Editorial: There Be No Headstone - A Note About Review Scores

Imagine you're standing in front of an open grave.

Now imagine that grave full of numbers from 1 to 10. Mixed in that tangle are decimals and a lot of extra fives. No need for a coffin.

Do you hear the eerie strains of "Amazing Grace" played on the bagpipes? You should.

Look around and you'll see me with a shovel, a mound of dirt nearby. I begin heaving the dirt into the hole.

When I'm finished, I pause for moment to wipe my brow, probably with a red handkerchief, then stare down at the fresh dirt and listen to a soft breeze blow through nearby cedars. A hummingbird thrums through the air.

I turn and leave the unmarked grave behind. I will drink Tequila and La Fin du Monde to obliterate the location of the grave from my mind.

In short, The Armchair Empire will no longer include review scores. Readers will still be able rely on "The Good" and "The Bad" summaries, but no longer will a numerical score accompany the review text for reasons mostly outlined in a recent editorial I wrote: "And The Score is..."

If you want to chime in on the decision, I invite you to add your comments below. Were the numbers buried for the right reasons?

- Aaron Simmer
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Feature: The Armchair Empire's Ethics Policy

Our Review Ethics Policy was developed in 2000 when we realized that we owed a duty of care to our loyal readers, which amounted to about 7 people at the time. We decided to keep the policy secret as we didn't want our readers to think we were trying to hide something by being upfront about having a policy because, as we all know, nothing sows doubt faster in the mind of the reader than explicitly telling them the standards to which we adhere.

After 13 years it's high time The Armchair Empire reveal its Review Ethics Policy, which includes the calculations that determine review scores.

The Armchair Empire's Ethical Treatment
of Our Loyal Subjects

The Armchair Empire will not tolerate most wrongdoing or impropriety at any time. The Armchair Empire may take appropriate measures in correcting the issue if the ethical code is broken.  Unless there's a very good reason, any infractions of this code of ethics will not be tolerated.