I will bring it up Richabri.

Just a note that us admin can see what rating a commenter gives your image so as Sam says, please report any to us anyone you feel is abusing the rating system on purpose and we will investigate and take the appropriate action for repeat offenders.

OT, but what kind of Poser stuff could generate an income of $800.00 a month? I know merchants get 50% of the sale price here, I think, so you would have to sell a lot.

You do have to sell a lot Sherrie and it helps if you sell at several venues too but take it from me, you can make $800.00/month. You may not have those kind of sales right away but if you keep at it you might over time once you've built up your store with solid products :)

I would think $800 and more is very possible for top sellers. That's 80 $10 dollar Items ($20 retail) or 100 - $8 dollar items ($16 retail).   
Middle of the pack maybe not.

Thanks, I think I will also try cafepress.com

Well this thread took on a varied and interesting theme!

I have read lots of comments about the ratings system being unfair,
I have red supportive comments from admins about sorting out mis-use of the ratings system.
I have read comments concerning no constructive advice given when a no-5 rating is given.
I have NOT read any comment proving the rating system works as intended.

Therefore why not change it?

The current system does not sit well with Renderosity as a community.
Many are embarrassed to give constructive feedback in case it is taken the wrong way and causes upset. Visible ratings would make this even worse.
Receiving a rating other than a 5 (or a 0) can cause upset and distress because in some ways it can be taken as a throw away insult on something very personal to that artist.
Visible ratings may help reduce misuse but the fundamental system is flawed for a community such as Renderosity.
Constructive advice can be given whether a ratings system exists or not.

Change the system to Commendations. The commenter gives a commendation if, in their opinion, the art deserves it. If they wish to leave constructive advice they can, a ratings system is not required for that.
Many artists on Rendo already use the ratings system in this way. 5 or 0 only. Which kind of makes a mockery of the whole system anyway. It also amplifies the impact of a non-5 rating.

I think the Renderosity community as a whole is fantastic. The artists are friendly and supportive. There is "good" art and there is "bad" art but consistently I see support, friendship and a desire to learn and improve from so many artists. However, Rendo also accommodates the artist who is happy to just dabble, who has no desire to improve, but who see art as fun and who just enjoy the Rendo community.

How long do we have to read threads like this one complaining about the ratings system? If something doesn't work why not change it.

lwperkins brought up the point about the ratings and comments being potentially a learning tool for the artist, and I agree. But then there are folks like me, who have no real input to offer besides encouragement in the comments. I'm a rank newbie, but I know what I like when I see it, so I keep my comments short and sweet. (the ratings I give do reflect what I have to say though.) Does this make me a member of the 'hug' club ? Maybe. Do I care? Not a bit.  I think encouraging other artists  is important. One of the real joys of my day  is going through the 'what's new' section of the gallery.  For my own work, I love it when folks leave a comment and a rating, but  for me its the process of creating and sharing that's important.. not the rank. Maybe if I did top notch work, I'd feel differently about it.

mystmaiden -

and I just love Prog's work

kk what I was originally trying to say was if comments and ratings are going to be left, then why not leave an HONEST comment if the work is sh*t then say so and say why but if the image is amazing then say so. That's why I get so concerned. People I know who have invested alot of thought, time, effort and study into  making an awesome image get no comments / constructive critique and then someone comes along loads up V3 spends 30 mins on it and knocks out a render and lo and behold it's the second coming, because this person knows practically everyone here, or is friends with practically everyone here. True friendship would say " that image sux, you could have done this or that to make it better "

......and breathe.....

Great in theory DigitalShinobi, but Renderosity is not just about the quality of an image. It is about friendships, thats what makes it a community. Yes there are many images with disproportionate numbers of comments, but they have taken the time to build up friendships and taken the time to make comments to earn that friendship, even if the image is not very "good".
Is "true" friendship really about telling your friend they suck at art? Not sure about that.

No, I didn't mean it to sound as bold as that, what I meant, was just to tell the truth about the image. I don't mean for anyone to leave unpleasent remarks. I meant, just to be truthful about their friends art / image or whatever and don't say it's amazing when it's clearly not just because they're your friend. I hope i've made myself  a bit more clearer.

I'm not too sure about that commendation system that several posters have proposed. It reeks a lot like the old voting system that has been removed - and I'm sure many of us remember the controversies over the voting system.

I don't want the old voting system back.

I understand DigitalShinobi what you mean and respect your opinion.

Unfortunately, where some may be happy to tell an artist the "truth", some may have difficulty expressing their opinion in an appropriate way, maybe due to language, distraction or some other reason. Others may not like to be critical of other work" This would lead to distress, upset and even anger.

One of the reasons Renderosity is so successful and has so much art uploaded is down to the community and the kind and mostly non-critical comments left. Honest and truthful has its place, but as I said earlier, some artists don't want to improve, they just enjoy dabbling and uploading as a way of interacting with their friends.

If an artist wants critique there is an appropriate gallery. As most do not post there, I assume many wouldn't appreciate truthful constructive feedback.

I really don't believe Rendo can sustain a ratings system successfully. I don't believe it needs one. I do believe it should have a Commendation system where exceptional images are rewarded. 

Quote - I'm not too sure about that commendation system that several posters have proposed. It reeks a lot like the old voting system that has been removed - and I'm sure many of us remember the controversies over the voting system.

I don't want the old voting system back.

Ah, I don' remember the original system. I can tell you that this current ratings system doesn't work, however.

How did the old system work? What were the controversies? I would be interested to know.

Thanks.

Quote - No, I didn't mean it to sound as bold as that, what I meant, was just to tell the truth about the image. I don't mean for anyone to leave unpleasent remarks. I meant, just to be truthful about their friends art / image or whatever and don't say it's amazing when it's clearly not just because they're your friend. I hope i've made myself  a bit more clearer.

Have you ever tried that?  god forbid you do so on an image by the hug club, they will come into your images with low ratings and then post after you telling the creator how wonderful the image is (even if there is a chair leg through a body part, shoes on incorrectly so the toes are going through the shoe, and a characters arm through the torso of another character - yes I have seen all of that on just 1 image in the Top rated/commented galleries) and how some people are just jealous and then they boost the ratings.

So all the comments after yours - no matter how nicely worded encourage the image creator to continue what they are doing rather than improving.  It's not helpful

I've had helpful comments that were not nasty; Ex: No shadows so Vicky looked like she was floating, pokethough etc. I appreciate those. No reason to be nasty to people, though.

so much of this is perspective, I may look at an image and think, 'wow - that's wonderful' because something about it strikes a chord in me. Someone may at it and thinks, 'ugh'.  Granted, there are those images that just Shine, whether they are your cup of tea or not but still, we have to remember that art does not effect each of us the same way.

I have had constructive criticism on some of my images and have found it very helpful.

Touring the galleries I have seen valid and constructive critiques slapped back by the artist.

My view is that if criticism is not wanted then choose the "None critical comments are preferred" option.

OK people, let's be clear about a few things here...

First of all, if a criticism is valid and not written in a patronising/condescending/insulting or inflammatory way, it's acceptable, provided the artist has stated they are willing to accept critical comments.  If they have a problem with any comments on their work, we'll review them.  If we think the comments are within the TOS, they stand.

Second, if someone flies off the handle due to a valid remark, they're breaching the TOS themselves and we'd have to remind them to behave in a proper manner.  gibby-g, I am thinking specifically of your comment above.  And yes, an artist can choose to have "Non critical comments" as an option.  Like it or not, everyone should respect that choice, too.

Third - and this is the point of the original post - if someone leaves glowing praise but a low rating, it merits a look into the matter.  As for that particular issue, yes, it's being investigated and dealt with.  No, I cannot give specifics.

Fourth, a non-criticism comment of "I really like this" is perfectly acceptable, even if it's not exactly pushing the boundaries of artistic understanding and ground breaking critique.  Sometimes it's plain nice to say something complimentary.  And, of course, it's great to be on the receiving end.

Finally, the "hug club" bit.  Personally, I don't subscribe to one.  If I like an image, I say so.  If someone likes one of mine and says so, thanks for that.  Then again, I'm a big boy now, so if anyone feels the need to crit my work, have at it.  I promise I won't be crying about it.