I am writing this letter to address a curiosity I have noticed on Open Salon. It is the Ghost Rater. Simply put a Ghost Rater is someone who reads a post, rates it but doesn’t comment on it.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not criticizing what others do on Open Salon nor am I trying to set a rule. Like most people on OS, I like that fact that we have very few rules and that the powers that be let us to run hog wild with very little supervision and let us police ourselves. This is what brought me to OS and why I remain.
However, I am puzzled by the practice of rating but not commenting.
When reading posts, I use the following guidelines:
- Read, Comment and Rate: This is pretty easy to figure out. I’ll read a post, comment on it and rate it. I base my comments on what was written, and depending on how I feel about the subject matter, I will write a short or long comment. I mostly write short comments. If I feel really passionate about a post, I will make my own post and reference the post that inspired me to write my post. As to rating, this is based on the quality of the writing and if I learned something new from the post. Also, if the blogger happens to be one of my OS cronies, in most cases, I will automatically rate them. But I always make it a point to comment.
- Read Only: This is for a post that I have no feelings whatsoever over, but it has held my attention.
- Read and Comment: This is when I read the post and comment on it, but I don’t feel compelled to rate it. After all it is my prerogative as to whether I want to rate it or not. This also applies to blogs I read on a regular basis.
But enough about me, this post is for the person who reads and rates, but doesn’t comment: the Ghost Rater. On occasion, I have noticed that the Activity Feed mentions that someone has rated a posting. If it is one of mine, I go to my blog to see the comment the person left. To my dismay, I see that the rater did not leave a comment.
Also, I have tallied the comments on my posts subtracted my comments and compared them to the ratings and noticed on some occasions where the rating number is larger than the number of comments. I can only surmise that the Ghost Rater(s) has struck again. Which is cool. Like I have already said, "I am not imposing a rule just trying to understand."
I don’t want to sound ungrateful. I appreciate all comments whether positive or negative and I really appreciate ratings. After all, I am an attention-grabbing mongrel. I just want to know why if you took the time to read a post and felt it deserved a rating why won’t you comment. Like most people I’m a busy person, so if I’m going to read something and rate it rest assured I will comment on it.
While pondering this mystery, I have come up with my own theories as to this phenomenon:
- You are the OS Rating Fairy. You like to rate because it makes you feel good to do random acts of kindness in the real world and you carry this act into the virtual world. If this is you, please come to my blog often.
- You like the post, but you don’t have anything to say or you don’t have time to comment or you plan to comment later but forget. This is cool; I understand.
- You like the post and/or the blogger, but you think their posts are too weird or too controversial and you don’t want to associate your good name with such an odd character. Understandable.
- You like the post, but you are afraid to comment because you feel your Favorites will read your comments and flock to that blogger’s post and ignore yours. Insecure, but valid.
Personally, I really don’t care if you read, comment and rate, read and rate, just read or just rate. I welcome all because as I mentioned before, I am an attention-grabbing mongrel. I just want an explanation.
So please dear Ghost Rater, if you are reading this post (and I know you are), please comment and tell me why you that thing you do?
Thank You.
Yours gratefully,
Trudge164
© Trudge164, 2009
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Comments
Rated
Rated
(1 and 2 are my usual reasons.)
What is wrong with that??
Not everyone has a comment. Sometimes I just don't know what to say.
Jeanette, your honesty is appreciated.
Odetteroulette, I see my deducing is right.
Mission, nothing is wrong with it. Like I mentioned in my post I was just curions.
Ty 4 da comments and thumbs
2.Having a stressed or paranoid day and don't want to spew nonsense all over someone's blog.
3.Like a post but don't know why. "You're a bean farmer from Utah! Sweet!"
4.I'm quite overbearing and if I've commented on said person's blog too many times before, fear they will be put off.
5.Post already has some comments from blogger's friends and they're each getting individual responses, don't want to just bust up in the circle.
In the before time when you liked someone's writing, you just sort of sat in the love, let it ferment into a fanship which would keep you buying more of the author's work. Lots of times the person was dead and you couldn't just shoot off a "WTG Twain, classic." Since I don't have money to give bloggers, the ratings are sort of the 'chips' that add up to the money of what would have been your silent fans.
respect the post but don't want to get into the controversy
like the post but don't have anything to add to the comments already generated
like the post but don't have anything productive to say about it.
This is interesting because I rarely read the comments left by others in other people's posts. I read, comment and rate without reading comments.
Thank you all.
If I fail to comment, it might be b/c someone already said what I am thinking much better than I ever could.
Sometimes the comment thread is really engaged - people discussing points they go to great length to expound upon. I feel like commenting is the same as breaking into a heated conversation that I am walking in on the middle of.....so in those cases I just rate, and keep reading.
Maybe your real question, instead of "why do you rate," is "why don't you comment?"
Personally, other excuses aside, I just don't feel an urgent need to share my thoughts openly all the time. Sometimes I enjoy contributing to discussions, but more often, I like to sit back and absorb, and listen, and think. (I'm sure all the other introverts who are reading this are nodding, not adding, but understanding perfectly.)
[Whoooooo-OOOOOOOOOOOOO-oooooooohhh...]
That was my feeble attempt to sound like a ghost in a comment.
Now I haven't read the comment here before I add my two cents worth. and don't usually before I leave mine. I sometimes rate but don't comment when it is a good post and I'm rushed for time (which is a lot lately) or I think it's worthy to bump it in the feed to give it more attention. Mostly though, if I rate , I comment.
Btw, feel free to read, rate and comment on my posts anytime. It's always appreciated. ;)
Dr. Spudman, good points.
Mr Fawkes, agreed, but I may not commment to the newspaper or the article writer, but I may make a mental comment or to someone I know. However, "this technology" allows us to comment directly to the author and yet people do not use it.
#1. As a visible record of my presence.
#2. The over all message of the original post needs to be challenged.
#3. The over all message of the original post needs nuance.
#4. There is an unsavory comment in the thread that needs to be challenged.
#5. There is a radically exciting comment in the thread to which I need to blow some sunshine.
OS is dominated by much #1 (#1 as in pissing to mark territory).