X-Message-Number: 24095
Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 11:08:33 -0700
Subject: Fwd: Re: Inappropriate rating practices
From: Kennita Watson <>

Begin forwarded message:
From: "Kevin Q. Brown" <>
> FYI: The rating system lets one rate a message as many times as one 
> wants,
> but it saves only the latest rating.  It thus is easy for a person
> to change a previous rating which, in retrospect, he/she has decided
> to be in error.

Another point of objection.  While it may not be too difficult
to rate a new message, going back and re-rating an old one
sounds like a pain, and the value of going back and changing
a rating may not be worth the trouble -- this is just a
discussion list, after all.

> This example also points out that the "signal" generated by
> the rating system includes some noise.

What signal are we looking for?  From the point of view of the
mailing list, it seems to be basically binary -- "allow post"
or "do not allow post".

I think that the rating system itself, independent of discussion
of said system, is "off-topic", because directing one's
attention to matters of whether a message is "insightful" or
"funny" or "flamebait" or whatever, and spending time generating
evaluations, reading them, etc., seems to me to indulge idle
curiosity or ego gratification at the expense of more productive
activities.  Which reminds me:  I've spent plenty of, even more
than enough, time on this topic

Live long and prosper,
Kennita
--
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
none but ourselves can free our minds.
           -- Bob Marley, "Redemption Song"

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