Heathers, "Rate Mining", Popularity, etc.

Inspired by my last two entries on "The Heathers" group.

Like I said there, I want to get more opinions on the issue: does rate mining exist, and do SL veterans recall the incidents and arguments that led up to the Heathers incident? If so, what did I get wrong and/or leave out and/or should have expanded on?

In any case, register *your* opinion on the matter here...

Personally, I believe everybody rate mines when they first come into the game, and through maturity, eventually stops and rates when ratings really seem deserved to an individual.

At least, that's what happened to me

Ratings have never really been all that important to me. I did eventually learn that higher ratings equals more bonuses, but it still is not an issue to me. Either I have cash, or I don't -- it won't affect my ability to participate in most events or speak to my friends.

I have only ever rated because I felt the person was deserving of my $1. <grins> So they may not have the best build or AV I've ever seen, but if the effort was put forth and shows in their work, then heck yeah I'll give them a positive. If I like the way they act and react, then there's another point for behavior.

Does this sort of activity exist? I'm sure it does... but there are people who use the system responsibly, as the Lindens have most likely intended. With more and more people coming into their Second Life, our overall bonuses are going to go down as a result of the number of ratings being given out versus the amount of Lindenbucks available each week. So if anything, people that rate farm are hurting themselves and everyone else, financially.

In the long run, one can only hope that people remember that this is simply an online medium, not a popularity contest or a game in which one's resources ultimately determine how successful they are (versus most MMORPGs on the market currently). That is the beauty of Second Life. If people fail to grasp this, then I feel they are missing the point of being in this beta.

here is a thread that talks about it.

as to the topic of rate mining... well as i have said before SL is what you make of it; if you want it to be a popularity contest, then go for it, just do not expect everyone to see it the same way you do.

That is really what makes SL so beautiful, that the driving force behind our experience is ourselves. We decide what is important and meaningful to us, and then apply that to how we interact with the world. personally...i get little enjoyment out of said popularity contests. nothing but empty fullfilment in it.

I'm happy when I get rated, but I don't go out of my way to get ratings. Similarly, I only rate others when I feel they are deserving of the rating I'm giving them. Now, if someone else rates me positively, I generally return the favor. Usually, though, I feel that it's an even trade-off, and I'm happy to do it. It also usually only happens during an extended conversation, when I feel that I've made a new contact in SL. I think that a lot of people share this philosophy. I'm sure that rate farming does happen, but I doubt it happens as often as many people think (or used to think). And if it does, is it really that big a deal? Just about any rating system is subject to abuse. If someone else abuses the rating system and goes around rating people positively so that they'll return the favor, why should that bother me? As long as they don't rate me negatively, why should I care what they're doing? Are they hurting anyone? I've heard an expression: "You have the right to do anything you want, but your rights end at the tip of my nose." I think this applies to Second Life as much as it does to real life. If someone else wants to play the popularity game, and it's not hurting me for them to do so, more power to them. Why should I stick my nose in their business and cry "Abuse!"?

i don't think that ratings accurately reflect what they are supposed to. when you get a rating, it adds or subtracts 1 from your total score. i don't know for sure but i'm willing to bet that most of the time people rate others positively. so, whats really happening is you are accumulating the number of times you have been rated. this doesn't reflect your relative abilities, only the number of times you have been rated which is more closely related to the amount of people you have met, which is related to the amount of time you have been playing. so basically the longer you play, the higher rating you're gonna get. it has almost nothing to do with how good you are in the different categories.

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I really like that quote.

I always feel honored when someone rates me and I always return the favor. Heck, I didn't even know what ratings were the first time I got one I had to ask! lol

Car

yeah rate farming is nauseating, I know of a couple of people in particular that will walk up to a group of people and say "hey everybody I need money please rate me". One person told me that as soon as they built a very tightly clad female avatar that their rate scores went through the roof. Creativity or skill didn't have a whole lot to do with it.

However, that's part of the way you get money in the game. Being a good guy about ratings and never farming them or considering them at all means more taxes come out of your pocket. You can't force somebody to rate you.

So shake that ratings maker.

That's exactly how it's been for me to. I didn't really understand their purpose at first and wasn't very discriminating. Now I rate only when I think someone is deserving of it. I don't think I've ever given a negative rating, but then again, I have yet to encounter a single jerk in SL

thats because they travel in groups, chip.