• Hi all. We have had reports of member's signatures being edited to include malicious content. You can rest assured this wasn't done by staff and we can find no indication that the forums themselves have been compromised.

    However, remember to keep your passwords secure. If you use similar logins on multiple sites, people and even bots may be able to access your account.

    We always recommend using unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication if possible. Make sure you are secure.
  • Be sure to join the discussion on our discord at: Discord.gg/serebii
  • If you're still waiting for the e-mail, be sure to check your junk/spam e-mail folders

Number Ratings: I Rate This a Threeve!

B

Breezy

Well-Known Member
While browsing through fanfics (I'm not closet reading >>), I would notice from a reviewer would sometimes rate fics. Like:
I rate this 5/10
Click to expand...

I kind of just... looked at it for awhile. Was that it? How can you exactly number rate a fic anyways? Is here some sort of system you use? Do you use common sense or judgement? Or is it like the lottery where you just pulled a number out of those... uh things. ._.;

Maybe you think they're pointless. Maybe you think most of the people using them are dumb. Maybe you think they will help the author.

What's your input on number ratings?

As for me, I've only seen one number rating system work, but even then, it was still a bit foggy on how to improve on it.

LaTeR dAyZ!
 
K

Kiyohime

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure how people can use reasoning for those. O___O;; Like you said, it feels too "spur of the moment" and altogether random. xD It also doesn't really give insightful input if there's no explaination to back up the rating. *shrugs*
 
Y

Yami Ryu

Well-Known Member
In fanart I know they got rid of the buggers, thought they did here too o_O cause 1-10/10 really does not tell someone how to get better. Or where to improve. Maybe if used with a critic like;

blahblahblah description blah- 2/10

>.> but I still don't see how the numbers can help. Maybe they motivate some people o_O
 
I

Insincerus

Guest
Meh. Number ratings, IMO, are all right IF backed up by a strong opinion full of description of one's work in Fic-writing, and explaining what aspects made you vote it this way. Numbers just represent a way to show the author how they're doing, but if it's just a number rating alone, complete bullshiznit.
 
D

Dilasc

Boip!
If I wanted numbers, I should really be studying for my math exam... numbers don't mix well with stories, at all! Seriously, use your words, and don't convert it into hexidecimal speak.

To be honest, if someone were to review in leet, I'd like it more than a review in binary/hexidecimal numbers. Of course, it has to be tasteful leet, and not noobish leet... but that's a rarity.
 
Dragonfree

Dragonfree

Just me
Numbers are not a good idea because they make the author think of test grades, and will automatically compare it to what they are used to getting at school. Somebody who is used to getting sixes and sevens will take a number rating of seven as something that's just fine, while somebody who's used to nines and tens will find the same rating horrible. So besides that you're not giving any message to the author except how much you liked it with your rating, you don't even know what the message means to the author exactly unless it's a perfect ten out of ten.
 
C

+Chaos Blade+

Guest
Yeah, it's better if you follow a system of judgment, such as telling them what to improve on, what to keep, and what to change. It's not helping or hurting the author if one gives them a 10/10. It's not necessary and stupid.

These "Number Ratings" are our Pet Peeves: they annoy the living hell out of us [well, me] because they give crappy fics 5/5's just for its use of this Pokémon. It totally sucks.

+Chaos Blade+
 
Negrek

Negrek

Lost but Seeking
I don't use them personally, because I don't like to use quantitative measures on qualitative stuff, but I think that they're okay, as long as they are strongly supported in the body of the review. Normally, I just ignore them and focus on that part, anyway.
 
C

+Chaos Blade+

Guest
Agreed, Negrek. Honestly, do we even need the starred systems? Sure, it helps for mods to find crappy threads, but it would be easier if members obey the rules [not saying most of us don't, but some don't listen. . . ] they can report it, PM the thread, whatever, and the mods can take care of it.

Most criticism needs to be constructive. Honestly, how the hell can an author achieve more perfection in writing if all they get is, "OMgZ! Thits is the pwnzxers! I give yiuy a 10000000000000/10! OMGz, isnt ;006; teh cool3sy6t!?!?!?!?!?!"

Is that even a review, or just someone trying to increase their postcount? More intelligence is needed in reviews, as well as ways to help authors improve on their writing skills!!

+Chaos Blade+
 
Dragonfree

Dragonfree

Just me
As a rule of thumb, a review is spam if it's not possible to tell for certain whether you really read the fic or not. At least the way I see it.
 
Negrek

Negrek

Lost but Seeking
Does anybody besides me find the fact that this thread is rated at two endlessly hilarious?

*cough*

But on topic, I do think that often the 'fics rated at one or two stars are often rated pretty accurately; they're really useless threads that are often against the rules. I think that if someone's 'fic deserves to be higher, there are people who will rate it higher in outrage that somebody would spam ones or twos for the thread, and since it all balances out in the end, the occasional rater n00b is really no big deal for a fine thread.
 
C

+Chaos Blade+

Guest
Not really. Some people give fics a 5.0/5.0 in stars just because the author's their pair-up or their twin. I say we eliminate the starred system altogether, since the reviews are the posts, not the stupid little stars in the title of the fic. Honestly, I don't think it is necessary.

+Chaos Blade+
 
E

Elemental Charizam

Sudden Genre Shift
Does anybody besides me find the fact that this thread is rated at two endlessly hilarious?
Click to expand...
Yes; though a three(ve) would be better :D

Personally, I don't think it matters if they stay; those of us who don't use them don't notice anyway, and those who don't know anyone who want a guaranteed good read can use the system. If they read something crap under a five star rating, they can always rate it down.
 
F

Faerie

MONS
I personally really hate number ratings. Don't ask me why, they just turn me off.

LOL, now the thread IS rated three stars! xD
 
M

mindripper

Guest
I think numbers are ok if validated. It is a whole lot better than having someone who inherently dislikes the fic for any given reason rating the thread one-star or something. I do not give them myself, though.

I once had a thread on the feasibility of ratings, and I do think that it would be better to reveal raters instead of using numbers or abolishing the system. I do not really care about ratings these days, but I can foresee others having problems with them.
 
M

Mouse Tourmaline

Lost Cause Defender
On another fanfiction forum, I am eternally baffled by the one review I got for a one-shot of mine. It is something like this, as I remember:

"I give it (picture of four Lapras and a Horsea)."

And that's ALL.

Four Lapras and a Horsea? What in the name of Celebi am I supposed to do with THAT? I mean, if he'd even done so much as to explain (say) that the Lapras were for writing style and the Horsea was for plot, at least I'd have had an idea of what to work on. But no!
 
Dragonfree

Dragonfree

Just me
Mouse Tourmaline said:
On another fanfiction forum, I am eternally baffled by the one review I got for a one-shot of mine. It is something like this, as I remember:

"I give it (picture of four Lapras and a Horsea)."

And that's ALL.

Four Lapras and a Horsea? What in the name of Celebi am I supposed to do with THAT? I mean, if he'd even done so much as to explain (say) that the Lapras were for writing style and the Horsea was for plot, at least I'd have had an idea of what to work on. But no!
Click to expand...
When people do that, they're just saying "four and a half stars" but think it's cute to have Lapras as a star and Horsea as half a star. Generally these rating systems are something like this:

;026; This means your fic is great!
;025; These are points. One is the worst and five is the best.
;172; On its own, it means your fic is terrible. With ;025;, it counts as half a point.
Click to expand...

Rather silly in my opinion. IF the Lapras were for writing style and Horsea were for plot, there would be some point to it, but in your case the person was simply saying "four and a half stars" with smilies in some kind of an attempt to get around the "no number ratings" rule. (Additionally, that was most likely one of those cases where they don't really see anything wrong, but "nobody's perfect" so they say four and a half. If I know that kind of people correctly, at least.)
 
Last edited:
FlamingRuby

FlamingRuby

The magic of Pokemon
Thanks, Dragonfree, for using my system as an example!

I always tell my reviewees that if they have any questions about the 'chu's I gave them and what they mean, they can PM me. Sometimes I will explain to them up front what the 'chus mean. But I do tell them what they mean.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top