Suggestion Box

Ratings have their place, more so in terms of statistics for authors themselves... and a very general guide for them to use at to which pieces of their own fair better overall. Authors have a variety of choices in how ratings are handled and whether they're shown on items or not.

No, as a site ranking or "overall" display, I don't really think it has the same type of place or usefulness. I think members would also be even more sensitive about the ratings they receive with something like that... which equates to stress I don't need.

(There's also some severe skewing based on the number of ratings that's very hard to rationalize in statistics; for example, a new member gets 1 rating and has 5 stars ... meanwhile a 10 year long member has 1,000 ratings average 4.5 stars, falls below the new member always. )

In terms of Merit Badges, they have their place in figuring "Community Recognition". Which is, indeed, being recognized within the community by ones friends and peers. That's what they're all about...

Best,
~~SM

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