An Explanation of Our Rating System

Review scores are often a hotly debated topic. There's a vast array of different models for rating systems, be it the 5 point, 10 point, or even 100 point scale, the school-like letter grades, or the thumbs. And with every different model, there's a different argument for why it's terrible.

When we started this site, I wasn't really intending to even dive into this whole mess of an area, so if I wrote about something I usually just left a rating off of it even while other members did more traditional types of reviews. But recently we've been offered review copies, and honestly I might as well start getting myself used to doing reviews if my end goal is to get into a press/journalist type gig, whatever type of media it may be in. So, this is an explanation of the review scale that we have all settled on.

We've decided to use a strictly 5 point scale, meaning 1-5 and nothing in between. It seems to have the most positive aspects to it. With bigger scales, reviews sometimes fall into the top half of the scale. Soon it sparks outrage when something gets a 5, even though that should be a perfectly run of the mill rating. The thumb system however, just isn't enough. The human being doesn't have enough thumbs to accurately express a score for something.

We might switch from numbers to some sort of symbol if we end up changing the overall theme of the site and that fits it better. Until now though, it is a 1 through 5 scale.

1=Terrible
2=Bad
3=Average
4=Good
5=Excellent

That's it, no .5 or .75. Just 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. So with that said, keep in mind that when we review things, a 3 means it is a perfectly fine thing but doesn't have much extra to pull it into a good or excellent range.

Now, keep an eye out for upcoming reviews. We'll be prepared for the fury that you unleash upon us when you disagree with our score. Just be gentle please.