A [minor] complaint about the blog system

[Sterling]

As a fairly long running member of GBAtemp, I've seen the blogs change a few times. I liked the old blogs better than the new ones, but I've gotten used to them (aka, it's neither here nor there). Recently, I've noticed something disturbing. It's kinda small, so it usually wouldn't warrant a complaint. However, it bothers the hell out of me now that I've noticed it. The starred rating system that we got going on there is really bugging me. I for one don't blog for any type of rating, and I'd rather have the option to turn it off completely. Now that someone has actually been using it on my blog, I find the 1 star rating completely infuriating and unwarranted. It's almost as if it were silently spiting me. >.< Could it be possible to have the option to turn it off, or better yet, completely remove it?

 

[Sterling]

I like the star ratings. Anyone who gives me a low star rating obviously is butthurt that I'm right, and anyone who gives me a high star rating obviously knows what he/she is reading. Anyone inbetween is just an indecisive idiot who needs to grow some balls.

Well, it's pointless when someone just breezes through and hits one star. I don't even rant and what not in my blogs most of the time, and I have 2 one star ratings. When I broached it in one of the comments, somebody added the second one 10 minutes after I complained. I don't blog for a rating, and it's not necessary. Hell, some people I know just look at the rating and go "nope" and browse to another blog. It's a nuisance I say.

 

[retrodoctor]

I'm surprised that people here use the blogging service seriously. Seems like a single step above MySpace notes.

I've been using the blogs for quite some time now. I have quite a few members I follow and read all their blogs. This is a close knit community who actually care what happens in each other's lives.

Kinda like MySpace notes.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I'm surprised that people here use the blogging service seriously. Seems like a single step above MySpace notes.

I've been using the blogs for quite some time now. I have quite a few members I follow and read all their blogs. This is a close knit community who actually care what happens in each other's lives.

Kinda like MySpace notes.

Well you post to the Blogs here so people here read them. Obviously other blog sites are better since they're dedicated blog sites but the GBAtemp blog function is more aimed at GBAtemp members reaching out to other GBAtemp members.

Also if I wanted the MySpace experience I'd go to Oregon since, according to my Snapple cap, is home to the most ghost towns in the United States.

 

[The Catboy]

I actually brought up the issue with the rating system before
Honestly it's distracting and rather pointless.

 

[Rydian]

People just 1-star crap all the time, and even though users tent to come in later and give actual ratings, so few rate threads that the results are pretty skewed.

I think a deterrent (though it'd need work so I doubt it'd be implemented) would be to make it so that a vote/rating requires a post, and is linked to (and visible within) that post, so people can single out the downvote fairy (yes Veho, I said that)... but that'd prevent voting on locked threads (say, announcement stickies and front-page directing news threads), so perhaps just something like polls showing who rated what when examining the rating, but the issue there is you wouldn't be able to see why ratings were given. I mean shit, look at all the 1-star reviews on newegg that are along the lines of "this CAT-6 doesn't at all, it's a fucking cable"... people can look at the contents of a review to tell if the review's an accurate representation of a reflection, or some dumbass that needs his typing licence revoked... so having ratings linked to posts is an obvious solution there, but that rungs right back into the issue of requiring a post, which, even in the case of unlocked threads, might encourage spam.

Then again if the rating/voting interface is available and visible on the posting page it'd make more sense that rates are linked to posts (and one rate per thread/person of course, edits allow rating edits in case a thread goes to shit or gets fixed later, etc.) and would encourage more people to rate threads they post in, if they feel like it.

But, you know, gbatemp's just going to ignore this, only to implement it later anyways, like half my suggestions.

 

[ProtoKun7]

Strange. The Catboy's thread didn't nearly get as much positive reinforcement. Anyway.

I agree that rating's are pointless, and that they belong in EoF where they won't be valued much if at all.

Everyone likes Sterling more. ;O;

you know i been thinking gbatemp is a good site i really do but next time they the creators of the site want to change things can the other member of the site vote on it first like yes or no in a poll kinda thing and if they look at that than decide to change things by all means do it that way unlike in the past where its chaining and we dont find out until the next time we log on i mean its only a thought but its up to you guys the powers at be.

The old blog system was custom-coded; this one is a standard IPB feature. It came with the upgrade anyway.