New: Rating of posts/threads is now possible

In the future we would like to be able to get even better results with the SEARCH, using a rating of the threads. Rating is something which can be discussed and sure is not uniform. But we try a special system:

We can now rate each post by giving 1 to 5 stars according to a rating text given. At the moment it is easy to change this text in the meaning of it but after a few days we should stick to it. Who has the feeling that the five steps should be rated differently?

What are "the specials" here?

1
As in life: Differenciated persons weight opnions from others by there "achievement in life" in a different way. So do we with this system: We count the activity given by the UACS (but not the Q) and we weight the note in a logarythmic way, resulting a weight of 1 for (3289 in January 2009) passive members up to 7 for the most active ones.

2
We can rate only once and we can not rate our own articles.

3
A rating will only be visible after a certain number of members have voted at all - and if the medium value is above a certain value (at the moment 3 plus, 7 votes, later 10 votes).

4
The result will then be shown on the thread according to the best rated post.

Please don't just rate the first post (which often is a question) but the best in a thread. You might begin with the best articles - so that soon we can see results ...

The progaramming is not yet complete - but we can begin rating ;-)
Later I will add a possibility for guests to send a "thank you, the article was quite helpful". We have to find the right wording. This will be shown as a number only (one possible by an ID - which is not the best solution - but there is no better one to my knowledge - without much effort for each answer). We could also offer the contact form for guests on top of this to receive good answers - but for that we would need some volunteers for processing those answers. Who helps us?

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

If you click the "Forum" and you have opted for English only, you will see only one thread with some stars. If you have opted in also German, then you find 7 threads which show a positive rating with the necessary 7 votes.

Only you can change this situation by active voting - so at last we can use it for the search. Since yesterday the stars can also be seen on the board lists - if there is more rating ...

At the moment members rated 369 times (4 ratings from the USA). 69 members (USA = 3) did their first rating(s).

Is it uncommon for English speaking members or Americans to rate articles - or even strange? Are there other forums in the USA who allow such rating?

I intend that guests can not rate but send a "thank you, this article was a good help for me" which then will bring up a counter (once per IP-Number) - but this still has to be programmed ... Any objections about rating or "thanking"? Other ideas?

Cordially,
Ernest

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Dear Ernst,

I am perplex about the rating criteria and their usefulness for forum entries. The fascinating aspect of the forum is the idea of share individual knowledge with other people over an extremely wide variety of items. Everyone can talk of its experiences or ask other people for the solutions of encountered problems. My only regret is my very poor knowledge of the German language that prevents me from fully enjoying the many and many entries in this language.

Until now everyone could give a look to any new entry and decide if he is more or less interested in the specific item. But I cannot see how my interest in a given thread can influence the interest of other people. Moreover I believe that everybody give here their best bona fide answers. In my opinion, I cannot give a poor rating just because I am not interested in a thread or because I do not agree with an answer. And, should I give high ratings to all answers, I have figures not different from the hits.

Could I suggest dedicating some resources to the translation from the German of the titles of forum threads? In this way the search for a specific item may also include the related German articles.
 

Best regards, Emilio

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Dear Ernst, dear Emilio,
Hi Everybody,

Why not the following proposal :
- vote Excellent/very good or don't vote at all for any given
  thread, the decision being taken by the reader.

In fact : all or nothing (maybe it's a too much "computer oriented thinking" !)...

The ideas behind my proposal are the following one's :
- no "bad/negative" judgement towards a post then towards
  somebody,
- the nice articles are "promoted" by the sorting into the search 
  function ; then we also indirectly thank the authors having
  made a lot of effort for the all RMOrg World Radio City
  people...

Nethertheless, the words excellent, very good, nice remain very subjective...

Cordially.
Jean-Pierre

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Dear Jean-Pierre
Thank you for your opinion. Let me also explain for Emilio:

The whole matter is a difficult one - too many different views in general. That is life. The German text is more precise. Unfortunately we have not a member who would translate some key things I post and I can't extend my working hour of over 80 hours a week to translate.

I think I have even not told in English that we decided for an automatic eMail if answers follow in a thread one is involved in and that you can deactivate this if necessary. This helpful idea we introduced because we often forget to put it on ...

Rating should be done if one feels: "If I want to be informed well about this I would like to get this thread as a search result first" - or in case you have to correct existent ratings. This can be the following:

3 Stars
You say: "Well, I did not find a better one but many others with lesser information - but it was helpful for me." Or: "I know that is the right answer - and may help others."

4 Stars
This is helpful and well done. It is not comprehensive but a very good answer. Normally an article should not get 5 stars because we have much lesser comprehensive articles than 4 star articles! Most often this is not necessary for that sort of article or answer.

5 Stars
"This is an outstanding article and a comprehensive one where I get to know all aspects including may be history, formulas (if applicable) etc. I would like to read this when I have time and want to be informed fully." This type of article may be a one star article for members who do not understand - but they should not rate it at all.

1 or 2 Stars
You may  even use for a 3 star article which is rated 5 stars - to bring the medium stars down. Or you know that it is wrong but has been given a medium of 3 stars so that it is selected - you will rate a 1 to bring it out again. So these "notes" are very essential for fine corrections.

I'm aware that not many members will be capable of handling this correct but with the "weighted" system and a minimum of votes necessary this will most probably give good results. The more articles we have the more we need this rating to eventually get immediately the better SEARCH results in front - or to the first 100 hits ... Now we see also some ratings in the hit lists ...

Who will be helping for the next step - contact form for guests?

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.