Rate Photos - A few thoughts...

[r_fredrick_smith]

The "Rate Photos" option now appear to be active for all. So here are a few of my thoughts about this system. These are random thoughts in no paricular order and are designed to help me think about the Photo Rating system and perhaps stimulate others to do the same.

1. Do not rate photos in comparison to each other if they are in different categories. If you do, you'll often be pushing a really good photo in one category to a lower position in that category than it deserves. So if you really like glamour and you see 3 glamour images and two landscapes over on the right and you vote 8 for each of the glamour and 5 for the landscapes, was that really fair. Weren't you comparing landscapes to glamour shots of pretty girls. Is that fair?
2. So how might you proceed. Well I think you should first click on a category and then you'll see on the right the top 5 in that category. Now you can rate each one photo in the same category. However, how do you choose how to rate in this case. Are you simply giving the highest rank to the one you like best and the lowest to the one you least like. Instead, try to come up with some sort of arbitrary scale that you apply mentally. It might be something like half of the points for composition and half for creativity. Or 1/3 for this, 1/3 for that and 1/3 for something else. This will take you longer to go through a batch of photos, but it might make for more meaningful ratings.
3. Or you can game the system. Should you do that? Well that's up to you, but I think everyone should be aware that it can be gamed to a certain extent. For example, you can change your vote on any photo by just coming back to a photo. So you can view the top 5 in a category and if the one you think is best is not at the top, you can change your vote to lower on each of the ones above it. That might mean photo that you voted 8 for earlier now gets a 1. Is that fair? Well you have to decide! Some may game the system by signing up multiple times and then in effect voting twice or more times for any given photo, even their own. Definitely not fair, but nothing stops it. However, you will eventually be caught I believe. So if you plan to game the system, think about what happens if someone calls you on it.
4. You can flood the system with photos in one category. I still think this should not be allowed, but all of us will probably do it, because we all believe we have multiple photos that are good. As it stands right now, you can upload as many as you want, apparently. I would say, that it might be better to consider just entering one photo per category. But if you see everyone else entering multiples in the came category, then you'll probably have to do it also.
5. Don't be surprised if the rules of the game keep changing. I suspect that this feature will continue to evolve and change over time.
6. If you eventually see one photographer dominating all 5 positions, then you'll have seen one of the flaws in the absolutely open system.
7. Keep in mind that many photos may be in the system right now that are the results of beta testing and so some of the incongruities that you might see will probably disappear over time as the system is reset.

As I said, these are just random thoughts. You might want to ramble also or speculate as I'm doing about such rating systems in general.

Cheers,
rfs

[RSStory]

What I think would be a nice feature of this is, If you could leave comments along with your vote as well as show who voted and what they rated the shot.

[r_fredrick_smith]

Originally Posted by RSStory

What I think would be a nice feature of this is, If you could leave comments along with your vote as well as show who voted and what they rated the shot.

Those would be interesting options, but might have some database and bandwidth implications. Right now my guess is that there is a table that stores the user ID, and the photo ID and the rating. If a person comes back to the same photo, and votes again it updates the rating in that same entry. Now you'd have to have a comment field in that table. But that means when you come back to the same photo you have to retrieve the comment and let it be edited to. Right now it does appear that retrieval is being done of the record, since the interface doesn't show what your original vote was. I just ran a test of voting 20 times for the same photo and it seems that it truly is just changing the vote but doesn't change the vote count.

Do you think having comments would considerably slow down the rating process? What would be the impact of showing who had voted 1 for a person's photo. Would that cause animosity? I don't know --- but I suspect in some cases it might? Would people shade their votes if they new the owner of the photo they were voting on might see their vote. Also comments would add the same question, since now we would know who made the comments. Would they be colored by this knowing on both sides?

I also wondered about having 3 or 4 ratings for each photo. X points for composition, x for technique, x for creativity, and x for whatever. But that might also slow down the voting.

I guess it will just evolve and we will see how it works. I haven't been a fan of rating system like this in the past as they never seem to work and generally just stop being used after a while. Maybe you've seen the same thing, I don't know.

Oh well, there I go rambling again!

Cheers,
rfs

[Electricseashell]

Actually I was hoping that the rating portion would not really count persay. I think just having a nice slide show of the Forums potential discussions was a cool feature. But since Rolando is self admitted not a code writer it was easier to install the feature as is. Which means its the rated system.
We could start threads for rating purposes, since then you know who rated it at what level and what they found that made them give anotehr a higher rating.
Its very subjective and could change as peoples understanding levels increase.. I've learned alot just since joining and I'm steadily becoming more critical or observant lol .
So I guess I would like to see the slide show stay just a taste of what the forum is about and the rating system be threaded.

my 2 cents

[RSStory]

Originally Posted by Electricseashell

Actually I was hoping that the rating portion would not really count persay. I think just having a nice slide show of the Forums potential discussions was a cool feature. But since Rolando is self admitted not a code writer it was easier to install the feature as is. Which means its the rated system.
We could start threads for rating purposes, since then you know who rated it at what level and what they found that made them give anotehr a higher rating.
Its very subjective and could change as peoples understanding levels increase.. I've learned alot just since joining and I'm steadily becoming more critical or observant lol .
So I guess I would like to see the slide show stay just a taste of what the forum is about and the rating system be threaded.

my 2 cents

The slideshow feature is different then the rating area. 2 Completely seperate features of the site.

[RSStory]

I have said before I think, I am not a programmer and have absolutely no idea what goes on behind the scene to make things work. I have seen rating systems with comments and with the ability to see you rated the image and what they gave it. Did it have problems? I am sure it did but that isnt my area and frankly I dont want it to be. If it doesnt work or creates other issues then I say just dont do it.

The reality is, we dont need a ratings system here when every shot on the site is open for critique anyway. That is one of the things I like best about this site. All images posted in albums or forums are open for critique. The key to make that work is to get people to be active here and actually do the critiques. I dont care if someone likes my shot or not. I care that they gave their opinion and I can learn from it. So the rating without the comments really mean nothing to me.

[r_fredrick_smith]

I agree. We can much more easily rate photos and give detailed critiques within other parts of the system. As you've probably already guessed, I've never been a fan of "rating systems". I prefer well reasoned written out critiques. Those are something you can sink your teeth into.
Cheers,
rfs

[A.C. Gellert]

ok.. now stop that I am having to agree with you once again...

My one issue with "critiques" is when someone suggests you try something different in the cropping or post production.. you try it, and maybe even post it.. but they never come back to that thread to see if it worked or didnt. I understand that some people will take the "critique" and not even try the suggestions, and some wont even post that they did or didnt try it... but when you do and post it.. why the heck cant the "critiquer" go back and say.. "hey it works".. or "ooops I guess I was wrong" ?

I guess that it just means that the person giving the "critique" dosen't really give a "rat's A$$" and might have only been uping their post count.

My suggestion.... Only give a critique when you actually care about either helping that person, or if you really have an idea to help better the image. Screw the post count... help someone..

[RSStory]

I try to go back to every post to see if they did another post of the image or whatever but I have learned over the years that most do not post a new version of the image. At any rate, you can always send a pm to the person making them aware that you did repost and ask for their opinion.

Scott

[rolandogomez]

Actually, I think we're going to remove it, save it for another site, thanks, rg.