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UnclePete
Weasel Overlord
      
Date Joined Dec 2004
Total Posts : 309
| Posted 2/21/2008 4:23 PM (GMT -4) |   | Jordan brought up a point about stars and reviews, and someone anonymously left a comment on one of the reviews from this week, citing no negative points in the review, and therefore, why didn't said review receive 5 stars?
To which I responded, and would add here for purposes of further discussion:
Pete said...
Stars are not given on a point system -- they're an arbitrary (at best) judgement, and mean different things to different people.
Surely you've read a book which has been technically perfect, and pretty darn good to boot, but wouldn't necessarily make your list of most amazing books that rocked your world?
To this I'd just add, some reviewers send in reviews without stars, some have sent in some where ratings really don't seem to match -- as opposed to Mr Weiss' which, as Jordan pointed out, could be considered low for what was essentially a philosophical disagreement, but as others have pointed out, worse, a misleading disappointment -- or as the review says, "Douglas's writing is good enough that I actually read to the end ...quite eagerly, if the truth be told! But, this is not science fiction."
Something that should also be noted is that while the screen you see has a rating of 0-5, when I enter a review, the scale is 0-10, which is how we get 1/2 stars. Mr Weiss told me "2 stars" as many reviewers tell me "7" or whatever (some don't, and some don't give a rating at all, so I guess/translate) -- there may be a mistake in translation, too, but I email folks to let them know the reviews are posted, and they can correct me at that time -- he hasn't, which can mean a variety of things as well -- I translated correctly, he likes one star better now, he didn't get the email, etc.
Ms. Bulloch reviewed Lamplighter for me as a favour, because she'd read it already, and when I read her review and asked for her rating - she gave me 4/5. Her review is as positive as Mr Swope's, but as she told me - it was great, nothing wrong with it, she loved it and wants more, but it didn't make her personal 5-star rating -- reserved for all-time favourites.
At any rate, I bring all this up not to gripe (because it'd be in the wrong forum, if so)  but to reiterate that any rating "system" is going to vary from site to site, and in some cases, from reviewer to reviewer and reader to reader. The one thing you WON'T find here is the sort of Amazon Harriet review. SFR doesn't really have a star system beyond, 'by the gut,' I'd say.
And of course, to invite discussion -- stars and the like ARE widely interpreted. Whaddya think?
____________
"The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." --Thomas Jefferson
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MichaelEhart
Sage
Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 2324
| Posted 2/21/2008 10:53 PM (GMT -4) | | I read them, but I don't think I have ever commented. Reviews are so subjective, it doesn't usually seem to me worthwhile to comment. To Jordan it does. So even the decision to comment is subjective. :)
Buy my book!
The Servant of the Manthycore from DEP
Illustrated by Rachel Marks, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock
Read me in 2008!
"Without Napier" Every Day Fiction, TBA
"Night of Shadows, Night of Knives" Magic and Mechanica, Ricasso Press, Spring 2008
"To Destroy All Flesh" Return of the Sword, Flashing Swords Press, Spring 2008
"Only His Name" Every Day Fiction, TBA
Still in print!
"The Stars by Law Forbidden" Unparalleled Journeys II, Journey Books, 2007
"Six Zombies Doing That Mick Jagger Strut" Damned in Dixie, Tenoka Press, 2007
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Stuart Clark
Alien Trapper
Date Joined Jan 2007
Total Posts : 134
| Posted 2/22/2008 12:58 AM (GMT -4) | | I read them too. I always look forward to a new set of six!
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crystalwizard
Forum Moderator
Date Joined Nov 2006
Total Posts : 4711
| Posted 2/22/2008 3:15 AM (GMT -4) | | | | |
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crystalwizard
Forum Moderator
Date Joined Nov 2006
Total Posts : 4711
| Posted 3/9/2008 7:09 PM (GMT -4) | | | | |
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