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I don't know if it's ok for me to address this topic, but I'm wondering if anyone else feels the same as I do--I have had my feelings hurt a few times by some of the ratings given to my cards. I know that everyone has varying opinions on different cards, but I don't see the need to put a low rating on someone's work when you could simply not say anything at all. Could others please chime in on this topic--no flames please. Thanks!!
__________________ Angela in Pennsylvania�
Friendship is like peeing in your pants.......
Everyone can see it,
but only you can feel it's true warmth.
I am with you! it takes alot of guts to post images and I think all creations of the heart are ART! I would never rate anyones less than a 10 because they are brave enough to share with us! So you continue on posting and enjoy it! I took a peek at your gallery - I think you do great work!
I looked at the ones where you got low ratings and they are from the same person. Perhaps you can just write it off as that person being really picky in her cards. I'd just not leave any comment at all if I really didn't like a card but I didn't see anything wrong with yours at all. Just keep posting. We like them.
I also agree. I only give 10's. If I'm not fond of a card, I just don't rate it. Who's to say what I like, everyone else will like. I have to admit that I just recently started uploading card photos (finally, a new scanner), but I was very nervous to see what my ratings would be. I know that someone is working hard on their cards just like I am and they're proud of their work. Low ratings could hurt feelings.
"If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me!" --Olympia Dukakis in Steele Magnolias. That line has always cracked me up!
Angi, personally, I don't feel comfortable ranking, so I don't. When time allows, and my arm is holding up (suffer from severe tendonitis), I try to leave a comment on creations that particularly catch my eye (maybe it's layout, color combo, maybe it's the use of embellishment, or maybe it's the whole dang card/box/whatever).
In all honesty I've posted some of my own favorite creations only to find it appeals to very few or receives lukewarm response. At other times, I post something I feel turned out so-so, but not necessarily spectacular and it gets rave reviews! Go figure!
When I have a chance to go over what comments have been made on my artwork, I make a point of ignoring the rankings and focus on what aspect the commenter found appealing about that creation and then I move on!
In the end, don't let what anyone else thinks or ranks get to your heart or take it personally; art is sooooo subjective and there is no way of knowing WHY a card receives a particular ranking because it all depends on the viewer's perspective--and only they know what factors they are basing a rating on--it is so individual!
Keep creating, keep posting ahd sharing--you never know when a particular creation will inspire a fellow artist.
Hugs,
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Maybe it would be better if we weren't given the option of rating, but could still comment. I only give 10's, too, but it seems silly to offer us the ability to post anything 10 or below when most wouldn't give less than a 10 for fear of hurting feelings. Does that make sense? I'd just as soon SCS dump the rating system, but leave the option to comment.
Most of the low ratings were made several months ago and mostly by the same person. This topic has been up for discussion recently. I know it is kind of crappy but try not to let it get to you. I just posted a layout that I was really proud of and it got NO reponses! I still love it and I know I worked hard on it. Keep stampin'!
I'd just as soon SCS dump the rating system, but leave the option to comment.
I agree that this might be a good idea. The comments alone make me smile. I just wanted to state that I don't rate each and every card. I also just rate the cards that catch my fancy.
I think this is a good discussion. When I first started visiting the board, I rated a few cards and 8 or 9, not on the card themselves, but on the fuzziness of the image. When I wnet back to change them, I couldn't find them. I truely appreciate everyone's willingness to share their creativity and inspiration. I only comment on a few cards a day, but I look at every one. I go to the gallery & check the postings of the last day several times a day. I make sure to make it post them from latest to earliest so that I get to see them all.
I want to say "Thank You" to everyone who has responded so graciously to my postings.
__________________ Happy Stampin',Charisma
When my children complain, I remind them "If the world didn't suck we'd all fall off!" My itty-bitty SCS Gallery
it takes alot of guts to post images and I think all creations of the heart are ART!
I agree 100%! Can you imagine rating pictures at a museum? If you like Picasso, he gets a 10...if he does not appeal to your taste, he gets a 4!
I think the words under the ratings can mean different things to different people and therefor a little misleading.
In my mind, as a former grade school teacher, I see the ratings as grades.
If I think a card is "good" I would never give it a 5 or 6...I give it an 8 or 9!
Michelle
I thought your work was lovely also, and I can't imagine someone giving it such a low rating. I also just don't rate something if it's not to my taste, but I really only rate things that catch my eye also. So much fabulous work is posted here every day that I just don't have time to look at all of it.
So.... where in Maryland are you? There are a bunch of us on here from MD. We should do an SCS get-together here.
I dont like the rating thing either... Some people might thing something is just beautiful, while others might think it is trash... I was talking to my demo the other day feeling bad about my cards because they are so plain compared to the ones I keep seeing that are being posted in the gallery. I told her this in a PM. She told me to call her right away so I did. Her upline was at her house babysitting, and was flipping through her cards (I always give her samples of the current sets) and had pulled a few of my cards and thought they were great! She even told me a few people at her workshops asked about a few of them too! WOW !! And here I thought I was boring !
I could live without the rating system and just the comments too!
Ok!! Light Bulb moment!
This is just like the Olympics!
Watch the judges drive people nuts with low ratings and think of SCS.
Numbers mean many things!
Michelle
Angela- you know I love your work! I went back through your gallery and liked them all! You are one of my favorites to swap with!!
Keep posting! We love to see them!
Ang, I also went to your gallery and thought your cards were very nice. I didn't see any of them that I felt was deserving of a 5 or a 6. Actually, I feel 9 and 10's are really good. I don't get a chance to look at all the cards like I would like to, but when I do get a chance, I usually try to look at the ones posted the day before and the same day I am lurking through the gallery. The ones that really catch my eye, I give a rating and leave a remark. Sometimes it might only be one word like Beautiful, or gorgeous, but I put what I feel. If I can't say something nice about a card, then I move on. And that doesn't mean that I dont' have anything nice to say. Sometimes a card just doesn't jump out at me. I believe I have cards in the gallery that I thought were really nice and there aren't any comments on them, and one in particular I didn't think was good at all got several comments. You keep posting and please try not to let anyone knock down your spirit. This is a place for each of us to learn from someone else and believe me, I feel like I am learning from the very best and that includes YOU!!!
Sandy
__________________ Sandy~
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
I agree that SCS should drop the rating thing! I really enjoy looking at all the cards and am amazed at all the creativity. I think the comments are good, if people care to make them, but please, SCS, reconsider having these ratings!
Sue
Looks to me like the person who was rating your cards with low scores just was having a bad day and found you to pick on. A good clue that you should just not pay any attention to it is the fact that the person doing the low scores didn't have the courtesy to say what she thought you could do to improve.
I'm pretty new to SCS, but one thing I have noticed in spades is that everyone is so supportive of everyone else--and not just in the rubberstamping craft, but in many aspects of life.
My first thought when I saw the ratings that were most always 10's was that the site could probably do away with the ratings. Then we can give support and encouragement without the numbers that are pretty meaningless anyway.
Angela,
I just looked at your gallery, and I see no reason to take the low scores personally. I was raised in the if you don't have anything nice to say school myself, and I've tried to stay that way. I do try to look at everything, and obviously not all of it is my taste, so sometimes I stay on thumbnails. Maybe not everyone sees a 9 or 8 or 5 as undesirable, but I sure would. If I ever get a digicam or working scanner, I hope I'll be able to see past scores and, as Julie says, focus on comments. Please keep sharing your work - focus on the nice things. And maybe more folks will learn that a nice word, or even a nicely phrased constructive comment carries more weight than a quick click on a number. I am looking for shared inspiration, not art critics.
I am so happy that this topic is getting a lot of discussion! It makes me feel a lot better--and all of your compliments have helped quite a bit also, but please don't think that is why I posted. I just happened to be looking through my photos and noticed the low ratings and it just bothered me! As for where in Maryland I live, I am currently in Dundalk, but we are preparing for a move to York, Pa in just about 1 month. I would love to meet fellow SCS Marylanders, though--great idea!!
__________________ Angela in Pennsylvania�
Friendship is like peeing in your pants.......
Everyone can see it,
but only you can feel it's true warmth.
Angela,
I too went and looked at your gallery, I also commented on cards that caught my eye or that I thought were really cute/creative/nice to look at.
Feedback is important, especially positive and constructive feedback.
The person who rated without any comments isn't worth a second thought. I would rather just read peoples comments anyway than worry about a rating. I love looking at each days additions to the gallery! several times a day I am looking, getting awed and inspired it keeps those creative juices flowing. Keep posting your work girl! I think we are all glad to have you here! I'm glad to be here with you all too! This site is GREAT!
I would never give anyone less than a ten for their cards! I think the rating should go, although you don't have to rate when you make a comment. I love getting comments on my cards....that's what keeps me going!
It's true that you won't know what appeals to people. But they shouldn't give you a low rating!
Your cards are great, Angela....keep them coming!
I agree SCS should just drop the rating system...kinda pointless...MOST people wouldn't give a low rating.
However - I LOVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM. If I posted a card and you think the card is to busy...maybe needs a little something....or the color combo isn't right. I WOULD WANT TO KNOW. I love getting suggestions and ideas from others.
Of course I don't want any nasty responses...but ideas and suggestions would be nice.
Maybe SCS could get rid of the rating system and instead have a "comment" box and a "suggestion" box. What do you all think?
I'll vote as well for eliminating the rating system. I know I forget or overlook that portion everytime I comment on something and hopefully haven't brought down anyone's rating by commenting and not giving a rating. It's not that I don't like it at all it's just that I get excited when like something gush and forget to click on the rating section. Yikes!!! :oops:
I also went through Ang's gallery(very nice work nothing less than a 10 if I were to remember to check that box(circle)) and was bothered by the rating without a comment? Seemed like maybe that was the day that person discovered the rating system and thought they needed to rate everything they looked at????????
I agree, I, too was nervous the first time I uploaded a card. Sometimes my card making is my stress therapy, I don't upload everything I do, just the ones I think of doing. But as I have learned: the tongue is the sharpest knife there is, and sometimes so is the key board. I agree: If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all.
__________________ "I stamp because I can't draw!"
I very rarely post. I am like most others...I post if something really catches my eye. I think that everyone has worked their hearts out on these cards. I see no reason to take that away from someone.
I personally haven't posted b/c of that very reason. I am a new demo and I am nervous. My stuff isn't as spactacular as most. My work is more simple and very beginner.
__________________ Stay at home mom of two!
WAR EAGLE!!!
well, here's a radical idea! - you could PM the person that posted the low scores and ask why. That could take a little courage but you might learn something. One possibility is that you'd learn she's extremely crital of everybody and everything which IMO makes it easier to just blow off her low scores. Just a thought...
Well of course Angie I had to go look too!! Very cool cards!!! I just think that the gal who left low ratings must've been 'daydreaming' and too lazy to leave a comment, just easier for her to punch a # and move on.
I also have wondered since I joined (2 months?) why there is a # rating system. Why cant we just leave a comment without a silly # too. I say banish the ratings system!!!! Personally I would be embarrassed to leave a low rating for someone. That would be hurtful! Sometimes it stings a little when there are no comments, that really makes me think no one would like my stuff!! LOL
Keep stampin and posting Angie!!
Tandra
Did anyone notice that those low ratings were almost a year ago? Maybe she was really new to the site and didn't really get what the whole thing was all about...and maybe she was embarrassed after she figured it out??? Just trying to give the benfit of the doubt.
I was soooo nervous the first time I uploaded stuff and I was soooo happy to get nice comments. I would have been really hurt too to see low ratings. I love the comment system, but agree that the ratings could go. I'm wondering what the original thought behind the ratings was? I know the architects of SCS must have had a reason for setting it up that way in the first place...long before there were 12,000 members :shock: Would love to hear the "history".
My mother always said two things to us growing up as children, 1. "If you don't have anything nice to say ,don't say anything at all" and 2. "God doesn't like ugly."
My first thought when I started reading this topic was why have a rating system? Then I realized I rarely look a the ratings. I just read the comments anyway so I agree with doing away with the rating system.
I just posted a layout that I was really proud of and it got NO reponses! Joy
I have a theory about this, which you'll be thrilled to know I'm going to share!
When I visit the gallery to see cards posted in the last 24hrs, they are always sorted by "Most popular". Is this just on my computer? :? If so, my theory is nonsense! If it's a default for the whole site, my theory might just stand up.
It's this: 1 or 2 people comment on a card that they like and it stays on page 1. More people see it, more people comment, so it still stays on page 1. The cards that didn't catch the eye as soon as they were posted move further and further down the pages, where they are less likely to be seen and are therefore more likely to get ignored.
So THAT'S my excuse when cards don't get ANY comments!
Sometimes I change it to sort by latest and sometimes, when I'm feeling magnanimous, I sort by "least popular" and try to comment on some of the ones with no response. I always leave a 10 - if it's made me comment, it's worth a 10!
When I actually get the time to browse the gallery these days I always find inspiration...I am amazed at what you all can do.
As for rating, I DON'T! I never liked the idea of leaving a "score" on someones creativity! How can one score someone elses creativity, like it really matters anyway??? Who was it, Van Gogh I think that everyone thought was crazy and now years later he is among the most well known artists? And how about my girlfriends mother who will not even consider Thomas Kinkade and artist...I think he is wonderful!!!
So Angie, take heart and remember that for every negative comment or low score you may have, there are tons more that are positive and rave reviews!!! I looked at your gallery, and all I want to know is HOW DO YOU CUT THOSE GREAT MATS??????? The ones that are like the new set Letter Perfect Backgrounds...I love that look!
pjbstamper said, "well, here's a radical idea! - you could PM the person that posted the low scores and ask why."
Actually I've done just that a few times! :lol: I had a couple of cards in my gallery that had 3 pages of nothing but 10's, and a new member rated them an 8! One card was a contest entry, which meant that it could no longer be considered for a prize! I have found that newly registered people will often rate cards lower and not say why. I'm afraid I might have been guilty of that myself when I first started posting, so I figure I'm helping them out to write and say something to them about how they are rating the work of others (in a very friendly way, of course!) They have actually responded and thanked me for saying something to them. No one wants to get off on the wrong foot!
With all that said, the rating system seems meaningless and unneccesary.
I'd certainly vote to eliminate it. It really isn't needed for contests, either. If a card gets the most comments, I'd say that's the winner.
__________________ "Life is much too important to be taken seriously." Oscar Wilde Proud to be a member of Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge DT! My BlogMy Gallery
Ladies--thank you all again for your great thoughts and ideas regarding this! I have decided to move on and forget about it! You have made me realize that it doesn't matter and that I should look at the big picture--why I post my work--because I LOVE STAMPIN'! And, I will not let a faceless person take that away from me--not said in a rude manner, it's just truth! THANK YOU!!!! You are all wonderful, incredibly supportive people--I wish I could give you all big hugs!!
__________________ Angela in Pennsylvania�
Friendship is like peeing in your pants.......
Everyone can see it,
but only you can feel it's true warmth.
I just do not understand why you would get any bad posts or ratings. Your cards are nice. Some people just see things differently! And some cards (when I post), their colors are all off and the scans turn out horrible. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! So do not worry about what other people say....if they cannot give you constructive criticism, how are you to improve your 5? YKWIM? I think your 5 was a 10! (maybe she only saw half the card
Just to play Devil Advocate...not every card can be a 10! I see all those 10s in the gallery and now I know why...everyone only seems to give out 10s! It is like everyone gets at A+ on a project, even though some are nicer than others. There are stampers out there who put in tons of time and effort for a beautiful card, which then ends up getting rated that same as a nice basic card! I think anything 7 or higher is fine, and a WOW card should be a 10!
But I do believe that if you can't say something nice than do not say anything at all! So I would hope not to see anything low!
I do only have one card in my gallery, although I posted three more today! And that card got "10" although deep down in my heart I think it is only an 8! An 8 is GREAT! A 10 is a WOW! An my card is certainly nice, but not a WOW!
I actually do not pay much attention to the rating, but rather the personal comments that each card gets! What I think is a 10 might be your 7! I would not mind having the rating system here disappear! But am not offended by it!
If you don't have anything nice to say...
