That's not what it says on the tin...

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

This thread is about thread ratings. This system attracts a queer response from Barrowdowners, at least in my view.

First of all, does anyone do it? I admit that I've only done it about 4 or 5 times in my 3 years here.

I especially wonder why certain threads have, what seems to me like, bizarre ratings.

There is a thread called The Eagles in the movies section which is essentially a duplicate thread, and it is rated with 5......bones, is it? I think they're bones. Anyway, for anyone who has not actually looked at it, it's a 5-star thread.

Alternatively, there is a thread from a while back called PJ's Sauron which is an absolute riot and very funny indeed, rated with 1 bone for some reason.

The point of the bones is so that people with only a few minutes to spare can safely ignore those threads rated with 1 or 2 bones, which are meant to be of poor quality. But this is just not working properly.

So what? Should we campaign to get everyone to rate every thread they devote some time to? Please share your thoughts. And any answers about that Sauron thread.

[VanimaEdhel]

Are there a lot of cliques traveling around on the board? Because I remember on the old board, when we had those ancient User Ratings, there was a lot of strife regarding that - people unfairly rating other users not based on the content of their statements or the validity of their arguments, but rather because the specific poster was their friend or had, at some time, offended them.

I haven't been here in a very, very long time, so I don't know how the dynamic of the board has been lately - whether the "Stuffy Oldies" and the "Fractious Newbies" are still waging a silent war or what, but simply the creator of a thread might spark unfair ratings, if they are based on arbitrary ratings.

Granted, I'm for having ratings - both user and thread - but people still have to allow a margin for the voters' personal feelings regarding the poster. Often, if the creator of the thread is a bit of the pariah on the board, they won't get a high user rating no matter what they do. It may follow suit for their threads. It shouldn't be that way, but it is.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Cliques, hmm....... I don't think so. Did there used to be?

Just in the last few minutes I was looking at a thread called Young Master Gandalf which includes interesting discussion about Gandalf and Treebeard - rated 1 bone's worth.

[VanimaEdhel]

I don't really know how deeply it got - whether it was really a clique or just a bunch of bitter people together. I do know that one of the reasons they abolished the old ratings system was that people were targeting one person, and having all their friends go after them too. If you did something particularly nice one day, for example, they'd go around raising your score everytime they saw it, no matter how juvenile your posting. Meanwhile, you could uncover some deep, meaningful truth regarding Tolkien (granted, that's an exaggeration), but if you, for example, unexpectedly (to them) killed their character off in a role-playing game because they had not been around for a good few months, they would have all their friends go around and lower your score. I don't know if things like that still happen here.

And then there was always a certain degree of discomfort between Oldies - of which I sort of became one - and the Newbies. Especially when a new movie would come out and we'd get that rash of Orlando-lovers and people professing their undying love for Legolas or Aragorn, things got a little tense. That seemed to happen more in the RP-ing rooms, to be honest, though. Every fangirl and her mother it seemed were wandering in there and making a beautiful, golden-haired elf shieldmaiden with blue eyes - named something like Lhunsilwenbainmorsuiladmenelaldardulincelinduialie lienwen - usurped from power (lovechild of Elrond and some hot elf lass), and having her wander off on a quest to win the heart of Legolas. Things got especially nasty then...I think there was even a time when you didn't have to get characters "okay"-ed by someone before you could play. It was actually mayhem quite a bit of the time.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I think the newbies are very respectful these days anyway. They probably take after our generation.

But regarding friends unfairly rating your product, VanimaEdhel - are you familiar with the reputation system? It has the potential to be even worse than the thread ratings. But there's not too much abuse on the Downs.

[VanimaEdhel]

Yes, the old "ratings system" I alluded to was like the reputation system...but I think there were little...bones? I don't know...I forget - so long ago. But that was a big old mess.

I'm going to sign off - get ready to go out for a birthday dinner.

[the phantom]

You know... I don't think I have ever rated a thread.

It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I never even think about it.

I'll try to remember to rate threads in the future.

[Ainaserkewen]

I've never done it either. Nor do I look at the thread ratings. I have my own system for maximising my reading pleasure here.

So, does anybody rate threads? Or better yet, how many people notice their ratings?

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by VanimaEdhel

Every fangirl and her mother it seemed were wandering in there and making a beautiful, golden-haired elf shieldmaiden with blue eyes - named something like Lhunsilwenbainmorsuiladmenelaldardulincelinduialie lienwen - usurped from power (lovechild of Elrond and some hot elf lass), and having her wander off on a quest to win the heart of Legolas.

Oh, Vanima, how little thou rememb'rest! It was red hair and green eyes, every last loving one of them, and nearly all long lost orphans too. And oh how they could ride! Eminent horsewomen too, without a lock of hair blowing in a manner unbecoming.

But let me not be accused of sexism. I think we had our fair share--oh, very fair!--of sternly jawed, well muscled men of ardour, whose strong-armed swordplay showed greater fealty to steel's edge and maidenly blush than to Strider's lonely campaigns.

Yes, things certainly have 'cimmered' down.

But, to return to topic, I rate threads that I find myself reading even if I don't post--the discussion/wit/humour carries me along. I love giving praise where praise is due! And I do note which threads get rated. It tells me something about at least a few of the Downers here, where lie their preferences. Is this just me, a bit of a modding habit?

EDIT: The old system was a rating of members and it could be turned off at the member's discretion. The new rep system is for ... posts and threads. And you know, Eomer, if you want us to go trouping after some thread to consider your discussion, it would vastly improve the response rate if you provide a link for us lazy gits.

[Encaitare]

I think I rated a thread once, and I don't even remember which one it was. Honestly, I don't really look at the bone ratings.

[HerenIstarion]

I do it now and again. Not that regularly to say it is a habit, but in case certain thread draws my attention and takes a shelf marked 'interesting' in my mental library (regardless own participation), it has high chance of being rated.

As far as I understand, the thread starter is not allowed to rate own thread. Rating is given only once, but is absolutely arbitrary.

It helps to see 5 bones in judging whether read a thread or not, but thread title does a lot more in attracting/repelling me in my choice of reading

Generally, it's all there for them who wish. Help yourself if you have a fancy

Great to see you posting, VanimaEdhel. Let me welcome you back to the Vaults of the Dead

No, there are no cliques around to fight about trifles any more (if indeed there were any back in time), minor misunderstandings taking place now and again, as is natural to all gatherings of considerably different people, be it 'live' or on the web. On the whole, we've grown towards mutual admiration society rather than fighting club

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

I must be blind but I hadn't ever realized that there was a "rate a thread" option. Therefore I have never rated a thread. I had noticed the bones after thread titles, though (I'm not that blind yet).

I think rating a thread is somewhat confusing. For example, does a high rating stand for a good opening post of the thread or rather for interesting discussion it has provoked? In my opinion rating a single post tells more to the poster than rating a whole thread.

Originally Posted by HI

It helps to see 5 bones in judging whether read a thread or not, but thread title does a lot more in attracting/repelling me in my choice of reading

Originally Posted by Eomer

I especially wonder why certain threads have, what seems to me like, bizarre ratings.

It would be ideal for readers, who don't want to scroll through every single topic here if "good" threads would have five bones and duplicates or "bad" threads would have one bone. It doesn't seem to work that way, though, and I'm not entirely sure if it's a bad thing. We all do have different preferences and the current thread ratings tell just what a little minority thinks of them.

A public rating causes prejudices and it doesn't probably feel very nice if your own precious thread receives the lowest rating possible. I'd say the reputation system is much more expressive.

Originally Posted by HI

On the whole, we've grown towards mutual admiration society rather than fighting club

Quite so.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I've already made several embarrassing attempts to link to other threads and posts. The only time I ever get it to work is if someone else has already done it and I can thereby copy it.

I tend to look at every new thread in the fora I visit, occasionally discriminating by title.

[Formendacil]

I pay attention to the thread ratings, but I don't bother with them.

Basically, I stick to my regular forums: Books, Mirth, and Barrow-downs, and check ALL the threads.

When I'm bored/have extra time, I will check out the Novices and Movies. I avoid the RPing just because it's a bit too much, and I'd rather not get sucked in. (As the moderator of a non-Tolkien RP elsewhere, I don't have the time for ANOTHER story...). And I avoid the "new Silmarillion" out of principle. Too dangerous to go somewhere like that, with all of my canonical/purist opinionated tendencies.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Eomer of the Rohirrim

So what? Should we campaign to get everyone to rate every thread they devote some time to? Please share your thoughts.

The only problem with rating threads you spend a lot of time on is that a rating suggests you actually like or enjoy the thread. Sometimes I spend a lot of time pondering issues on a thread which are actually giving me a tense, nervous headache. I can't say I enjoy such threads, but like the old tobacco, I develop a nasty addiction to them and just. can't. stop. myself.

[Kath]

I never really look at the thread ratings when I decide which to enter. My way of picking a thread is simply to go to the active topic lists and click on a new thread with an interesting title or one I know I like as I have been there before.

I also have never rated a thread but that is because it is only in the last minute that I have worked out how to do it! I usually ignore all those options at the bottom of a reply save the one that says 'email notification'.

[Parmawen]

Wow! This is the first I've ever heard of a rating system for threads! It seems like a good idea though, but I suppose what with everyone's different objectives on what's funny/good and what's distasteful it could be rather contradicting. For instance, perhaps a rather random thread that I find funny others might not like...it'll have a rather strange rating then, with 10 bones and 1 bone. Maybe if a mod or someone posted a little instruction-pamphlet on the thread rating's criteria, i.e. originality and grammar, etc.

I love the reputation system...although I find that I get very little reputations. Then again I don't post that often. Here's a question for all you multi-posters: Do you get a lot of reputation comments? or is there still a lack? I've only had one and I've been here a few good months...

Still, whoever thought of all these systems is a genius!!!!

[Rilwen Gamgee]

Originally Posted by Ainaserkewen

I've never done it either. Nor do I look at the thread ratings. I have my own system for maximising my reading pleasure here.

I don't look at the ratings much either. Besides, as Eomer pointed out, there are some amusing/insightful topics that should have recieved higher ratings, but don't, when others that are redundant and not well-compiled recieve un-fitting ratings. Since this is so, I usually ignore them, and if the topic seems interesting, I read it.

So, in short, my policy is this: ignore the ratings, because they can give false impressions of topics. (Or, "don't judge a topic by its rating"...)

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I just noticed that this thread has been rated 4 bones. You guys are hilarious.