Server Reviews - Addendum to the rules.

[Descent]

http://www.ratemyserver.net/forum/index.php/topic,7592.0.html

lalalala~
there are no rules against server admins, GM's, or owners from making reviews
(as odd as that may sound)

And now, there should be. Using ZigaRO as an example(sorry Spencer), and 3J's words in that very thread, I think that this, is crap. Honestly, if there are no rules against Admins, GMs, or owners from making a server review, there very well should be. There is a direct conflict of interest when a server's staff is making reviews. It's akin to a movie's director reviewing the movie...it just takes an actual moviegoer to know that the movie in question is garbage...but the director will wave his hands excitedly while sipping his mocha latte with triple foam and regurgitate "heartwrenching! 5 stars!".

The same can apply to a server Admin, especially ones who either have servers that are brand new, or hurting for players. Now, think about it for a second, what good are "reviews" when it's going to be biased junk in the first place? OF COURSE the Admin, Server Owner, Scripter, etc is going to give his or her server 100s, they don't care about a fair score. Hell, I don't even review SolsticeRO. Why? Because it's UNFAIR of me to do so. Just like it's unfair of my Staff to write reviews on the site(or here on forums) and they are restricted in doing so.

But shouldn't the people who actually PLAY the server be allowed to review a server, and ONLY players? Please consider this. Subpar s***-house servers getting nods and players due to Admins and GMs making biased reviews will be in the future if you don't.

Thank you.

[Guest]

xD but then another problem arises, a lot of people here have alt accounts under a different name, trust me i know >.>
but anyway, they can just go make a new account and pretend to be someone else and do the same thing

[Littlechan]

it's hard to tell if that people is an admin of that server or not. because, you can be everybody on internet

[Descent]

xD but then another problem arises, a lot of people here have alt accounts under a different name, trust me i know >.>
but anyway, they can just go make a new account and pretend to be someone else and do the same thing

Well, I understand that, but you as Moderators should have IPs clearly displayed(a non-RO-related forum I am a global moderator on shows it, you should be able to see it) to challenge fake reviews.

Mind you, this isn't like, a personal attack on ZigaRO, but just the way you said it in that thread, 3J, which I have quoted, I find it hardly fair for a server owner to review their own server in an attempt to grab players. That is what the Advertisement forum is for.

Reviews should be made by people who actually played the server, and not an owner whose server is hurting for an active community, that's really the message I am trying my best to get across.

In fact, if you were to check out SolsticeRO's review page here on RMS, you will see that the reviews are all from players, my own RMS player login has not been used since I have opened the server, I have no reason to. This is just something that is upsetting, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, there has to be many Admins like myself who aren't going to review their own server for the sake of bumping it up the list. I mean, how many reviews can you see of "best server ever!1! just nid playerz!1!" out there and KNOW that they're written by a GM or Admin? Can't count them on one hand, there's too many.

I understand Forums and the RMS database itself are two different entities, but really, is it fair for an Admin to take up space on here and post about how great his server is? Again, that's what Advertisement is for. If his advertisement isn't that great to begin with, it's his fault and not ours, why should we all be subjected to the biased joke that is a "review" that really isn't, but just a secondary advertisement?

[Littlechan]

xD but then another problem arises, a lot of people here have alt accounts under a different name, trust me i know >.>
but anyway, they can just go make a new account and pretend to be someone else and do the same thing

Well, I understand that, but you as Moderators should have IPs clearly displayed(a non-RO-related forum I am a global moderator on shows it, you should be able to see it) to challenge fake reviews.

same IP computers? like mine, have same IP with my brother

[yC]

The rule is, one review is allowed from each admin or gm.  But more than that will possibly get the listing in trouble.

Just this morning I banned two servers for owner writing multiple reviews on self listing.

[Descent]

The rule is, one review is allowed from each admin or gm.  But more than that will possibly get the listing in trouble.

Just this morning I banned two servers for owner writing multiple reviews on self listing.

Well, that's their RMS listing, so right, that makes sense.

Regarding forums, anything on that?

[Guest]

Well, I understand that, but you as Moderators should have IPs clearly displayed(a non-RO-related forum I am a global moderator on shows it, you should be able to see it) to challenge fake reviews.

RMS forums are a lil different, i find it easier to track IP's and users who make multiple accounts here then on most forum types and you'd be amazed what you find by looking them up

but anyway, i hardly spend any time looking at IP addresses so it would probably slide under my radar

[Scars]

O! I can review my own servers in the listing? o.o

For real?

That's totally lame, but if its the way to go why not.

[yC]

O! I can review my own servers in the listing? o.o

For real?

That's totally lame, but if its the way to go why not.

It was stated previously on another topic, that the resource needed to enforce such rule is not efficient and it has come to me that ... over half of the servers have gm/admin writing reviews regardlessly (just one hopefully).  So the "fairness" become that it is allowed if it's not a violation to the user/owner terms (no multiple accounts, no rating competitors badly etc).  Still if we have reason to believe that you are writing reviews from multiple accounts, the listing will be suspended.   

About the forum reviews, usually I don't pay attention to if it's a gm or player writing it.  Should we ask them to state if he/she is a player or gm at the top of the review?  But of course .. nobody ever read the rules!

[Descent]

About the forum reviews, usually I don't pay attention to if it's a gm or player writing it.  Should we ask them to state if he/she is a player or gm at the top of the review?  But of course .. nobody ever read the rules!

My apologies, I really should have clarified what this pertains to, I didn't mean server listings(good God, it would take hours for you to comb through them all when you could be doing something productive), I was relating more towards forums.

But, I guess you're right, there's really no way to tell unless if it's incredibly obvious, by that point either 3J or Pow will junk a non-review in the end.

Ah well. I tried. If this that can be closed, that would be great.

[Pandora]

I know what you mean, I was a bit surprised too when I read that admin/gm could make reviews, but I decided to be lazy and just go with the flow, still find it a bit odd however.

[Scars]

Well GM make sense, but if Admin=Owner then its not, but I know your fuss.