Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations 5 stars for Cecil

Why doesn't Cecil have a 5 star rating? He seems to help everyone with his wealth of knowledge, and experience. Never one to sugar coat his opinions, the advice he gives is rock solid, and to the point. Perhaps he's been blasted on his rating by some of the fish producers for his opinions on the HBG. Come on give it up for Cecil and give him his 5th star.

I gave him a 5 star years ago. The way they work is based on avg of votes so it only takes a few 4's to bring it down and if someone does not like you and submits a 1 well, you get the pic. I currently have 4.48 one of these days I will make it back to 5 star but really think the folks that provide more detailed answers deserve that.

I think the moderators should be able to remove some of the bad ratings that are not deserved. Especially for someone that constantly gives their time, knowledge and experience to this forum like Cecil!!

Greg- Your rating has suddenly jumped! I guess 4.5 is the magic number?

PFF :

Thanks for the vote of confidence but you have to look at the purpose of the stars. They are suppose to be a reflection of what the readers think not what the mods. think. Greg has correctly described the system problem . It gets into personalities when it should be about the willingness to help others and the quality of the info. I turned mine off for this reason. Not to long after starting posting I was a 5. Then I made a comment that the people that de-starred a helpful poster (from a 5 to a 3) because of a personal matter should be ashamed. Quickly I went from a 5 to a 2. I think a few people who thought I was a 5 changed their mind to a 1. The problem is, that will sometimes cause a knowledgeable person to leave the forum.

The purpose of this comment is to remind us all that we should try to encourage people to join in and grow in their knowledge and not take petty actions for personal reasons. Be fair in what you do and realize that our personal point of view is not necessarily what is good for the forum whole. It is not about the individual but about the forum's growth and service to us all. Keep that in mind when you vote. The other side of the coin is the stars usefulness in warning viewers (esp. new ones) about the value of a posters advice . This assumes the vote is not clouded by personal bias by a few for the wrong reasons. Such actions hurt all the viewers because they then don't know why a person giving good advice is rated so low. If a person is giving obviously bad info and advice , or great info , help and advice that is when the stars become valid. IMO star changes or votes should not be used when there is a difference of opinion on a topic or for personal disagreements.

Mod. off the soapbox.

ewest- If anyone here deserves a 5 star rating it is you. That is why those that misuse the rating system are destroying the real purpose which is, as you say, evaluation of the information you have been given. That is why I say it needs moderation. I don't care for information that comes from anger, jealousy or revenge. What value can be gleaned from such information? That some humans are petty, jealous and revengeful? How can we evaluate posts based on such nonsense? If you have someone like you or Cecil that have dozens of 5 stars and suddenly some 1 star ratings after a post that some do not like, the purpose of the stars is no longer viable. Moderation of the use of stars is the only way to keep it useful in my opinion!

While you are at it, please return my rating to a 5! Just a joke! Trying to keep it light!

Cecil, I vote 5 stars!

Like Greg, I recognized the high quality of Cecil's participation & voted him 5 stars many moons ago.
He get's agrivated & ornery once in a while making me sit up straight & take note of the goings on but it just helps us keep our balance.
I'd give him another 5 today if it was allowed.

I visited Cecil last Weds night. He spent about 2 hrs helpin me plan a dinky pond. I was takin mental notes, and should have had a recorder. The guy's not only very informed, he's also very generous about sharing his knowledge. Got my 5 star vote today!
Bob-O PS Only drawback is he's slow on answerin his pm. Dang it Cecil, I want ta make your pier safe!!

PFF :

Thanks , you are to kind. I have been privileged to join in this group and have received much help from many kind people here. I have made and met (in person and by email , post , phone , PM ,letter etc.) many friends here. I do not say that lightly. Many of the finest people you will ever associate with are on this forum. It is a group of kindred spirits on a common journey. That camaraderie is worth far more than any rating and those types of relationships are based on trust, honesty and mutual respect over time. Thus the moderation here as it applies to ratings must come from within the the sense of fairness and respect each individual should have toward all others. I am glad to be here and content to be judged by the content of what I say and how I treat others. That judgment is reflected in the many friends I have made on this forum. That opportunity is not unique to me but is open to all who want to come to this forum and act in good faith. That is what makes this forum special. People who honestly care about helping other pond folks. Along with the kindness evident and experienced here, one can also learn a lot about ponds and with it, about life. To all -- come join in the incredible journey and do so in good faith and with good cheer.