I'm a regular on the rating board, and have been around long enough to understand what a 'good' HA is considered to be. I have seen the n00bs and the pros put on their rating pants and deal out judgement. I have been praised and scolded for my HA-making.

But today I've been given a 5/10 or less several times because my HA wasn't the rater's "style". "Not my style." "I don't like it personally." That we've got different tastes is all well and good, but should that affect the rating?

I try to judge avatars on their colour scheme, theme, overall impressions, details, combination of items and the like, without allowing my own personal taste to interfere. I don't, for instants, like purely pink avatars very much, and I think avatars with modern clothes are boring, but if the colours are well matched, the items go together well and the avatar has an attitude that fits with its theme, then it will get a good grade from me.

How do you go about judging HAs?

Even if you're judging just on "colour scheme, theme, overall impressions, details, combination of items and the like", those things still are based on your own impression. Some people think black and brown look great together. Others don't. Some people don't like certain items combined, others love them. It's all up to interpretation.

Personally, I have to agree with how you rate HA's. Being a former regular, I've seen the good, the bad, and the in-between. I've seen HA's which in my mind would get a good rating, been given a horrible rating solely based on personal opinion. And other vise versa. When I rate (or used to), I base the mark off of how well the items are used and layered as well as the theme someone is trying to achieve.

I agree with you too, Judin. Sometimes people will give me a 6/10 because they don't like that my HA doesn't wear a blonde wig, because they always wear one, or they might think it belongs in a different section than the one I'm posting in.

They won't rate what they actually think of it overall, but something unrelated that bothers them about it will make them give you a bad rating.

The only time I give less than 5/10 is when someone is wearing a complete set, or if absolutely none of the items match. I don't constantly look for a theme, and if it's not my style, I don't let that get in the way of rating it. I don't really care for henpecking HAs. Bottom line is it good or not?

When I rate people, I try to give them suggestions and comments that are useful. I do not rate based on my own personal tastes, I rate purely on matching, layering and/or theme, just like you do. Though I find it difficult to rate themes.

What I really dislike about some raters, is when they revenge rate, bias rate, or suggest a backdrop. Revenge rating is just immature and stupid. Bias rating doesn't help the person getting rated on improving their HA. And honestly, backdrops usually just take away the attention from the HA and make them look bulky or cluttered.

Every judge is different, I like to get many different people's opinions. At least state though if you give a low rating based on personal preference. Revenge rating is crap though.

: I'm afraid I'm one of those annoying people who will often suggest that you add a little something (a held item, a pet, a foreground, an aura or a small backdrop) to give the HA something extra that catches attention, but the big backgrounds that cover the entire HA window is hard to use right, I agree; it often distracts too much from the doll.

: Good to see that I'm not alone in my sentiment. You're quickly restoring my faith in humanity. :D

Hmmm... I usually rate mostly on colour balace and layering skills. Then if I have any "in my opinion" sentiments, I add them as an afterword, mostly as a suggestion on what I think can be improved. Then it's up to the person to do what they will with my two cents.

In the end though, I just keep doing what I'm doing regardless of rating.

The answer to that question is absolutely yes. I will admit that I am a novice in the rating boards, but when I rate, I base it entirely on whether I like their avatar or not.

I think people need to remember that the basis for these ratings is entirely subjective. To kind of use what fishycakey said above, if a person was trying to make their avatar look like trash, then why wouldn't I rate it that way? I don't think they should get angry if they get a poor rating because that was their "theme". If the overall look is bad (in my opinion), I'll rate it that way.

Ratings are opinions, pure and simple. For me less is more, and someone told me that I need to have black, gray, and white in my hair and feet. I personally don't like most shoe layerings, so if I don't even like it, why would I subject my avatar to that?!

[edit] I'm not trying to be hypocritical, though I know it may come across as that, but what I mean to emphasize, is that I shouldn't have to conform to some avatar guidelines to get a good rating, I just want to know whether or not people like it [/edit]

I try to be unbiased, but honestly you just can't please everyone and even judging by layering/color matching/overall impression/theme is still personal opinion. If i say something isn't my style, it means exactly that. They haven't done something that impresses me (because of color matching/overall impression/layering/theme, etc) thus I give them a less than perfect rating. Different people like different things and appreciate different skills in avatar-making.

At the end of the day, you honestly just have to stop worrying about EVERYONE liking your avatar and do something that pleases you and if you don't want to get a bad rating, don't subject yourself to being rated.