Rating Stories

spir3d

Greetings everyone!

After long hours of discussions, hair-pulling and unanswered phone calls [thanks MS!] and after leaving the matter in the lovely hands of our Lily [yes, lovely!] and MS and STILL not having a clear decision [ARRRGGGHHHH] I think it's time for a public poll on - you guessed it - Rating the Stories!

The question:

Should we have a rating [voting] system for the stories?

The answer:

We have no idea!

Well, we have some ideas, actually - and here they are:

1. Add a rating/voting to the stories section.

2. Do NOT add a rating/voting to the stories section.

Simple, right?

And - here come the reasons for each:

1a. Stories are [obviously] rated!

1b. A top stories list can be created based on members' ratings.


2a. Stories are [obviously] NOT rated.. however - we can establish a number of views/number of comments ration - so that we clearly show the stories with most number of comments - and that can be our rating

2b. There will be no competition or popularity contest which, we all know, it is there even if mildly or barely present. We all have our favorites [yes, MS, I confirm it again - you are NOT amongst them! Ha!] [so this might actually help you? hmm] and such all stories will be shown/displayed - equally

2c. We will not have hidden stories that happen to never be read or accessed - just because they have a lower rating

2d. I know for a fact that Lily and MS are filtering the submitted stories so that only good quality is accepted in mindspired - therefore, with the exception of maybe [The Beginner's Bench] - all stories deserve a good [d]hand[/d] reading.

2e. I have gathered a few brilliant minds around to discuss this before [and also did some research on a few sites - similar and not-so] and the conclusion is this: by default, it is difficult to come up with a PROPER rating system, due to the following elements:

- the popular 'star' rating system [1-5 usually] - which gives 2.6, 4.3 ratings - is.. well - insufficient.

- the 'add points to no end' type - without negative voting - also has is drawback[s] because, for example, a story with 2 view and 2 x 5pts votes will be always behind another story with 138 views and 11 x 1 pts votes - clearly - not fair.

- we have looked a combining the number of views into the formula but then - again - it doesn't get too pretty - yet!

OK mindfuls - hoping I didn't bore you with the technical stuff yet - now here comes another important part:

You can vote on this poll ONLY if you are an author who submitted on mindspired.com

After all, the authors are the ones who get the rating/top listings and this change will only reflect upon them - not the readers.

Anyone else, please feel free to reply to this thread with your opinion/points!

We will look at this again later and decide which way to go.

Thanks!


Cheers
Spir3d

P.S. If you don't qualify but you want badly to vote on this poll, write a story and submit it to us! You will be allowed to vote precisely 16.4 hours after submitting your work.

*smile*

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Nightwatcher

Personally rating is fine for the benifit of the writer, however with so many stories getting read, but not commented, on I do not think it would be a good idea for any type of evaluation.

I would suggest a standard rating system, with out accumlation for each story but only if the story is commented on, that way each person can rate the story on how they felt about it. Therefore if a person leave a good comment with a rating of 5, it would not affect a person who loved the story but made a suggestion about some part of it and gave a rating of 4.

Selecting stories for the top of the month should be made by the admins selections being voted on...most number of votes by the readers....top story. (kinda like a poll thing)

Thanks
Night

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firefightinangel

I like the idea of ONLY voting when you yourself are an author. It would be more "appeasing" to the other authors to know what the other writers thought about their work..
I like Nightcatcher's idea of the 1 through 5 rating system.

Leaving comments should be left to anybody and everybody. I think it's nice to hear whether someone actually liked the story or not. To give even just the readers a "say" is important. But I truly feel the actual "rating" would be done best by those who are in the know....

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spir3d

Hi Angel!

No no no.

NO.

No no, no and NO. I mean, no.

Clearly, no.

Well - I didn't understand why this answer - until I have to login as another user and realize I forgot to give permissions to this thread poll to everyone else.

Hmm, yes, Spir3d makes mistakes, too!

So - feel free to vote on THIS poll - on THIS thread - at the beginning of the topic, if you would like a story rating system - or not.

The story rating - if implemented - will be open to ALL members.

That is in place now and will stay - no question.

Of course, you need to be a member of the site in order to comment.


The issue here also is - well, if you we do have a rating system in place, I think most of the authors would like to know what the readers [any member] felt about it - not just in comments - but in votes, too.

And - because the ration members/authors is quite high in favors of the members, everyone who has a voting system will allow anyone else to vote.


Cheers,
Spir3d

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firefightinangel

lol hon PLZ forgive me I'm short on brain power this week...BIG boy toys are in town, shop is in chaos..I'll look a LITTLE closer next time...hehe

*rubs eyes, 96 hours no sleep will play on a eyesight!!* have a gr8 weekend and for setting me back wobbling straight!!

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