[admin]

If you feel that someone has abused the rating system (ie. given all of your images a 1 star rating) please contact a moderator or the admin via PM and include all relevant information (images, links) and we will investigate. This can be especially devastating to users who are new and don't have any rates.

This does not mean that if you have one or even a couple of low ratings to report it, it is intended to discourage users from abusing the rating system. Voting all images in someone's portfolio down qualifies as abuse and is not constructive!

We would like to discourage this behavior so if we find that you have done this you will get a warning, and then if it happens again will will take further action and possibly ban you from the site.

If you have any questions about this please use this thread to voice your ideas or opinions! Ratings systems are far from perfect but we would like to do our best to protect users from the worst case scenarios that can occur.

Don't forget that if you would like you can disable rates for any image in your portfolio, as well as your user profile if you would rather opt out of the voting process!

[Peter_Coene]

...While I agree that abuse is not constructive, I have to play devil's advocate here and ask; what if all the work someone has is deserving of a low rating? I mean, if it all is deserving a low rating it feels rather odd to say that people aught to hold back and keep their mouths shut about it.

[Black-Spot]

I was talking about this the other day because over on CA my SB has been going up and down like a yo-yo. Pretty silly as you'd expect a SB to have a fair bit of rubbish in it.

[kovah]

I would sorta rather have a low rating than NO rating (which i have on most of my art at the moment)

I dont see why one star has to be a bad, it just means its not as good as it could be or as good as professional work.

[Mythril_golem]

@Peter: I think if you were looking at a bad (subjective ofc) piece you would either move on or vote on this one pic and move on, to go through an entire gallery and give weak ratings without constructive criticism is just someone taking out their frustrations on someone else.
@Kovah: really? I always thought 1 star meant "this is so bad it's worth my effort to actually show it"

[kovah]

Originally Posted by Mythril_golem

@Peter: I think if you were looking at a bad (subjective ofc) piece you would either move on or vote on this one pic and move on, to go through an entire gallery and give weak ratings without constructive criticism is just someone taking out their frustrations on someone else.
@Kovah: really? I always thought 1 star meant "this is so bad it's worth my effort to actually show it"

At least by getting a rating you know that someone has looked at your work and taken even a second or two to consider giving it a rating.

Its all about attitudes, if the stars were given maybe some text like

1*: Nice image, could try harder - Amature
2*: Getting better - Beginner
3*: Great picture - Graduate
4*: Awesome - Semi Pro
5*: Outstanding - Professional

Rather than one star being something shameful, and terrible. Because if One star isnt BAD then it cant really be abused can it?

[Peter_Coene]

Originally Posted by Mythril_golem

@Peter: I think if you were looking at a bad (subjective ofc) piece you would either move on or vote on this one pic and move on, to go through an entire gallery and give weak ratings without constructive criticism is just someone taking out their frustrations on someone else.

On the contrary. I usually avoid giving ratings at all, but if I was going to and saw a piece that I thought needed work I'd be curious to see if the individual improves, and search through their images rating accordingly.

In any case, I think that we should give the individual the benefit of the doubt and assume innocence until they are proven guilty.

[MikeCorriero]

Originally Posted by admin

Don't forget that if you would like you can disable rates for any image in your portfolio, as well as your user profile if you would rather opt out of the voting process!

That's what I ended up doing because one day after the influx of new members started coming here, I had noticed it seemed like someone was going around and dropping a 1 star vote on my images until I disabled ratings for them. At the same time the rating on a thread of mine dropped quickly, which seems like the same person had it in for me
I could be wrong but it did seem kind of odd - o well, I don't care about stars anyway. I'd personally rather do without them, both in the galleries and in the forums as you don't get any feedback from stars..be it good or bad feedback. To me it's just a way for someone to anonymously let you know they don't like you or your work.

It might be nice to add a 1 click - disable all/enable all image ratings in your profile gallery. Unless I missed it and there is already such an option.