Idea: let comments count as ratings

horatio · 05-31-2007, 02:48 PM

I don't like being stuck at 7% rated simfiles, but many of the simfiles I download are ones I have no intention of keeping. They turn out to be keyboard-only, for example, when I only play pad. Maybe the song just isn't a song I like. I don't want to give *any* rating to that kind of simfile, but I often do leave a short comment explaining why I wouldn't keep it. Can we make it so leaving comments also removes a song from your unrated list?

Ben Speirs · 06-01-2007, 01:39 PM

The whole point of it is so that you leave some feedback on the simfile and help the author - anyone can just click a rating a be off. It doesn't take long anyway, I got mine from 11% to 30% within 30 minutes!

horatio · 06-02-2007, 07:45 AM

My comments are good feedback. Check out the comments I left on "I'm With You", for example. I don't want to give it a bad rating, but I wouldn't keep it as it currently is.

ZanasoBayncuh · 06-04-2007, 09:14 AM

Well that would be really nice, considering that this idea would leave the world at Rating: N/A.

Just in case I need to make this more obvious... that's a bad thing.

horatio · 06-05-2007, 09:21 PM

First off, I don't know what the global rating percentage is, but based on my own stats I guess it's around 1%. I have 2500 downloads and 20 ratings, which is even less than 1%. So anything that encourages or makes it easier for people to add feedback would be a good thing in my eyes.

Second off, I still think a comment can be more useful than a rating in a lot of cases. ZB, I think you were the one who did "The Hard Way". I liked the song, and the steps were good, but I hated the tempo changes. I said so in my comments. What rating do you think I should have given it, though? A 5 or 6 because I never play? A 9 or 10 because aside from the one thing that makes it so I won't play it, it's a good sim? A rating is a one-dimensional number that doesn't even begin to express what I thought about that sim, so instead I left comments saying what I did and didn't like. I think that's more helpful to you and to the downloading public.

***Keith*** · 06-05-2007, 09:53 PM

Comments are definitely useful to the simfile creator. However ratings are pretty useful for people looking for simfiles. If a user is looking at a list of simfiles and can actually see the ratings without clicking on them, they can decide better what to even look at and what to not look at.

Plus I am going to allow searching by ratings in the future.

Honestly as far as what to rate a simfile, that's up to you. It is an average and the worst and best scores for the file are dropped so the average is usually pretty correct. We just need more people to rate them.

ZanasoBayncuh · 06-06-2007, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by horatio

First off, I don't know what the global rating percentage is, but based on my own stats I guess it's around 1%. I have 2500 downloads and 20 ratings, which is even less than 1%. So anything that encourages or makes it easier for people to add feedback would be a good thing in my eyes.

Second off, I still think a comment can be more useful than a rating in a lot of cases. ZB, I think you were the one who did "The Hard Way". I liked the song, and the steps were good, but I hated the tempo changes. I said so in my comments. What rating do you think I should have given it, though? A 5 or 6 because I never play? A 9 or 10 because aside from the one thing that makes it so I won't play it, it's a good sim? A rating is a one-dimensional number that doesn't even begin to express what I thought about that sim, so instead I left comments saying what I did and didn't like. I think that's more helpful to you and to the downloading public.

If you want a song to have no character at all, and you don't like tempo changes that are accurate to the music, then don't play any of my stuff. Seriously, I'm all about that wild shit. And yeah, I am the one who wrote 'The Hard Way'... I have recieved ZERO negative feedback on it and perhaps you left comments before I removed it from the site and replaced it. But yeah, if you can't handle tempo changes (particularly, of the accurate variety) avoid downloading my sims, it'll just be a bunch of heartbreak.

The simfile listing shows a final row called RATING, 98% of these listings say N/A and comments do not change that. Both are equally important but in different ways. Comments are for the author, rating is for the people downloading in the future, do you really enjoy spending lots of time downloading total crap 'cause no one bothered to leave a little "this sucks" note behind? What about the file that you'll never see because no one left "AWESOME" notes behind?

horatio · 06-06-2007, 09:52 PM

Yes, it was the original version, and the original tempo changes were not accurate. I will take another look.

Back on topic... how about showing a provisional rating, then? When 1% of downloads get a rating of any kind, almost all of the sims will have n/a. If there's any kind of rating available, that may encourage people to contribute their own ratings, especially if they disagree with the current rating.

Also, just to defend my original point: if someone takes the time to read the comments, a comment that explains what sucks about a file or says "This is good but..." would also be very helpful. And still no one has given me an example of what ratings to give in the situations I have described.

ZanasoBayncuh · 06-07-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by horatio

Yes, it was the original version, and the original tempo changes were not accurate. I will take another look.

They were never 'inaccurate' what is there today is simply what I once had with an addition made through SulferDragons suggestion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by horatio

Back on topic... how about showing a provisional rating, then? When 1% of downloads get a rating of any kind, almost all of the sims will have n/a. If there's any kind of rating available, that may encourage people to contribute their own ratings, especially if they disagree with the current rating.

I agree, it should not require five ratings to show what the rating is. Honestly it should probably start with the first rating. Because it's true, people will rate based on their disagreeing with the posted rating. I've seen it happen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by horatio

Also, just to defend my original point: if someone takes the time to read the comments, a comment that explains what sucks about a file or says "This is good but..." would also be very helpful.

However, since people are lazy enough to not simply click a number, the likelihood that they will read through a list of comments is ZERO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by horatio

And still no one has given me an example of what ratings to give in the situations I have described.

This is simple, when I run into a keyboard file, which is a total and complete waste of my time and overall junk (keyboard files in general), I give a 2 IF the bpm/gap are correct. I simply feel that keyboard files are trash, and a 2 is what that file is worth to me, yeah it might not be fair, but it's honest from my side. Just be honest to what that sim is worth to you.

Of course leave a comment as well, honestly I find it intensely aggravating to find a rating but no comment, or a comment with no rating, either one without the other is just irritating.

horatio · 06-07-2007, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZanasoBayncuh

However, since people are lazy enough to not simply click a number, the likelihood that they will read through a list of comments is ZERO.

I guess if your goal is to help the lazy people as much as possible, then you're right. Ratings are much more useful than comments. I personally am not too lazy to ignore comments, though...

Quote:

This is simple, when I run into a keyboard file, which is a total and complete waste of my time and overall junk (keyboard files in general), I give a 2 IF the bpm/gap are correct. I simply feel that keyboard files are trash, and a 2 is what that file is worth to me, yeah it might not be fair, but it's honest from my side. Just be honest to what that sim is worth to you.

My issue with that is it doesn't help the people who do like keyboard files. I agree that they are worthless to me, but to me that means I have no business rating it at all. If I'm downrating keyboard files, then the keyboard files I didn't download will have a higher average rating. They might not be the better keyboard files, though... I would have no idea. Furthermore, I am likely to piss off at least a couple keyboard sim artists, and why would I want to do that?

That gives me another idea, though. How about giving users the ability to classify songs? They could do stuff like fill in the blanks for simfiles that don't have pad/keyboard correctly labeled, don't have the difficulties available, etc. That would be much more useful than giving it a rating of utter crap. The simfile poster could have the ability to throw out the incorrect categorizations.

ZanasoBayncuh · 06-07-2007, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by horatio

I guess if your goal is to help the lazy people as much as possible, then you're right. Ratings are much more useful than comments. I personally am not too lazy to ignore comments, though...

I'm not trying to make it easier on the lazies, I'm hoping to make it easier on the hard working simfile artists. They need feedback, they need the rating on there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by horatio

My issue with that is it doesn't help the people who do like keyboard files. I agree that they are worthless to me, but to me that means I have no business rating it at all.

Well that sucks for you. But if YOU don't value them then YOU are giving an honest rating if you rate low.

Quote:

Originally Posted by horatio

If I'm downrating keyboard files, then the keyboard files I didn't download will have a higher average rating.

If you are struck somehow, that your rating alone will totally destroy a good keyboard sim's existance, then you are overestimating one vote. Just like the arguments about someone who votes low on you just to be an ass. Overall if your sim is good, then it will get good rates, IF people rate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by horatio

They might not be the better keyboard files, though... I would have no idea. Furthermore, I am likely to piss off at least a couple keyboard sim artists, and why would I want to do that?

Giving bad ratings on stuff that you've the right to give bad ratings on can do that. If someone put their work on here and can't take a low rate, then fuck them, simple as that. If they ask you "why you throw 2?" Simple answer, "I don't enjoy keyboard files." There's nothing wrong or dishonest about that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by horatio

That gives me another idea, though. How about giving users the ability to classify songs? They could do stuff like fill in the blanks for simfiles that don't have pad/keyboard correctly labeled, don't have the difficulties available, etc. That would be much more useful than giving it a rating of utter crap. The simfile poster could have the ability to throw out the incorrect categorizations.

You're just getting way too complicated now. This is unnecessary. I've asked before that it require both in order to post... like that you type out a comment then you choose a rating number. And when you rate it posts both the comment and the rating. This way you aren't left without either one. But other than that, this suggestion of yours is reaching WAY too far. Camel through the eye of a needle and all that.