So on to musings about things that have gone on in my little world this week.
There's been a thread on PatternReview about stars. Here's the back story. There's a popularity contest over there that lets folks rate reviews and reviewers, and the ratings garner stars for the reviewer. Let me be up front. I have 4 stars. I got them when it was easier to get them. It's like stock options if you are a single digit employee. You get rich faster. As the site has grown, it's gotten harder to earn the stars, just thanks to the math. I've advocated, and some might say agitated, for a departure from this star system. But they remain. Fine, I can live with that.
But there are those who are, shall we say, obsessed with these stars.
We interrupt this program to say, Woo Hoo!!!!!! Go Pats! OMG, I'm not able to eat. If only the playoffs lasted all year. I'd be a size 4.
Anyway, I was saying. There are those who are, shall we say, obsessed with these stars. Why? Does it make you Queen For A Day? Or King For A Day? No. Does it improve your skills? No. Now, many of these folks- lots of them, deserve stars. Heck, I'd dole out stars for just showing up. But for many, it's a popularity contest. I don't like popularity contests. They propagate high school behaviors that I didn't like then. And I was the yearbook photographer in high school for a reason, folks.
The thing that is bothering me is that no one is allowed to say that they don't like the star system. Those of us who offer this opinion get shouted down, loudly. "You don't really know me if you think I'm taking this "star" thing so seriously," says one (very) frequent poster on this thread. Sure. Another says "Off with their heads." Okay! Now, this thread was 16 pages long when I last looked. 16 pages! The shouters are all claiming that it's tongue in cheek, but it sure didn't sound that way for the first 14. Actually, it sounded like a pea-hen party, and that's something that drives me crazy and propagates other stereotypes.
But let me interrupt this broadcast to say, Hey Peyton, where's the end zone? Jiminy Christmas! I like the Colts. Not as much as the Pats of course, but let's start playing football in the second half, can we?
BTW, Pats, for god's sake, keep playing the way you are playing!!!
Okay, I'm off my soapbox. My pulse is back down to only very high from outrageous. But please, someone smack Deion Sanders for me, would you?
I asked for a better second half, right? Well, be careful what you ask for!
Oh, Kee-rist, my stomach is in knots!!!
Congratulations to the Colts! The bad news? The obvious. My boys lost. But what a freaking game!!!! Good on Indy, and good luck in the Super Bowl. Speaking of the Super Bowl, and thank you to "Scrubs" for this bit of inspiration, what has two thumbs and doesn't give a damn?
Happy football!
14 comments:
You know how I feel on the topic and I rue the day you made me unwittingly open that thread. (I think it's a lovely irony that the word verification string for my post begins with "gag".)
I quit participating in that particular thread when I got smacked down for saying that I was amazed that people attached so much importance to it, via a post that commented on my being "offended" by the star system. No, I'm not offended (well, I wasn't until after that rude response). However, it still amazes me that supposedly intelligent women attach so much importance to it. Give it a rest, folks, it's a hobby site. It's supposed to be fun.
Hey, Ann. Your Pats played a good game. It was a nail biter for sure. Well played.
For the PR stuff, I've quit posting there ever since the bruhaha a few months ago that drove away some of my very favorite people. PR feels different to me these days, and not in a positive way, I must say. I agree with you about the high school behavior and popularity contests. I'd much rather browse all my favorite blogs and stay away from that stuff.
Stars? What stars? (End zone? What end zone?)
That was a good game! Very tense.
I agree the star sytem thread seems a little silly, many seem to attach so much importance to it. I do think it does encourage (junior) high school behavior. I have made comments on other issues and have been shot down for making a what i thought was a valid criticism before. People have made comments to me that implied that I was really messed up for voicing an opinion. Sheesh. Truly, I don't really care that much but it can be annoying how there are these weird alliances that seem to spring up from nowhere. I do love the personal sewing blogs, they are very informative and helpful.
Ann, sorry about your Pats, full disclosure though, I was cheering against them. Da Bears are in and that makes me happy if for no other reason than that if they lost I'd have to deal with a really grumpy husband. Why does Grossman always have to make it "interesting"?
As far as the PR stuff, I find I just don't go there much anymore, I still post reviews and I might ask a question about a tech sewing issue on the boards, but mostly it does feel like it has been taken over by a bunch of women that don't have anything better to do than snipe online all day. If they start swaping boyfriends like the cheerleaders did then I know I'm back in High School.
I'm from Indy, and lived in the Chicago area for over 26 years. Early on I thought for sure that the Pats had the Colts whipped. It seems like a miracle that both these teams made it to the Superbowl. My husband and I just couldn't believe it because we wanted a Bear/Colts game. (Sorry, your team lost.)
I go to PR to learn more about sewing. Period. I sewed years ago, but never had to do many pattern adjustments then. I quit sewing because I couldn't make things fit anymore. Reading PR has gotten me back into sewing. It has helped me realize I can (gasp!) cut patterns apart (anathema)and what to do to make things fit. So I say thanks to everyone who has such sewing knowledge. I just ignore all the rest of the stuff, including the stars. That's not why I visit the site. Sewing knowledge is why I visit this blog too. Thanks!
Ann ~ don't do football..nope not at all...but I did think of you when I heard on the news last night that your beloved team had lost. I actually stopped and had a moment of silence, 'cause I knew it had to have affected you deeply!
As for that other bit of nonsense...no comment!
And when are you coming to town again?
...Don't care about stars, agree about the sniping but that said, I've made some great friends at PR. Have fun in New York! Hope Kashi has some great fabric left before his move - he sent me his new address but not a moving date
Connie reminded me: do we have Kashi's new phone number?
We'll get that information tomorrow and post it either here or on The Sewing Divas blog
It took me a while to even notice the stars. Until I read a very vitupretive poster on the Stitching Guild site. YOu're right its like the very worst of high school and seems to create very hard feelings in some people. Get rid of the stars. It obviously encouraged people to post in the beginning but is it really necessary now?
Oh boy. No time for reading 16 pages of debate over stars.
Have fun in NYC! Can't wait to see the loot.
We were watching the game but it was so one sided at the time we switched to something else and then when we switched back much later, it was tied! Wow! Sorry your Pats lost but I really like Tony Dungee.
As to stars at PR-don't read the message boards anymore as I have enough issues in real life to get off on Stars issues or anything else there. On occasion something catches my eye but normally refrain from going there.
I still write reviews with the thought that I might be helping someone but figured out a long time ago that is was a popularity thing!
Post a Comment