Can I buy a complete thought?

OK look, bud team, I am NOT (REPEAT NOT) singling you out but it is high time some people around here learn how to rate. Look at this rate:

Comment By bud team on 01/05/2005
This was good! very smooth and fun. All of the 3d work is very good to. keep up the hard work.
Technical: 8 Adrenaline: 7.5 Originality/Acc.: 8 Average: 7.83
http://www.coastercrazy.com/track_excha ... p?tid=6438


OK, now this one I am picking on. Look at the rating of taz1970 on my most recent track. Now, compare it to that of JPE or McFly. See a problem?

Comment By taz1970 on 01/05/2005
Well this was very good. But it was to short for me. The track has some problems, like not smooth and to short like i said lol. any way hope to see more from you.
Technical: 7 Adrenaline: 7.5 Originality/Acc.: 7 Average: 7.17
http://www.coastercrazy.com/track_excha ... p?tid=6432


What do those rates say? Why were points docked? What did they use to determine the score? What advice have they given to help the designer? This is typical of the rating around here (and other sites) and it is rediculous.

Now, let me be the first to say that I could care less about the scores (you gotta believe me), but when rating we should be pointed towards making the designer better and helping each other to improve, not rating with crap and hoping no one will notice.

Come on folks ... WE as a community can do better than this.

You have to keep in consideration that other users (newer ones ussually) don't have as much experience as you and some others around here with NL and with coasters in general.
Sometimes there really isn't much to say other than it is an average track or above average.

Also, I've seen you say on many seperate ocasions how people do not rate properly (mainly n00b's) so instead of constantly repeating yourself, why don't you set it in stone and make a good rating guide?

no no no ... don't get me wrong FN, I am all for putting it out there and giving LOADS of mercy and consideration to newer folks ... but neither is particularly "new" here, and this is pretty consistent. What I am getting at, is, why is it that taking a lesson from the examples of others seems to be so hard to do? Maybe that "asks" it better??

Hmm, maybe age has to do with it?

I don't think so. Even with this countries horrible public education system, a person of 13 should have no problem writing well formed paragraphs. They just have to give a poop. I'm all for temporary removal of rating privileges of people who leave ratings like that.

Why does a rating have to be in paragraph form? Short form/point notes should be fine, as long as they actually say something good

Good ex/
-lift hill not straight
-nice flowing elements
-good adrenaline

bad ex/

-OMG!

But of course, if the track is good and needs little improvement, why would the user have to write a paragraph on how good the ride is instead of just saying, "good job, little improvement is needed here".

Originally posted by Fornication Nation

You have to keep in consideration that other users (newer ones ussually) don't have as much experience as you and some others around here with NL and with coasters in general.
Sometimes there really isn't much to say other than it is an average track or above average.

======

Why does a rating have to be in paragraph form? Short form/point notes should be fine, as long as they actually say something good

Good ex/
-lift hill not straight
-nice flowing elements
-good adrenaline

bad ex/

-OMG!

Ugh, I gotta say this for the millionth time.

You do not need to even know HOW to make a coaster in NL to rate it and give advice. Your advice does not have to be in the form of techincal data. Theres more things like pacing, fun factor, etc.


I did a whole "how to rate without rating" thing at CS awhile back, said the same thing. You dont have to be an engineer, scientist or a doctor to give good ratings.


Everyone here knows what they like and dislike in a ride. They also know what makes more good rides good, and bad rides bad. Its not all techincality, alot of times its just stuff like more airtime, floater or ejector, more G's, maybe a cork in the opposite direction, etc. I could write a paragraph rate without telling them at all how to help the techincal side, but I could help improve the Adrenaline and Originality.


As for the short form, I dont like that much. Its too impersonal. It doesnt give enough information and it just seems like whoever rated didnt take much time but gathered a bunch of "wrongs and rights" and slapped em into a rating. However, I dont mind it if a couple points on each side are explained. Otherwise, its just a list of do's and dont's which can be quite discouraging, especially when the list is rather large.


I also like to say that if a rides really bad, spend more time with helpful information than killing the ride. You dont have to mention every bad part, pick a few bad parts you know you can help on, techincal or not, and spend some time writing a helpful rating.

For those rides are so stellar theres hardly anything wrong, tell as much as you can as to why you liked it. When Im at a park and I see someone who loved a ride, they normally have more to say than "OMG Its SO GOOD!" Most of the time, enthusiast or not, they talk about the different parts of the ride they enjoyed. Was it the lift? maybe the drop? Or possible the loop...theres just way more to a ride.


Tylers right though, they have to CARE first. You cant force people do give good information. What they will do is BS alot just to get by.

Real is right .. sorry ya'll, perhaps I was just venting cause I am tired or reading crap ... a member has to care first, and I guess I should just accept that some don't care, and press on, which IMO is sad ya'll.

I guess I care too much and feel the need to write novels ...

By the way, here is something that began when a friend of mine wrote a long "how to rate" type of article at C2K (JonBKChill), so I made some modifications to it to personalize and have it on my homepage:

http://www.freewebs.com/tconwell/rating.htm

On another note:

TConwell nervously sighs, shuffles feet on the floor ... takes one final look at his total rates (7.31 (and dropping - lol)) ... clears throat and says ... By the way, I'd be honored Real if you would give that wood I posted a look-see if you have time. Thanks man.

[lol]

So i guess the answer to the question is a no...hold on, let me check ebay.com

Well it appears you cant buy a though, but you can by Food for a Thought for $28.99 if you bid now

[coolbeans326]

@ edge
I used to give crappy rates, you could go look at some of them. It has to do with experience, and knowledge. When I first started, I didn't know what half the stuff was. A guide would be good for the newer, less experienced people to go by.
but yeah, it would be good if people would like tell what they like about it. And treat it like they were stepping off a ride, and wanted to tell thier friends what they disliked, and what they liked, and what they wish it had.

See, this is what I mean. A perfect example of the stupidity of some people. A PM I recieved today that personally, I still cannot stop laughing over the immaturity of morons.

(Please excuse the swearing as you all know I do not talk like this -- but I did not feel like editing just to make the point for this (supposed) mature, married, obviously a great example to her children, stay at home mom ...)


taz1970
Sent - 01/06/2005 : 7:04:24 PM
LMAO
I THOUGH THAT WAS COOL. BUT WEEWEESLAP DID NOT I THINK YOU ARE A BIG CRY BABY. YOU GO AND TELL WEEWEESLAP THAT SOME ONE GAVE YOU A BAD RATE POOR BABY LMAO. ITS JUST A GAME YOU DUMB love. LOL GROW UP, OH THATS RIGHT YOU ARE A BIG BOY, YOU IN THE ARMY LMAO. THIS IS FUN.


So, where do we begin? It is obvious ... stupidity is status quo, and I guess it is time to just give up on caring. Rate hard, rate plain, and for everyone's sake stop posting rides cause you know the ineffective stupidity of n00bs is going to take over, eventually.

OK, rant over. [B)]

[coolbeans326]

^ looks like you got a black eye
anyways, nice rant. Way to own da n00bs, yet again. [:P]

Originally posted by thecool326
[brIt has to do with experience, and knowledge. When I first started, I didn't know what half the stuff was.

See, thats not entirely true. As I said, you can give a ton of feedback without knowing anything about NL. Its very possible and I know someone who does it regularly. I get novels on my rides from him and he cant use NL much at all. But, he knows a decent amount about REAL coasters and he knows what he likes and dislikes in rides. He also knows what makes an overall bad, good and excellent ride in real life so thats how he goes about judging. It works great.


I just dont want people falling into the trap thinking they have to be guru's at NL to rate well. You dont.

Very true Real. There is a guy at C2K that absolutely hates to ride, but loves to build coasters (hence his name: H2R_L2B). He knows what works and what he sees when problems arise. I can humbly say that the same is true with me, ya'll (hence my title).

I do not know everything there is to know (not even close), and in NO WAY am a master at designing in NL (I am improving - I can safely say that), but when riding from the rear seat I know immediately when I see something wrong. Actually, I have gotten to the point that I can ride in the front and detect issues without even looking from the back seat ... but the point is, is that you do not have to be an expert at NL to rate - but having a decent grasp of the English language and at least being able to form coherent sentences that others do not need a translator for is the key.

Write your thoughts out, and explain yourself, and I would be willing to be you that rates like (mine for example) would never get questioned. Sure, a designer might be pissed cause you spanked the ride, but they could never say you were not clear in what was said. And thus, if more folks did this not only would complaints drop ... but knowledged would increase, hence improving us all, and bettering the community at large.