Star Ratings in Galleries

[Forseti]

I wonder if the team might like to review the text associated with the star ratings in members galleries. The current text is as given below and I am of the opinion that if a star rating can be afforded to an above average image then there should also be facility for awarding stars that are either average or below average. Would it not perhaps be better to leave out the very poor rating, replacing it with below average (sounds better if nothing else) and replacing the not so good with average?

* Very Poor
** Not so good
*** Above average
**** Very good work
***** Superb - Photo of the Day material

I left comment on an image today which I felt was deserving of an average rating. I didn't feel it rated not so good and neither above average which resulted in my leaving no star rating at all.

[silversnapper1]

Or could it be possible to dismiss the star ratings altogether?

I also frequent another site where it is possible to disable the star rating system on the images and receive comments only. This, I do, as I tend to find that it is mostly one's 'friends' that comment on images and they will invariably rate at 4 or 5 anyway, making it a pointless system. The feedback is much more useful.

Steve.

[donoreo]

Originally Posted by Forseti

I wonder if the team might like to review the text associated with the star ratings in members galleries. The current text is as given below and I am of the opinion that if a star rating can be afforded to an above average image then there should also be facility for awarding stars that are either average or below average. Would it not perhaps be better to leave out the very poor rating, replacing it with below average (sounds better if nothing else) and replacing the not so good with average?

* Very Poor
** Not so good
*** Above average
**** Very good work
***** Superb - Photo of the Day material

I left comment on an image today which I felt was deserving of an average rating. I didn't feel it rated not so good and neither above average which resulted in my leaving no star rating at all.

I agree. The current rating system seems to actually pull form several, it needs consistency. It is as if you were writing and had some bullet points that you used numbers for some and then letters for others and nothing for others. If you pick "average" to base it on, then something like this:

* Below Average
** Average
*** Above Average
**** Well above Average
***** Excellent

Could be used.

I would agree Forseti, the phrasing is a little harsh for the * and **

[Jeff Meyer]

Thanks for the suggestion, Forseti. All of you make some good points. Silversnapper, that's a very interesting idea you mention to give people the option to disable the rating system altogether. Perhaps we need to review our rating system and look at how we can improve it.

[donoreo]

If people want to keep a ratings system, just have a binary one: like, dislike?

[AndyStevens]

Good suggestion Forseti.

Have to admit though I only rate 4 or 5 stars - the galleries are slow and there are so many images I only look at the ones that really stand out. Would love to look at every new image and comment/rate - just don't have the time.

Cheers
Andy

[pburness]

I agree with the comments on the rating systems - I think they are poorly used when offered (generally - people either rate them good or not at all, who rates a picture 'very poor'? most people would just ignore such an image).

The binary system also has flaws - for instance, where people have not taken the time to select the 'like' button it can be misconstrued as 'dislike'

I do like the flickr method of groups. You can start a group, invite similar minded / capable people into the group and then vote or comment. This limits the number of images a member has to view / comment on and photo's are added to the group specifically to be commented on by the members. It's more like a large number of virtual camera clubs.

The forums can be used like this, or at least I do


Phil

[Reinardina]

You have to leave a comment in order to give a rating. Why not just leave a comment, if you think/know a photograph is not (quite) good enough?

[AndyStevens]

Reinardina, you can leave comments without ratings but not ratings without comments (as I recently discovered several unrated comments on my gallery). Again though, I think it just comes down to time to trawl through...