Just curious, but why down vote a review?

[BogeyNoMore]

To the OP: The fact that you care enough to ask got me interested enough to read your reviews. I don't think they're bad, but they really don't provide much in the way of providing a feel for how the course plays or why the reader may (or may not) want to play there.

I think you need to go beyond just the basics and take a few more sentences describing what it's like to actually play the course. Doesn't need to be a novel... if short and brief is your style, that's fine, (some wil find some irony in that statement ), but if you put just a little more meat on the bones, I think you'll get some positive responses.

 

[Olorin]

Why does it matter if a review gets a thumbs down?

Really just trying to figure out the argument... I just don't at all understand why reviewers get upset if their review has some thumbs down but I'm sure there is a reason even if it is just internet pride.

Some of us are just plain obsessive, and for me at least it is just an internet pride thing in the small world of DGCR. But having said that, to me, the "Helpful to Not" (HTN) ratio is one of the most important TR stats. And I most admire those who have the highest HTN ratio.

For me, all told, I usually put about 3 hours into each review (done in 3 phases; the DGCR write up is just the 3rd phase). Just writing the DGCR summary usually takes about 1 hour, so after putting in that much time I hate "Not Helpful" votes. Most of the time it is just subjective homeboy bias, or maybe people don't like my long reviews, but I can never figure out why I got a down thumb. And that bugs me. When someone gives me a NH I sincerely request them to drop me a PM and tell me why. I hope this helps answer your question.

 

[magictenor1]

I just did the 1st review of Choctaw Lake DGC and I got a thumbs down almost immediately. The course did not appear to be ready to play and I said so. This is the kind of info I want if I am thinking about going to a course. I get a lot of thumbs down and I really think a lot of it is based on the # you give and not the info you provide.

 

[reposado]

I just did the 1st review of Choctaw Lake DGC and I got a thumbs down almost immediately. The course did not appear to be ready to play and I said so. This is the kind of info I want if I am thinking about going to a course. I get a lot of thumbs down and I really think a lot of it is based on the # you give and not the info you provide.

A lot of it is for sure. Go three quarters of a point below average and expect some downs

 

[davetherocketguy]

I just did the 1st review of Choctaw Lake DGC and I got a thumbs down almost immediately. The course did not appear to be ready to play and I said so. This is the kind of info I want if I am thinking about going to a course. I get a lot of thumbs down and I really think a lot of it is based on the # you give and not the info you provide.

IMHO it's a little silly to review a course that isn't ready to play. But it is MUCH sillier to list said course on this site and then proceed to thumb down resulting reviews. Either way, I wouldn't take the thumb-downs personally so don't sweat it. People are silly.

Is there a status that would list the course as "in progress of being installed" to generate interest but would deny reviews from being written?

 

[Olorin]

To the OP, mbradbourne,

I checked out your review of Hudson Springs Park. By way of comparison, I liked Brall's review the best because he gives the most detail. If someone gives enough detail then I will give them a thumb. (The only exception are hole by hole descriptions; that is just useless verbiage that I skip over.) Brall needs to do more reviews!
-gcoghill did an adequate job. I like his bullet points but the verbiage was almost too sparse. But his longer descriptions under Other Thoughts let people read more if they want to.
-Kinger gave what I consider the very bare minimum of descriptions, but just enough.

Here are some reviewers that I consider really good:
[DISClaimer: the following list are from those I currently follow. This is not a comprehensive list; there are many others. You can learn from any diamond TR.)

• sisyphus (probably has the best HTN ratio of any Gold or Diamond reviewer. 701/9 is almost unbelievable!)
• heelboycraig. Every review is very thorough. If you want all the info his are great. Some people may not read every word, though.
• New013. He follows a template and his reviews are always very thorough. Although they are long the bullets let you see the main facts and read more where you want to.
• mndiscg. His reviews give the bare minimum, but just the facts are right there in quick bullets. But as a course bagger he has gone out to all of the little Midwest city parks and gives you a quick feel for the course.
• DSCJNKY. There's a good reason why he has a Diamond. (Basically any diamond TR is worth emulating. JRstengele, ERicJ, Donovan...)
• jaymon1. Unique style but he always gives the important info.

There are many more reviewers that I could name, but I will end the list for sake of time.

Here area couple of other threads that give tips on writing good reviews:
How Trusted Reviewers... review!
Favorite/Best Reviewers

Tip: find a Diamond TR who has a high HTN ratio (Helpful to Not) and use their format as a guideline to develop your own style.

 

[1978]

When someone gives me a NH I sincerely request them to drop me a PM and tell me why. I hope this helps answer your question.

How do you see who did the thumbs down?

 

[mbradbourne]

Thanks, ultimately, I want to be helpful and encourage people to visit other courses if they are worth playing. So based on yours and other comments I will work on adding more details to my reviews.

To the OP, mbradbourne,

I checked out your review of Hudson Springs Park. By way of comparison, I liked Brall's review the best because he gives the most detail. If someone gives enough detail then I will give them a thumb. (The only exception are hole by hole descriptions; that is just useless verbiage that I skip over.) Brall needs to do more reviews!
-gcoghill did an adequate job. I like his bullet points but the verbiage was almost too sparse. But his longer descriptions under Other Thoughts let people read more if they want to.
-Kinger gave what I consider the very bare minimum of descriptions, but just enough.

Here are some reviewers that I consider really good:
[DISClaimer: the following list are from those I currently follow. This is not a comprehensive list; there are many others. You can learn from any diamond TR.)

• sisyphus (probably has the best HTN ratio of any Gold or Diamond reviewer. 701/9 is almost unbelievable!)
• heelboycraig. Every review is very thorough. If you want all the info his are great. Some people may not read every word, though.
• New013. He follows a template and his reviews are always very thorough. Although they are long the bullets let you see the main facts and read more where you want to.
• mndiscg. His reviews give the bare minimum, but just the facts are right there in quick bullets. But as a course bagger he has gone out to all of the little Midwest city parks and gives you a quick feel for the course.
• DSCJNKY. There's a good reason why he has a Diamond. (Basically any diamond TR is worth emulating. JRstengele, ERicJ, Donovan...)
• jaymon1. Unique style but he always gives the important info.

There are many more reviewers that I could name, but I will end the list for sake of time.

Here area couple of other threads that give tips on writing good reviews:
How Trusted Reviewers... review!
Favorite/Best Reviewers

Tip: find a Diamond TR who has a high HTN ratio (Helpful to Not) and use their format as a guideline to develop your own style.

 

[Olorin]

When someone gives me a NH I sincerely request them to drop me a PM and tell me why.

I worded this wrong. I should have said something like, "In my reviews I make a request that if someone gives me a NH that they drop me a PM and tell me why." So far, no one has ever taken me up on my request. They may fear retaliation.

I wish there was a way to see who gives you a No vote... so that I could go egg their house! j/k.

 

[luckless_pedestrian]

I wish there was a way to see who gives you a No vote... so that I could go egg their house! j/k.

If the thunbs were not anonymous there's be a lot less of them.

I think the rule of thumb is, write something that you wished you had known before playing the course. And if you can't do that, at least be entertaining.

 

[GT Chris]

Is there a status that would list the course as "in progress of being installed" to generate interest but would deny reviews from being written?

I think that this is a great idea. I've seen it happen at least a couple of times, where a course gets listed as soon as the baskets are in but before pads/signage are installed or before clearing is complete. Then the early reviewers talk about how the course isn't done yet, knock off a half a disc or a disc because of the lack of tees or signage, and say that it will be better once it is fully installed. Why not just wait?

 

[thrembo]

I think that this is a great idea. I've seen it happen at least a couple of times, where a course gets listed as soon as the baskets are in but before pads/signage are installed or before clearing is complete. Then the early reviewers talk about how the course isn't done yet, knock off a half a disc or a disc because of the lack of tees or signage, and say that it will be better once it is fully installed. Why not just wait?

The course may be playable before it is completed, sometimes courses never get completed, or take years to complete. If I play a course, I review it. Hopefully someone has played it before me, and reviewed it so I know how complete the course is, and what to look for. I will review new courses, and let people know how far along they are, and they can decide for themselves if they want to play it, or wait for it to be "finished". You can go back and edit your reviews as needed to include new course features, if necessary.

 

[Mike C]

Sometimes it happens gradually though. Portage Lakes State Park started as a roughly cut 9 hole with no teepads or signs. These days is a tournament level course with 18 well defined holes, good signage and very well done tees for both the longs and shorts. Many of the reviews do not reflect the current nature of the course, it should be rated higher IMO.

 

[dysmike]

The only one I have 'voted down' was simply because the review completely ignored the fact that the course was actually flooded out. A flood doesn't make a course bad, simply temporally unplayable. While I do sympathize with arriving at a course that's in an abnormal state, it's not representative of the course in general.

 

[1978]

Sometimes it happens gradually though. Portage Lakes State Park started as a roughly cut 9 hole with no teepads or signs. These days is a tournament level course with 18 well defined holes, good signage and very well done tees for both the longs and shorts. Many of the reviews do not reflect the current nature of the course, it should be rated higher IMO.

I think courses should be listed when they are ready to be played and thus reviewed. I just listed Robbins, but had it playable for almost a month prior. Ill get down reviews because of no concrete but most know it is coming. I dont htink a course under construction should be listed. It just encourages people to play a non complete/potentially dangerous course.

When I put up the review of Robbins I got 3 down and 2 up... now it is 3 and 11... I have no idea and no way to find out what the first few people found not helpful. I reviewed after playing secretly with a handful of people who helped put it in...the weekend it opened to the public. So...no one had prior experience with the course. Maybe I have a personal hater.

 

[zenbot]

I thumbs down if a review is uninformative. Telling me that you don't like or like a course but can't list the reasons why isn't helpful in helping me decide if I want to play that course or not.

 

[DiscGolfCraig]

I vote down 5-star reviews from locals in Augusta, Georgia who give 5-star reviews for Pendleton King Park simply because they say it's clean. Either this is the cleanest park in America, or we should all be avoiding the other parks in the Augusta area altogether.

 

[luckless_pedestrian]

I vote down 5-star reviews from locals in Augusta, Georgia who give 5-star reviews for Pendleton King Park simply because they say it's clean. Either this is the cleanest park in America, or we should all be avoiding the other parks in the Augusta area altogether.

Is it also very well-spoken?

 

[B3NDER]

More than a third of the down thumbs I've gotten were by someone who didn't like the course and just thumbed down the first (and sometimes the second) page of reviews en masse. That's practically the definition of being a prick. The first time or two, I asked a moderator to look into it, and they wiped those thumbs off. But now, I try not to bother them. Pricks will be pricks.

I know of one guy that downvotes a certain reviewer no matter what is written. Pretty sure he recruits others as well.

I have come to the same conclusion - which is why I quoted both of these together. However when I contacted mods/admin I was told I was "being paranoid".... Either way, thanks for the thumbs up and support, and thanks for all the hate! :hfive:

You rock DGCR!

 

[Streets]

People go through YouTube and just down vote vids for no reason too. I guess some people just like being ***holes for the ***holiness of it. Like people who find discs and don't call.