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Topic ClosedMaking a statement...
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crimson thing View Drop Down
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Points: 848 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 13:38

Hmmm....I wrote something about GnarledOldLog's ...toenail... album elsewhere..........I bought it (as a double with LadyLake) a few days ago.....and all those who gave it 5* had better avoid my part of the world for a while.......underwhelmed would be a polite way of putting it........

Of course these ratings are subjective, but I can't allow unopposed praise of what I thought was a very poor album. If you want to talk musicianship, I would argue that they had no idea how to integrate the flute, oboe & cello with the standard rock band instruments. It was extremely amateurish. Jim Royle would have an apposite comment for them........(And I've also just heard VdGG "Present" & Riverside's second - for the first time, never having heard either band before (cue gasps of shock from the PA elite!), and was pleasantly surprised by both - so it's not just the shock of the new.)

I think if I could be at all bothered to rate the ...toenail... album, I doubt I could raise the enthusiasm to write 200 charactersworth of review.....but that wouldn't mean I hadn't thought about it, or that my opinion was worthless.......
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VanderGraafKommandöh View Drop Down
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Points: 89372 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 11:08
I've noticed it with lesser known bands also.  Gnidrolog for example.  Last time I looked a few weeks a go, "In Spite of Harry's Toe-nail" had one 1 star rating, whilst the rest were 5 star ratings and 3 reviews, two of which were by well respected reviewers.

Maybe that 1 star was justified, but there was no review... maybe it was under 200 words and so therefore doesn't show, or maybe it was just given a 1, to stop it being a 5 star rated album, which seems more likely to me.

I cannot see how anyone can even being to give that album 1 star.  Yes, they may not enjoy it, but the musicianship is great and is worth a 2 alone in my opinion.

I love the album, so I'd personally rate it 5 too.

It is indeed a problem, but I cannot see any simple way of alleviating it, unfortunately.  They're here to stay.
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Joolz View Drop Down
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Points: 1377 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 09:31
Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

If people can explain their rating,whatever it may be,no problem by me.


Yep Clap. Getting rid, simply because we disagree with the rating, is censorship, a dirty word in my book and I wouldn't like to see it happen. But, it seems this person needs to justify his/her position in this case.

The problem, IMO, is allowing ratings without some form of backup. It is my belief that ALL ratings should have written backup, either in the form of a proper review, or as a shorter comment.

At the moment, PA has this thing called 'Review' which can be any length. But, if it is shorter than 200 characters it is not displayed, and if it exceeds 200 chars but is still otherwise on the short side it nearly always gets pulled because someone thinks it doesn't say enough for a review [even though we allow ratings without reviews]. Well, I agree - a few words usually don't make a good review (not always), but it is better to say something.

So, why not make a clear distinction between shorter COMMENTS and full REVIEWS. This way people can simply explain their rating in a couple of sentences while others can contribute to the review system.
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crimson thing View Drop Down
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Points: 848 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 09:30
I've never actually had the courage to review any album, but not being a great fan of the Beatles, I'd be sorely tempted to give most of their stuff one star only - so does that mean my (hypothetical) reviews would be/should be removed?
 
Another point - obvious, I'm sure to many of you. Unless every reviewer reviews every album, there will be a bias of some sort to the system, simply by virtue of what is not reviewed. Most people (I imagine) are driven to review that which they find amazingly good or staggeringly awful, so 5* & 1* reviews will occur disproportionately (disp. from the total population of potential ratings, that is, not necessarily that there are more eg 5* than 3* in the actual ratings).
 
None of which really matters a hoot, unless you are the kind of person who lies awake at night grinding their teeth at the iniquity (and the inequity) of Fiddler's Todger's fine album "Speak to the Crack" lying 16 places (sixteen places !!!!!) behind The Trolls of Downing Street's ridiculous double concept album "Bush has a brain - honest".
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MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down
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Points: 21568 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 06:54
I think that the 1 star Beatles ratings of that user are abuse and should be deleted from the database. 

Edited by MikeEnRegalia - June 03 2006 at 06:54
Release Polls

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Ricochet View Drop Down
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Joined: February 27 2005
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Points: 46301 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 06:46
If people can explain their rating,whatever it may be,no problem by me.
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chopper View Drop Down
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Points: 20032 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 05:17
Going through the entire Beatles catalogue and giving them all 1 star without comment is a major abuse of the system and those reviews should be removed.
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Easy Livin View Drop Down
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Joined: February 21 2004
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Points: 15585 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 05:07
There are enough ratings of the top albums now to render the odd manipulative one meaningless.
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Snow Dog View Drop Down
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Points: 32995 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 19:00
^Two!Ermm
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Psychedelia View Drop Down
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Points: 238 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 18:53
I agree this is stupid and ruins the system for everyone, i gave Selling England... a two but that is because i think thats what it deserves. People should rate albums objectively on their own merit
Another emotional suicide, overdosed on sentiment and pride
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Thyme Traveler View Drop Down
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Points: 164 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 17:21

Just a  few comments about ratings by users and the way some use it to "make a statement"...

(1) We've all seen how SEBTP, CTTE, and now WYWH have a dispprortionate amount of "1" ratings (at least considering the fact that the vast majority of people acknowledge these albums as some of the most important prog albums ever). I myself haven't got around to rating albums and while I consider SEBTP my favorite prog album and the temptation is there to abuse the system by giving those other albums a "1", I think when I get around to it I will also give those other ones "5's" as well(because they are worthy of the highest mark). Just wondering how many who think Selling is the best don't take the high road and instead give CTTE and WYWH "1's" in order to nudge the ratings in the direction it should go. Or Yes fans who think "Close to the Edge" should remain on top and do the same. Or  Pink Floyd fans who are now in striking range.
 
(2) We've all disagreed with one band or another being in the archive. For many, it's Styx or Triumph or the Beatles. Take a look at this reviewer who rated every Beatles album a "1" and only bothered to put a review(a half-arse one at that) for one of them.
Fire up the flux capacitor ! We're taking this Delorean through all four dimensions.

What is the future of prog ? Genesis reunion ? I'm not telling!That could upset the thyme/space continuum.
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