what does c-index mean??

From the FAQs

What is the c-index?
The c-index is a number between zero and 100 that aims to give a rough idea of the quality of an image. The primary use of the c-index is to enable users to sort galleries in order to bring the best images to the top. It is also used when automatically selecting images for displaying on the homepage. The c-index is not used to decide whether or not an image is promoted to the permanent image collection nor whether the image gets deleted (although it may be used to help the Praetors find good images worthy of permanent status)

well, it's a number representing the average score of votes cast on your image...my personal sentiment at the moment is that it's to some degree an overblown popularity contest

curious. How does a random, anonymus voting system create a popularity contest?

hmm - going on previous track records of 'debates' on this subject matter, this is probably as far as this one need go......

i'd have to agree...although i was a tad grumpy when i wrote the comments above.... it seems to have similar effects on a few different members

Funny thing is, i too was in a sort of grumpy mood yesterday...evening...but thats irrelevant

it's my personal opinion... but i wouldn't worry about the c-index at all. it seems to me that pieces that i consider to be some of my better work get lower c-indexes than ones i don't really like at all. it also seems like there is a huge bias in favor of photography rather than the digital and abstract pieces.

This thread was started as a simple query as to the nature of the index - not as another hijacked debate on the pros and cons or personal gripes that people have with it, so please refrain from doing so unless, by some extraordinary and miraculous circumstance, someone has something new and productive to say on the matter.

lol!!!! well...i do undertsnad now what the c-index is so thanks everyone for answering my question!

phil, when you're right you're right....just vented in the wrong time/place

i am slightly hesitant to mention this, because of all the descusion that has happend about the c-index and how it has never got anywhere, but i acctually had an idea the other day that i don't believe i have seen mentioned before (i also don't keep up on most of the discussions cuz i hate them as much as the next guy), but if it has been suggested forget it and don't allow my comment to continue the arguement

Anyways, i think alot of the problem people have with the c-index is that they all look at it as a different thing, when really it is only one thing. It is used to rate people's oppinion on how appealling an image is as a desktop for their computer. Personally i wish it was something else; I wish it were a rating of the art. So if i have a great photo that makes a poor desktop it would be nice if it got a good rating, but instead it does poorly because the rating system is doing what it is supposed to and putting it toward the bottem for people that are looking for nice desktops.

A way that i see that could solve this problem would be set up something like another website i have visited a few times has. photopoints.com has three different areas that members enter. They only get a few switches before they can't swtich anymore so they need to figure out where they want to be quickly. Each area is set up to have its own scale, on one side of the spectrum we have a nice place to share some photos and have a good time, where on the other side of the spectrum you say what you think about a shot and say how you think it could be improved and such and know that the person isn't expecting a five out of five on everything and want a good honest rating. I think there is even some restrictions on how many fives you can give and all of that but whatever.

What i was thinking is we could impliment something similar here (not the same thing because this is a different site with different needs) where you pick weither you are in it for the providing and finding desktops or looking for feedback on your artwork. For this site it would probably work best if each image got two ratings, so everyone still sees all of the images and talk togehter and have the same community spirit we have now, but we would also get the numerical, statistical feedback we may be looking for. I would also think maybe not a solid area where you can't switch out of wouldn't suit caedes very well. I would think some members would like to be able to have the flexiblity to sort images by good desktops and good art.

Anyways, that is my idea, take it for what it is worth. It is probably alot of work, so i wouldn't expect things to happen very quickly with it, if things happened at all.

It actually sounds like a good idea to me...

I know this is irrelavant to what the original question of this thread is.. but I am responding to Milo's comment "if i have a great photo that makes a poor desktop it would be nice if it got a good rating, but instead it does poorly because the rating system is doing what it is supposed to and putting it toward the bottem for people that are looking for nice desktops."... Maybe I'm the only person who doesnt just use "wallpaper" for a desktop.. I have many artist photos, 3D as well as fractals, to me if I like something it goes on the desktop, not just an image which takes up all the desktop... In my opinion any kind of art can make a nice desktop....

I agree Jacqueline (and MiLo), but doesn't this belong in the "Non-Art Website Issues" area?

I'll move it.

I definitly agree with you Jacqueline, but i have found alot of people don't nessasarlly agree. And i would say that it is sometimes true that a good piece of art doesn't always make a good desktop. Sometimes art can be too busy and cause icons to get lost, or whatever. I dunno.

Art is art. It can be nothing more or less...

true enough.