OK lehsreh, here is the thing.. nobody here is asking you to spare your ratings.
You used the example of a 3 3/4 pic sitting next to a sigma 6 pic.. and you had to give one a 5 star? Why not them both?
I mean c'mon everyone if a picture deserves a 5 star surely it should be rated it right? You don't have to be totally selective with your stars.. on a similar note if they were both 3 3/4 pics why does only one have to get a 5 star? Again I stress if both are of equal quality they should both get 5* ratings it really is that simple.

I am of the belief that the rating system was set up as to decide overall picture quality and execution. Usually I will first type into the reply box any comments I have to say about the pic. Usually if its eco warriors, ninja force or sigma 6 I explain that its usually not my liking.. but it never effects the overall rating of the pic.. if someone has the desire, liking or patience to spend a couple of hours setting up figures and taking the perfect shot.. and the execution is good then it deserves a 5 star rating and that contributor should get his dues.

Onto selfishness and pettyness.. people on here aren't (I hope) going to rate every pic a 5 star rating just to avoid hurting peoples feelings.. but look back at Jocks (dave) recent pictures and some of Outriders.. the figures are in focus.. sure they are dark.. but OM F G. They are meant to be dark as they are night shots/dark shots where he's experimented with the light/darkness. It's not that they have come out wrong or incorrect its simply the style of shot he's taken. The figures for the most part in both pictures are in focus.

Outrider was spot on .. most of the people on here will take criticism on the chin.. I for one will do.. but its simply frustrating when you know the pic deserves higher than its being rated.
As for freedom of speech.. take this your last comment:
"If this site is a place where no one can give what they truely think for a rating and we cant take a lil bad criticism then i do not think i would want to be here."

Bad criticism.. shouldnt be tolerated.. its bad because for the last two weeks people have been rating quality pictures a 1 or 2 star without saying why? I think you meant to say just criticism..
This is not about being childish and its not about being petty or not being able to take criticism on the chin.. this is about us as members being able to structure and support each other in our efforts to getting a better shot of our joes. If I released 15 Joe pics onto the board and got 1 or 2 star ratings everytime without comments on where I was going wrong I'd be frustrated as hell..
1. Because I'd want to get to a 5*
and
2. because I'd want to know what I was doing wrong.

The reasons behind these recent drop in ratings has nothing to do with opinion and I have every reason to suspect its more to do with as outrider put it "out of spite" this is the selfishness that dave referred to in his earlier post.

Now that the ratings system has been tweaked and people are hopefully working towards a similar goal we may get to see some balance and normality again

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"I can glide silently and land without a sound, I am the eerie presence in the pitch black room"