A matter of Standards

Ponies, we have to talk.

Lately a trend has been emerging throughout this isle of enthralling fantasy, one that involves us all, both in the content we create and the standards we keep. My concern lays with the rating system presently enacted on Fimfic. It seems to me that quite often stories that fall way below even basic standards of English literature are being grated dozens, if not hundreds of four stars or above. The only explanations I can think of for this phenomenon is that readers are grading stories based on blurb alone. That or we are simply being far too ‘nice’ to meat out the cruel but necessary ratings.

For a moment let me provide a suitable metaphor; imagine a school class room. Every day the class is given a hard math test to judge their performance. However, at the end of the test, the teacher feels guilty for those who haven’t scored as highly as the more mathematically talented students. Thus she inflates the scores of the lower end of the class closer to that of the higher, to ensure they don’t feel too bad. In doing so this act of kindness skews the entire results scale, giving most people virtually the same results regardless of ability or effort.

What does this mean in a practical sense? After all, the person handing out the marks still knows which learning band they all belong in, so no harm done! Right?

Within this sentiment lays the root of our problem. What incentives have those struggling pupils to improve on their weaknesses? Not only are they ignorant to their need for assistance, but they will be unresponsive to that aid when it is given. After all, they’ve got dozens of other marks telling them they are great!

This is the effect instant rating systems have. By giving a story five stars that does not even deserve two, the entire system is damaged. People who have genuine advice and attempt to aid the budding author can be safely ignored, knowing that fifty other people thought their story was the best thing since sliced bread. And thus the cycle of bad fanfiction continues; budding talents never are fully expressed, simply being allowed to sell trash as gold. And beneath it all, first-class authors are lost in the wake of the good ship five star.

There are several things that could change this lopsided farce. Fimfic could change the system to rate chapters separately, displaying the average as the story’s total. Perhaps they could even place the rating gage itself at the bottom of the chapter page, encouraging reading before starring. But at the end of the day, no matter what alterations the admin of the site make, it is ultimately us, the readers, who dictate the scores on the doors.

We must be willing to spend the time reading a story and considering the experience more carefully before clicking that star chart. Never be afraid to give a story a low rating. Always give your constructive opinions and suggestions to the author. The only way new writers improve their talent is through practice and guidance from similarly minded piers. Help those who need it, nurse their abilities so that they can grow as story tellers. And above all, appreciate those whose work stands as example, don’t degrade their achievements by handing out skewed grades.

In conclusion;

‘Five stars’ should be a converted gem, a badge of excellence awarded to those who have truly achieved something extraordinary.

It should not be a reward for pressing the ‘submit’ button.