What does everyone think of the new stars ★★★★★ system?

★★★★★

As most of you know by now ATS has implemented a new post rating system based on stars!

What does everyone think of the new system? I personally like it and think that the quality of most of the posts will INCREASE. This of course will only affect those posters that are concerned with getting positive stars on the posts.

What changes/improvements should be made?
I think the ratings descriptions should be changed to better reflect the number of stars, for instance, this is the current rating descriptions:

★★★★★ Denying Ignorance.
★★★★ A fantastic contribution.
★★★ A solid contribution.
★★An interesting contribution.
★ A fair contribution.

The above descriptions are all ok EXCEPT for the ★★An interesting contribution and the ★ A fair contribution. Cmon ATS tell it like it is! One star posts ratings should be described as: Below average contribution or the like...A two star post, perhaps fair or mediocre.

Other improvements in my view? Add a number of ratings to the ratings area, along with a link to rate the post, I don't think enough attention is drawn on the a user rate option...like this:

★★★★ rate this post!
A fantastic contribution, 26 votes.

What do y'all think!!!!???

honestly i dont like it as people will just give one star to people they dont like and full to people they like

Yea you'll have that, but hopefully the star ratings given will average out. The bell curve should take care of the foes and friends problem...

Go on girls take a chance.

I'm not totally sure I understand the concept yet, but I did browse through the thread that Skeptic posted.

I can't see there being a whole bunch of favoritism going on with a system like this. With this many members on the ATS boards it will have to average out in the long run.

I really don't see a lot of cliques being formed on the boards, at least not enough that it should effect the average.

Not to single them out, but if all the guys that hang out in the "Aircraft" forum all decided to vote for each other, they could drive their stars up, but what's the point ?

They're just stars, and I'll still read a member's post, even if they have no stars.

Even if a few people are boosting each other, I think it will be pretty limited.

It's just a popularity contest now and really means nothing.

I like the old WATS much better.

This whole site has been driving me crazy lately to be honest. I have to log in every time I come here. I haven't figured out how to log into ATS at all. BTS, obviously, I have no problem logging in (but again, I have to log in every time I visit the site....a while back I stayed logged in)....

It's not as easy to go from thread to thread anymore....It just seems the site is getting more complicated and user unfriendly.....

And regarding the stars thing....I wasn't aware of it and don't care about it....

Originally posted by Excitable_Boy
This whole site has been driving me crazy lately to be honest. I have to log in every time I come here. I haven't figured out how to log into ATS at all. BTS, obviously, I have no problem logging in (but again, I have to log in every time I visit the site....a while back I stayed logged in)....

It sounds like the settings on your computer could be the problem.
You may need to allow your browser to save passwords so it logs on automatically. Or it could have something to do with your cookie settings.

What does everyone think of the new stars ★★★★★ system?


It will obviously take a little while for things to average out. Right now, I suppose it is still very new to many members, and they are starring their arses off. (which in itself could tend to skew the results a bit)

But over time after everyone gets used to the idea of the star rating system, the results will really be an average.

So, only time will tell how good this system is. Personally I like the idea of rating individual posts. Too bad, they are not considering it as a part of the WATS rating system.

[rant] Personally I think that to not include the data from the star ratings in the WATS calculations seems to defeat its very purpose. I mean why have a rating system for posts, if it is just there as window dressing?[/rant]

But that's just me.

Originally posted by Mechanic 32 Right now, I suppose it is still very new to many members, and they are starring their arses off. (which in itself could tend to skew the results a bit)

I was gonna say that people weren't using the star system very much from what I've seen, but maybe certain threads have more starred posts than others...

I would also like to see the starred posts filter in PROFILES, to find all the top starred posts by a user. This would be a nice feature as well. Gee I hope a mod sees this thread or one of the three amigos....!

Originally posted by bodrul
honestly i dont like it as people will just give one star to people they dont like and full to people they like

Bodrul?

I agree.

Favoritism will play a definate part in this.

"Hey...it's bound to happen!"

Then we have to look at how the stars average out with the 'biased and un-biased.'

Favoritism is in everything, WATS, flags, starred posts, you can't avoid it.

Originally posted by greatlakes
Favoritism is in everything, WATS, flags, starred posts, you can't avoid it.

I think that people will be walking on 'broken egg shells', on what we type.

The topic of discussion will center around on 'how we please the public' with our writings.

It could be likened to having a camera on every street corner - watching our every move.

How we 'portray' our line of thinking will enable others to vote on 'universal correct thinking' or otherwise.

I think it has merit, it hasnt affected the way i post.
But that may have more to do with me being an opinionated ass.

Ive started using it but i have found that i'm only giving stars 3,4 and 5 for what i believe to be good to excellent posts and i'm not really using the first 2 stars at all.

Originally posted by TheDuckster

I think that people will be walking on 'broken egg shells', on what we type.

I really don't think I'll be worried about how many stars I get when I make a post.

At first I liked it but know I see that it is not working. Justr because you agree or like what someone said does not mean that it is valid of stars. I have seen a few one/two liners that got 3-4 stars and didnt really say anything poignant. I have also seen post that in MY opinion deserve NO stars but have 5.Anyways I know that the ATS staff will do there best to tweak it so that it will be better but I do like the idea and its intention..i just dont think some users are appropriately nor accurately using the rating system

So far I 'think' that I've seen the quality of posts go up... It's hard to guage of course. Also the helpfulness of posts seems to be on the rise as well, postings of useful information, links, quotes etc. These posts have always been present, however it just seems that ther increasing, but again it's hard to judge the increase attributed to the star system, or any number of things, the weather, the time of month (no not that time of month), the moon cycle, what posters had to eat etc.

But yea The system should be IMPROVED (see my above posts) as well as including the star system for a WATS similar award for members, otherwise whats the point for most?

Originally posted by anxietydisorder
I really don't think I'll be worried about how many stars I get when I make a post.

you arent the only one mate
most of us arent really fans of popularity contests

It's intimidating, everything I say is subject to rating. It's like walking down that hallway in high school all the jocks lined at lunch time to rate the girls.





I may just dress up....

[edit on 20-5-2007 by clearwater]

Originally posted by bodrul
honestly i dont like it as people will just give one star to people they dont like and full to people they like

I completely agree with this comment. It's a modification that they should do away with. If someone is angry with your or what you post they will find all your previous post and have at you.