# Is it just me, or are the "Hot or Not" ratings always much higer then they should be? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586 "2002-12-05T01:19:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/41 "2002-12-06T00:18:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coil \* > \*\*So what celebrities have you ‘bonked’? Was it as good for them as it was for you? > 😉 \*\* Too numerous to count. I haven’t had a complaint yet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/42 "2002-12-06T00:22:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KidCharlemagne \* > \*\*Can people vote more than once or does it have an honesty counter type thing? \*\* You can vote more than once, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/43 "2002-12-06T00:27:12Z")
Correct me if I’m wrong, but these ratings are “marked on a curve”. A person who has an “average” mean score gets 5.5 regardless of the actual arithmetic mean of the votes. So, if everyone votes 2, 3, and 4 for most people, then someone who averages a 4 will get a 7 or 8 score. This makes the system self-correcting for voters who always just vote the same value, or always low, or always high. ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/44 "2002-12-06T03:02:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joey G \* > \*\* > I thought about starting a website featuring some of the rejects. Some of them are truly amazing. \*\* Ooh, that’d be awesome. ---
**Author:** ![plain\_jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@plain\_jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plain_jane)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/45 "2002-12-06T03:45:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by B.Pants \* > \*\*If you put your picture on the internet, for the love of Jeebus, get all the boogs outta your nose! > > [http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=KZEMSUB&key=TDA](http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=KZEMSUB&key=TDA) \*\* That’s one heck of a silvery booger. I’m sure it’s just a septum retainer. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/46 "2002-12-06T03:54:20Z")
I don’t really do the Hot-Or-Not, but I occasionally look through the rate-a-buddy for AIM (copy of HON). As someone else said, they are very low. Someone who would get a 7 or 6 in HON would get a 2 or 3 in RAB. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/47 "2002-12-06T04:09:59Z")
Look at this: [http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=KZKUEMS&key=HJP](http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=KZKUEMS&key=HJP) BAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH (2000 votes too) I think that confirmed that HoN is completely fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/48 "2002-12-06T04:44:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neptune \* > \*\*Correct me if I’m wrong, but these ratings are “marked on a curve”. A person who has an “average” mean score gets 5.5 regardless of the actual arithmetic mean of the votes. \*\* That may be, I never thought much about the rating system itself. I always assumed it was just the average of all the votes. I could ask, if anyone really wants to know. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/49 "2002-12-06T06:00:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \* > \*\*Actually this was the first time I had gone to the site in about a year. I remember them being pretty harsh, with nary an eight or nine to be seen. But now it seems as if everyone is at least a seven. > > What gives? \*\* Same here. I visited this site one year ago or so, and the ratings were ridiculously low. Only top-models would rate above 6-7, and a pretty woman would commonly be rated 3-4. I suppose they noticed the problem and “corrected” it by making sure that everybody would get at least an average rating. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@Dave\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_D)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/50 "2002-12-06T06:15:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \* > \*\*Actually this was the first time I had gone to the site in about a year. I remember them being pretty harsh, with nary an eight or nine to be seen. But now it seems as if everyone is at least a seven. > > What gives? \*\* Not me Muad’Dib, see only a 6.5 [http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=KZBMGUK&key=FGA](http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=KZBMGUK&key=FGA) Ok, so I should have shaved.(Or got a newer picture, that one is about 3 years only.) ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/51 "2002-12-06T06:17:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joey G \* > \*\*That may be, I never thought much about the rating system itself. I always assumed it was just the average of all the votes. > I could ask, if anyone really wants to know. \*\* I would be curious to know… ---
**Author:** ![Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/db5fbb/32.png) [@Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fred)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/52 "2002-12-06T06:18:44Z")
So Troy, which of the siamese twins joined at the face is yours? Which brings me to my HON beef: Dig up a picture of yourself **alone**. Don’t post a group picture with people half cropped, and don’t paint over your buddies faces with MSPaint. If you’re going to do a thing, do it right. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/53 "2002-12-06T06:47:17Z")
Once upon a long time ago, my friends put my picture on the site. I ju8st got this weird email from one of them in the ofrm of a peom with key word in caps. I’m not sure how it works now, but back then my pic got a certain number of votes, then it could no longer be voted for, only viewed, and after a longer while it was gone completly. All told, I scored a 9 I think…a lot better than I thought I would do, I don’t consider my self attractive. Maybe I’ll post another and let the poepl decide again (though with the high number trend I might be able to get an accurate portayal.) ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/54 "2002-12-06T06:51:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dave\_D \* > \*\*Not me Muad’Dib, see only a 6.5 > [http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=KZBMGUK&key=FGA](http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=KZBMGUK&key=FGA) > Ok, so I should have shaved.(Or got a newer picture, that one is about 3 years only.) \*\* My God! You look like you were born to do stand-up comedy. Quickly! Hand this boy a mike! ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/55 "2002-12-06T07:01:14Z")
Well jeez, what kind of guy would I be if I didn’t put in the shamelss plug for MY site, very similar to [hotornot.com](http://hotornot.com) [Am I bouv or not?](http://24.194.46.6/bouvornot/bouv.php) ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/56 "2002-12-06T07:41:00Z")
Haha…where did you get that old tyme-y pic of Shirley? Also, is the Troy High pic real? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/57 "2002-12-06T07:56:43Z")
I couldn’t tell you if the troy high piuc is real or not, and I have no idea where the Shirely Ann pic came from. I didn’t even make the site, one of my fraternity brothers did. Anyone can just submit a picture and it goes into the rotaion automaticaly. ---
**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/58 "2002-12-07T01:32:04Z")
> [@](#): > > I could ask, if anyone really wants to know. Joey G, Yes, I would like to know. I’ve put my own picture up many times, and my score is clearly not the arithmetic mean of the score. My current picture is definately skewed towards scores below 5, but my score is 5.9. When it says “You are hotter than 49% of the men on this site” the score is 5.5 which is the midpoint between 1 and 10. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/59 "2002-12-07T05:03:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neptune \* > **Joey G, Yes, I would like to know.** I will ask and report back. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@Dave\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_D)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586/60 "2002-12-07T06:47:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \* > \*\*My God! You look like you were born to do stand-up comedy. > > Quickly! Hand this boy a mike! \*\* Heh, Thanks Muad’Dib but I can’t do stand-up comedy. I laugh too much at my own jokes. Still as we all know comedians get all the ladies so if you can’t be one then look like one:D [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-the-hot-or-not-ratings-always-much-higer-then-they-should-be/140586.md?page=4)