Until we figure out and implement a way to stop trolls or non participating members from down rating excellent recipes, I am going to start keeping mine private and will only be sharing in the forums with the participating members.
Edit:
I decided against making my recipes private. This was not based on my recipes being down rated so much (although I have been a victim in the past) but the observation of most of the better recipes (imo) having either no ratings or low ratings.
I apologize if this sounds like a complaint but I have noticed a lot of the better recipes have no or low ratings ( low ratings are almost always given by a user that has 0 shared recipes and 0 forum posts) thus diminishing the trustworthiness and value of the rating system all together.
So I have a solution to propose to the community:
Participating members of the forum earn badges when reaching various milestones. I am proposing that a badge be earned to earn the right to rate a recipe simply by participating. A Rating Badge could be earned by meeting any of the following criteria:
Not only will this improve the integrity of the rating system, it will encourage more member participation and discourage trolls …
If you force a user to leave a comment when they rate it should discourage mindless ratings.
I like the idea of a milestone though
True, unless their comment looks like
Dfhjiiyefbjj kjgcdetujb fdssfgy6uh bb.
This is a good idea. I often search for a flavor then sort by highest rating. Like you said, idiots leaving crappy ratings really screws that up.
Then they are removed and banned, it would certainly make it easier to sort the good from the bad
In my opinion, Rating recipes is one of the best tools that make this website special and unique.
The rating system is the source that provides deserved praise and criticism and is the measuring stick that we all use to either generate interest or lose interest very quickly based on its results.
Because of its importance to the community, the rating system should be held to a certain standard to at least try to maintain a level of quality control and accuracy.
Rating recipes is the highest privilege the site offers. I believe it would help the whole community going forward to have members earn the right to rate by participating in either of the 3 methods proposed.
Good idea, I am always bloody skint though but it would be worth it to see good inspirational recipes and not have to wade through a lot that won’t be anywhere near as good.
Sorry didn’t notice it was meet one of the three requirements, so excellent idea.
And you can bet there are certain elements up voting their own and down voting others.
It’s certainly an interesting approach. I will keep it in mind when I am mulling over how to improve the quality of the ratings… 
I may have suggested this before but, maybe if they don’t have the ingredients for that recipe listed in their stash, they can’t rate the recipe but they could still comment? Compiling your stash takes a small level of commitment that most trolls don’t have.
If only there was a way that that user that posted the rating saw their rating but it wasn’t put into the collective average if they did not meet the [quote=“Mourning_Glory, post:3, topic:89569”]
requirements. they would think they were successfully downrating but in fact only they saw it.
I agree with you and we’ve brought up the donation and comments before as well as plenty others maybe there can be a strict regimen involved so others don’t blatantly refuse to comply. It’s this way or you can’t rate. Make it harder so others can benefit from it and not DBs with no life or skillz
The thing I like about you is you don’t interfere with the “democratic” process of what this site is and rules are good in some circumstances.
However, I also honestly doubt the site would have amassed so much useful information had you created a process for picking and choosing who could be here and who couldn’t.
I like you just the way you are and this site just the way it is. That would be my 2 cents.
(Please forgiveth me for offending any person of interest with differing opinion)
There are people here who contribute who either have no way of electronically donating or cant afford to do that or - unfortunately, contribute but don’t want anyone who amasses financial information to know they have contributed.
Example:
I listened to Art Bell for years but I never wanted my bank to know I was a fan.
Just saying…
Would it be possible to see how many of the votes came in from members and how many from other people?
I was not offended at all … However, I don’t know where the picking who can be here and who can’t was interpreted. I suggested that members earn a Rating Badge by simple participation. Even if they can’t or won’t donate, they could share a few original recipes or by having 100 forum posts and still earn a Rating badge. Those options don’t cost a user anything. This was also only an idea to help improve the rating system and not allow just any troll to down rate excellent member recipes … Has nothing to do with politics.
I guess I said that wrong… it was the donation part. That is kind of saying saying “if you don’t do this part you cant participate in rating”
Trolls will be trolls sadly. They will sadly always exist. The other area to think about are the people who post recipes and the like but never participate in the forum side.
Over the last year I have seen lots of people do an introduction saying something to the effect of…I’ve been a member of the recpie side for a year and never traveled to the forum side.
There are, I think, in my opinion, lots of excellent people on the recpie side who never post in the forums. It’s their loss…I would love to see them here…but am greatfull for any participation. I will gladly have 1 troll for 100 semi active silent members on the recpie side.