Members Feature
To continue the discussion from the chat ...
If memory serves me correctly, when the Members Feature system was put into effect, it was a way of giving all the members an input by their vote, useing the rating system. The gold star is counted, not silver or bronze. To eliminate bias, the vote is counted by automatic script. No administrator or moderator is envolved in the member vote. The art work receiving the most gold star votes, automatically generates the member feature. It changes on a daily or bi-daily basis depending on the curent vote.
Sometimes you may see for instance, ARTWORK ONE has 5 gold stars and ARTWORK TWO has 6 gold stars. The automatic script features ARTWORK TWO. If ARTWORK ONE receives 7 gold stars, then the automatic script bumps ARTWORK TWO. This can go back and forth in a single day, but after a period of time the automatic script egnores the ranking member feature so that a newly submitted art work can be voted on and featured. It is not a perfect system, but my understanding is that it was designed to be fair.
There was a lot of discussion about this when the system was implimented. Everyone seemed to agree on what we have now, but there is always room for improvement. It was added to have more fun at Skinbase. When I think about it, if we eliminate the silver and bronze, we will still have the same result, the art work with the most gold star votes will be featured. Maybe members want to express their opinions by voting silver and bronze which seems fair to me.
Gregor and Nikos can tell you more about the system. Ed is correct, the enoticons are just that and have no effect on the vote. Personally, I remain neutral but I wanted to give my understanding. THIS FEATURE IS JUST FOR FUN, NO BIG THING. 
Post replies:
Reply by: digitalpix4all
Thank you for the clarification, Marshall, it is appreciated. 
Reply by: adni18
The sum of awards of an artwork (no mater if they are gold or silver or bronze) are giving the "Featured by Members Votes"
and the color of awards (gold-silver-bronze) are expressing personal tastes about an individual artwork.
Reply by: etype2
Nikos said it simply and elegantly.
Reply by: FredNunes
I did not know that the sum of all awards were tallied for this at all. How can a bronze vote have the same value as a gold one? I do not get that at all. Tell that to the players in the olypics if they feel equally as good getting a bronze medal versus a gold. All I am saying is be consistemt with your intentions. I said from the beginning when I was on staff (and by the way - I know there wrere a few here unhappy about that, and it was obvious to me in the form of abcense from the site and now all is fine and they are back in full swing - sorry, not a believer in coincidence here) Anyway, I thought the better way to go was one slot with a box to check to feature the work. The artist would never see how people voted, only how many yes votes for feature.
Say what you will. A system like this when an artist works hard on something and then sees a bronze vote - its introduces insult. Its not better than that previous "nice attempt" one we had before. That was ridiculous. I am abiut FAIRNESS not FEATURES. These two words that begin with the letter F and how I speak of them are being confused.
Cheers to all.
Reply by: sed
Just keep it OUT of the chat box
Reply by: jazzilady
It is an insult to recieve a bronze! I agree with your there, but even with that bronze there and someone is mean enough to use it, it's still a fair system. Beauty is, after all, in the eyes of the beholder! 
Reply by: MountainHawk
Reply by: FredNunes
One more try at this and I am done speaking. Nikos said below that all awards regardless of color are talled to feature the work. Then, why have them? If they are all of eqaul value and count towards the total - it only adds merit to what I say. One box - either check it or not. That is the vote for feature. Pretty simple to me. Have a good day all.
Reply by: FredNunes
OK... I am a thinker by nature. Just to demonstate how broken this voting system is.. Nikos says the Sum of the awards of artworks regardless of being Bronze, Silver or Gold are talled and got for members feature. Am I to understand that for instance, if a work got 7 bronze votes, it would beat a work with 6 gold votes? Because if that is true, you need to go back to the drawing board and come up with something new. If a work gets 3 silver, and 3 Bronze... it beats 5 gold?? This just does no make sense. Sorry. If the words spoken by Nikos are taken at face value... then this is what can happen as the system stands. No sense at all.
Reply by: sed
I have 3 and 2 and 0 ... yet I was just knocked off by a 3 and 0 and 0 in less than 3 minutes!! Think it has a math problem!! 
Reply by: adni18
I think Fred has a point, about the 3 type of medals. We will change that asap.
Reply by: FredNunes
Thank you Nikos! These are simpy observations and suggestions. This is the admins site here to run as they see is the right way.
I appreciate you taking the time. 
Reply by: MountainHawk
The Members Feature was not implemented for fun Marshall. It was implemented to give members a voice and an opportunity to pick for themselves what they saw as good art. AN option that previously had been unavailable. It was good of Nikos to allow that to come into fruition and it is also good he is open to change when it is needed.
Reply by: etype2
Quoted from above, " ... when the Members Feature system was put into effect, it was a way of giving all the members an input by their vote, useing the rating system. "
Also, I stated, "it is not a perfect system ... but there is always room for improvement." If members want something changed or improved, we can have a discussion, listen and those improvements can be implimented.
I started this thread to take the discussion out of chat and to give my undrestanding of how the Members Feature worked, additionally to explain that the Members Feature was not selected by the Administrators or Moderators, but by the automatic script. This is how Nikos explained it when the system was put into effect.
Lastly, this website, this feature, the interaction and sharing among the members IS FOR FUN. This is what makes Skinbase the friendliest art website on the internet. That is my personal opinion. 
Reply by: teddybearcholla
Exactly how I see it also, Marshall.
"Inspiration is a jealous mistress; I take her whenever she wants me." -Ernesto Montalve