Six Point Review System
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Topic: Six Point Review System
Posted By: Textbook
Subject: Six Point Review System
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 20:16
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Though I'm absolutely certain that this is dead in the water before it begins because overhauling the ratings system would be an absolute nightmare, I've always felt five stars (where zero is not an option) is an inadequate spectrum. As I see it, we need these six points to fully express a range of opinions:
6 Excellent
5 Very Good
4 Good
3 Average
2 Below Average
1 Terrible
I don't think it can be simplified below these six without actually compromising the range of verdicts available. I think what some people might say is "well, let's conflate 2 and 1 because the difference doesn't matter, you're saying don't buy the album both ways" and then we end up with a five point system. But in practice what actually happens is people conflate 4 and 5, resulting in the "If I like it a lot, it's a 5" problem that plagues the ratings on PA and pushes them way up. (In many years, the very worst album is a 3.5 or 3.6 or so. Come on, the worst album of the year gets 7/10? No. We're rating too high.)
Am I mad or does someone agree?
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Replies:
Posted By: Any Colour You Like
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 20:18
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Me wrote:Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 20:22
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Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 20:38
| But whether it would ever be done or not, do you think I'm right? That's what really important. People saying I'm right. |
Posted By: TheGazzardian
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 20:41
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I find the 5 star system we have here, with the definitions provided, to be quite adequate. Each rating has a very specific meaning which I find to be a lot more meaningful than just a number like 4/10. Your system has "average" and "good" as two specific ratings but the difference between them isn't quite as clear. I think yours would be improved by removing the average - leaving us with a 5 stars. That's just my thoughts, though. |
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 20:42
| personally, I think current 5-star system with half stars (which is what everyone says) would be ideal |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 20:43
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 20:43
I don't say that. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: TheGazzardian
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 20:53
If the half star meanings where clearly defined, maybe.
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Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 21:03
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I notice that a huge number of reviews here have a person adding a half to the rating in the review itself which means they really want to have halves. What do you mean you can't see a difference between average and good? Average means plain/indifferent, good means you like it.
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Posted By: JLocke
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 21:50
No.
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Posted By: Any Colour You Like
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 22:48
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Honestly, don't change it. A different scale will just bring a different set of complaints. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 00:45
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I can see an extra star some day, or a 0 star .. in fact I vaguely recall PA having a zero-star option back about 4 years ago |
Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 02:53
| Indeed we did Atavachron, the 0 stars option was removed some time ago. |
Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 03:38
| Why? |
Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 03:44
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Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten? Nigel Tufnel: Exactly. Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder? Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where? Marty DiBergi: I don't know. Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do? Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven. Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder. Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder? Nigel Tufnel: These go to eleven. |
Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 04:13
| Yes that's exactly the same as what I said. |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 06:08
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Posted By: Zebedee
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 07:43
------------- 
Friendship is like wetting your pants: everyone can see it, but only you can feel its warmth. |
Posted By: CCVP
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 07:52
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I don't think anybody suggesting the "new" rating system here has ever visited MMA. -------------   
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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 08:12
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And what of "stands the test of time" assessment ?
I've suggested it before, especially if we went for 10 point or 5 points with halves systems:
No album gets maximum unless it is at least 2 years old (therefore invite reviewers to provide reassessment of an album some time after their original review). Simply I don't believe you can give an brand new album maximum rating within days of its release and on only a few listens, it tends to indicate some lack of critical judgement/devout fanness. ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 08:25
Nor I. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: UMUR
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 08:46
From my experience writing reviews and rating with the 5 star system with half stars on MMA, I can say it works very well on that site. I´ve especially become very fond of the 3.5 star rating  . ------------- http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/" rel="nofollow - Metal Music Archives https://rateyourmusic.com/~UMUR" rel="nofollow - UMUR on RYM |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 08:53
^ It's called the "3.5 stars really!!!" rating  
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Posted By: TheGazzardian
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 11:03
I don't know - I've been thinking about it some more and I think that the half stars make it easier to not really make a decision about where an album sits. I like that here, you have to think and make a call that it's one or the other, not in between.
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Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 14:43
I completely agree with Jonas. The halfstars at MMA work ideally. Although now on PA I just always round down unless I consider the album to be a 3.5-4, or 2.5-3, etc. ------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 14:45
That's precisely how I feel. If you can't decide between 3 and 4 stars, then don't review the album yet. If you can't decide between 4 and 5 stars, then it's a 4. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: DisgruntledPorcupine
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 14:56
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Posted By: clarke2001
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 18:11
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I think we should start rating forum topics.
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Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 20:22
Same here. ------------- 
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Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 21:48
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I would bring it down to 2 ratings.
2 star: very good
1 star: less interesting than a 2 star rating
Or keep it at 5 stars for ratings, and add a calculated 6th star if it is a genuine approved masterpiece (minimun amount of ratings/reviews of 100 ratings (arbitrary), with an average above 4,7 equals absolute masterpiece) or something like that. ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: TheGazzardian
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 23:05
Actually, I think this could be a great idea. Maybe a "certified masterpiece" logo appears on such albums?
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Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 23:08
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I don't know if that would work so well either - imagine the amount of complaining it would generate by people who don't enjoy the albums labeled as "certified masterpieces".
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 23:09
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On the other end of the spectrum completely, there's also the two grade rating system. Funny Or Die's two grade rating system seems shocking at first but actually works really well. For PA it would translate to "I would pay money for this" and "I would not pay money for this." Many people find that system with no middle ground or grey areas very brutal but it sure gets the job done. |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: October 28 2010 at 00:40
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I think we need a 100-point rating system with at least 25 descriptors, 4 of which could be applied to any given album at the same time, plus an 8-color code to assign hues and temperatures to our feelings towards particular songs in albums. A 360-pattern emoticon system could be used to describe our feelings towards each second of a song. Songs lasting more than 6 minutes would need a secondary emoticon system based on the most salient aspects of the ones in the primary group. ------------- 
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Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: October 28 2010 at 00:49
I think we could also include a feature that lets us rate note by note, instrument by instrument, etc. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: October 28 2010 at 00:56
The F-Sharps were okay, but those G's were awful! ------------- 
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Posted By: Any Colour You Like
Date Posted: October 28 2010 at 01:02
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My review criteria don't/won't change for no-one. 1. Sound Quality, marked out of 10 2. Compositional Quality, marked out of 10 3. Drugspiration Level, marked out of 10 4. Spinal Tap Level, marked out of 11 5. Neighbour Annoying Level, marked out of 10 6. The X Factor Level, decided by public txt vote |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: October 28 2010 at 13:40
That's precisely how I feel. If you can't decide between 3 and 4 stars, then don't review the album yet. If you can't decide between 4 and 5 stars, then it's a 4. This from me as well. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Conor Fynes
Date Posted: October 28 2010 at 18:33
| The rating system should be overhauled eventually, but only to incorperate HALF STARS. |
Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: October 29 2010 at 06:42
| I've hidden two posts, you know who you are... |
Posted By: toroddfuglesteg
Date Posted: October 29 2010 at 06:54
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Let's keep PA ratings as it is. The work on resetting old reviews from 2004 until a new ratings would be implemented is simply massive and far too big for unpaid Collabs to do. KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). |
Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: October 29 2010 at 08:24
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Yeah this is not an idea that blows my skirt up gentlemen, as i for one would have to plow thru 400 reviews and re-rate them - Nah, not gonna happen!
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Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 30 2010 at 04:11
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ACR: I assure you I am in no way seeking to blow your skirt up.
Do your students know about you?
;)
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Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: October 30 2010 at 06:11
How about an additional "death star" for extreme metal albums?  ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 31 2010 at 15:02
| I love it when you can choose the little symbols to give instead of just always stars. Such as pies or skulls or little Eric Cartmans or something. |