As prince, Vlad maintained an independent policy in relation to the Ottoman Empire and was a defender of Wallachia againsOttoman expansionism.

I'm just saying...

I do think that people should be encouraged to put in some effort, but I see the point about non english speaking folks...  If the purpose of the ratings and reviews is to help form some basis for newbies to learn about an album, then the ratings only doesn't do it for me...

And when someone reviews and I can see what they write about other albums, it helps me to realize where they are coming from.

For instance, if someone says Pawn Hearts is badness incarnate and boring and pointless, then I know to take their opinion with a grain of salt (or substitute whatever album you quite love that someone might trash)...

But, Vlad, maybe there is a Nobel Prize on the horizon...

About these ratings I can tell you one thing.

You already pointed it out and I'll continue: A lot of people here can't speak English. I took time and did one experiment. I talked with people reviewing one certain album. Especially with those who gave just rating, whether good or bad. He for example gave 5 star rating and I asked him: "Why just rating, if you'll write something and your words will be good, your proofs to support your rating will also be good, then you help this album 5x, because of weighted rating." He told me (most usual answer) that he can read in English language a little bit, but he's not able to write a review.

I'm aware that I can't give one star rating here, five star rating there, without review. Because such low/high rating should be supported by facts, why I decided like that. Isn't it true ?

Phideaux wrote: Heh and this myth (I read about it on wikipedia, but this legend is well known in my country) and I can agree, a lot of it is truth.

vibrationbaby wrote: I think if we get rid of ratings only we could eliminate some of these jokers who come here just t o write ratings.

Agreed, but just half of it. We should eliminate those who rate 1, or 5 without review. But it's so hard, by this, we would eliminate a lot of people here. For example two opposite poles. "Love Beach" and "Close to the Edge". If he will rate (without review) LB with 5 and CttE with 1, he would be probably got ridden of. But doing it otherwise, his ratings would stay. Am I right ?

Phideaux wrote: For instance, if someone says Pawn Hearts is badness incarnate and boring and pointless, then I know to take their opinion with a grain of salt (or substitute whatever album you quite love that someone might trash)...

They can feel it's a trash. Then, let them write a review, where they can justify their decision. If fact shown by him in review will be nonsense ("this whole album is rubbish" - familiar line from guidelines. And similar), it will end in reporting reviews thread.

Weighting is like 1:5:10, so it's 1/5. 1 rating on CttE wouldn't do much, but 1 rating + review will change the rating little bit (maybe)

ExittheLemming wrote: If so, then yes you are right, both of these critters suck but surely one is preferable to the other, as the latter at the very least requires some effort ? (which might relegate the phenomenon to the periphery)

Indeed, some effort. I found that even I though (I don't like this album much, or it's just average prog-related thing, so I'll just write 150-200 words and will move on) it will be easy, it was difficult task. So if you have to write bunch of at least 100 words which makes sense (it used to be 200 characters, right?), it's rather hard.

ExittheLemming wrote: However I do concede that wading through hundreds of 'This album rools and if yoose don't agree then yoose can kiss my sweet ass bro'' etc would hardly be a pleasure avalanche.

It's much harder to write something like this, then just rate album. And if you're concerned that they would be doing this in mass (I remember avalanche, it was missile in XCOM - Ufo Defense, or Ufo - Enemy Unknown, perfect game from DOS times I grew old on), then you don't have to. They can do this now too, but they're not. If (after closing down "rate only avalaible" system) they will do it then, why not now. From my point of view I don't understand this behaviour much, but

if they want to harm the site, why they just rate ? If they review instead, they would do better work. Heh, also they would be more easily to spot.

ExittheLemming wrote: Of more relevance here though is that the original intention of 'rating only' reviews was an honourable one i.e. it was designed primarily so that non english speakers could contribute their opinions. I suspect that the chances of 'PA' revoking such a facility are about as likely as that of Vlad the Impaler receiving a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize.

Heh, I'm non English speaker too, you can probably see it from my words (here and there mistake). But I'm trying. I don't use translator from quite silly reason. I can't write reviews in Czech language, I'm not good at it. Write normal words, yeah. Paragraphs of words on various topics, OK. But as review, it's bad.

And, don't underestimate old Vladimir.

That's all I know for now.

delete please, this threat is dead