A poll about changing the rating system!

So that we can provide faster and better support, this forum (the "Public Suggestion Box") has been retired. Instead, please send any suggestions you have to us using the official website contact form.

This allows us to streamline our support system so that we can get to your message much faster. Instead of our support staff having to check three different places (support forum, suggestion box, and contact form messages), they know can respond to all message through one method, with that one method being the official website contact form.

Moderator: Official Reviewer Representatives

Post Reply

Do you want to change the rating sysytem?

Poll ended at 09 Dec 2015, 08:21

1. No, I like it as it is.
9
12%
2. I don't mind either way.
7
9%
3. Yes, I want to add 1/2 stars to the current rating system.
30
38%
4. Yes, I want to move to 5-star rating system.
32
41%
 
Total votes: 78

User avatar
rssllue
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 50731
Joined: 02 Oct 2014, 01:52
Favorite Author: Ted Dekker
Favorite Book: The Bible
Currently Reading: A Year with C. S. Lewis
Bookshelf Size: 602
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rssllue.html
Latest Review: My Personal Desert Storm by Marcus Johnson
fav_author_id: 2881

Re: A poll about changing the rating system!

Post by rssllue »

Cake and eating it too I see. :o Wise play. :eusa-think:
~ occupare fati suffocavit

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. ~ Psalms 4:8
User avatar
angela9
Posts: 3
Joined: 14 Sep 2015, 02:10
Bookshelf Size: 2

Post by angela9 »

4 is a bit narrow. Half stars would be best. What about those that have already been rated. How would that change? :roll:
User avatar
Gravy
Gravymaster of Bookshelves
Posts: 39044
Joined: 27 Aug 2014, 02:02
Favorite Author: Seanan McGuire
Favorite Book: As many as there are stars in the sky
Currently Reading: The Ghost Tree
Bookshelf Size: 1027
fav_author_id: 3249

Post by Gravy »

angela9 wrote:4 is a bit narrow. Half stars would be best. What about those that have already been rated. How would that change? :roll:
They could either stay as you rated them (it worked at the time) or be re-rated, up or down :D
That's one reason I'm for half stars, it won't nullify prior official reviews, they can't really be changed to reflect a five star rating system :roll:
Pronouns: She/Her

What is grief, if not love persevering?

Grief is just love with no place to go.
User avatar
vortex189
Posts: 16
Joined: 25 Nov 2015, 20:35
Currently Reading: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1)
Bookshelf Size: 111
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-vortex189.html
Latest Review: "The Shape of Rain" by Nick Hirst

Post by vortex189 »

I am new. Is there I distinguished rating system?
Latest Review: "The Shape of Rain" by Nick Hirst
User avatar
anonanemone
Posts: 562
Joined: 07 Sep 2015, 22:30
Favorite Author: So many...
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 24">Tinder Stricken</a>
Currently Reading: Outland Exile
Bookshelf Size: 901
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-anonanemone.html
Latest Review: "The Shark in the Park" by Mark Watson
Reading Device: B00I15SB16

Post by anonanemone »

The current system and completed reviews are 4-star right now.
The world lives between those who say it cannot be done and those who say that it can. And in my experience, those who say that it can be done are usually telling the truth. --Lord Vetinari (Discworld, Raising Steam)
Latest Review: "The Shark in the Park" by Mark Watson
User avatar
Mike_Lang
Posts: 230
Joined: 14 Nov 2015, 22:16
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 50592">The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid</a>
Currently Reading: Mississippi Noir
Bookshelf Size: 274
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mike-lang.html
Latest Review: "Justice Prevails" by Colin Lodder
Reading Device: B00I15SB16

Post by Mike_Lang »

vortex189 wrote:I am new. Is there I distinguished rating system?

They use a 4-star rating system here, no half stars. Some other sites use 5-star ratings with or without half stars.
Latest Review: "Justice Prevails" by Colin Lodder
User avatar
bookowlie
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 9071
Joined: 25 Oct 2014, 09:52
Favorite Book: The Lost Continent
Currently Reading: The Night She Went Missing
Bookshelf Size: 442
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookowlie.html
Latest Review: To Paint A Murder by E. J. Gandolfo

Post by bookowlie »

Wow, it's still a horse race. I continue to have mixed feelings about a prospective change. Changing to a 1/2 star system would be good, since there would still be the same 4 stars as the highest option. However, I still like the idea of moving to a 5 star system since there I think authors don't like getting 2 or 2.5 stars. Using a 5-star system would allow a book to rated a 3 as a midway point - less harsh in the eyes of an author vs. getting 2 or 2.5 stars. I think people will view 3 stars as neutral rather than 2 or 2.5 stars, which carries a negative connotaton, in my opinion. I also like Scott's initial assessment that the current system forces the reviewers to think more about the rating. Oh dear, I am no help whatsoever!
"The best way out is always through" - Robert Frost
User avatar
gali
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 53652
Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 07:12
Favorite Author: Agatha Christie
Currently Reading: The Suite Life
Bookshelf Size: 2287
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gali.html
Reading Device: B00I15SB16
Publishing Contest Votes: 0
fav_author_id: 2484

Post by gali »

bookowlie wrote:Wow, it's still a horse race. I continue to have mixed feelings about a prospective change. Changing to a 1/2 star system would be good, since there would still be the same 4 stars as the highest option. However, I still like the idea of moving to a 5 star system since there I think authors don't like getting 2 or 2.5 stars. Using a 5-star system would allow a book to rated a 3 as a midway point - less harsh in the eyes of an author vs. getting 2 or 2.5 stars. I think people will view 3 stars as neutral rather than 2 or 2.5 stars, which carries a negative connotaton, in my opinion. I also like Scott's initial assessment that the current system forces the reviewers to think more about the rating. Oh dear, I am no help whatsoever!
I have mixed feelings about it as well. :eusa-think:
A retired Admin/Mod

Pronouns: She/Her

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)
User avatar
Mike_Lang
Posts: 230
Joined: 14 Nov 2015, 22:16
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 50592">The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid</a>
Currently Reading: Mississippi Noir
Bookshelf Size: 274
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mike-lang.html
Latest Review: "Justice Prevails" by Colin Lodder
Reading Device: B00I15SB16

Post by Mike_Lang »

While I agree that the current 4-star rating system forces the reviewer to think more about the rating I'm not sure that has any great benefit in the end result, as there is no midpoint it would seem to me that we essentially have a pass or fail system.

If nothing else I'd like to see a simple 2.5 rating added to the current system. I know it can seem like a cop-out or a non-decision decision but the reality is that some books - I dare say a good percentage of them - are neither good nor bad, they're just okay. Something to read and occupy the time. The literary equivilant of a fast food dollar menu item...not that there's anything wrong with that!

For clarification purposes, I am not referring to one genre being better than another - I am a huge fan of pulp type ficion which many would describe as trash fiction, I likes what I likes - I am saying that within any given genre there are some that are better than others, some that are worse, and some that are nothing more than pleasant ways to waste time, that aren't necessarily great but at the same time not worthy of a negative rating. I think of 2-stars as a negative rating - while 3-stars with the current 4-star rating system is, in my opinion, along the lines of a better than average rating (there's no middle ground).
Latest Review: "Justice Prevails" by Colin Lodder
User avatar
bookowlie
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 9071
Joined: 25 Oct 2014, 09:52
Favorite Book: The Lost Continent
Currently Reading: The Night She Went Missing
Bookshelf Size: 442
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookowlie.html
Latest Review: To Paint A Murder by E. J. Gandolfo

Post by bookowlie »

Mike_Lang wrote:While I agree that the current 4-star rating system forces the reviewer to think more about the rating I'm not sure that has any great benefit in the end result, as there is no midpoint it would seem to me that we essentially have a pass or fail system.

If nothing else I'd like to see a simple 2.5 rating added to the current system. I know it can seem like a cop-out or a non-decision decision but the reality is that some books - I dare say a good percentage of them - are neither good nor bad, they're just okay. Something to read and occupy the time. The literary equivilant of a fast food dollar menu item...not that there's anything wrong with that!

For clarification purposes, I am not referring to one genre being better than another - I am a huge fan of pulp type ficion which many would describe as trash fiction, I likes what I likes - I am saying that within any given genre there are some that are better than others, some that are worse, and some that are nothing more than pleasant ways to waste time, that aren't necessarily great but at the same time not worthy of a negative rating. I think of 2-stars as a negative rating - while 3-stars with the current 4-star rating system is, in my opinion, along the lines of a better than average rating (there's no middle ground).
Well said.
"The best way out is always through" - Robert Frost
User avatar
denalfit
Posts: 1
Joined: 27 Nov 2015, 19:26
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by denalfit »

5 point
User avatar
bookowlie
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 9071
Joined: 25 Oct 2014, 09:52
Favorite Book: The Lost Continent
Currently Reading: The Night She Went Missing
Bookshelf Size: 442
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookowlie.html
Latest Review: To Paint A Murder by E. J. Gandolfo

Post by bookowlie »

denalfit wrote:5 point
Hi Denalfit and welcome to the forums! Please note that you can vote in the official poll once you have posted at least 10 posts (not counting posts in the off-topic discussions).
"The best way out is always through" - Robert Frost
User avatar
rssllue
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 50731
Joined: 02 Oct 2014, 01:52
Favorite Author: Ted Dekker
Favorite Book: The Bible
Currently Reading: A Year with C. S. Lewis
Bookshelf Size: 602
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rssllue.html
Latest Review: My Personal Desert Storm by Marcus Johnson
fav_author_id: 2881

Post by rssllue »

:text-yeahthat:
~ occupare fati suffocavit

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. ~ Psalms 4:8
User avatar
Hiew Yi Sa
Posts: 3
Joined: 29 Nov 2015, 01:34
Currently Reading: Asia's Financial Industry 1986-2016
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Hiew Yi Sa »

Hi, guys I am just a newbie. Can anyone teach me know how to vote? Thanks.
User avatar
rssllue
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 50731
Joined: 02 Oct 2014, 01:52
Favorite Author: Ted Dekker
Favorite Book: The Bible
Currently Reading: A Year with C. S. Lewis
Bookshelf Size: 602
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rssllue.html
Latest Review: My Personal Desert Storm by Marcus Johnson
fav_author_id: 2881

Post by rssllue »

You need to have ten posts on the forums before you can vote in polls.
~ occupare fati suffocavit

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. ~ Psalms 4:8
Post Reply

Return to “Public Suggestion Box (Retired)”