Okay, I'm throwing my opinion in over here without actually wading through the multitudes of posts on this thread.
Personally, I'm sick and tired (yes, already) of the Star System here on ATS.
I do not find it helpful at all to the promotion of well thought out posts and intellectual stimulation.
Any one can rate themselves genius and others as fools.
It would seem that we all are now reduced to fishing for compliments from our otherwise anonymous peers.
The mere thought of me sitting there in total anticipation of how I might be judged by a bunch of people I don't know for a thought that I may (or
may not have) put much thought/emotion/passion into disgusts me.
I am for peer review as much as the next person, but this is not the medical or science industry and we are not all members of said fields.
This is a conspiracy website.
I think that somewhere along the way, we forgot about that.
I'm sure that when the administrators implemented the Star System, they had the best of intentions, but it has quickly degenerated and caused a
downward spiral of popularity-seeking and clique forming.
Not to mention that we can all excessively rate ourselves in the hopes that it improves our online status within this community.
Now, I am officially boycotting the Star System.
Please don't misunderstand me, I love ATS and I know the potential that this site has.
But this potential has been cheapened by the Star System and that saddens me.
This is not a shot at any of the staff here at ATS, not by any means.
Those of you who know me (if only a little) know that I have the best interest of ATS in mind.
Please, no more stars.
Thank you for your time.