Anyone else get a low rating on 4/1?

[Gremal]

A few days ago someone logged on and laid a 3-star rating on me. I can understand being rated poorly on my setup, so I made a gallery specifically showing my individual speakers. All previous ratings were 5-star.

I want to see the system of the guy who rated me low. Was this supposed to be an April fools joke? Does he have a $500,000 7.1 system? Can the moderators delete his ratings if he's just dinging people?

[Hammie]

This is why I disabled ratings on mine... I don't have to worry about it.

Someone can leave a comment if they want to say something about my setup.

[ejusted]

Originally Posted by Gremal

A few days ago someone logged on and laid a 3-star rating on me. I can understand being rated poorly on my setup, so I made a gallery specifically showing my individual speakers. All previous ratings were 5-star.

I want to see the system of the guy who rated me low. Was this supposed to be an April fools joke? Does he have a $500,000 7.1 system? Can the moderators delete his ratings if he's just dinging people?

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Due to the anonymous ratings it is now easier to leave a bad rating and not leave a comment about why you left the low rating. But honestly, I think either way you make it others might leave low ratings, maybe due to lack of knowledge on HT or just sheer hatred that they cannot have a particular piece of gear. I recommend if you are going to make a speaker only gallery to just turn the ratings off. Probably less stressful that way.

[Gremal]

It's just interesting to try to understand what motivates different ratings. I was told by a mod that the person rating my speaker gallery a 6 rated my system gallery a 10, which makes no sense. What could possess someone to give totally different ratings to the same speakers!

[Mr.Poindexter]

I got a 6 out of 10 on the 3-31 and one on 3-22 as well as two 8/10 on 3-21. No downratings on 4-1 though. I had one 9 back in Feb and one in September though that one was from a user who was later banned. Rest were 10's.

I do think the anonymous ratings has produced more problems than it fixed. I am not going to turn my gallery ratings off, however.

[Gremal]

Originally Posted by Mr.Poindexter

I do think the anonymous ratings has produced more problems than it fixed. I am not going to turn my gallery ratings off, however.

I agree with you there.

[SeanMF]

Originally Posted by Mr.Poindexter

I got a 6 out of 10 on the 3-31 and one on 3-22 as well as two 8/10 on 3-21. No downratings on 4-1 though. I had one 9 back in Feb and one in September though that one was from a user who was later banned. Rest were 10's.

I do think the anonymous ratings has produced more problems than it fixed. I am not going to turn my gallery ratings off, however.

Originally Posted by Gremal

I agree with you there.

Why? I think it is more honest. One person's 10 is another person's 6....however I think the default setting on 6 might have something to do with all the 6's being out there. Like some members have said...members can vote on what they think is a fair score without being threatened by pm or whatever. It isn't perfect and won't be ever. There will always be haters. Which is why there is the "turn off ratings" option. Yea the lower ratings are annoying when you are so used to getting perfect scores. I remember myself being annoyed a few times. It doesn't matter in the scheme of things.

[Mr.Poindexter]

It isn't more honest though unless you believe the rating of a 6 is an honest rating instead of an attempt to downrank a system. Do you honestly believe that say Mark H's system would be deserving of a 6 in anybody's ranking and if so, what would be deserving of a 10?

True, there is a turn off ratings option, but that can also apply to people crank calling you with the "unplug your phone" type of reply. It is saying that since there are people who abuse the system, the fix is to not have that system any longer. That isn't a fix.

It may be that people can be honest without fear of being "threatened" but it also allows people to cast stones with impunity. The other way wasn't perfect, but I think this way is more flawed.

[BigAl87]

I would have an Idea, what if the person giving the rating would be force to leave a comment on their motivation for the rating, that way no more anonymous ratings and no more people threatening others, why did you give me this or that rating, you would have to be honest on the rankings and your argument would have to make sense. Just throwing ideas here.

To me so far it made no difference I have th same average as before with the new system

[bz1080p]

I thought I throw in my 2 cents
I feel fortunate to have received good ratings, that aside, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have however received low ratings before from members who were not familiar with the rating system and they thought they were giving me a good rate For example, if you rate my system right now it's at 4.9 or 5, the "submit rating" button says "6", If you're not aware that a 6 is actually a 3 then you could lower someone's overall rate through ignorance rather than malice. I recently received a 6 and have to wonder if it wasn't a lack a being familiar with the system, I'll never know but it's not the end of the world

[Kali157]

Originally Posted by SeanMF

Why? I think it is more honest. One person's 10 is another person's 6....however I think the default setting on 6 might have something to do with all the 6's being out there. Like some members have said...members can vote on what they think is a fair score without being threatened by pm or whatever. It isn't perfect and won't be ever. There will always be haters. Which is why there is the "turn off ratings" option. Yea the lower ratings are annoying when you are so used to getting perfect scores. I remember myself being annoyed a few times. It doesn't matter in the scheme of things.

I agree. I think the problem is that everyone is used to just getting 10s. Lots of galleries w/ perfect scores have room for improvement. I am not talking about getting more expensive gear. I am talking about working with what they have. I used to try and generate discussion w/ members for possible suggestions before I rate, but I realized most just want a good score.

So I put a "disclaimer" on my gallery w/ the first pic hoping to generate discussion for improvement.

Originally Posted by Mr.Poindexter

It isn't more honest though unless you believe the rating of a 6 is an honest rating instead of an attempt to downrank a system. Do you honestly believe that say Mark H's system would be deserving of a 6 in anybody's ranking and if so, what would be deserving of a 10?

True, there is a turn off ratings option, but that can also apply to people crank calling you with the "unplug your phone" type of reply. It is saying that since there are people who abuse the system, the fix is to not have that system any longer. That isn't a fix.

It may be that people can be honest without fear of being "threatened" but it also allows people to cast stones with impunity. The other way wasn't perfect, but I think this way is more flawed.

The analogy of the theater rating and the phone isn't really apropos. Not having a theater rating doesn't prevent you from dialing 911 or communicating. The ratings are more for vanity, right?

Originally Posted by BigAl87

I would have an Idea, what if the person giving the rating would be force to leave a comment on their motivation for the rating, that way no more anonymous ratings and no more people threatening others, why did you give me this or that rating, you would have to be honest on the rankings and your argument would have to make sense. Just throwing ideas here.

To me so far it made no difference I have th same average as before with the new system

This is a nice idea... but it can't happen. In reality, w/ the last system, people who receive a low rating, even a comment, come after the rater/poster. If that doesn't work, they contact the mods. Look at this thread...

[Kali157]

Originally Posted by Gremal

A few days ago someone logged on and laid a 3-star rating on me. I can understand being rated poorly on my setup, so I made a gallery specifically showing my individual speakers. All previous ratings were 5-star.

I want to see the system of the guy who rated me low. Was this supposed to be an April fools joke? Does he have a $500,000 7.1 system? Can the moderators delete his ratings if he's just dinging people?

Hey,

First off, I didn't/haven't rated your galleries. If you got a rating from me, comment comes w/ it. But since you seem to genuinely want possible answers to the lower score, here are my suggestions. You have great gear. You have wonderful speakers. But the wire management... come on man. For me, the wires stand out more b/c of your great gear (especially in the pics of just your speakers). It is like getting a McLaren MP4 (look it up... I am trying to start a time share kinda thing w/ some people to get one... any takers?) and parking it in a messy garage w/ oil on the floor and stuff everywhere. Have you tried pushing the wires (esp for surrounds) under the baseboard? Sometimes, there is a ton of room there. I was able to cram 2 RG6 wires under the baseboard in my dad's HT. I got other tricks if you are interested.

The other thing I suggest is room treatments, esp since the room seems small. My HT area is also small and I installed some treatments. It made a noticeable improvement in my modest setup. I could only imagine w/ your B&W. It was pretty cheap too if you DIY, mine was under $110 for 7 panels, 3 bass traps. I even filled the painting in my room w/ acoustic fiberglass.

Finally, have you thought of painting the wall your TV is on a darker color? My friend and my dad have done this and it really makes the pic pop out. I know, I haven't done it myself. In my (weak) defense, I am still negotiating w/ my wife... and I just got her to go w/ the acoustic panels... so I need to pace myself. Adding ceiling diffusers, a bass trap behind my leather arm chair, and painting that wall are things I am negotiating... in that order.

Anyway, hope this helps a little. The last two are just suggestions. The first one... don't make me call SPS (Speaker Protection Services)... As I said, if you want more ideas about the wires, just ask.

[ldgibson76]

This is the exact reason why I no longer rate galleries. I only leave comments of a constructive nature. If I don't have anything positive to say, I bounce!

Gremal, Dude! There is no doubt that you one have of the most impressive system ensembles to have ever been displayed on this website or any other for that matter. But,..... what you have accomplished will not be appreciated all viewers of your gallery. Most of us can overlook any minor so-called flaws and accentuate the positive about your system. But not everyone possesses that type of wherewithal. Let's also make room for the possibility that someone just may not like your system at all. Hard to fathom, but it's possible!

All of your other galleries have perfect scores and deservingly so. If I were you, I would ignore the low score and be rest assured that the majority of us hold your system in very high regard! BTW, beautiful photography!

Holla!

[Kali157]

Originally Posted by ldgibson76

This is the exact reason why I no longer rate galleries. I only leave comments of a constructive nature. If I don't have anything positive to say, I bounce!

Gremal, Dude! There is no doubt that you one have of the most impressive system ensembles to have ever been displayed on this website or any other for that matter. But,..... what you have accomplished will not be appreciated all viewers of your gallery. Most of us can overlook any minor so-called flaws and accentuate the positive about your system. But not everyone possesses that type of wherewithal. Let's also make room for the possibility that someone just may not like your system at all. Hard to fathom, but it's possible!

All of your other galleries have perfect scores and deservingly so. If I were you, I would ignore the low score and be rest assured that the majority of us hold your system in very high regard! BTW, beautiful photography!

Holla!

I was going back and forth about replying. But I found your comments a little confusing. You say that you only leave constructive comments but at the same time say that if you don't have anything positive to say, you "bounce." Um, leaving ONLY positive comments CANNOT be constructive since a constructive comment gives the recipient something to build on. Only saying, "Everything is great," is not a constructive comment. I do understand that comments should be done tastefully. I hope my comments to Gremal were not too harsh. I honestly wanted to offer ideas for him to build on.

The other confusing thing about your comment is the second highlighted part. Obviously, you only want to give and receive positive comments. I respect that. But I would constructively suggest that you take this comment off your gallery: "All comments and critiques are welcomed and encouraged." That suggestion is not meant to be a slight against you. But it does confuse people who view/rate your gallery b/c obviously critiques and non-postive comments are not welcomed nor encouraged.

Look, I am posting here because gallery comments and suggestions have been one of the best tools this community has given me. I started this journey w/ a Polk RM6800 and a JVC AVR in Nov 2009. If everybody just kept saying, "Great setup," without providing constructive suggestions for growth, I would probably still be with the RM6800 and missing out on the true potential of blu-ray and vinyl. But several people did take the time and effort to make some suggestions, and I am really grateful. The last one was acoustic treatments. Did it help our modest system? Yes. My wife HATED the idea at first. But after getting design ideas from members and after hearing how it sounds, even she likes what the treatments bring to our sound.

So if you like your system the way it is, I suggest turning off your rating. If you still want ratings but only want "10"'s, then don't put statements in your galleries that you want critiques or suggestions, b/c a lower rating is someone providing a critique. I almost wish that we can split the galleries into 2 sections: those who honestly want feedback and those who like their system the way it is and only want 10's. I find nothing wrong w/ just wanting positive comments. But then why open yourself up to ratings?

In the end, I would hate to lose a valuable resource (members' comments and suggestions) due to fear of a backlash if they do give an honest comment. Hell, if you even put in your galleries that all you want are 10's and positive comments, I would respect that more than asking for a feedback and complaining about it when you get some. Maybe we should ALL put comments on our galleries of our HONEST expectations. I know I did. It may eliminate confusion.

[ejusted]

Originally Posted by Kali157

I was going back and forth about replying. But I found your comments a little confusing. You say that you only leave constructive comments but at the same time say that if you don't have anything positive to say, you "bounce." Um, leaving ONLY positive comments CANNOT be constructive since a constructive comment gives the recipient something to build on. Only saying, "Everything is great," is not a constructive comment. I do understand that comments should be done tastefully. I hope my comments to Gremal were not too harsh. I honestly wanted to offer ideas for him to build on.

The other confusing thing about your comment is the second highlighted part. Obviously, you only want to give and receive positive comments. I respect that. But I would constructively suggest that you take this comment off your gallery: "All comments and critiques are welcomed and encouraged." That suggestion is not meant to be a slight against you. But it does confuse people who view/rate your gallery b/c obviously critiques and non-postive comments are not welcomed nor encouraged.

Look, I am posting here because gallery comments and suggestions have been one of the best tools this community has given me. I started this journey w/ a Polk RM6800 and a JVC AVR in Nov 2009. If everybody just kept saying, "Great setup," without providing constructive suggestions for growth, I would probably still be with the RM6800 and missing out on the true potential of blu-ray and vinyl. But several people did take the time and effort to make some suggestions, and I am really grateful. The last one was acoustic treatments. Did it help our modest system? Yes. My wife HATED the idea at first. But after getting design ideas from members and after hearing how it sounds, even she likes what the treatments bring to our sound.

So if you like your system the way it is, I suggest turning off your rating. If you still want ratings but only want "10"'s, then don't put statements in your galleries that you want critiques or suggestions, b/c a lower rating is someone providing a critique. I almost wish that we can split the galleries into 2 sections: those who honestly want feedback and those who like their system the way it is and only want 10's. I find nothing wrong w/ just wanting positive comments. But then why open yourself up to ratings?

In the end, I would hate to lose a valuable resource (members' comments and suggestions) due to fear of a backlash if they do give an honest comment. Hell, if you even put in your galleries that all you want are 10's and positive comments, I would respect that more than asking for a feedback and complaining about it when you get some. Maybe we should ALL put comments on our galleries of our HONEST expectations. I know I did. It may eliminate confusion.

let me chime in here with my impressions of the whole situation. First off....Everybody likes a "Good Grade." With that in mind when commenting on galleries it is wise to be tasteful in the way you say things. Just the fact that the person has taken the time to post pictures of their set-up shows that they are proud of their accomplishment. Users on this site spend tons of time, money and effort on all of their systems. What I consider a crappy system may be phenomenal to someone else. I don't think "comments of a constructive nature" are negative. Not the way I write them anyways. As long as you are offering advice and helpful ways to improve a gallery I don't see that as being negative. If the person takes it in a negative way thats another story. I can critique someones work and not be negative about it! I am sure if the person who rated his gallery said "hey, great speakers! But just work on concealing the wires via the base boards or raceways" I don't think he would have taken it the way he did.
So in some ways I agree with ldgibson76. If I see a gallery that needs improvement I usually don't rate it. I will give some "comments of a constructive nature" and move on.

[hdgfs]

Gremal, someone may have just clicked on the 'submit' button acciedently, 6 is there in the rating box already and one slip of the click on the mouse..... wasn't me though, i gave you 10.

[dib]

Originally Posted by Gremal

It's just interesting to try to understand what motivates different ratings. I was told by a mod that the person rating my speaker gallery a 6 rated my system gallery a 10, which makes no sense. What could possess someone to give totally different ratings to the same speakers!

I know I don't care for your speaker gallery so I didn't rate it, but I love your vacuum toob amp. Maybe the person got confused.

Seems sometimes people have nice pictures of an ok system or what I would call lots of 'junk' and they get high ratings even though your system is WAY better.

I took out all my pics because I ended up on the second page of the projector group and saw what I thought were theaters that I didn't think were better than mine in quality of components or room design. Then I thought, who cares. A lot of people just seem to post a lot or are popular on here even though they don't have a really nice theater, they have lots of good ratings.

I just figured, its my theater and no one really knows much from just a few half way decent pictures.

If you like, I can come over and give your system a listen! I'd love to visit peoples home theater to actually see and hear what they are like. You really can't appreciate someone's setup with just a few pictures.