As a reader how do you use the rating system?

[HordHolm]

I’ve also thought it would be fair (and humorous) for Lit to secretly discount all one-star ratings. That could nullify the automatic-one-star creeper trolls.

Except that the problem with that is that the 1 score might be a general reflection of the opinion of the reader for that piece of writing, rather than a case of trolling. Personally, I've never stuck with a story poor enough for me to give it a 1 long enough to justify me actually giving it any vote at all, but others might and they are, ATM, entitled to that opinion.

 

[alohadave]

I’ve also thought it would be fair (and humorous) for Lit to secretly discount all one-star ratings. That could nullify the automatic-one-star creeper trolls.

They could do what SOL does and throw out the top and bottom 5% of votes and then grade them on a curve. They use 6 (out of 10) as the middle point for voting.

It doesn't eliminate 1 bombs (they complain about them too), but it throws out the outliers on both ends.

 

[LIDiver]

They could do what SOL does and throw out the top and bottom 5% of votes and then grade them on a curve. They use 6 (out of 10) as the middle point for voting.

It doesn't eliminate 1 bombs (they complain about them too), but it throws out the outliers on both ends.

Please educate me, what is SOL?

 

[Priscilla_June]

Please educate me, what is SOL?

Id also like to know

 

[AwkwardlySet]

We are not supposed to advertise other story websites here, but that is what SOL is. It is much smaller though.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Id also like to know

SOL = shit out of luck

 

[LIDiver]

SOL = shit out of luck

points, major!

 

[alohadave]

Please educate me, what is SOL?

StoriesOnline

 

[LIDiver]

StoriesOnline

thank you, you can delete it now if you’d like

 

[Priscilla_June]

SOL = shit out of luck

Lol i knew that but figured that did not make sense.

 

[AG31]

I avoid applying ratings to stories that I would never expect to appeal to me. For instance, I don't rate tentacle erotica. If the story is the kind I would expect to like, then I'll rate it on its impact on me. I'm reluctant to rate stories that I don't think deserve 5 stars. Why be mean?

 

[alohadave]

It seems from many of the replies that Lit may be better off with a simple up/down voting system.

 

[SimonDoom]

It seems from many of the replies that Lit may be better off with a simple up/down voting system.

No, I think it's fairer to say this represents the noisy minority, not the majority, and certainly not the majority of readers, who, after all, are the ones whose opinions on this subject matter most.

 

[ElectricBlue]

It seems from many of the replies that Lit may be better off with a simple up/down voting system.

Hell no. Binary vote systems suck. I far prefer to see the range, and the width of it, because (little data that it is), that actually tells me something about the reception my stories are getting.

 

[Euphony]

Hell no. Binary vote systems suck. I far prefer to see the range, and the width of it, because (little data that it is), that actually tells me something about the reception my stories are getting.

"Electricblue UR teh suxxors" mouthbreather comments aren't demonstrative enough for you?

 

[mirafrida]

Based on watching my scores go up and down sporadically, I wonder too if readers vote in sort of a black and white thinking. Basically they either vote 1 if they didnt like it or 5 if they did. It would be interesting to see a bell curve of what star rating is voted most.

I would LOVE if we could actually on our stories see who many of each rating we have gotten vs an average.

I agree we should be able to see the ratings profile for each story.

I spent a few months watching my ratings pretty closely to catch individual votes, and try to understand the overall behavior better.

4s definitely happen. Beyond that, I've seen examples where more "triggering" or emotionally-edgy stories get a very black/white 5 or 1 profile, whereas softer ones get a greater number of 4s, along with a shading 3s, and 2s as well. Of course, the two patterns may very well end up landing at a similar overall score.

In general, for every 30 votes, the breakdown I saw was something like this (your mileage will vary of course)
5 = 21
4 = 5
3 = 1
2 = 1
1 = 2

 

[Priscilla_June]

I agree we should be able to see the ratings profile for each story.

I spent a few months watching my ratings pretty closely to catch individual votes, and try to understand the overall behavior better.

4s definitely happen. Beyond that, I've seen examples where more "triggering" or emotionally-edgy stories get a very black/white 5 or 1 profile, whereas softer ones get a greater number of 4s, along with a shading 3s, and 2s as well. Of course, the two patterns may very well end up landing at a similar overall score.

In general, for every 30 votes, the breakdown I saw was something like this (your mileage will vary of course)
5 = 21
4 = 5
3 = 1
2 = 1
1 = 2

I think this resonates with me as well. I could believe that 2s and 3s are probably the least used score. Unless someone has a very extensive personal rubric, why would anyone give a 2? They read a story they near hate but it was written semi-well? I guess within myself idk what I would rate a 2.