Phoon Phoon

Serious Ratings Abuse Still Happening

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Serious Ratings Abuse Still Happening

rehashing an old favorite

from WinCustomize Forums
I can't help but notice that as of late, there has been some serious rating slamming happening particularly in the Windowblinds section.
There have been some fine themes that are getting hammered with 1 and 2 stars and some mediocre themes getting 3 and 4.
When Boxxi puts out a new one like Gold Carbon and its getting rated at 2 stars, I think that is proof enough.
It seems we have hashed and rehashed this issue, yet nothing ever gets done about it.
Why can't we have the following rules for ratings, it WOULD do a great deal to solve the issue.
#1) If you are going to rate, you MUST leave a comment.
#2) Your username, comment and rating are visible to the skinner at least.
27,242 views 103 replies
Reply #51 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Something to think about.

Citizen = 1
Apprentice = 2
Master Apprentice = 3
Journeyman = 4
Master= 5
Mod/Admin = 6

Those are the multipliers for the different ranks.

So when a mod rates your skin with 3 stars it will take a bunch of citizen rating a skin low to affect the overall rating.

So for each higher rake, it will take less ratings to affect the overall rating.

Think about that. So if a skin is rated 2-21/2 stars, then there must be a lot of people that think that way or a few experienced people that think so.

I Hope everyone understands how this works.

Now if a MOD rates you with 2 stars, it will take a bunch of people to raise that rating.
Reply #52 from WinCustomize Forums Top
see quite a few skins with great comments and low ratings. That indicates a problem. period.


No, that indicates that while some people found the skin(s) to be excellent and were vocal about it, the silent majority found it to be otherwise. Just because a number of people rant and rave that a skin is awesome, does not necessarily make it so.
ObjectDock - Access shortcuts and frequently used applications from an animated dock.
Reply #53 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Also it doesn't mean the downloaded it. It just looked nice in the preview.
Reply #54 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Beautiful Sunday morning. isn't it?
Reply #55 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Beautiful Sunday morning. isn't it?



no, it isn't!! it's cold and snowy i want may, june, july, and august weather NOW

on a side note, 3 more hours
Reply #56 from WinCustomize Forums Top
snowing here too. 3 more hours until what?
Reply #57 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Snow arriving here tomorrow....my guess is 3-hours until the Daytona 500 starts
Reply #58 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I definitely agree that theres rating slamming going on. I support BOTH rules.
Reply #59 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I dont get Nascar. You drive in a circle for 4 hours...how is that fun? I'd get dizzy by the 30th lap...
Reply #60 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have been observing the last two threads of ratings abuse with interest. JM Phoon summarises well...
Perhaps the frequency indicates that people are a tad disturbed by the system and it deserves to be thought out again by the powers that be



Well, Powers that be, here is a tip: Have 2 seperate ratings systems, similar to the Oscars & People's Choice.
The Oscars: The Academy, the Peers, the So-called "Experts" vote (Those tend to beleive that they are above the rest and their vote is what really counts)
The Poeple's: The Masses, the ones who download, rent, buy.(they like, they use, they admire, they vote)
Reply #61 from WinCustomize Forums Top
why ratings at all?

doesn't the numbers of downloads speak for themselves?


..I mean the DL's do speak for themselves.. The very good skins are usually the most popular DL's.


I'm not quite sure I agree. I have a load of skins that I don't/can't use. I did not rate all of them and I didn't leave a comment. Why? In part due to me knowing I have a lot ignorance in the area of skinning & I didn't want to come off as trashing somebody on the unuseability (by me)of a skin and then have someone else come back an go "hey, all ya gotta do is go in and click this".

My example: the rogue protons [I am in no way trying to flame/trash I.R.B.!] - I like the colors alot, love the way they look... but I can't use them. I have a 15in monitor - 1024x768... when I apply the protons my 'all programs' list is 5 panels wide & I can only see 3 of them.



Hence the disagreement(somewhat)with the above comments. How many of the 'popular' downloads were by people like me? I looked at the screen shot, read some reviews and downloaded it cuz I liked what I saw. Then I applied it, tried it, found I can't use it & then reapplied something else.

Just my 2 cents, since I don't have a solution.
Reply #62 from WinCustomize Forums Top
your programs list is 5 panels wide? you have a serious need for editing that baby down. create some master folders and move some of your folders into those. this is only a suggestion. if you're happy with that many program folders, so be it
Reply #63 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I hear ya. I'm just lazy and cluttered. Is there an easy way to shrink the skin? I use other skins that only show 3-4 panels but they all fit on one screen.

Should have seen it when I accidently tried that huge resolution 'incredibles' destopx - wifey was yelling at me from the livingroom cuz it shot all the way to the tv.
Reply #64 from WinCustomize Forums Top
By reading Articals of this type I have seen in the last three mths these are points I like to point out!
1. number of downloads dont matter.
2. you have to be educated to rate
3. Rank has value not the above
4. this is a skinner site for and by skinners always has been and always will be (jafo)
5. Not eye appeal but Quality/originality
6. Do not expect a reason why (e-mail) ect. (It is not in the rules)
Now take the 6 points as I have wrote them down and put them in a upside down triangle and thats how your are rated!
Is it fair? well by this type articals obviously not!
Will it change? I point out no.#4.
PROBLEM:Many of US meaning old and new are of the mind set of no.#1 Which is not the case followed by no.#4
But many of us want GOOD Quality skins so that has to be considered, possibley a nother rating for Quality ect. followed by no.#4.
Please google this site for this subject if I'm lying I'm dyin and you will see these points and you will also see no.#4 being represented many times meaning there site there rules there opinion and that all that matters and interestingly enough it is the same people.
So this subject is dead a waste of time the only good is you might feel better after ranting untill nxt time
Reply #65 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yeah I mean maybe people are giving something 3 stars (which means a 6) and thinking that that is a good enough rating. I still say, do away with the policy that only skins with ratings above 7 can be visible to all. I think this would knock out a whole lot of the hurt feelings, people leaving the site, getting angry, and overall sentiment of disillusion that people are feeling as of late. To me, it would be a huge step in the right direction.
Reply #66 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well, Powers that be, here is a tip: Have 2 seperate ratings systems, similar to the Oscars & People's Choice.
The Oscars: The Academy, the Peers, the So-called "Experts" vote (Those tend to beleive that they are above the rest and their vote is what really counts)
The Poeple's: The Masses, the ones who download, rent, buy.(they like, they use, they admire, they vote)


Exactly the point I made in the other thread. Have 2 separate criteria for the ratings. That way people can know if their hard work is really appreciated and liked.
Reply #67 from WinCustomize Forums Top
People this is a dead end street we might as well all turn around and go back the other way, its like why shoot a dead horse? We can all rant til we are blue in the face and its not going to change anything!Its like why waste your breathe nobody is gonna listen so just take a valium and relax its not worth getting your blood pressure up,lol!
Reply #68 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The rating system is working as designed.

I submit to you that Boxxi, who is a wizop here, has a skin that is being debated and "only" has 2.5 stars is proof that there is no bias involved.  Even guys like me and Boxxi, who are high access people and have been here since the beginning, regularly put out skins that are rated as average (2.5 stars).

It is also getting a bit annoying, after having been corrected, that some people persist in claiming that WindowBlinds skins require a 3.5 star rating to be seen by anonymous users. This is false and demonstratably false (just log out and look for crying out loud).

There will always be people unhappy with the rating system. And if we did away with it and made for a warm fuzzy happy fluffy site where everything was 5 stars and shown to the world, then people wouls stop coming here because they would be unable to sift through the poor quality content.

Your options are: Either harsh moderation where we outright reject content that we think is not of the highest quality or a rating system where users who have earned the right through contributing to WinCustomize in one form or other give their views on skins and themes.

Reply #70 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The rating system works perfectly as it was intended.

1.8 million people can see every single skin on the site....and they have that right because they chose to join Wincustomize.com and benefit from membership.

The casual non-member has his access limited/restricted by a filter established by a concensus of members' opinion.

If the casual viewer sees impressive content [through filtering] he may be enticed to join...and thus have access to all as well.

That's it in a nutshell...

Reply #71 from WinCustomize Forums Top
::raises hand:: I have a question Jafo ..::laughs:: Just a clarification of your statement for no other purpose than for me to understand *Exactly what you mean.. I plan on becoming a member regardless..but..here goes..

Are you saying that some content that would normally get a higher rating is "Downrated" for the purpose of non-member "Casual visitors" benefit for the purpose of hopefully obtaining membership?

I apologize if I misunderstand, thats why I have asked.
Zero.
Reply #72 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Citizen Double Zero nothing is 'down-rated'.

Everything is simply 'rated'.

The filtering is intended to be naturally set by the Registered Users' opinion/input....

Reply #73 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ok..Cool..Thanx


Zero.
Reply #74 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Frogboy,


I apologize for indicating that 3.5 stars or above are required for skins to be viewable by casual viewers. I did as you asked (logged out and looked) and saw that you were 100% correct.

I will prevent any more incorrect technical statements by not speaking before complete verification.

Again, I apologize.
Reply #75 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hi Corky, no problem. I actually hadn't noticed you having said that. I was referring to Angel who I had corrected in another thread right before you wrote here.