Suggestion: Partner finder rating

After climbing with a few people I've met on mp I think it would be nice to have a rating/feedback section for potential climbing partners. Something simple, like a 1-4 star rating and a "Would or would not climb with them again." Being able to provide public feedback would be nice. That way you wouldn't end up climbing with someone who might overstate their ability. Or if they are solid you could let other climbers know they are good to go.

muttonface wrote:This is a good idea, except that it's too open to interpretation. If the guy/gal belays good and climbs hard, but smells putrid and listens to Alanis Morissette, I'd still be inclined to give only one or two stars and not climb with them again. I think more detailed parameters would have to be defined. Just my $.02.

HAHAHAHAHA

agreed

nice one muttonface.

while the subject of overstating ones abilities is brought up, do people's ratings on their page reflect hardest route sent? or usual onsight ability?

Shelton Hatfield wrote:nice one muttonface. while the subject of overstating ones abilities is brought up, do people's ratings on their page reflect hardest route sent? or usual onsight ability?

I list the hardest boulder I can wrangle, sport climbs I can reasonably do in a few tries, and my consistent trad onsight grade. Since that is how I climb those routes, it makes sense to me.

JohnWesely wrote: sport climbs I can reasonably do in a few tries, and my consistent trad onsight grade.

I think that this a reasonable way to do it (that is in fact what I do), but I guarantee that this is not what a lot of folks do.

I give this idea 1 star

Maybe break it down into catagories.

Something like:
Climbing ability
Coolness factor
Beverage choice
If applicable hottness.
Music choice

That should help even us single guys out...

This is starting to sound like Olympic figure skating scores.

Seems like a reasonable request. I've tried to use the partner finder database before, and I think it's pretty much useless in its current state. There are too many people in it that are not interested in finding partners, a lot of times this is because they no longer climb. Rating routes is completely subjective, but we do that, might as well do people. Better to get search results of 5 people that are psyched to climb rather than 500 that are going to do things like show up two hours late because they were too hung over.

Also, I think I've made the suggestions multiple times before that search results need to be sortable, with additional columns like 'date of last visit to mountain project', and 'date they added themselves to the partner finder database'; to help weed out some of the people that visited mtn. project once after they climbed outside once five years ago. Membership in the database should expire and have to be renewed every couple of years.

The Whisper Campaign and Internet troll have been and always will be the time honored partner slandering avenues. Putting it into some sort of star rating on a website is stupid.

Mountainproject.com wouldn't fuck this idea with your dick.

Several years ago I ventured out into the realm of social media to see what a "friend" was. From that experience I can give amazing advice for MP.com. We need a little box on our home screen that tells you potential partners. It could figure this out by other people you have climbed with, location ect.
Matter of fact, why can we not "friend" our favorites in partner finder.

Mr suckenberg I have a new social media site for you!!

eh... in theory, not bad, but how to validate the trolls that would just randomly f with someone and put bad reviews up without having climbed with them.

Only three parameters that matter:

Hot __
Single __
Willing __

Check all that apply.

Stich wrote:The Whisper Campaign and Internet troll have been and always will be the time honored partner slandering avenues.

This is the way its always been done, seems like an argument my grandmother would use.

Andrew Haag wrote:To hell with adventure.

Sitting in a parking lot trying to figure out if someone is actually going to show up isn't my kind of adventure

Well, if someone is super flakey, it will most definitely be passed around via the whisper campaign within the climbing community. If someone is a super cool partner, you'll get recommendations and even hookups via your old partners.

If you have a severely negative experience with a partner you can:

1. Troll about it via mp.com or another site
2. Hide the person's identity, but use your own real name and craft a delightful story about your outing (See Big Wall Mike).

What's good about all of the above is that it is a one time thing that can in fact encourage the person to stop being flakey, lying about their abilities, etc. But a little rating on a website just sort of sits there forever like the scarlet letter. And it's so tasteless. I mean, zero drama involved, no funnies, no trolling hilarity, no recourse for the accused via the forums. If that's progress...

J. Albers wrote: I think that this a reasonable way to do it (that is in fact what I do), but I guarantee that this is not what a lot of folks do.

I talked to a guide that said he ignores what people tell him about their ability, too many people say they climb 5.11 or some such thing in the gym then can't do a 5.7 move when he takes them outside.

Stich wrote:But a little rating on a website just sort of sits there forever like the scarlet letter. And it's so tasteless. I mean, zero drama involved, no funnies, no trolling hilarity, no recourse for the accused via the forums. If that's progress...

good point, but I would guess there might be a middle ground way of handling these issues.

Andrew Haag wrote: And a partner finder rating system would insure you dont have to wait in a parking lot......ok? If you have a hard time finding good climbing parnters. It might be because you yourself are not that great of a teamate."not aimed at steve"

I think might be less likely that I would wait in the parking lot.

Maybe putting a date on a review of a person would allow people to decide if the person may have changed, and maybe not using stars, but rather just a brief sentence about their experience with the person. 'I was in the middle of the crux and looked down, and he had taken his belay device off and was smoking a doobie'

Andrew Haag wrote: If you have a hard time finding good climbing parnters. It might be because you yourself are not that great of a teamate."not aimed at steve"

Speaking of bad partners. It reminds me of this time I met a partner for the first time in the mid '90's to go do something in Cochise. We drove separately. I was doing about 70 down Middlemarch road (gravel windy road) when I lost control and was sure I was going to roll it. So I don't, but I get high centered up on an embankment. He comes along behind me and we spend about two hours getting my car down. He then tells me it would be best if we part ways, except he doesn't say it so nicely.

caughtinside wrote:This could be totally hilarious. Sorry boys, if this is a feature you would find useful, you are probably a 1.

Spot on, you must be a 5!

doligo wrote:Only three parameters that matter: Hot __ Single __ Willing __ Check all that apply.

1) Close your eyes
2) Loosen your standards
3) The only thing left that matters.

(Giggle)