the users, you, too, are the first ones to benefit. That's how we found out when some skinners systematically rate 0 every skin that may compete with their skin in the top 10 spot. Formal warnings are made and the problem is usualy solved.

I can see now that trying to make suggestions for a positive change is a waste of time.

Pushing a positive/constructive view that is prevalent here appears to be a one sided issue.

I will no longer make any kind of suggestion or bring this matter up.

However, 2 years is a long time to keep one's head buried in the sand but if that is policy then such is life. It is not my server so carry on or stay still.

Even standing still, we are travelling at 5000 miles per second.



Food for thought....

Personally, I agree with the earlier post that said the ratings weren't really helpful, in as much as you have no way of knowing why a skin got the rating it did. The whole thing seems like more of a popularity contest than an evaluation on style, technique, artistry, etc.

Although it sounds like it will never happen, at least in the forseeable future, it would be nice to have feedback from a selected # of advanced skinners on every skin. Several years ago, I was a member of an online poetry club and every work you submitted was evaluated by at least 4 other members on style, form, etc. This enabled the writer to improve with real advice and comments from other writers, not just "cool poem". I have only been making skins for a couple of months or so, but I'm not sure if I've ever had any helpful comment from any other skinners. I think the comments I've gotten have been mostly from ppl that come here to download but wouldn't know where to start in evaluating a skin on it merits.

As I said, it probably won't happen but maybe some skinners, especially new ones like me, yearn for help, advice and so forth and the ratings just don't get it done.

ok, that's my 2 cents

Like Davad I have given up on the ratings too. The only thing that I look for is some constructive criticism so that I can improve for a next try. Those comments are hard to find though. Paxx has given me his rating grid when there was another thread about ratings. It is a good way to sort out what is importanr to a skin.

Hey paxx, would you please send me your rating grid at [email protected] so I can check it out; it would be much appreciated. I've seen alot of good and viable comments here as well as in previous threads on this topic. I feel (I hate to commit myself), that the rating system is poor at best and is in sore need of revamping. I've ignored it for quite some time now as well as amount of downloads which I won't even broach here. It would be interesting to know which skins people have been consistantly using the most, as I've gone through the process of download, implement, oh, and dump...

mcackerson: http://pax.gslcom.com/ratings/rating.html

Like your grid, paxx, except for one critique: Personally, I'm willing to sacrifice a small degree of resources for, let's say, animation; the only place this can fit under is your originality section, which encompasses even a low resources skin, which means a low resources skin can get two marks whereas an animated moderate resourses skin can only get one mark. Do you see what I'm trying to say?

mcackerson: note that the question reads "Is the skin optimized as much as it should, does it require too much resources on your system compared to similar skins?"
An animated skin should not be compared to one that isn't. One much compare apples with apples.

My biggest annoyance with ratings is the fact that anyone with $20 can have the ability. Ratings became truly meaningless when subscribers were given that privilege.

Re: Paxx's comment about "0" ratings...That absolutely amazes me. You would think that people were competing for a million dollar prize or something. I have seen several skins that I thought were rated too high, but not being an artist, I assume there are attributes that I miss. I have upped the rating on skins that I thought were too low...Case in point, one time when I was browsing skins by Gillion, I found a number of them that were rated "1" I use her stuff, and like it a lot, so I raised the ratings on them. I don't think I have ever lowered the rating on a skin. If I don't like it, I don't download it or rate it.

paxx, I Knew you'd say that...

mcackerson: so you did... hehehe! Is that good or bad?

*sigh*

Since the rating system is stuck in time, What if an author puts in the skin comment not to judge the skin by the outdated/flawed ratings that the skin shows. This being for the new ppl or the ones that don't know better.
or is that area censored to protect the reasoning behind leaving the system the way it is.

I would wager a guess it remains the way it is for bandwidth reason.

Jebland: those ratings on Gillons skins were probably given by a "competitor", trying to "eliminate the competition". Sad but true, and the main reason I don't like the rating system.
/me goes to check who rated Gillon's skins so low...............

Hmmm... nothing too bad in the ratings except for one, which will come as no surprise to the other admins here...

I rather doubt users pay much attention to the ratings. The pic is what's predominant. Either they like a skin well enough from how it looks to download it or they don't.

I've seen skins I like with thousands of downloads, maybe a couple ratings (not necessarily spectacular) and few or no comments. So I don't think ratings deter someone from trying out a skin if they like the way it looks.

(The only exception of course is if the rating is so low visitors can't see it, which I understand is the case.)

An alternative: let only skinners of a certain level rate skins and/or display the raters with the ratings they gave, either to the public or the skinner. (OK, hard to say if the second would make people more mature in their behavior or less so. )

I agree with sig101, Sally. I don't think anyone downloads according to the rating. It is just whether it is visually appealing to the person or not.

And BoXXi, do you mean there was ony one skin with a 1 rating or only one person who rated them like that? I'm pretty sure I found 2 or 3 that were rated 1. But it's been a while, so I might be mistaken.