About the Trader's Ratings

OK, this seems to be a sore point with a number of people, so I figure it's time to address it concerning whether the current policy needs to be changed or not.

As a recap, the way the Trader's Ratings works now, only paying members can rate other members. Any member, paying or not can be rated by paying members but only paying members can do the actual RATING of another. The reason behind this policy was because of the ease with which anyone can create a new account here using a bogus identity. This, in my opinion, leaves up the possibility, perhaps even the probability, if the past is any guide to the future, that the Trader's Ratings will be abused without some sort of control over it. This can happen in two ways: (1) Someone with a bone to pick with another member, perhaps a competitor, can create multiple new accounts merely to slam the other member with negative ratings. Perhaps even someone can be malicious enough to slam a LOT of people with negative ratings just to stir up a ruckus. The second method (2) would be one or more people who might create false registrations simply to pump up their own rating using bogus "customers" to do so. So the idea of restricting people MAKING ratings to only paid members was in the hopes of eliminating that likelihood as much as is practical.

But apparently some people don't like this current arrangement and want it to be changed. Very well. That is what this poll is going to be here for. Simple majority rules. The options will be (1) Keep the current limitation in place, or (2) allow ratings votes by ALL registered members.

But here's the string that is going to be attached to number (2). If the Trader's Ratings ARE abused, then that's just going to be the way it is. None of the staff here is going to intervene in anyone' behalf to even investigate claims of abuse, much less do anything about it. I'm not looking to set something in motion that could potentially just be a headache for the moderators and myself by constantly riding herd on the Trader's Ratings and having to clean up messes that someone may create in there. Maybe this won't really come to pass, and I really hope it doesn't but if it does, anyone complaining about the abuse is going to get nothing more than, at most, a link to this thread with the poll, and a "Sorry Charlie".

And no, I'm not going to be throwing money at custom programming to try to make the Trader's Ratings *perfect* for one person or another. This function is already a custom coding add-in here and I can't see throwing more good money after potentially bad.

So think about what you really want with the Trader's Rating function and think further about whether the change considered is really going to be in your best interests. I know it's not perfect now, and it's certainly not going to be perfect if this change is implemented. You get to choose which imperfect system YOU prefer, and have to live with whatever the majority chooses. Personally I'm just tired of hearing about this and a number of people claiming that it needs to be changed. Well, OK, here's your chance. Change it if you want.

But be careful about what you wish for, please.

If left open, I believe it will be severely abused to bash competitors via fake registrations as well as people with whom disgruntled individuals have personal issues not related to business transactions.

I also believe skin in the game in the form payment/contribution helps deter the above mentioned forms of abuse to some degree. I have difficulty conceptualizing a flawless system, so I prefer it as it is.

Originally Posted by nickolasanastasiou

If left open, I believe it will be severely abused to bash competitors via fake registrations as well as people with whom disgruntled individuals have personal issues not related to business transactions.

I also believe skin in the game in the form payment/contribution helps deter the above mentioned forms of abuse to some degree. I have difficulty conceptualizing a flawless system, so I prefer it as it is.

I agree. I would also add, if the only ones that could receive ratings were contributing members, it would increase the number of contributing members.

I have only been a member for a year or so, I tried to deal with mostly contributing members to get my ratings up. I feel more comfortable dealing with a contributing member.

Non-paying member here, I voted to keep it as-is. I can leave positive BOI feedback in lieu of doing the trader rating.

New member hear and a non paying one as well as of now. I vote for leaving it as it is. I can only imagine the abuse the rating would take both on the positive and negative side if it was wide open.

I agree with everyone above.

Trader rating is an exclusive benefit for a paid membership, it therefore adds value to the paid membership. Most transactions I see here are $200, $500, $1,500 and up. If someone really wants to post ratings, I'm sure they can muster up a mere $25. Seems like some people want the benefit for FREE. Not every thing in life should be free. Like Nick said, it helps weed out the bad too.

I'd say change it if the mods were willing to investigate/babysit. Leave it if they aren't - the consequences of someone screwing around with it are too dire.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I voted to keep it as it is.

Originally Posted by LauraB

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I voted to keep it as it is.

I wouldn't say it's broken, but it feels like it could be more useful than it is currently, or at least more used.

Originally Posted by Occidentalis

I wouldn't say it's broken, but it feels like it could be more useful than it is currently, or at least more used.

Anyone want to pitch in and find the links to the number of threads where members have made suggestions on how to change it to make it better?

Then after reviewing those threads, if someone has a suggestion that hasn't been brought up before, and subsequently shot down when real world implementation issues set in, then please have at it.