It will not be possible to please everyone and get 5 star ratings from everyone who read the article.  Rating articles are personal and each member has their own criteria.

I also want to add that votes are averaged, so it is premature to react to an average rating that only has few votes. As articles age and more and more people vote on it, it will reflect a true rating from the community.

Also, note that high ranking members carry more weight to their votes.

Hi champ, as you can see, there is a huge selection of advice on the site and the standard varies greatly.  I consider voting to be a personal choice, however I only vote articles 5star if I think they fit the following criteria (regardless of who the author is).

1.  The TITLE is an accurate reflection of what the article is about. 

2.  The article is original, (not an email that was sent around or some poem found around the place), and any research or 'borrowed' parts are clearly referenced and links provided when possible.

3.  The article is formatted in a fashion that makes it easy on the eye; therefore more enjoyable to read.  This can be a pain as often you think it is, then when you post it, it shows as one complete block, however this can be fixed with a quick edit.

4.  The author has made some attempt to spell check and use reasonable punctuation to the best of their ability.  (With the amount free access online spellcheckers, the ability to write in word then check before posting etc, there is no excuse; especially when the title or topic isn't spelled correctly, how can you take the advice seriously then?).

5.  The author validates their opinon by providing examples or experience that they have either had first hand, 2nd hand or stating their source.

6.  A personal life experience must provide some sort of conclusive moral, footnote regarding advice, or statement that the reader can learn from.

I feel that unless these elements are covered, the article is nothing more than a comment; no matter what size it is.  I think anything over 4 is pretty reasonable, as some people may not like the topic, your opinion or presentation of the topic, the way your format your article or your particular writing style.  Let's face it, some people will vote you down just because they don't like you, it has happened to all of us.  However keep in mind that many people vote on the articles and eventually most article's star rating reflects the content.

I'll add some links to articles about writing advice, (which everyone should read before posting to avoid disappointment), that you may find interesting.

 

I always rate advice on 1) would it work for me.

2) if its in response to a question how well it relates and how well I think it would work to the problem in question.