I would like to have some guidance as to how to use the rating system. I think others would also.

I think there are at least two ways the ratings could be used.

Way one:

* Terrible.

** Poor (or fair).

*** Good.

**** Very Good.

***** Excellent.

Way two:

* Terrible.

** Below average.

*** Average.

**** Above average.

***** Excellent.

Calling an archive story average is not the same as calling a story in a magazine average. Many of the archive stories (maybe most) are very poor. They do not have good ideas and/or do not have good characters. This is especially true of the earlier stories. A story that is average for the EA is probably worse than the poorest story that would be published in a magazine.

Many archive stories have good ideas and characters but have other problems. Many have very poor spelling, grammar and punctuation. (I do not know if these problems are being corrected for the new archive.) Some have too many indirect quotes. One starts much too soon. Some have continuity errors. Some have paragraphs that are much too long. Many of the mult-ipart stories do not have conclusions.

I think that the "Way one" I mentioned above is better than the "Way two". Regardless of which is used, I think the EA should have a standard so that users can be more consistent.

curious_guy (imported) wrote: Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:24 am Way two:

* Terrible.

** Below average.

*** Average.

**** Above average.

***** Excellent.

That's my preference if this is official.

And I hope you understand that I read the EA stories for excitement and not for excellence in grammar, structure, punctuation or the literary edification and glorification of the English language.

I don't think it matters: we've all become accustomed to the 5* rating. Five is the best, four is close to the best, and 3 falls in the middle. Anything under three is sub-par. It doesn't really matter what we call each star number.

Not to be overly Bombastic, but can authors give themselves 5 stars? Because, that's what I would do.

They don't call me Bamboso for nothing.......

It's not official, because none of us really give a flying fuck about it right now.

Spank you very much.