stolen, total lack of effort, offensive = zero

Lack of creativity, execution, too sloppy, too boring...lots of factors contribute to the dreaded zero. I don't use it much though.

I've started only scoring good designs or concepts that I like with 3 or better. I haven't given out anything less since I switched usernames.

I zero when the execution is horrendous, or program defaults were obviously used. Or when someone seems like they are out of their element, and should stop it.



Or if I disagree with the philosophy strongly enough.

I wonder how many times "SKIP without scoring" is actually used...

If i perceive a certain designer as intolerably overrated, and they put out something fairly weak, I'm more inclined to reach for the 0

I've used the skip without scoring before when I wanted to wait for an explanation of the design or a link to a larger image.



The only time I've scored a sub a zero is if the art was stolen, if the design was in really poor taste or if it was really, really badly drawn or put together.

I actually have the same exact deal as chelly. Mostly it's given for plagiarism though.

what chelly said.

lol, even if it's badly put together/drawn, I give it a minimum of 1. I usually think "Well, at least it's not offensive".

If its stolen, definitely a zero, otherwise I usually give minimums of 1's as well. I don't give out many 5's though.

i've given more fives than i have zeros

First of all, I am not a designer in any definition of the word. I have no artistic talent whatsoever, and I always keep this in mind when scoring submissions (because I certainly couldn't do any better). I very rarely give a zero, but one thing that really irritates the shit out of me is when someone sends in a submission and then enters a comment such as, "I wasn't really happy with this design but I was in a hurry to get it in for ______ contest and it's something I came up with really quick. Please leave me nice comments!" Seriously, don't waste our time with that shit! That is the fastest way to get a zero from me. If YOU don't even like your submission and think it's a crappy design, then why in the hell would I want to buy it? I think it's important to feel confident and proud of something with YOUR name on it that shows you put forth some effort. That is all... sorry for the rant.

My votes usually stay in the 2 or 3 range. Only a few designs cause me to vote otherwise.

Oh crap Chelly, now I feel bad. I've given more 0's than I have 5's.

Well said, summerstorm!

Me too Outlaw, except sometimes I lower into the 2-1 range... which I must have done for a while a while back, showing by my average score...

well, i think i've handed out thousands of threes...so don't feel bad.

*ahem* Thank you Outlaw! :)

I give everything I like enough to buy a 5$ and everything else a 0 because I don't care what happens to it. :)

Doesn't that make you feel as though you're being overly obtuse?

chelly, first comment = pretty much what I do too, I hate sexual crap, copyrighted stuff, and pictures that look like a Microsoft Paint doodle.

what kayce said

I have never given a zero yet.

I've scored approximately 1.6% of my total scored designs a 0. Guess I'm a softie.



But yeah, if you're like yeahwellalright and you're just going to score everything 0 unless you love it, why not just skip it and not score it?

Because I get pleasure out of giving zeros and possibly killing a young designers dreams of getting printed.



I know what I like and if I don't like something it gets bounced.

Ah right. So we're on a, ahem, "power trip." Got it. Of course!

There are better ways to stroke an ego, IMO.

I notice Outlaw, that you want Rorschach Hits the Disco! :-D

Oh yes, and I also want Fascist Food, Post Human Caravan, and Starry Slumberland

If Fascist Food was ever printed, I'd be totally surprised! It would be funny to see the reaction and hate blogs.

That's probably a perfect example of a design that was destroyed by zeroes.



A serious message was delivered using shock art -- and I bet a majority of the Threadless community just aren't used to shock art that powerful yet. So... 0, 0, 0. Quite sad really.

yeahwellalright is why i think there should be an age limit ( or an iq entry test) to join threadless.



yeahwellalright you are a moron

Just to make this clear.



Lets NOT turn this into a flame blog

don't worry outlaw, i'm not the flaming type, i wouldn't have responded to her 15 year old back chat anyway. Just had to get it off my chest.

I do however agree with the idea of creating some sort of new system that will prevent the mindless spamming of undeserved zeroes.

I understand, eskimokiss.

Outlaw, I wonder if I had used nice vectors like Tom Burn's "He is risen" if I had gotten so much static for that design. Don't get me wrong, I love Tom's design; I'm commenting more on the effect style has on the threadless masses.



I suspect that happy vectors turn even the most knee-jerk idiots into puppy dogs.

Tom's design can be deemed offensive, true, but the happy-go-lucky parody will earn him a lot of 5's as opposed to 0's.



I don't know if you could recreate your design with that sort of feel and still layout the intended message or idea.

i very rarley mark a zero....



when i do it is because of plagerisum, or an absolute atrrocity overused and poor concept of a design



however this is something that may seem odd and it would rarley be a zero but i may mark a design a 1 when there i think is pretty bad but everyone else is raving about it...

So if something is not creative, doesn't look good as a shirt, isn't well done, etc. I should give it points anyway?



Obviously it was a joke saying I get pleasure out of killing dreams. I hardly think not getting printed is in fact killing ones dream. And I don't expect my one vote even matters so much if other people like it.

It's a good way to trust (or respect) the rest of the community and their opinions, i carnt spel.

I know it's like all the voting propaganda you can hear during election time -- but at Threadless, voting does matter because, while we have a big community, it's still relatively small to the point where every vote counts. What you describes sounds like it deserves a 1, yeahwellalright. As mentioned by many in this blog, 0's are given to cheaters and offenders. If you despise a design so much because you simply don't like it or wouldn't wear it, "SKIP without scoring" would probably be your best action. You should give that a try and see if it suits you.

Something has to be really bad for me to vote a "0". I pretty much agree with the above sentiments of stolen, zero effort and intentionally offensive equaling a zero.

i meant to say...



however this is something that may seem odd and it would rarley be a zero but i may mark a design a 1 when i think it is pretty bad but everyone else is raving about it...



i guess i just think that sometimes threadless can be a bit buddy buddy, and on ocasions bad designs by good designers get way to much love

Ah, alright. I understand. I don't agree with the low scoring unless the design deserves as such, but do as you must, right?

If something is fairly good, I score it a three or so. If I absolute love something, five. Rarely, five and buy.

If I don't like something, I usually skip it. No point ruining someone's score with a zero when they tried, and put it out there for people to see.



I only score a zero if a design is truly truly terrible, or just not right for threadless, in my opinion.

So if something is not creative, doesn't look good as a shirt, isn't well done, etc. I should give it points anyway?



obviously the shirts u give 0s cant be the worst shirts uve ever seen every time... u should rate it on how well the design is made on a 0 to 5 scale.... i mean theres a reason y threadless made a 0 to 5 scale not just an id buy it button and a complete shit button... and i totally agree with what eskimokiss said

and usually i score a 3 if its well done and lower if i dont like it adn higher if i really like it... hardly any 0s

chelly pretty much nails what i mark a big ol' fat zero with. A 1 or a 2 is usually what i give most designs, because even if something is completely not for me and/or looks like a concept i have seen done a million times better a million times before, i usually still scor it at least a 1 because that artist took the time to make something and that deserves acknowledgment. I actually take the scoring very seriously and have marked a zero probably on less than 30-40 subs in the 7500 i have rated...but a ton of 1's and 2's have been doled out. 3 is for a good concept that needs to be fixed or something that is well-done but not something i'd want to wear perosnally, 4 is for an extremely focused and unique design, a 5$ are for subs that really introduce something new, have extradinary design qualities and/or a design that i know i would wear ever chance i get!