That Rating System

I really don't think the rating system will be 'thrown in the trash', no matter how many requests there are for it to be done.

It 'may' change in detail, but not in principle....

It 'may' change in detail

Is this a hint or clue of something to come?

I was wondering if the system would change with the changes to the wallpaper moderating. I'm not critisizing the system, but when I started seeing walls with only one star, I was hoping some modifications to ratings would be coming.

Hmmm.... the monthly rating rant seems a bit tardy this month...

portraits...as i have said before-ignore the rating!!!while it may make us feel good to get a bunch of stars, it is of little importance. what is important is that you shared something with the community and it is embraced by the community. downloads and comments have become my personal rating system. so yes, you are right "throw it in the trash" but do so on a personal level, not on the community's level.

I understand what you are saying Skinhit, however you don't put a rating system on art. Art is to be respected and appreciated, it is expressive and beautiful no matter what it looks like. Its not personal, Skinhit, it is for the other members who are just learning to make art and for those who are well established in their own work. By any means I am not looking out for myself, but for those other community members. If I get a low mark, who cares, but what about the others. You know I've been out of school for a long time, I'm speaking for myself and probably others but this site feels like were in school and we can hardly wait to turn on our computers and see what high or low mark we got on our test.  

i do have to agree there...

this is my point of view about the rating system:

yes' it's important in certain way.., why? becouse the many new members or visitors realize that a skin with a poor rating means that that skin is bad, good or excelent(according to the amount of stars), now, "there is" a favouritism on the creations of some old skinners that i wont mention at all but many of the people that i know and talk with me via MSN tell me that.

..if i say that i dont realy care about the rating i will lie, i do realy care about the rating a little bit, but i try to pay more attention to the downloads, that is why i creat my skins, becouse i want to share with all of u, old and new members of this site, but it realy hurt to see high ratings on the wrong skin.

now, "there is" a favouritism on the creations of some old skinners that i wont mention at all but many of the people that i know and talk with me via MSN tell me that.

If I told you the Earth was flat you'd believe that too, I presume...

There IS a 'rating system' on 'art'....when you are talking about what does and what does not make it to a Gallery's wall.  Example...my sister's work, a portrait of a Labor Federal MP [Julia Gillard in Australia - do a Google] was one of 35 works successfully 'rated' to be hung for the Archibald Prize [2006]...out of 800+ submissions...that's about 24 in 25  never saw the 'light of day'.

On a private, personal site or 'gallery' you can do as you wish with 'accepting all and equally', whatever you like.

On Wincustomize.com a different process applies...;

Jafo, i have been on this site almost two years and i see that kind of skins with a unjustified high rate, and well, they start with a high rate but then i notice that the people just dont downloade it too much or they start pulling down the rate...

..and btw, most of all the comments on those skins are from old skinners(friends i think).
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sry for the bad english

Ah...the ratings system! I have no idea whats going on with that. I have stuff that gets lots of downloads but lower ratings than stuff that gets fewer downloads...so I don't really pay much attention to them.   

There IS a 'rating system' on 'art'....when you are talking about what does and what does not make it to a Gallery's wall. Example...my sister's work, a portrait of a Labor Federal MP [Julia Gillard in Australia - do a Google] was one of 35 works successfully 'rated' to be hung for the Archibald Prize [2006]...out of 800+ submissions...that's about 24 in 25 never saw the 'light of day'.

Well, Jafo, this isn't a gallery of a museum of portraits ( at which I do draw portraits), its a gallery of well talented skinners good or bad. When you walk into a gallery do you see 5 stars hanging on the wall so you can rate it? Yup, thats what I thought, you don't see that. Look deep within that art piece and appreciate everything you see and inhale all that beauty. Jafo, this isn't a joke maybe to you it is, but to others its what they do best.

Ah, this old chestnut again....

The ratings don't matter ....the downloads don't matter.

What does matter, is that you've created something you are happy with, and then decided to share it with this community. This alone should be enough to bring you pleasure, regardless of how many downloads your finished works get.

Take pleasure from your own work, first and foremost.

All else is the cream.

If downloads and ratings is/are what you do this for ...then in my humble opinion, you're doing it for all the wrong reasons.

...carry on

What does matter, is that you've created something you are happy with, and then decided to share it with this community. This alone should be enough to bring you pleasure, regardless of how many downloads your finished works get.

That pretty much sums it up right there.

I could care less what rating I get on any of my skins. If one person enjoys the work I put into it, then it was totally worth it.

What 1 person like another doesn't. What one person gives 5 stars another gives 2. Its all in the eye of the people rating. AS WC has relaxed their standards, more marginal works have been getting into the libraries. So you might see a few more with less stars. I can understand that, as I'am sure others can also. On to August.

If downloads and ratings is/are what you do this for ...then in my humble opinion, you're doing it for all the wrong reasons.

Well my friend, I do this to share my art work with the community, I don't come here to see the rating or how much was downloaded. I do it for all the right reasons, so you know what you can do with that little quote you just typed and don't be putting words in my mouth that you know nothing about. Maybe you should read more on the works of "ART"     

portraits ...that quote of mine above, is MY OPINION [which I'm entitled to ]...and was not intended to put words in your mouth.

Perhaps you should read a little deeper into a comment, before you jump to the defensive.

It was a generalisation, intended for all to read and think upon ...not aimed at you, as you seem to think it was.

This downloads and ratings subject comes up often, and is a thorn in many people's sides.

I don't come here to see the rating or how much was downloaded. I do it for all the right reasons

By this comment ..it actually seems we are in agreement, so I dont see why you got steamed up..

...gawd, I love the internet.

In my view (personal opinion only, not necessarily the official stance of Stardock), as we relax the standards on what gets accepted and what doesn't, we need to shift to a heavier reliance on a public ratings system.  There needs to be some way, in addition to simply showcasing people's works that they submit, to really highlight the best stuff submitted.  A lot of people come here looking for blinds, wallpapers, icons, DX themes etc to make their PC as cool looking as possible, and it can be discouraging having to sort through pages of Bryce renders and MS Paint drawings to find something that's pretty good.  One of the only ways currently is to derive some meaning/information out of the ratings and download data we have available to us.

However, there is a need to review how we do that, and how the ratings system will work in the future.  If you have suggestions on how to improve the methods by which we feature the really good work, please share!  I can be reached at mikec[at]stardock.com

Jafo, this isn't a joke maybe to you it is, but to others its what they do best.

portraits ...

Re words-into-mouth-placements....

It may surprise you to know that my personal formal 'Art education' began in 1972 [OK, so my sister was graduating with an Honours Degree in Fine Art about that time and I was just starting], and since then my 'creations' have been judged/rated/misused/abused/call it what you will - in all ways and forms.

It's really nothing new.

What 'should' be clear here on Wincustomize.com is that I for one do NOT consider skins and skinning [and the treatment of the works and their makers] as a 'joke'.  I am 'one of them' myself, getting into skinning back around '97.

 

Wincustomize.com IS a gallery, and as with any ALL galleries it has rules/criteria for/what/how the works are to be displayed.

You, too can be one of the 800 whose works were NEVER seen, or you can be one of the 35 whose works WERE seen.

On this site all 800+ at least 'might' be seen by all...provided public opinion decrees.

That makes Wincustomize.com ane hell of a lot fairer than what transpires in Australia's premiere contest for Portraiture.  {example used only because I know it well]...

This post takes me back to the very first argument I had with Jafo..

And we probably would still argue about this rating thing.
( my biggest thing I hate about the ratings is the mouse over " I hate it " It's Ok " etc etc)

Portraits, I understand how you feel and while it seems the ratings are unjust at times - most of it stems from lack of time by people that can rate. Thats why it seems the " Old timers " get high ratings. Their work gets uploaded with 3 stars because its a priviledge they earned. But its not the true rating at the time. Now it only takes 1 or 2 people to rate their work and you now have what looks like an uneven scale here.

I try to look at everything that gets uploaded-if I dont care for something I dont just downrated it because its not my " taste "

I have made a few walls myself - but never uploaded any of them. I figured they would be rejected by the previous standards. But I see the wall section is becoming more " open " to new comers. Im not an Artist - I cant draw worth a dime - you can - I admire anyone that has this talent.

Maybe a solution can be found to this age old rating problem. Perhaps 2 separate wall catagories. One for the more seasoned - one for the up and coming beginners or the artistically challenged like me.

my biggest thing I hate about the ratings is the mouse over " I hate it " It's Ok " etc etc

Exactly what I said the first time I saw that.

Here's the dilemma with those descriptions. Take a well known skin by one of the greatest skinners of all time (names omitted for obvious reasons). I don't like it. Does that mean I should rate it two stars? The work and quality is worth five+. No doubt if I did give it two stars that would be seen to be unfair. So I chose not to rate it at all.

On the old system (out of 10) I used to give up to 3 for skill level, up to 3 for appearance, up to 3 for functionality and an extra 1 for something that was really special.

Rating probably needs to be in skilled hands only.

Rating probably needs to be in skilled hands only.

Perhaps thats the solution. So many have the ability to rate skins but im sure most dont bother unless they have the time to browse. Other sites have a slide bars to rate 1 through 10. No " I hate it " or " I love it " or " To die for " mouse overs.

Its really a catch 22 - the reason most complain about ratings is because some libraries are not seen by the public unless they have a rating of 7 or higher.

Sorry to say, but everything can't be a 7(31/2 stars) or above.

Why not just do away with the rating system and there will be on more problems!
I can't draw a stright line or make any of the wonderful icons - WB or DXW's that I get from here but If I download anything it is because I like how it looks on MY computer
and most of the time the ratings on the things I get are low.
So what ? There are beautiful in my eyes.