Awesometastic...or Jury's Out?
Star ratings are a popular topic of conversation in the SquidU forums. Every lensmaster has their own approach to rating lenses. Here is mine.
It's a simple checklist to reward attributes that make a great lens and add to the quality of the Squidoo community. Likewise, it deducts stars for things that dilute Squidoo's credibility or waste my time as a reader.
This is the most objective way I've found to keep my lens ratings consistent.
Basic Philosophy - Lenses Start At 3 Stars
If I started at 5 (Awesometastic) that would mean I'm assuming the lens is top notch. That devalues the 5 star rating and is not fair to the many great lenses that truly deserve 5 stars.
If the lens is about something fun and goofy I may start it at a 4 (Splendiferous). You're not really trying to educate me or sell me something...the lens is for entertainment so the bar's a little lower.
Please Note...
If the sole purpose of the lens is to sell me something, I am much stricter on the rating criteria.
Banner Ads At Top of Lens? -1 Star
There are some really good, informative lenses out there which are spoiled with annoying unrelated banner ads at the top...typically for link exchanges. Even if the ad is on topic, give me some real info first before hitting me with ads.
I'm not against banner ads...I use a few myself. But they are related to the topic, mixed in with the content and not at the top of the lens.
Beg For Ratings At Top of Lens? -1 Star
It looks bad. Remember, your lens might be the first Squidoo lens a new visitor ever sees. Make a good impression. Make good use of your reader's attention.
If you want to remind people to rate your lens after they've read through it then go ahead and place a tactful reminder at the bottom of the lens. No stars off for that.
Did I Learn Something? +1 Star
Default Module Titles? -1 Star
Cool Layout/Lens Design? +1 Star
The folks at Squidoo have done a good job of providing a consistent lens look while still offering us the flexibility to be creative and innovative.Well designed lenses where the information flows or creative (and smart) use of an HTML trick are how a lens will wow me here.
Member Of Unrelated Groups? -1/2 Star
Got Good Content? +1 Star
Talking about your personal experience with the topic and putting your expertise into words is a solid way to build great content.
Generic Pre-Generated Lens? -1 Star
All Text Is From Wikipedia? -1/2 Star
Write some original text (not a paraphrase of Wikipedia) on your lens. If you can't do that then you're probably not an "expert" in the topic.
Unique or Interesting Topic? +1 Star
One of my favorite things about Squidoo is discovering new things or learning new stuff about a topic I'm already interested in. Content Doesn't Match The Title? -1 Star
Is The Lens Annoying? -1/2 Star
1. YELLS AT ME IN ALL CAPS.
2. Makes my eyes hurt with lots of crazy colored text.
3. Is one very very very long text module with no break.
4. Every other word is a typo.
5. Rambles from topic to topic.
You Paid Me $100 To Rate Your Lens: +25 Stars
Cha-ching! Money talks!I'm kidding, totally kidding.
Seriously, if you feel the need to bribe someone to rate your lens, then you and your lens both have serious issues.
Allows Guestbook Spam? -1/2 Star
Worth My Time To Visit The Lens? +1 Star
Rate My Lens Rating Strategy
How do I resolve 1/2 Stars?
This is a judgment call. If the overall feel of the lens and its information are good then I'll go with the higher rating. If I think that there are big opportunities for improvement then I'll round down and give it the 4.
Do I Give 1 Star Ratings?
A Few Favorite 5 Star Lenses
Here are some lenses built by other lensmasters that I have rated 5 stars. They're all examples of great lenses. Chances are you're already familiar with them.-
Moss Farming
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Moss can be a filler on top of a potted plant, it can be a little accent in a garden, or a lush, full-fledged replacement for a lawn. This is my first year moss farming notebook and diary complete with pictures along the way. It's got a lot of...
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Sundials: How to Make a Sundial, How they Work and Some Sundial History
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Many people think of sundials as nothing more than historical curiosities. How wrong can you be? Sundials are fantastic things to have in your garden, incredibly beautiful focal points just like any urn or garden sculpture. But sundials are so much m...
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Wingsuit Pilots
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Wingsuit skydivers can achieve forward speeds of more than 100 mph (160 km/h). They look like flying bullets, and they can glide with such precision! Also these high-performance bodysuits allow them to slow down their descent to as low as 30 mph (48...
Final Thoughts
Anyway, this is how I rate lenses, your approach is probably different. Feel free to give this a try and let me know how it works for you.
Let's Hear From You...
What do you think of this lens rating strategy? What are your thoughts on star ratings?
| Mac33
Hi Shaynne. You can go back and change the rating you gave a lens at any time. The overall rating shown is the average of all ratings the lens received. That's why you see 3.5 or 4.5 stars on some lenses. Posted September 28, 2008 |
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Shaynne
Yeah, finally I know how to rate a lens! I saw someone asked and you answered. Thanks a lot! Now I'm wondering if someone actually gave say--the dreaded 1 or 2 stars--can't someone give their rating and then a better 4 or 5 star show up next time? I'm mean, even this lens shows it's rated 5 stars by 9 people. What if someone rated it something else? Does it just not show up because it's already been given the highest rating? What the dealio? Anyone, anyone? Posted September 27, 2008 |
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Eclectic_Muse
This is a great way of looking at it. It's nice to see other perspectives and criteria. Posted September 23, 2008 |
| Mac33
nyfamily5, underneath the lens title, there's "Your rating:" followed by 5 gray stars. Hover your cursor over the stars (they'll turn yellow) then click the one you want. You have to be logged in to see it. Posted August 25, 2008 |
| nyfamily5
Great Lens, but how do I rate someone's lens? I've looked for a place to rate it on the lens but can't seem to find it, or am I just blind????? Posted August 25, 2008 |
| lakeerieartists
I find your strategy interesting because I have been doing it a little more intuitively but ending up in pretty much the same place. I have been working pretty darn hard to improve my lenses to meet a 5* standard, trying to look at examples and learning from critiques. 5* is something we should be proud of. Posted August 23, 2008 |
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CleanerLife
I think my ratings are mostly an emotional response, but it's interesting to see your formula, Thanks for figuring it all out and letting us know :) Posted August 14, 2008 |
Thank you. Useful lense.
Posted August 05, 2008
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PositiveChristian
This is much better than the method I use, which will differ depending on my mood :) Posted August 04, 2008 |
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Joan4
This was very helpful. Thank you. Will use your thoughts as a guide when I create lenses (and improve older ones!) Posted July 01, 2008 |
