Scoring systems are certainly controversial, but there's not a review section out there that seems appropriate without one. As such, you may see reviews on Blogcritics using a simple scoring system. The scores break down as:

- Junk

- Fair

- Average

- Great

- Superb

1. Why are you introducing a scoring system?
There are multiple reasons, including benefits for the site. Additionally, this also benefits readers who may want to skim a review quickly and still have a general idea of what the writer was trying to convey. The text is always the single most important aspect of any piece, but the scoring system is there for those low on time.

2. So, a five means it's perfect then, right?
Nope. Here's one great benefit to a five-star scale. When you see a 10, or 100%, or whatever score may be used, it's a supposedly a sign of perfection. Simply put, there's no such thing. On the other hand, a five-star score means it's simply something superb. There's little hesitancy when handing out five stars, which means the entire scale is used. Most sites (in general) will hand out all of three "perfect" scores a year. That's not using what's available, and it's because of the designation the 10 has earned over the years. Not so when you're dealing on a simpler scale.

3. The 10-point scale is better.
There are a myriad of issues here, and you'll see why it's terrible in a moment. One of the things that has entered into the mindset of people over the years is that a 7 is average. If a site lists their definitions that way, they're not using the scale properly. That means there are only four scores for something above average (7, 8, 9, 10) and six for below average. Add in the rare use of a 10, and the scale loses even more leverage. Even if a site lists a 7 properly it is recognized as average. This is simply not the case.

The balance there is obviously off. One of the more interesting details about the 10-point system is how it ends up over time. If you average the scores over a period of time the score that's given most often is a 7.

What that indicates is that the majority of products reviewed are above average. That does not mean a 7 is the indicator of an average product, and that's wrong in the end. If you perform the same test on a five star scale, it ends up with a rating of three stars being average. This is exactly where it should be if you want a true designation of the term "middle of the road." In other words, that's the place most products fall into, and that should always be the average.