[waegari]

As news editor I've been quite curious about the reasons and motivations behind news story ratings for quite a while.

So for curiosity's sake, I'd welcome any comments.

What have been your considerations in rating a story with a 5 or a 1? Do those ratings reflect any preference for the kind of stories we should be posting, or are they expressions of general feelings and ideas about the global energy situation? Do people also rate stories for their journalistic merits, their thoroughness and the like?

[Aaron]

bump

[Heineken]

My impression has been that members hardly ever rate news stories. Maybe I've been looking in the wrong spot?

I think the news editors do a great job collecting material, but I do get tired of (and tend to pass over) highly specific biofuel and tech-type stories (e.g., "Jatropha Plantation Launched in Myanmar," "Improved Wind Turbine Vane Proposed").

In news, I'm looking for the broader picture, the longer view, the deeper thinking. (This reflects my bias as a doomer and as one who believes that biofuels and technology can't save TWAWKI, of course.)

[waegari]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Heineken', 'M')y impression has been that members hardly ever rate news stories. Maybe I've been looking in the wrong spot?

[mlit]

I am almost always glad a story was posted but base my ratings on the story such as Bush voices concern about record oil price I gave a 1 as I think his statements were extreme BS but I'm glad the article was posted as it reinforced my image of him and others like him.

[Leanan]

My guess is that people vote on the stories depending on whether they agree with them or not. So you shouldn't take it personally if they rate a story "1." Doesn't mean they think the story wasn't worthwhile, or was poorly written, or shouldn't have been posted. Ratings merely express agreement or disagreement.

"Doomer porn" stories tend to be highly rated, regardless of how well they are written or researched. While stories that say peak oil is not yet often get poor ratings.

Stories that say there's no such thing as global warming often get 5-star ratings, probably because we have a cadre of global warming deniers here who submit such stories, then give them high ratings. But then, stories about how we're all going to drown in the rising ocean levels also get good ratings, because they're doomer porn.

[waegari]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leanan', 'M')y guess is that people vote on the stories depending on whether they agree with them or not. So you shouldn't take it personally if they rate a story "1."

[Keith_McClary]

Let us commend our news editors for publishing far fewer promotional corporate press releases.

Hip, hip, ....