tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post6253984031568726760..comments2023-11-02T02:40:48.410-07:00Comments on Crime Fiction Collective: Rating system for booksL.J. Sellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-32865071202861565262013-06-05T20:29:12.892-07:002013-06-05T20:29:12.892-07:00As a writer, I like it when readers explain why th...As a writer, I like it when readers explain why they felt the way they did when rating a book. As a reader, that explanation also helps me to decide if I have different reasons for liking a book than the reviewer. For me, both ways, star ratings without some sort of explanation aren't really worth much and are too easy to mess with.Terry Ambrosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14859532145979982213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-13144642779261149132013-06-05T19:39:45.537-07:002013-06-05T19:39:45.537-07:00As one who has to leave with the "forget the ...As one who has to leave with the "forget the critique, what's my grade" syndrome - ah, learning at its best! - I really don't like the star-review system. Let me qualify that - if it comes from a reputable critic, then it's a short hand for a valid and valued review. (I think of Roger Ebert in this regard, or Anthony Boucher in F&SF or the reviewers in the genre magazines in general.) I generally look at reviews first, stars second - unless the numbers are truly overwhelming. This ain't YouTube!<br /><br />When it comes to criticism, though (and reviews are just a critique), I always go back to Alexander Pope's Essay on Criticism. I offer here a few lines from one of my favorite poems:<br /><br />'Tis hard to say, if greater Want of Skill<br />Appear in Writing or in Judging ill,<br />But, of the two, less dang'rous is th' Offence,<br />To tire our Patience, than mis-lead our Sense:<br />Some few in that, but Numbers err in this,<br />Ten Censure wrong for one who Writes amiss;<br /><br />Some have at first for Wits, then Poets past,<br />Turn'd Criticks next, and prov'd plain Fools at last;<br />Some neither can for Wits nor Criticks pass,<br />As heavy Mules are neither Horse or Ass.David Kaufmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09885573940746494639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-67308175654146907902013-06-05T17:39:46.449-07:002013-06-05T17:39:46.449-07:00This sure is a hot topic, Jenny! Thanks for bringi...This sure is a hot topic, Jenny! Thanks for bringing it up. I don't see any obvious solutions or better ways of doing it... I do prefer the combination of a star rating and a written review to back it up, not just one or the other.Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-16005455425511182362013-06-05T16:35:30.996-07:002013-06-05T16:35:30.996-07:00I agree with your comments, Judith. I see a lot of...I agree with your comments, Judith. I see a lot of ratings without reviews on Goodreads, which I guess is more acceptable as they are not a retailer. However, it's not helpful. I don't think there is a perfect system. As Peg says, we have to just learn to spot (and ignore) the charlatans.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10384070533603453713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-33163774518930528542013-06-05T14:49:21.891-07:002013-06-05T14:49:21.891-07:00To me, ratings without explanations make it too ea...To me, ratings without explanations make it too easy for people to not think very hard about what they're recommending or not recommending. <br /><br />I'm not sure, though, that reviews without ratings would be very helpful either and probably not very popular. You'd have to read through all of the reviews and try to figure out what the consensus is...very time-consuming. Judithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00515313368190919011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-43244544607630848962013-06-05T07:36:25.105-07:002013-06-05T07:36:25.105-07:00Goodreads allows people to rate a book without exp...Goodreads allows people to rate a book without explanation. As a writer, I don't find that system particularly helpful. <br /><br />Any system that's accessible to people is accessible to being gamed. I don't see how you can stop that from happening. What's important for all of us to learn (and I think we have) is how to spot the charlatan reviews.Peg Brantleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04906858123466177508noreply@blogger.com