Disabling (just) anonymous ratings

[ianbattersby]

<p>Is there any way when submitting a photo for critique that you can disable <b>just</b> anonymous ratings opposed to all?</p>

<p>I have no problem with people rating a photo low (or high) if they are willing to put their name to it, and <i>hopefully</i> leave a comment as to their reasons behind the rating. It would be even better if you could specify that a low rating must be accompanied by a comment, although I could well understand arguments against this.</p>

<p>As Josh says in <a href="../site-help-forum/00Rsn6">another thread</a>, this is a <i>"photography community and educational site"</i>, yet without constructive feedback the ratings mean little (to me) in an educational sense.</p>

<p>Thanks, Ian</p>

[ronald_moravec1]

<p>Great idea.</p>

[tholte]

<p>Bad idea.</p>

[pmj]

<p>I think this is currently not possible. I do not know if this is a feature that's being considered or not.</p>

[AJHingel]

<p>I think it is not possible but I find it a good idea. If someone does not want use it they can choose not to. If I can disable anonymous ratings I might consider to start asking for ratings again.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>This idea re-occurs frequently, and always the answer was NO.<br>

But keep trying... may be phot.net will get tired of it and will give in - but we do not know what kind of legal or other issues that could create?. In my opinion ananymous ratings are more "open" and insightful, if you discount few "incidental" ratings from disturbed people.<br>

Until then ... try to post only the best pictures, to receive better ratings. If ratings bother you too much, do not post pictures at all, and trust your instincts and experience. If your photos sell well, no need to worry about low ratings.</p>

[tonmestrom]

<p>Actually it's not a good idea. Suppose this would happen, what would be the net result? Averages would certainly increase because some of the ratings are from people you know, even friends as in biased by definition. Secondly it would have the result that a lot of people would get the impression that they are better photographers than they in fact are.</p>

<p>The simple truth is that ratings don't tell you anything worthwhile about your photography one way or the other. It's just a game. As long as people get low ratings they will complain about the system. I would prefer it being abandoned alltoghether but since I know that will never happen I chose not to get involved in the game. I don't care about 3/3's just as I don't care about 7/7's. Treat rating for what it is, a game. That's all.</p>

[joshroot]

<blockquote>

<p>The simple truth is that ratings don't tell you anything worthwhile about your photography one way or the other. It's just a game.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Ton is absolutely correct. The ratings are not meant to teach you anything. They are a game that, at best, gives you a rough idea of what the average gut opinion of your photo is. If you want to learn what someone thinks about your photos and why they think that way, looking for that answer from a set of two numbers is a futile quest.</p>

<p>If you really care about learning, what you SHOULD be asking for is the ability for users to choose to get anonymous written critique. But nobody really wants to learn, they just want to complain about low ratings. Nobody ever EVER complains about unexplained high ratings.</p>

[mark_chartrand]

Don't you want an explaination as to why someone rates one of your photos high? Maybe they are rated high because the

person things you did a great job and low because you did a really terrible job. Which gives you more information and do you

really care?

[benjaminoliverhicks]

<p>A lot of the people who rate do so because they don't want to take the time to critique for various reason or they are scared of revenge rating and the like. I suspect that if implemented participation in the ratings would decrease significantly, and then people will complain about not getting critiques or ratings on their photos. I think that the anonymous critiques is a much better solution.</p>

[a._j._jacobs]

<p>Ok, Josh, so what is the possibility of getting that ability to leave anonymous comments/critiques? If that would get people to leave educational comments whether good or bad, I would take it!</p>

[bobatkins]

<blockquote>

<p><strong>I have no problem with people rating a photo low (or high) if they are willing to put their name to it</strong></p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>It's not a matter of choice. It depends on which interface you are from. You can't <strong><u>DECIDE</u> </strong>to be anonymous or not. It's determined by the system, not the rater.</p>

<p>Why this isn't made clearer to everyone I have no idea. The majority of users seem to think that you can chose to be anonymous when leaving a rating. You can't. For those who think you can, please tell me how you think you can do it!<br>

<strong></strong></p>

[AJHingel]

<p>Josh what I don't understand is the position of PN. <br>

If you want a maximum of ratings going on, why should we ask for our photos to be rated then? Make all uploaded photos automatically available for ratings. <br>

If you have some kind of user friendly approach, leave it to users to decide whether we want and do not want for example anonymous ratings .<br>

For me PN has presently a somewhat in between position refusing any change with the rapid remark that always comes up that somehow we don't want low ratings !<br>

Personally, I stopped asking for, or giving, ratings here on PN because I did not understand the high ratings given to some of my own photos like to some of others. The low ratings on my photos I dismiss - or learned from.<br>

I'm for a maximum of user freedom on PN. Give us freedom to choose the best individual configuration for each of us. User satisfaction must be the aim of a place like PN.</p>

 

[joshroot]

<p>Once again, this subject has spiraled into insults that I then have to waste time deleting. Therefore, it is closed. If you want to talk about it further, send email through the "contact photo.net" link at the bottom of the page.</p>