Maybe I am being overly sensitive or dramatic, but I have been thinking quite a bit about the rating system for blog entries. From what I understand about blogs, they are supposed to be journal entries. Some topics are more interesting than others. Some topics attract more readers than others, but how can anyone put a rating scale on someone else's thoughts, feelings, and opinions? If someone has something to say, they should say it. Of course, comments should be expected, both positive and negative feedback help to promote discussions, but why the stars?
I guess what I really don't understand is how someone can click a mouse and place a judgment on someone else's writing. For example, I can say someone only earned one star and not give the author any type of feedback at all. It seems like some sort of wimpy way of being negative. Others have their chance to disagree with the author's views by way of entering a comment. This also encourages others to either agree or disagree with the author's views. Commenting does not place a rank on the content of the blog the way the star system does. To me it's kind of like being graded on your opinions. Opinions don't deserve grades, they're unique and individual. Opinions can lead to others sharing their opinions, which, in turn, are neither good or bad, their just someone else's thoughts and views. Why should people be able to judge which opinions are worthwhile and which are not worth reading?
I guess when I see a one star rating, it's like someone posted a comment that says, "your opinion sucks." Would something like that be posted in a comment? Well, I guess it could, but people are more likely going to post their own opinions as a rebuttal as opposed to simply giving an insult.
Lately, when I see a blog entry that only has a couple of stars, I give it a five just to help raise their rating. It just seems kind of mean to place a score on a blog entry. Everyone deserves five stars just for having the courage to share anything at all.
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the rating covers how well recieved/understood the blog was
This is an excellent opportunity to point people in the direction of the rating system guidelines:
http://www.progressiveu.org/node/37592
The only problem is that these are not journal entries.
From Wikipedia: "A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic." and it goes on, blah blah blah.
Some blogs can be considered "journal entries," but in the case of ProgressiveU, you are supposed to post relevant, progressive things that are decently researched, correctly formatted, and free of major grammatical errors.
I'm never offended if I get a low rating. It just means either my point wasn't made or my writing wasn't up to par. It just means I have to either edit it or try harder next time.
Most people love feedback, and the rating system is one way of getting feedback.
I like it
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You are the Voice of the Childwen of the Revowution! [Toulouse, Moulin Rouge]
How does one define relevant though? One person's idea of what is "relevant" may be another's idea of something completely pointless. Also, who's to say that the rating IS actually based on the grammar and not the content if there is no comment indicating WHY the low rating was given?
RIGHTING LYKE DIS ABOUT HOW U BROKE UP WIT UR BF OR GF GETS U A BAD RATING!!!!!11!!!1!
Of course there are flaws... but it's not in the rating system. It's in the idiots who rate for the wrong reasons.
EKM gave you a nice list of what people should be rating on, and if anyone is rating for any other reasons, they know who they are, and no one would like them if they found out.
Don't take it so personally. What's the big deal? Take it for what it is. If you get a bad rating but know you worked your butt off and wrote a good piece, roll your eyes at ignorance. But if you spent five minutes posting what was on your mind and you get a bad rating, take it as advice.
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You are the Voice of the Childwen of the Revowution! [Toulouse, Moulin Rouge]
I do understand now the purpose of the rating system and which posts truly do deserve a low rating (thanks, ENG) I honestly do not mind low ratings for myself, but what I have seen are many blog entries that are well-worded and thought out that received a low rating. I guess I worry too much that this will deter them from posting in the future.
In these instances, I try to give the author a 5 star rating to boost the score a little bit. From what I have read, many of the bogs with a low score really didn't deserve it. I think if someone is going to give a low rating, they should at least post a comment indicating what was wrong with the entry so the author knows where improvement is necessary. I would think that would be most progressive.
I do see your point in your example with the net speak and bad grammar. But then I think about that members age and wonder if it isn't the fact that they are just young and they are posting what they know the only way they know how to.
Perhaps I have fallen into all of that self-esteem psychology where I am constantly worried about hurting someone else's feelings. Which really brings on an entirely new topic - how much do teachers and other people in positions of authority need to build up their students?
This site has been used in the past to help students with their English skills. These are mostly at community college, but it has been done. We're working to build up this type of program, where high school and college teachers can use the site as a medium, either as a way to learn to write in a certain way (essay or journalist form, say), or to debate properly.
We do our best generally to help people learn to write better. Whenever a faculty member sees a person with poor writing continuously, we offer many services to help them. Few take us up on them.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!
I believe people are rating for the wrong reasons. I think it is rude to go by and be like I don't agree with them and they suck so i'm going to put one star. I really think that people should understand this rating system. I feel if some one does not like a blog don't rate it at all. Someone intentionally rated one of my blogs low because they didn't agree with my views on movies. I thought it was dumb because it wasnt the substance of the blog they were rating. This irritates me like it does you.
You know, some of us give poor ratings because the blog entry really is just mediocre... it doesn't inspire thought, doesn't cover the subject well, doesn't have proper formatting, etc. The vast majority of the blogs I do rate get an average rating of 3-4 stars. They're in between good and great. There are some exceptions, like me playing with the highest rated list so that one person doesn't fill up the whole list, but my ratings there don't drop the bottom out, so to speak... they still have high ratings after I'm done, just not quite high enough to make the highest rated list.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!
But then why doesn't anyone let the author know? I guess I see it as getting a term paper back with a D- on it, but absolutely no feedback. Before anyone can improve, they need to have at least a clue of what they did wrong. Just getting a star or two doesn't really help the author to progrssively think about their writing. I would rather have someone send me an e-mail or even post a comment with some suggestions for improvement rather than get a star.
Than again, I may be the only one that feels this way. I am aware that many of you do like the star rating system.
You obviously don't read my comments to those blogs, because I almost always leave a comment (or send a PM, which you don't see) giving suggestions of how to make a better blog. We have countless blogs on this site telling people exactly what they need to do to get readers, and many members will jump on a person if they don't write well. Just because you don't see it in every blog that has a poor rating doesn't mean that feedback isn't being given, at least by those of us whose job it is to provide feedback.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!