Low votes in squidoo should be banned!

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 35 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #611 in Squidoo Tips, #98,785 overall

1 star ratings suck! But are they fair?

I think people should lighten up about the star ratings. Even a low star rating will boost your lensrank (a bit). So any rating is better than NO rating. Disagree? Tell me!

[That said: it does anger me when a good lens that hasn't been voted on yet gets a one star rating without an explanation or something...]

What the stars mean to me 

Ratings have meanings

0 stars
Squidoo members did not think the lens was interesting enough to vote on. For non-squidoo members it just meant they couldn't vote.
BTW: star ratings CAN be changed. REALLY. I've done it.1 star
Squidoo members who saw this lens DID think it was interesting enough to vote on, but they hated it.
2 stars
Squidoo members who saw this lens thought it was interesting enough to vote on, but they hated it.
3 stars
Squidoo members who saw this lens thought it was interesting enough to vote on, but they did not like it.
4 stars
Squidoo members who saw this lens did like it, but thought that it could be improved.
5 stars
Squidoo members who saw this lens loved it.

What the stars officially mean 

Squidoo says the star ratings mean...

Officially the stars mean the following:

  1. I can do better

  2. Jury's Out

  3. Pretty Darn Good

  4. Splendiferous

  5. Awesometastic


Based on that, only a one-star rating could be seen as an insult. Yet I've seen whole threads in squidu devoted to complaints about low ratings.

Star ratings effect lensrank... 

So what do you think: should people give low (1) -star ratings? 

Should people give one star ratings at all?

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Yes, I want to know when my lens stinks!

Astrieanna says:

If you have a five-star rating system, that gives you five options to say how good you think a lens is. If all you're going to use is 5-star - well, that's limiting things to a "thumbs-up" system - you wouldn't even get a "thumbs-down".

Ratings should be based on merit - is there content there, not just links or products? Do they write understandably (not an overload of grammar mistakes/typos)?
They should not be based on your agreement with the idea (even tho that can be hard to avoid) -- it should be on the quality of the argument.

5-stars should only be used when you finish and don't have anything to add, or any more questions, or anything that needs to be fixed.

1-stars are for spammy lenses or lenses made of a couple linked lists and ebay searches. Something that took 5 minutes to make and doesn't help at all.

naturalskinproducts says:

We should be getting ranked based on the impact our lens had on the person doing the rating, and not on how much "heart and soul" or creativity we had to use to make that impact. The truth is, what we've prepared might still be worth very little to one reader yet be exactly what another reader was looking for. On the other hand, rating should not be anonymous. I think our ID should accompany our rating, and I think our ID should show "has rated (this many) lenses; average rating given is(this many) stars." (IE - has rated 7 lenses, average rating 3 stars)

JustBon-Crochet-Designs says:

I think I would kinda know if my lenses stink. If someone doesn't like the subject matter, then that's another story. It doesn't mean the lens (or group) stinks though.

AdrienneJenkins says:

I rarely use the one star rating but there are a few lenses that look kind of spammy or that people put zero effort in. Usually it's people trying to sell some sort of product and they only have 1 lens on their lensography. I think as lensmasters who are trying to prevent lenses from being banned from Google, we want to keep these lenses out of the spotlight and use the power of the * to do so.

Jon_Lyles says:

To me a 2 rating means you need to put more work into it. A 3 rating means the lensmaster did a good job. 4s should go for above average lenses. 5s should go for really exceptional lenses. I've rated lenses at 4 and favorited it. I agree with earlier comments about high ratings given out too easy. If only high ratings are given then the ratings don't mean too much. Seems like almost every site I go to has a overall five rating. On the other hand I agree with Spirituality that sending an email instead of a 1 or 2 would probably do more to help the lensmaster.

boshemia says:

Only one person has given me one star ratings on most of my lenses but they weren't voting on the lens, it's really just a game. It would be nice if people weren't allowed to give consistent one star ratings just because they are immature and don't like a person for one reason or another but I'll live... if my lens stinks I'm fine with that but I wish we could block certain people from voting on or even seeing your lenses.

Jimmie says:

What's the use of a rating system if the only rating is GREAT? It's totally pointless to me.

ParentCoachGTD says:

Seems like the 5s are handed out very easily. Would be cool if the ratings were actually based more on merit. Since so many get fives, it feels like I'd be insulting someone to give them lower. That said, it is hard to picture how this would get going even handedly without some sort of organized Squid campaign to encourage change all at once.

KimGiancaterino says:

The rating system itself doesn't bother me, but people who abuse it do. Some top-notch lensmasters have been hurt by 1-star rating campaigns, which I find sad. I never give 1-star ratings, even if I strongly disagree with someone's opinion.

Mortira says:

I've only ever given 2 stars once - and that was for a really dismal lens. For me, 3 is a boo, 4 is 'pull your socks up', and 5 is great. I think low ratings are fine, as long as it's not abused. As far as I know, giving multiple 1 star ratings gets you the boot around here. That seems like a fair system to me.

No, I don't want to get your negative feedback - it's just so negative!

spirituality says:

Some people do rating exchanges - it's not the norm, but it does happen.
Other than that: we have HQ word on it that even a rating of 1-star gives a lensrank boost, not making it lower. However getting little traffic will get your lens a lower rating, so if the two coincide, you'd get lower ratings and might blame the one star rating. That rating probably wasn't enough to keep lensrank at the high level it had been because of the five star ratings.

Remember: any lensrank boost is temporary, including ratings.

sandyspider says:

After a string of 5* ratings and not much traffic, one low rating can easily be push your lens down. I think some people do this out of spite or it is a game. I have never given out a low rating. If I think their lens don't measure up, I might (which I have often) contacted them on how to make improvements. I'm OK if someone does the same for me.

But I do believe the star ratings can be a popularity contest. I have read lenses that I didn't think were up to pare, Yet they had a high number of star 5 ratings. Why? Popularity?

Glowbees says:

I like to think Squidoo is an overall "happy" place. People are nice, give "5"'s because we are all just a bunch of cool people, but not so. I shudder to think people rate below a 5 to be weird or spiteful and I think this happens.

Mortira says:

I didn't have a problem with the star system until someone decided they didn't like me (or my work?) and 1 starred many of my lenses. I worry about what the lower ratings say to readers about the content they are about to see.

Dragon82 says:

I think I've just received 1 stars on several lenses because a person has an issue with the company that helps the Musicians I've listed, and nothing to do with the lens itself. I think people should be forced to leave a comment with a low rating so the rating can be removed if it's not appropriate :(

lollyj says:

I'm torn. On one hand, I do want to know what people really think of my efforts. On the other hand, personally, I refuse to give low ratings when someone has put their heart, time, energy into a lens. The stars are just one part of the process. I will NEVER give one star to anyone because each person's creativity takes different forms.

cjsysreform says:

Nah. It's not that I don't want negative feedback, but one-star ratings are pretty useless because you don't know who gave it to you or why. I think guestbooks should be a required module for every new lens that gets made; that way we could still say "this lens sucks" but in our own words, and with the option to let the lensmaster know why we don't like it.

Heather426 says:

Rather than give a low rating, I usually just move on. but if it is really awful, I will rate it low. Really awful means spelling errors, or only 2 modules or spam or something like that.

TheWhistler says:

What is needed is constructive feedback. Leaving just one Star on a lens is just being mean. Tell the person what you would like to see on the lens and help them out.

spirituality says:

You can see how many stars people give a lens on the top of it. That's the average, but when you see the average go down, that's a sign of a negative rating.

 
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High trees catch the wind 

Dutch society is very egalitarian. Being different is frowned upon. 'Acting normal is always good enough'. One of our sayings is:

"High Trees catch wind" - which means that once a person gets famous, distinguishes him or herself, they will be criticized.

I wonder if that's not behind the low star ratings that many giant squids complain about.
It's why Oprah gets criticized for trying a new diet and talking about it.
It's why Gandhi gets bad press for trying to keep peace.
And it's why (us) giant squids get 1-star ratings for 5-star lenses: jealousy.

Nothing pretty about it. But it does sort of compensate for the excess of positive attention these same people we also get.

How do you feel about a 1 star rating? 

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How do you feel about a two star rating? 

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How do you feel about a three star rating? 

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How do you feel about a four star rating? 

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How do you feel about FIVE star ratings? 

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People who vote 1-star consistently WILL be banned

People abusing the rating system by consistently giving lenses one star, will be banned from voting.

Have some of your best lenses gotton one star ratings? 

Did some b* give very good, high rating lenses of yours low votes?

Some people give 1 star ratings to lenses that don't deserve that by any normal measure. Have you experienced that?

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So, should 1-star ratings be banned? 

People that give too many 1-star ratings do get their rating-abilities taken away. Should squidoo be more strict in their dealings with 1-star raters?

Should squidoo find a way to filter out undeserved 1-star ratings?

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Yes

Mortira says:

It would be great if 1 star ratings could somehow be 'washed out' if they are applied to lenses that have otherwise good ratings.

julcal says:

would be great if they could, but do they have the time and the technology? Sounds like quite an undertaking.

lollyj says:

The same thing happens on Amazon for the same reason -- often sour grapes. Poor rankings are given to good books by people with a sour outlook. If someone gives ME a one star ranking on Squidoo, I would probably believe my lens stinks. If an excellent giant squid lens receives one star, I would know it was for a negative reason. I think it would be difficult and time consuming to weed out people who deliberately down-rate lenses. I don't have the answer, but Amazon successfully cracked down on sneaky raters so maybe Squidoo can too, somehow.

cjsysreform says:

Yes. It shouldn't be allowed. I know people have been saying the ratings system gets abused, with too many 5-star ratings given, but honestly... aren't the best lenses already awarded with more traffic and better feedback? I never look at ratings on lenses as a way to decide whether they're worth reading. Ratings are silly. I'd be in favor of getting rid of them altogether.

spirituality says:

Inkserotica: actually they do use the average. I suggested using the median (fine mathematical difference).

Don't let low ratings get you down though!

No

Astrieanna says:

Everyone has an opinion -- the only way to do this that couldn't be worked around would to have someone /look/ are each 1-star rated lens -- or at each disputed one. I just don't think this is a big enough problem to merit that. Other people will visit the lens and things will work out.

The fact that even a 1-star rating boosts lens rank already helps this - boost in lens rank makes it more likely that someone else will see and rate the lens with what it deserves.

Anyway, star ratings are really tiny in general - I usually don't even notice what a lens is ranked until I scroll back up to rank it.

FlorenceArt says:

Pardon me, but isn't this a rather silly question? If the rating system stays as it is, then there are 5 possible ratings and it would be just crazy to disable one of them. And next, will 2-star rating become the next 1-star rating?

When I first rated a lens, I gave it 4 stars, because I thought it was cool but not stellar. After that I noticed that most people seem to give 5 stars or nothing, so I do the same. But I think it's rather silly. If everybody is afraid of giving less than 5 stars, then let's replace the rating system with just one "I like it" button.

The whole thing is just a pointless popularity contest anyway. What I hate about so-called social networking is how much it promotes hypocrisy and meaningless competition.

JustBon-Crochet-Designs says:

In balance, I believe the rating system works well. There will always be the few that will abuse it. My only gripe is that if someone wants to leave 1 or 2 stars, then they should be prompted to comment on the lens as to why they've left that rating, otherwise the rating won't be recorded. At the end of the day, all ratings big or small boost a lensrank anyway.

KimGiancaterino says:

I think HQ is too busy to police the culprits. I would rather see them continue to focus on positive improvements to Squidoo. There will always be creeps who get their kicks by hurting others.

Chadrew says:

They should find a better way to expose 'rating swaps' instead.

One star ratings don't bother me at all. There should be freedom in your rating. If someone rates your lens a 1*, that means it's a 1* in HIS or HER eyes, it doesn't matter if you and 90% of other people think your lens is amazing.

 
1 of 2 pages
 

What issues with star ratings did I miss? 

JustBon-Crochet-Designs wrote...

I've had an undeserved 1* rating on a lens, but this was quickly caught by another lensmaster who was kind enough to notice and commented on the lens about it. What the person who left the 1* obviously didn't realize was that they had just boosted its lensrank, however slightly.

ReplyPosted March 21, 2009

julcal wrote...

Ditto lollyj - i wouldn't know if I got a 1 * rating. As well, the only vibes i ever get from Squidoo are great ones! Nothing but help and support. I get 5* ratings for my health lenses from other people who have lenses in health. These are lenses, it's great to make it to the top, make some money maybe, get our websites to the top on Google, but this is not life and death. This is in my mind, the best on line community I have ever been part of! 5* to you all!

ReplyPosted March 05, 2009

lollyj wrote...

I can't understand why anyone would spend their time giving one star ratings out of meanness.
Not sure I would even know if I got a one star rating.

What attracted me to Squidoo was the positive attitude and outlook reflected in the lenses. Anyone who feels so jealous or mean that they find it necessary to rock this very nice boat should go to one of the many sites online where negativity is championed.

I'm so sorry some of you have been singled out in such a negative way.

ReplyPosted March 05, 2009

AdrienneJenkins wrote...

Wow, eelkat. Didn't know that people were abusing the one star. Ughhh.

ReplyPosted February 07, 2009

KimGiancaterino wrote...

I occasionally get lousy ratings on political lenses. It seems to go with the territory. I've deleted a few lenses because of it. By the way, I enjoyed your debate and am giving you a Squid Angel Blessing!

ReplyPosted September 15, 2008

 
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