First Diamond Trusted Reviewer!

[DiscGolfCraig]

The age of reviews definitely plays a role too, although that's really what I'm trying to say above. To add a little more data to back up your point, here are my own current stats:
- 225 courses played
- 16 states/1 country played
- 5 courses played in current DGCR top 10
- 223 reviews
- 3019 thumbs up/12 thumbs down

My stats are pretty similar to EspressoPatronum's, yet I am lagging even further behind in uniques at only 160. 160/223 = 0.72 uniques per review. Comparing my profile and EspressoPatronum's, we can guess at the reason why - his first review was in 2011 and although he didn't really become a regular reviewer until 2017, he does have 13 reviews posted between 2011-2014. In contrast, my first review was in 2020. It's very likely that most of those 22 extra uniques date from those 13 2011-2014 reviews.

I think one of the biggest factors, at least recently, is how long a review stays on the site's front page.

Here are two reviews of mine. One is for New London Tech in VA (McBeth's course). I thought it was thorough and well written. It got bumped off the front page in less than a day. It has 9 votes in 9 months. New London Tech DGC - Reviews

My review for West End Baptist is currently on the front page. It was an updated review, originally from 2017. In the 3 days since my update, it's gotten 13 more votes due to its high visibilty.

One of these reviews took me 45-60 minutes to write. The other took 10. One I put effort into writing. The other, not so much. Yet, the lesser review has twice as many votes.

 

[DFrah]

I think one of the biggest factors, at least recently, is how long a review stays on the site's front page.

Here are two reviews of mine. One is for New London Tech in VA (McBeth's course). I thought it was thorough and well written. It got bumped off the front page in less than a day. It has 9 votes in 9 months. New London Tech DGC - Reviews

My review for West End Baptist is currently on the front page. It was an updated review, originally from 2017. In the 3 days since my update, it's gotten 13 more votes due to its high visibilty.

One of these reviews took me 45-60 minutes to write. The other took 10. One I put effort into writing. The other, not so much. Yet, the lesser review has twice as many votes.

I agree, I think that is the second biggest factor.

Edit: I think that has a larger impact on number of upvotes vs. UNIQUE upvotes, though. How many of those 13 new votes were unique?

 

[DiscGolfCraig]

I agree, I think that is the second biggest factor.

Edit: I think that has a larger impact on number of upvotes vs. UNIQUE upvotes, though. How many of those 13 new votes were unique?

Probably none.

 

[Olorin]

Folks, lets face a difficult truth... DGCR is dying. I'm at the level of Acceptance, the last of the 5 classic stages of grief.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_stages_of_grief

 

[DiscGolfCraig]

Folks, lets face a difficult truth... DGCR is dying. I'm at the level of Acceptance, the last of the 5 classic stages of grief.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_stages_of_grief

We're losing the patient. We need 10cc of 'what is par' discussion stat.

 

[Olorin]

As one of the first 99 users of DGCR I can confidently say that it is an indisputable truth that it is WAY more difficult these days to achieve Diamond TR status!

As a stats guy, one of my DGCR accomplishments that I am most pleased with is that I got to Diamond TR with less than 110 reviews. DGCR was different back then, but that's just the way life is. With no stats to back me up, my impression is that it in the last 10 years it has become WAAY harder to get to Diamond TR because it is SO hard to get 250 Uniques. Shadrach3 is a great case study for this point. (Full DISClosure: back in my day we only needed 200 Uniques to get to Diamond.)
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P.S.- The HTN ratio (Helpful to Not) is the stat that I personally value the most!

 

[Olorin]

A robust discussion of par is always good to bring in at least 1000 more DGCR forum users!

What is Par?

 

[Olorin]

We're losing the patient. We need 10cc of 'what is par' discussion stat.

A robust revival of discussing the aerodynamics of frisbees will also revive the patient.

Frisbee Aerodynamics Explained

 

[HyooMac]

As one of the first 99 users of DGCR I can confidently say that it is an indisputable truth that it is WAY more difficult these days to achieve Diamond TR status!

As a stats guy, one of my DGCR accomplishments that I am most pleased with is that I got to Diamond TR with less than 110 reviews. DGCR was different back then, but that's just the way life is. With no stats to back me up, my impression is that it in the last 10 years it has become WAAY harder to get to Diamond TR because it is SO hard to get 250 Uniques. Shadrach3 is a great case study for this point. (Full DISClosure: back in my day we only needed 200 Uniques to get to Diamond.)
.
.
P.S.- The HTN ratio (Helpful to Not) is the stat that I personally value the most!

Thanks for sharing this information. Yup, sure looks like things have changed.

Regarding the HTN ratio, a bunch of my Not Helpfuls came early on, and looking back, some were well-deserved. Since I got the hang of writing better reviews, the majority of my Not Helpfuls are from suspected homers (e.g., Played 1 Course, Reviewed 0).


Regarding the whole "DGCR is dying" thng, I'm just wondering is DGCR is just becoming something different. Mind you, I'm not predicting it will be successful - but the digital world around disc golf has changed a lot since DGCR was conceived. The most obvious change is the rise of uDisc, and it's growth as an all-around information center regarding courses (I can't imagine finding courses, driving to courses, navigating around courses, and keeping overall stats without uDisc). I personally feel that trying to compete with uDisc as an on-course app is a fool's errand, but hell - even uDisc is now facing an uncertain future based on the PDGA Statmando acquisition. Becomng the official scorekeeping source for DGPT seems like a first step, and I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually make a run at uDisc's core audience of amateur, non-competitive round keeping (and undercut the pricing).

DGCR is still the best source of in-depth, quality reviews, of hole-by-hole course photos, and civil discussions. The recent investment in the portable app is interesting, and I take as an indication of what DGCR is trying to become. It doesn't much interest me - but it doesn't make the reviews and forums any less valuable.

 

[Olorin]

Thanks for sharing this information. Yup, sure looks like things have changed.



DGCR is still the best source of in-depth, quality reviews, of hole-by-hole course photos, and civil discussions. The recent investment in the portable app is interesting, and I take as an indication of what DGCR is trying to become. It doesn't much interest me - but it doesn't make the reviews and forums any less valuable.

Hyoo, Well said! I hope that you and I get to share some fairways in 2024.

 

[wellsbranch250]

Chained Evil is only 7 uniques away from trading in the CZ for a diamond.

 

[ru4por]

Chained Evil is only 7 uniques away from trading in the CZ for a diamond.

Incoming........

 

[Monocacy]

Earlier today I upvoted his Ned Houk review - on merits - but I doubt my vote adds a unique.

 

[adlacro]

Make it 4 uniques for Chained Evil now...

 

[Surge5]

Where are all these uniques hiding? I've got one this year... granted I've only posted 7 new reviews.

 

[aclay]

Chained Evil is only 7 uniques away from trading in the CZ for a diamond.

Where are all these uniques hiding? I've got one this year... granted I've only posted 7 new reviews.

That is also my question. I posted 65 reviews last year and another half dozen this year. I think I got a TOTAL of four unique votes over that time.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Where are all these uniques hiding? I've got one this year... granted I've only posted 7 new reviews.

*Laughs in still stuck as a Silver Trusted Reviewer because of lack of uniques....

I laugh to mask the tears.

 

[HyooMac]

As the most recent Diamond, here are my stats for what they're worth:

It took me 375 reviews written over five and a half years.

It took me 4,428 upvotes to reach 250 uniques.

I had played 400 courses in 25 states and one other country (France).


I followed the common wisdom most of the way: I tried to hit highly-regarded courses, I made sure to play whenever possible on work trips to distant locations. I added new courses.

After the initial surge of the first few years, I was gaining a new unique for every five new reviews I wrote (this was an average - they weren't necessarily coming on those five new ones, it just seemed like I could expect one unique - from somewhere - at that pace).

But by last fall, at 5+ years in, I was still stuck with almost 50 to go, and running out of patience. So, I decided to "campaign" for it. I would look for people who hadn't upvoted me, but had played courses I recently reviewed...and I'd ask them to look at my review, upvote me if they thought it deserved it, or tell me how to improve it.

I also kept an eye on courses that I had added. When I saw others had played them, and they hadn't already upvoted me somewhere, I'd DM them too.

I'd personalize the DM's with courses we had played in common, or comment on their reviews. I'd mention that I was seeking Diamond (if that meant anything to them), and approximately how far I had to go. There were courses that I send out 12 or more of these for. I didn't track the results exactly, but I think I got about a 33% hit rate.

At any rate, that's much of what got me through the final push. Obviously having a Premium account is required, and doing the tedious work of listing every Unique you have is necessary (I built a Google spreadsheet that I kept up to date with every single damn vote).

There's no question in my mind that it's "harder" now than in the past to receive the necessary upvotes and Uniques. Maybe others will find easier, or better, ways to reach Diamond. But that's my story.

 

[Monocacy]

. . . I posted 65 reviews last year and another half dozen this year. I think I got a TOTAL of four unique votes over that time.

Sounds about right, for better or worse.

I have noticed a number of new reviewers, some quite promising, and I've been conscientiously up-voting their efforts. Perhaps some of those folks will graduate to up-voting others, and that could represent a new pool of uniques.

And if not, life will go on.

 

[Cerealman]

I would look for people who hadn't upvoted me, but had played courses I recently reviewed...and I'd ask them to look at my review, upvote me if they thought it deserved it, or tell me how to improve it.

I also kept an eye on courses that I had added. When I saw others had played them, and they hadn't already upvoted me somewhere, I'd DM them too.

I'd personalize the DM's with courses we had played in common, or comment on their reviews. I'd mention that I was seeking Diamond (if that meant anything to them), and approximately how far I had to go.

I did some of this for my last 25 uniques. I would DM uniques who wrote reviews and thank them for their contribution. And then mention a course we had played in common ...