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RSS FeedWho should rate Helium debate articles:Those who agree or disagree?
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| Agree | 61% | 376 votes | Total: 618 votes | |
| Disagree | 39% | 242 votes |
Agree
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Add to FavoritesWhen a person reads an article, he or she is naturally inclined to read it through a filter of their own thoughts and experiences. As such, a person who is, for example, strongly anti-abortion will not be able to read a pro-choice article without putting a negative filter over it. This person reading this article may take into account the very valid health concerns and psychological issues as well as the encouragement to reconsider before aborting, but will ultimately see the article as pro-abortion due to their own thoughts.
Would ratings by such a person be a legitimate measure of the skill of the writer? Unlikely. No matter how much the reader resolves to rate the article as the sum of the writer's skill and their facts, it is hard to ignore that the reader ultimately disagrees with the message.
By only allowing people to rate an article that, at heart, agrees with their own opinion, Helium has removed as much of the filtering as possible. People rating someone who agrees with them are more likely to rate the piece based on grammar, spelling, word usage, and fluidity of the piece. All writers should hope that their ratings are given by people with as little bias, people who are saying "You need to use more commas" instead of "That's stupid."
Would this bias really matter if the judge was only rating articles they disagreed with? It is difficult to tell. It is feasible that a person may chose a lesser article as "better" for something they disagree with to try to discredit the opposing side.
As I write this article, thinking about the issues raised above, I read another article and catch myself nearly skipping over it: "I disagree!" part of my brain is shouting. Yet, I force myself to read through it and really assess why I do not like the article: I disagree. The author has written it well, presented their points logically and in good style and surely believes what they have written. Who am I to determine that the subject matter voids the hard work and intelligence?
Can any of us honestly say we have not done the exact same thing? Read the first paragraph or two of an article, or skimmed it, coming to the conclusion that it is not good, not because the article isn't well written, but because we disagree with the point of the article. It does not make us bad judges or bad people, but simply people. Whether we will it or no, whether we even recognize it, a bias does exist.
Learn more about this author, S.S. McDaniel.
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Disagree
I think that the idea of rating an article that you disagree with the authors opinion is a great way to broaden you horizons and give creative criticism. I think that is should not be a cut and dry decision though. I think when you are rating the articles you should have the opportunity to read and therefore rate both sides.
If you are only reading the articles that are written in favor of what you believe then you will be have a narrow view because you already agree with what the author is saying. The whole purpose of a debate is to argue a point. Or, if you want to put it in a nicer way you are discussing an issue.
If you have the opportunity to rate the articles that are written by authors that are in favor of the other side of the question, you will be given a unique opportunity. This is an opportunity for both people, the author that is doing the rating as well as the writer that has written the article. If you believe what you are writing, then you have the opportunity to educate a fellow peer as to why you believe the way that you do.
Telling people what they already know doesn't really serve any purpose. It is a technique that politicians are known for. It is called lip service. If I write an article that explains why I feel a certain way about a topic, I would rather have a skeptic read it. This gives me the chance to prove my point. If I have written it well enough to prove my point, then maybe, just maybe I can change someones view on the topic.
I am not out to change the world. I don't think that is the goal of any of my fellow writers at Helium. Why keep our opinions locked into a group of peers that already agree with us. Let's take a leap of faith and use our skills to articulate the argument that we have for whichever side, and try to bring the "enemy" over to our side. I use the term enemy only in a good natured way. I don't think that any of us actually think that someone that writes on the other side of the debate is an enemy.
Without competition you will become lazy. You will begin to rest on your laurels. Criticism is the way that you become a better writer. Of course it needs to be of the constructive type. Feedback, be it positive, or negative will make you take a second or third look at your work. Helium has even set up a place for people that cannot be professional about the debates between people. The back lot in the community forum (which if you are bored, it is very entertaining to read).
I believe that the level of professionalism that I have encountered in my short time at Helium shows that their would be no problem with having someone rate one of my articles just because they disagree with me and my opinion. The rating process shouldn't be based on what your answer to the question is anyway. It is your writing skill and how well you make your opinion known. I for one would not give an author a bad rating score because they have chosen a different side of a debate than I did. I can only hope that my fellow peers would feel the same about this point.
Learn more about this author, T. Scott Randolph.
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