[intheworks] unintended consequences of comparing percentile ranks

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livelove
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[intheworks] unintended consequences of comparing percentile ranks

Post by livelove »

@mpowell:
Over the years, I read more and more examples of postings of users not really understanding criticker's idiosyncracy of comparing percentile ranks of scores rather than the scores themselves.

This leads to unintended consequences, like changing users' voting behaviour.
Here is an example of a user not assigning scores just based on how much he liked a film, but on how the user thinks Criticker interprets his/her vote:

moist666 wrote:i struggle with knowing the 'correct' way also because even if you rank it in the 80s IT TURNS IT RED.
so i tend it put normal/decent movies anywhere between 97-94.


Now you are right in saying, that when the system is not understood well, it's not the user, who is to blame, but the system – or rather the explanation of it:
mpowell wrote:Of course, when you have to answer the same question hundreds of times, maybe it's your system that's the problem.


I know there are (more or less hidden) places, where you explain how Criticker works.
But maybe something needs to be changed in order to prevent the abovementioned/quoted unintended consequences.

I don't have a suggestion good enough to propose to you.

• Maybe put a short link beneath the user score on the film page "don't like the color?" pointing to the "quips and colors", but only right after voting (so as not to clutter the film page) ?

• Or maybe add a short tutorial at the end of the new user registration process, so that all new users automatically read what's important to know about the way Criticker works ?
Last edited by livelove on Sun Apr 22, 2018 5:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.

mpowell
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Re: [new] unintended consequences of comparing percentile ranks

Post by mpowell »

Thanks for the suggestions! Yes, this whole switch to percentiles is part of an effort to make Criticker more understandable to new users, and reduce frustration. We're going to continue looking into more ways to address potential misunderstandings.

livelove
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[intheworks] unintended consequences of comparing percentile ranks

Post by livelove »

Thank you for having an open mind about it and thank you for listening.

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