Jude 25 Jan 2005

I think it might go back to elementary school when the teacher gave out the gold star and stuck it by the kids name. It really doesnt mean much to anyone but the person receiving the gold sticker. Its silly to expect that everyone that looks at ones art work would think that it is perfect and deserve a 10.

Why bother rating someones work if they are going to freak out because they wont get a star for the week. Or just give it to them because they blow up at the persons giving them less then a 10. They really do not want to hear constructive criticism of their work.

I think if the whole rating system is not used fairly all across the board, the gold stars means nothing at all except to the one who might as well go out and buy a box of gold stars and stick them all over themselves.

That is just my opinion!

eileen martin 25 Jan 2005

there is the way the rating system is supposed to work as outlined by AW, then theres the way it really works, in an unspoken way , that has developed thru the members.

rosemary gioielli 25 Jan 2005

when I give someone a ten, it means that the piece is perfect to me. it's got to be subjective, because there is no such thing as perfect. it's not hard for me to see perfection in someones work, although someone else may say it isn't so. it's not as ridgid a standard as people sometimes make it to be.

Mark Peterson 25 Jan 2005

The rating system would work fine if it was used properly with its intended purpose. The trouble occurs when the psychology of the numbers starts to play a role. The numbers are not only used for praise, but as a weapon as well and as long as they exist the psychological factor will always be there. We all have choices and making the right ones doesnt always come easy for those profoundly affected by a number. Sad really, but a reality.

We can talk about numbers forever, but talking never changed anything and until AW is ready to take action and make a decision other than not deciding the system will remain and it is up to us to start using it correctly and deal with it in the best possible manner. If we could post comments without leaving a number I believe the negative psychology of the system would be removed.

As Eileen said&.Its us the members who have created the mess so maybe its really just all up to us to straighten this out and not AWs responsibility. I understand you loud and clear Lindy and with art being so subjective who is to say what is fair and what is not. Fairness is a value judgement, so the bottom line is get rid of the numbers. You can still have top ten by having a member voting option. Until we can all agree on a common solution the system will fail us because we allow it to.

Ellen Brucks 25 Jan 2005

I think I mentioned this somewhere before, but I am on Artwanted because I am a learner in art with little experience. I want you great artists to suggest changes when needed. I can't judge my own work or anybody else's very accurately. I know a few basic principels that help me some and I know what I like. I am looking to improve so please judge my work by an honest standard. I would even appreciate it if some of you trained artists would say, 'maybe you should try something other than painting, your're waisting your time' Just say it like it is. I love doing it but it costs a lot just to give to family and destroy.

rosemary gioielli 25 Jan 2005

no "trained" artist in their right mind would say that to you Ellen. but I understand that you would like critique. Have you posted in the critique board asking for suggestions? I feel you are being too hard on yourself by your statement. You may be interested in posting on a site called " art critique gallery and forum"

Ellen Brucks 25 Jan 2005

Thank you, Rosemary, I have posted on critique and have had very encouraging remarks,since there seems to be problems with remarks and marking, I was just stating that I hope they are genuine. I'm not afraid of advice when I put them up for comments. I would like to think the 9's 10's would suggest that there are no glaring problems with color, designe, texture or light and are pleasant to look at.

rosemary gioielli 26 Jan 2005

and I think that is what a 9 or 10 would indicate..: ) by the way, your paintings are beautiful.

26 Jan 2005

rosemary gioielli 26 Jan 2005

Smith's point is on the south eastern shore of Long Island N.Y.... where I was born and raised. The artist is L7. Thanks John!

Jenny Gulseren 26 Jan 2005

I think scoring is a way to let the artist know they are improving or need improvement when it goes along with a good critique or comment. I find some people on this site who rate based on their own likings, for example someone rating a digital image when the only thing they do is take photos. They have no idea what is involved in creating a digital image. The other problem I see is that a bunch of people rate when they don't understand, like abstracts for example, you get some people rating abstracts or surrealism and they don't get the point of the painting and because of that they give low ratings. It does bug me to see people give 10's to receive 10's. I lately have started rating images only providing 10's to those images that truly deserve or none at all. And the last problem, is that you cannot just rate an image without checking out the person's portfolio. I think just rating an image is not right. You have to check the person's portfolio to see what skill level they are at. If I'm giving an amateur a 10 is because I truly believe to their skill level they have improved or put great effort to it. Then there's the professional group, who's 10's are a given because of their artistry. . Enough said.

Rusty Woodward-Gladdish 26 Jan 2005

Interesting to read all your comments. I tend to agree with Mark. The numbers do seem to be used as a weapon, especially by some rogue or spoiler 'artists' creeping round AW site at the moment. Sowing seeds of self doubt and despair in other members.

Perhaps it might be better not to have a numbers rating system if causes so much angst!

Regards from Rusty

David Díez 27 Jan 2005

Lets get real... there are the ones who will get angry with your face if you dont give them a 10 because they have been doing this art thing lets say like since 25 years ago and then they really think every vote below 10 is a offense... and these ones whose art really does not deserve a 10 in skill but have many frens who are giving them always the 10s, just because frens are here to exchange 10s, a 10 for you a 10 for me... It really makes me sick

David Díez 27 Jan 2005

Also the ones giving 10s to hobbiest artists, what a freaking thing, an inexpert needs to learn, and needs honest comments and ratings, if you flatter them you are harming them, playing the nice person role and being actually a scavenger of 10s, no matter the cost of your actions, they do not want the noobs to learn, just want them to return the 10s to their portfolios and forget the rest.

David Díez 27 Jan 2005

If you give 10s to the hobbiests they will not improve as they feel they rock and they will always inundate us with... crap; if you dont give the 10s to the really excellent artworks, the good artists can get frustrated and even abandon. This way the quality in art world will SUFFER. And AW claims to be a gallery with high quality art, just because the freebies only can upload 5 things per month, but if you pay, you can upload tons of garbage.

David Díez 27 Jan 2005

Maybe i forgot to talk about favoritism, these people who lose their asses to rate every work of their frens and relatives and disdain the good works of others... Now I think I spoke about all the possible fauna in a place like this

Jude 27 Jan 2005

David I think you did a good job covering it all, I am sure there are a lot of other artists here that feel the same way.

We must not forget there are those that truly deserve the 10s and the comments of praise they receive for exceptional work.

And because of all the fuss made about rating or if one is not in the loop, its seems alot easier not to rate at all.

Rusty Woodward-Gladdish 27 Jan 2005

I'm sorry you feel like this David. I'm a hobby painter but I'm afraid I don't agree with everything you say. Whatever age you are, I think it's a good idea NOT to take yourself too seriously. I've looked at your site and you have some wonderful work there. Good luck with your art!

Volunteer of America 27 Jan 2005

I nominate David for "The Emperors New Clothes" award....well said. (he appears to have summed-up the situation pretty well.)

Martha Yokawonis 27 Jan 2005

Because this is a public site and because the moderators and owners of this site don't require any kind of jurying process to upload images and have a "porfolio" we have images of every kind and level of skill being displayed. There have been battles over the supposed "works" of two year old children that a parent was uploading. Unbelievable!! Since there is a very wide variety of skills from none to amazing it is important that we rate (when we rate) with an attempt to understand where the artist being rated is coming from. This should not be such a stretch. Imagine that you are a juror at an art show and you have to score a piece on it's **MERIT** If you can't tell one end of a camera from another so to speak **don't judge photographers** if you aren't sure whether or not it's digital and can't make an intelligent guess **don't judge digital artwork** if anime or manga makes you want to puke **don't rate the artwork** and especially if you see an image that looks like a precocious child painted it, it probably was created by a child so *****BE KIND***** we were all artistic children once. If your aim is to treat other artists as you want to be treated then you will rate with gentleness not sarcastic nastiness. I have had some strange remarks but I choose to ignore them because my art obviously doesn't speak to them. I understand the jurying process and have juried an art festival and have written art reviews on the works of total strangers and had them published so I speak from firsthand experience. I can log into another person's heart when I see their work and it's better to rate from their point of view than trying to impose your own standards. If an image is engaging on any level then rate encouragingly. If that means giving a ten to a work with some flaws but overall good performance then give it a ten! or a nine or eight whatever. Haven't you seen the embarrassing crap that galleries hawk just because it's got a famous Name on it? I've seen expos where there have been "studies" from Picasso for instance that were clearly never meant to be shown to the public and yet somebody will pay thousands for them. I had some guy calling me up and trying to sell me (get this) signed stone lithographs of John Lennon. What they were: Lennon would draw little caricatures of other diners on napkins with ball point pens to amuse Yoko and Sean. After he died Yoko took them and had them transferred through a stone printing process onto damp sheets of etching paper, then she signed them and sold them. They went for about 1000.00 each and the gallery owner told this guy they would appreciate 1000.00 a year. So now 12 years later he thinks his fancy doodle is worth about 12,000.00. I would rate that about a 1. For greed and stupidity. The artworld is a strange place so we shouldn't be hard on each other let the muggles do that.