Mod Ratings Diatribe

[Circuitous]

Too much criticism and screaming by people who have never modded in their lives yet will criticize excessively on a persons work when they have no basis or credentials to do so. so I agree the site should restrict rating to among modders.

 

This is a ridiculously common thought amongst "creators," and it's total bull crap.

 

I know bad work when I see it. "But you've never uploaded any mods!" Maybe because my stuff is crap and I don't want to subject you to it. (Actually I have uploaded mods, but any idiot could tell me his opinion on them and I would listen to it. Assuming the moderators don't delete it before I ever get a chance to see it, which has happened.)

 

Some people know better than to post everything they make. Some people acknowledge the fact that they have no modding talent or skill and couldn't really make anything worth being downloaded by other people. Some people are just lazy.

 

Does that suddenly make your work better? No. It's also worth noting that "some" implies that there are a hell of a lot of people who DON'T realize their work is crap.

 

"Oh but if they'd actually modded they'd know what I went through to make this!" Sure, there's work involved. A lot of it is hard, a lot of it is complicated. Moddin' ain't easy. That's fine. But if you go to all that trouble to release something banal, idiotic, or useless - does it really matter? Should we sympathize with you just because you tried?

 

Look, this isn't pre-school. No matter how much you want it, some people won't acknowledge your work "just because you tried." All the effort in the world is wasted if the end product isn't any good.

 

What it comes down to is that you have to acknowledge that there are a lot of people who won't like your mods.

 

It's not really a difficult concept. You can't please everybody. Some of the displeased people will take the time to tell you about their displeasure. If you're good at what you do, you'll bother to read what they have to say. Maybe even take their advice to heart.

 

Of course, some people will be rude about it - they'll insult you, your mod, the people who download it - maybe they'll just be plain ol' mean, or provide blatantly useless or derogatory advice. These are the people the Report feature was made for. Report them, comment's gone, get on with your life. An important thing to remember is this: these people don't know you, they don't care about you, and ideally they'll have forgotten all about it within the day. There is absolutely no reason to take them seriously, or indulge them by getting worked up over their comments.

 

Rant over. Now I'd like to comment on the ratings situation.

 

Why even have ratings? Don't use ratings, don't use thumbs-up.

 

What I'd really like to see is an "I'm still using this mod" option. Download a mod, install it, use it. If you like it, and continue to use it, you tag as such on the file.

 

You end up with a number of downloads and a number of people who are still using the file after downloading it. There's your rating.

 

"But Circ, how do you ensure people update the site that they're still using the file?!"

 

You register an e-mail address when you sign up, don't you? A simple reminder, by e-mail, PM, or both. People who use the site consistently won't be able to avoid being reminded about the file.

 

This is basically how I do files now. I download, use it for a little while, if I still like it I come back and leave a comment/rating. If I don't like it, I delete it and never speak of it again.

 

I don't know, I think it could work.

 

Actually now that I think about it the only difference between this and "Thumbs-up!" is that you have to have actually downloaded the file in order to approve of it. Could that be made a stipulation of the thumbs-up system?

 

Edit: 12 people on this poll are lying. No one votes bad mods badly, at least not more than once.

[buddah]

Since you seem to believe that the rules are to be ignored, here they are:

 

From the terms of service:

 

File and image database commenting terms and conditions

Please take the time to read and understand the following before commenting on any files or images uploading to this site.

 

Before leaving a comment or rating please be sure you have read and understood our terms and conditions for using the commenting system. We have a strict zero-tolerance policy for the breaking of our terms and people can and will be banned from the site without warning if they ignore them. Remember; ignorance is not an excuse.

 

The commenting and rating system is available on this site to provide users with:

 

* an interface to offer positive feedback on the functionality of the file in question based on the author’s initial intentions

* the ability to offer constructive criticism on aspects of the file that could be improved

* the chance to ask for feature requests and discuss such requests with other users of the site or the author

* the ability to ask for help in troubleshooting problems with the file in question

 

 

If your comment does not fit in to the above criteria then do not post. If you disagree with the content of a file on the site then do not post. Simply ignore the file or report the file for moderator viewing and move on.

 

If your comment contains text that is likely to personally offend other users of the site either in the language you use or the message of your text then do not post. We take personal attacks very seriously

 

If you believe that someone else’s post does not fit into these criteria then you are encouraged to report the comment in question for moderator review. Above all do not post in reply to the offending comment however good intentioned your post might be, even if you are the author of the file in question. This is known as “feeding the trolls” and “forum vigilantism” and is frowned upon by the moderator staff. You may well end up with a suspension from the site if you partake in this activity.

 

This site has extremely dedicated moderating staff who have full authority to edit and delete posts as well as ban accounts instantly and without warning. However the moderating staff cannot possibly read and keep up-to-date with every single comment and rating posted on the site. It is up to you, the users of this site, to help keep this site clear of the people who just want to ruin it for everybody by reporting violations of these conditions to the moderators, either through the provided reporting features on the site or via forum PM to the moderating staff.

 

Do we delete non constructive comments, yes that is what we are supposed to do. We only ban the worst offenders, usually we just delete the trash.

 

With the ratio of mod makers who share their work to those that just use them, it is about a thousand to one.

 

Which would you like to loose? Idiots who can't play by the rules or the mod makers who have made these games what they are today.

 

Buddah

[Cipscis]

Considering that comments are compulsory for ratings on this site, and keeping the four purposes of the comment system as quoted in buddah's post in mind, I think that limiting ratings to users who have uploaded files would be a good idea.

 

Have a look at those four points again, and think about which kind of user is more likely to make each type of comment, as well as which type of comment is more likely to be associated with a "fair" rating. It seems to me that the types of comments that are given with "fair" ratings are also the types of comments that are more likely to be left by people who have uploaded files or otherwise contributed to the community.

 

However, if this sort of system is to be implemented, I would expect to see more "dummy" uploads by users who want to be able to rate Mods that they are using without contributing to the community by making and uploading something themselves. Perhaps, before rating privileges are granted, the user should have uploaded a file that has had at least one comment/rating by another user (or something along those lines)?

 

While a topic like this is open, I'd like to bring up the subject of being able to re-rate a Mod. Most lower ratings are given because a Mod has a certain bug or is missing a certain feature, and these ratings can't be changed if the feature is added or the bug removed. Using d_thumb's concept of rating a Mod differently if you think it still needs some work, wouldn't it make sense to be able to change this rating after more work has been done?

 

Cipscis

[TheOutlander]

Considering that comments are compulsory for ratings on this site, and keeping the four purposes of the comment system as quoted in buddah's post in mind, I think that limiting ratings to users who have uploaded files would be a good idea.

 

Have a look at those four points again, and think about which kind of user is more likely to make each type of comment, as well as which type of comment is more likely to be associated with a "fair" rating. It seems to me that the types of comments that are given with "fair" ratings are also the types of comments that are more likely to be left by people who have uploaded files or otherwise contributed to the community.

Em no. That system is nothing more than draconian elitism that ends up discriminating against the responsible people like myself who use the current system correctly and fairly. Because we haven't uploaded a modification/s we should not be allowed to rate how well we think the modification personifies the goal set out by it's description?

 

The current system works fine. People rate badly, unjustly and non-constructively and they get reported (mostly by me it seems). Then the moderators deal with them in the manner they see fit.

[Skree000]

i Like circuitous's rating system best so far..

 

 

'are you still using it'

 

 

after all the mods youve tried, which are the ones you are still using? If you are 'still using' said mod, it gets another tick added to the 'people still using this mod'

if you removed it or stopped using it, you tick off 'tried it but not using it anymore'

 

THIS sounds like a solid way to determine what mods are USEful.

[jaysus]

i like skree's idea with the split up ratings aka: visual style, feel, playability, funfactor etc...

but i must admit that most users dont care yet to rate and prolly would rate even less if it would be that way...

i mean lol i cant even remember when i rated the last time... ok that prolly due to the fact that i barely play at all and couldnt verify my rating :P

 

but since we all intend to make the users pay 1 euro per download i think we should hire some full time critics :P

they could get 5 cent of the cake, 50cent for the modder, 10 for beth to shut up and the rest for dark and the moderators to buy beer and expensive ladies :D

[Circuitous]

Do we delete non constructive comments, yes that is what we are supposed to do. We only ban the worst offenders, usually we just delete the trash.

 

With the ratio of mod makers who share their work to those that just use them, it is about a thousand to one.

 

Which would you like to loose? Idiots who can't play by the rules or the mod makers who have made these games what they are today.

 

Buddah

 

I've got no problem losing mod makers that can't take worthless, anonymous criticism without throwing a fit and "leaving."

 

People who do legitimately good work get rewarded for it. People who don't, get run off. That's my view.

 

As for me, I don't need non-constructive comments deleted from my mods. A comment is a comment, and even a worthless one is better than silence.

[jaysus]

even tho i agree on your point that a modder shouldnt bow before the comments of some morons i get the feeling that you never got a really screwed comment, if users start do downrate your mod just because they dont like its subject or cant say why they dont like it or where the flaws are one can get kinda angry as its plain unjust in many cases and i can understand that some rather dont host their mods anymore. everyone can just take so much of a battering until they break or got enough. This probably wont happen as easy if you just make some small time mods, but once you work on something over weeks or even month and along come those rating fascists who question the devotion anf love youve put into it for a pat of your lifetime it can really piss people off.

[LinkesAuge]

and even a worthless one is better than silence.

 

why?

[dimon99]

 

I've got no problem losing mod makers that can't take worthless, anonymous criticism without throwing a fit and "leaving."

 

People who do legitimately good work get rewarded for it. People who don't, get run off. That's my view.

 

As for me, I don't need non-constructive comments deleted from my mods. A comment is a comment, and even a worthless one is better than silence.

 

I actually DO have a problem with losing mod makers to <whatever> reasons. I don't care what they can or cannot take from trolls and trashers. Their importance to me as a player is their goodies, and I denied that because of what? "Anonymous criticism"? One good modder is worth ALL critics in the world to me. I am a critic myself, you are, everyone is a critic. Everyone got "his opinion". But not everyone, by a long shot, can produce goodies I like and want in my game. And those selected few are leaving, and I left with....critics? And modders with "good nerves" ? WTH am I supposed to do with those? o_O As a gamer and a player I want all good stuff be available to me from one place-the center-the most complete database - Nexus. Period.

 

And being the center and huge database Nexus is like a Zoo - everyone is here. Purists, elitists, idiots, morons, lore lovers, lore haters...everyone. And like in Zoo you cannot expect everyone not even to like,but simply UNDERSTAND each other. Even less give "a fair" rating.

 

At average 9.5 across whole database Nexus rating system is COMPLETELY screwed, doesn't work at all and gives a troll perfect opportunity to do what he really likes to do - to make a difference. A rating of 7 or even 8 is a very LOW rating atm. Ridiculous, but fact.

 

"Thumbs up" system is simple, proven to be effective and nearly perfect for big site like Nexus. At least until something better is introduced, which can take a lot of time.