I don't understand Udisc course ratings

[Olorin]

I honestly don't understand why Udisc ratings are so inflated and why there are such a predominance of 5.0 ratings.

OK, it's obvious that homeboy bias is rampant on Udisc. Also, since any review can be deleted there are many cases where the homies just "report" reviews under 5.0 to get them deleted. In addition, there are no guidelines at all about what a 5.0 rating means, and there is a limit to the number of characters that can be typed into Udisc reviews. And this is all being driven by newer players using phones so they don't type much. Another factor is the Amazon/Yelp review culture that has become so prevalent. And since people record their scores on Udisc and at the end of the round they are asked to rate the course, they just quickly and nonchalantly do it while walking back to their car.

(...Well, maybe I partly answered my own question.)

Yet still, are the Udisc "feel good" ratings unique to Udisc or are they part of a larger cultural zeitgeist? On Udisc I see 5.0 ratings given to crummy little 3 hole practice areas at elementary schools, and I see some people who give a 5.0 to every single course they play. Is this part of the "everybody gets a trophy" and "lets not hurt anybody's precious little feelings" mentality? A Udisc 5.0 seems to mean "I was out with my friends throwing discs here." On Udisc a 5.0 seems to be equivalent to a like on Facebook or Instagram.

I am baffled. What do you think?

 

[Jukeshoe]

I don't understand Udisc course ratings

Neither does anyone else.

/thread

 

[chris deitzel]

The worst rating system ever.

 

[DavidSauls]

Another factor is the Amazon/Yelp review culture that has become so prevalent.

This might be part of it. So many online reviews are full of 5s and 0s, and UDisc ratings have that look too.

It's a bit like the Thumbs up/down on reviews here, or the "likes" on posts. Grading reduced to pass/fail.

 

[disctildeath]

The app is more accessible and with disc golf booming, many are leaving reviews that aren't really qualified to do so. I live in NC and according to UDISC, Rolling Pines is the best in the state, no offense good course but it isn't top 5.

 

[BraveThrower43]

When the app asks you to rate the course doesn't it just ask for the course conditions and nothing else? I think that probably has something to do with it.

 

[BillFleming]

There should only be 3 ratings (and this goes for most everything).
3 - it's great. Would definitely play again.
2 - it's okay. Ah, might play it again.
1 - forget it. Yeah, not again....wish I hadn't played it the first time.

 

[Olorin]

There should only be 3 ratings (and this goes for most everything).
3 - it's great. Would definitely play again.
2 - it's okay. Ah, might play it again.
1 - forget it. Yeah, not again....wish I hadn't played it the first time.

Digression about ratings...

I'm also an artisan chocolate reviewer, and I agree with you. I also believe that every person has at minimum a 3 point rating scale. But I label it like this...
2 = Average
1 = Below Average to Bad
3 = Above Average to Great

That's easy to see how easily it can expand to a 5 point scale.
Then when people get more serious and have more items to differentiate it expands to an 11 point scale from 0-10 with 5 being Average.

(Then when get like me and have reviewed over 1200 chocolate bars in reality I've shifted to a 100 point scale from 0.1-10.0)

 

[Puckstopper]

To be honest, the ratings most places reflect much more homer bias than you see here. DGCR has a clearcut, relatively objective system and a longstanding population who applies that system across the board. From my own experience years ago, I read other reviews, noticed how much emphasis was placed on objectivity and facts over feelings and wrote my own reviews accordingly. When you look at the formats, Udisc is like Twitter, where DGCR is more like a college paper. Cite WHY you feel this why, WHAT the course offers, etc...

 

[Moose33]

Tons of new players and people who's DG world is very small rating things relatively to the experience. They have no rubric, nor repercussions for being inaccurate so they just put whatever.

Personally I hate those ratings and how some of the "courses" are not legit, but our league uses Udisc so I keep it.

 

[Three Putt]

I honestly don't understand why Udisc ratings are so inflated and why there are such a predominance of 5.0 ratings.

OK, it's obvious that homeboy bias is rampant on Udisc. Also, since any review can be deleted there are many cases where the homies just "report" reviews under 5.0 to get them deleted. In addition, there are no guidelines at all about what a 5.0 rating means, and there is a limit to the number of characters that can be typed into Udisc reviews. And this is all being driven by newer players using phones so they don't type much. Another factor is the Amazon/Yelp review culture that has become so prevalent. And since people record their scores on Udisc and at the end of the round they are asked to rate the course, they just quickly and nonchalantly do it while walking back to their car.

(...Well, maybe I partly answered my own question.)

Yet still, are the Udisc "feel good" ratings unique to Udisc or are they part of a larger cultural zeitgeist? On Udisc I see 5.0 ratings given to crummy little 3 hole practice areas at elementary schools, and I see some people who give a 5.0 to every single course they play. Is this part of the "everybody gets a trophy" and "lets not hurt anybody's precious little feelings" mentality? A Udisc 5.0 seems to mean "I was out with my friends throwing discs here." On Udisc a 5.0 seems to be equivalent to a like on Facebook or Instagram.

I am baffled. What do you think?

Most people just don't understand course design very well. Here we expect you to explain what you are thinking and have a reason why you thought a course was "good" or "bad". Most people can't tell you why. They rate based on their personal preference, and maybe they are just oblivious to the fact that throwing down a sidewalk is a bad idea. "Hey, look. It's like we are on a real golf course and have a cart path!" :|

It can also be regional; I remember moving to Chicago in 2000 and having people tell me how great Shady Oaks was. Shady Oaks is a swamp, you throw around cattails. I had played Waterworks the month before I went to Shady Oaks, so my bar was A LOT higher than swampy cattails. It was what those guys knew, though. If you play bad courses and go to another bad course, how are you supposed to know?

We just have that weird combo of something niche that most people don't understand and people being asked to rate that thing they don't understand. UDisc ratings will always reflect that.

The UDisc/DGCR comparison I give is Harmony Bends and The Canyons since they are two places I've played. UDisc has them both at 4.8. DGCR has them at 4.85/4.49. The process DGCR makes you go through can force you to think about little things, and the little details of Harmony Bends to me makes it clearly a better designed course. DGCR can account for that; UDisc can't.

Which...might not matter because The Canyons has some great moments in it and is Hella fun to play. If they were across the street from each other I'd probably play them 50/50. It's probably alright that they look like the same quality of design on UDisc. Most people can't tell.

 

[GripEnemy]

As you said OP it's like Amazon reviews. Easy (usually) to tell what reviews are trash and who is being thorough.

"I'm in Europe and I ordered the lamp with a US plug. ONE STAR" kinda stuff.

Maybe use Udisc as a scoring app or even travel aid, but pop over here for more thorough information on courses.

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Use DGC for actual reviews, use uDisc for the layout maps when you can't figure out where the next tee is.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Neither does anyone else.

/thread

Bingo.


My personal opinion is that U-Disc ratings stink because I don't write reviews on U-Disc. I'm sure my presence on U-Disc would turn things around there.

 

[Three Putt]

Bingo.


My personal opinion is that U-Disc ratings stink because I don't write reviews on U-Disc. I'm sure my presence on U-Disc would turn things around there.

I had a course designer sent me a message here to complain about a review; it was poorly marked and you couldn't find your way around. He told me I should have looked up the map on UDisc. If I need UDisc to play your course, you are not going to like my review.

The longer story was I DID have a map and still couldn't find the first tee. Later on I figured out why; they painted the tee in a parking lot and the first time I was there, a car was parked on it. :|

 

[glassila]

I prefer a 0-5 rating scale rather than a "1-2-3".
In my mind a rating system with more options should, I repeat...should result in more accurate results.
I definitely don't like the "thumbs up/thumbs down" systems.

A little sideways drift...I use the IMDb movie rating site quite a bit where you can rate a movie from 1-10.
When I rate a movie I only give out a "10" for my all time favorite/best of he best movies (19 out of 3,100). It's even harder for a movie to get a "1" from me (2 out of 3,100).
But as several people in this thread have alluded to, A LOT of people will give a rating of "1" or "10" even for a so-so movie which clearly does not deserve either a 1 or a 10.

I think there are a lot of people who when rating a disc golf course or a movie or whatever think..."It was pretty good so I give it the highest score possible!!!" or "It didn't quite meet my expectations so I give it the lowest score possible!!!":wall:

 

[BogeyNoMore]

FWIW:

DGCR has an 11 point rating system.
0.0 to 5.0 with 1/2 step increments is an 11 point scale... for those willing to use "the entire scale."

 

[txmxer]

FWIW:

DGCR has an 11 point rating system.
0.0 to 5.0 with 1/2 step increments is an 11 point scale... for those willing to use "the entire scale."

I wasn't aware of the fractional rating system. I have not played many different courses and haven't rated anything in a while. I don't think I was aware of the fractional option.

I saw the rating system as pretty limited if it's 5 points (1-5) and would be happy with 3 point rating system mentioned above. Anything less than 3/5 says this course sucks, I wont play it again. Nothing is perfect so it's either a 3 or a 4 for a fun course. Having fractional options, I may want to go back to my reviews (all 4) to see if I need to update the numbers.

 

[knobby325]

I'll admit, I've used only 10 of the 11 points, but I feel like I have not, as yet, found disc golf nirvana to rate a 5.0. I've given one 4.5 and 8 4.0s. Maybe I'm too harsh. But in the header for leaving a review, the following is included...

Remember, a "5" is considered the ultimate. There is absolutely nothing that could be done to improve the course. It is perfect in every possible way.

Makes a 5.0 a tough one to score for me, as there is always a little something that can improve. I have yet to hit the "big ones" (Harmony Bends / Flip City / Rollin Ridge / etc.), so I think there is a higher end for me to discover. I think the less regulation on UDisc allows for more "homer" reviews and seems to push out what I would call an actual "review" instead of a "what can I do to raise or lower the score to effect the perception of the course".

 

[nothinbuttree]

FWIW:

DGCR has an 11 point rating system.
0.0 to 5.0 with 1/2 step increments is an 11 point scale... for those willing to use "the entire scale."

And even with that, I've still found myself wishing there was even more granularity. Seems like more than once I've wanted to give a 3.75 or 4.25. Moreso at the high end of the ratings though. Haven't felt the need to dole out a 0.25 yet.