As (I hope) you know, YWS has a policy of every user completing 2 reviews for every 1 piece of literature/artwork they post. This was never hard-coded into the site and was done on the honour system, meaning we really really liked it when people followed this rule.
But now, with the New YWS, this rule will be hard-coded into the site, meaning that you will NOT be able to post a new work unless you have the appropriate review-to-work ratio.
This is the first change, and possibly the most important!
Additionally, the minimum ratio is going to be increased. Right now, it's 2:1, but starting in October, it'll be 3:1. Eventually, it will stop increasing at 5:1.
Why the change?
There's many reasons why this is happening! One reason is that, with the 5:1 ratio, we'll have fewer topics without any reviews. If you're required to do 5 reviews to post a new work, the love gets spread around a little bit more, and those threads with 0 reviews will hopefully be less numerous. You may have seen that red box from time to time announcing how many works have 0 reviews. That's what we're targeting with this change.
Another reason is to encourage those reviewers who spend hours on critiques to spend less time on their reviews. That's right, less! We're looking to find a balance between lame "This was good, keep going" critiques and those uber-meticulous letter-by-letter critiques that are five miles long. The best review is one that gives the writer a nudge in the right direction -- you don't need to point out every mistake or tell them to change every little piece, so it's best to point out problem areas, strengths, and maybe a few examples. Short and concise is the way to be! ^^
When is the change?
Review ratios are already hard-coded into your profile -- you can see where you stand by going to "My YWS" and clicking "View My Profile." Switch over to the "User Statistics" tab and you'll be able to see your ratio. Alternatively, clicking "My YWS" will take you to a page that, at the bottom, has a box with a message telling you whether your review ratio is in good standing, or how many more reviews you need to do.
Here's how the rest of it will go:
October 1: Increase minimum to 3:1
November 1: Increase minimum to 4:1
December 1: Increase minimum to 5:1
This schedule is tentative! It may change; keep an eye on the Information Desk to see if anything changes.
How will I know if my ratio is up to par?
You can check My YWS for the little message I mentioned earlier. Additionally, when posting a new work, if your ratio is not enough to post the work, you'll get an error message, which will also tell you how many more reviews you need to do.
I don't have enough reviews!
Don't worry! There's plenty of material out there for your reviewing pleasure. Go find a thread without any reviews, leave a comment, and you're on your way to getting your ratio back in check!
Additionally, you'll be allowed one freebie. If you have zero reviews, you can post one work. If you have five reviews, you can post two, if you have ten reviews, you can post three, etc. So if you're just on the edge, don't worry too much until you post that freebie.
I don't think I can do short, concise reviews! Help?
Again, don't worry about a thing. Once the Knowledge Base is up and running, there'll be plenty of guides on how to review. We're also probably going to set the Instructors to work helping people out with learning to write better reviews. And you can always ask older members for advice!
We're not doing this to drive members away; we're doing it for the overall good of the site. So stick with it!
Are these ratios always going to be this way?
Not necessarily! It depends on how well this works. If people struggle, we'll probably stick with 3:1 or 4:1. If things go well, it might be greater than 5:1. And it certainly might stay at 5:1!
(Just be glad Nate was talked out of a 10:1 ratio. xD)
Additionally, there might be certain changes to the original plan, depending on how things go. It's possible that, after a certain number of reviews, you won't have to worry about a hard-coded ratio anymore. Don't lose hope! This change is still in the works.
A Brief Recap!
-Reviews are now hard-coded into the site.
-You will need to have a 5 review to 1 literary work ratio in order to post new works after December 1.
-The goal is more reviews, more concise.
-My YWS will keep track of your review-to-work ratio, as will your profile.
-You get one freebie.
-If you need help on reviews, be proactive!
Don't forget: Reviews only count if they are 250 characters (~50 words) or longer!
Questions? Post them here!
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