Editing 2329: Universal Rating Scale

{{comic
| number    = 2329
| date      = July 6, 2020
| title     = Universal Rating Scale
| image     = universal_rating_scale.png
| titletext = There are plenty of finer gradations. I got 'critically endangered/extinct in the wild' on my exam, although the curve bumped it all the way up to 'venti.'
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Randall]] has blended many traditional rating scales to create a "universal rating scale". Unfortunately, the mixing of these scales creates a scale that is impossible to use. Only a subset of the values of each rating scale is included, further weakening its claim as a "universal" scale. The result is much like the attempt to create a "universal standard" in [[927: Standards]].

Alternatively, it can be perceived as a way of comparing the different scales, for instance to answer a question like "Is it worse to get a 2 or an F?"

: '''Scale of zero to ten''' (but with an 11, because people often add that to exaggerate - see {{w|up to eleven}} about the meme. Also, [[670: Spinal Tap Amps|this]].)
:: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11. The number 9 is omitted, possibly because seven ate nine (789) or because nine is the [[1103: Nine|neglected number]].
: '''Competitive scores''', such as for artistic gymnastics' {{w|Code of Points (artistic gymnastics)|Code of Points}}, (ordinarily from 0.0 to a {{w|Perfect 10 (gymnastics)|perfect 10.0}})
:: 10.0
: '''{{w|Likert scale}}'''
:: strongly disagree, disagree, agree, strongly agree (often there is a "neither agree nor disagree" value in the middle, but it is not strictly required)
: '''{{w|School grades}}''' (there are also B, C, D, and others with + or -)
:: F, A+
:: S - Schools in Japan may use the {{w|Academic grading in Japan|S grading}}, which is said to stand for [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/S#Etymology_1_2 "superior"], implying “even better than A.” The expression S is also used in daily life, generally perceived as an S in '''s'''pecial or '''s'''uper, here unrelated to the academic grading system. For example, the most expensive seat in a theater (e.g. a balcony seat) may be called ''S-seki'' (lit. “S seat”) in Japanese, while the second most expensive seat may be called ''A-seki''. Many video games also use S grading, and some (such as Beat Saber and Dance Dance Revolution) use SS, SSS, and even more S's as ranks above that (though these are not shown in the webcomic). A possibly related expression is “Super S” as in {{w|Sailor Moon (TV series)|''Sailor Moon SuperS''}}.
: '''{{w|Star (classification)|Star rating}}'''
:: 1 star, 2 stars, 3 stars, 4 stars, frequently used to rate restaurants, films etc. 5 star is omitted, probably due to Randall's opinion that items with 5 stars [[1098: Star Ratings|tend to only have had one rater and aren't trustworthy]].
: '''{{w|Conservation status}}''' (this is only a subset of the nine groups in the {{w|International Union for Conservation of Nature}} (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species)
:: extinct, critical (probably critical''ly endangered''), endangered, least concern
:: According to the title text, "extinct in the wild" is a half-step below "critical", presumably above "G".
: '''{{w|Starbucks#Products|Starbucks brand beverage sizes}}''' (there is also short and trenta)
:: tall, grande, venti
: '''MPAA age-appropriate {{w|Motion Picture Association film rating system|film ratings}}''' took effect November 1, 1968 with G, M (now PG), R (not shown in comic) and X (now NC-17)
:: G, PG (as of February 11, 1972, {{w|Motion Picture Association film rating system#From M to GP to PG|replaced GP}}), {{w|PG-13}} ({{w|Motion Picture Association film rating system#Addition of the PG-13 rating|introduced}} July 1, 1984), {{w|NC-17}} (introduced September 1990, {{w|Motion Picture Association film rating system#X replaced by NC-17|replaced X}})
: '''ESRB age-appropriate {{w|Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board#Ratings|ratings}}''' for video games (there is also EC for early childhood, E for everyone, E10+ for Everyone 10+, M for Mature, and AO for Adults Only)
:: T for teen 
: '''Happiness emojis''' (alternately, the '''{{w|Wong–Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale}}''')
:: Frowny face (☹, U+2639), neutral face (😐, U+1F610), smiley face (☺, U+263A). It is not totally clear which emoji each symbol is meant to refer to. The unhappy face could be [https://emojipedia.org/worried-face Worried Face] 😟, [https://emojipedia.org/anguished-face/ Anguished Face] 😧, [https://emojipedia.org/frowning-face/ Frowning Face] ☹️ (note the lack of eyebrows), [https://emojipedia.org/slightly-frowning-face/ Slightly Frowning Face] 🙁 etc.
: '''{{w|Coin grading|Coin grades}}'''
:: G, VG, UNC meaning good, very good, and uncirculated respectively
: '''Hurricane/cyclone strengths''', {{w|Saffir–Simpson scale}} (ordinarily categorized from category 1 to category 5)
:: Category 5
: '''Tornado intensities''', {{w|enhanced Fujita scale}} (ordinarily categorized from EF0 to EF5)
:: EF-5
: '''Credit (and other) ratings''' (there are many more: C, D, AAAA, etc.)
:: A, AA, AAA
:: Credit rating agencies will rank businesses and governments based on their likely ability to pay back their creditors' interest ratings. The very highest are rated AAA, and then (in Standard & Poor's scheme) AA+, AA, AA-, A+, and so on. (Note that Randall's scale rates A+ as better than AA, indicating that it's the "A+" from school grades rather than the one from Standard & Poor's list.)
:: This could also be a reference to battery sizes. This would imply that AAA is better than AA, which is not necessarily true, but funny to think about.
:: Alternatively, this could be a reference to sports tier divisions; where AA and AAA basketball for example promote age and skill appropriate competition.

The title text suggests that the scale as shown here is incomplete, by referencing further gradings that are not shown in the table. {{w|Critically endangered}} and {{w|Extinct in the wild}} are real conservation status categories recognized by the IUCN, although it's not clear what "Critically endangered/extinct in the wild" would mean - perhaps the "possibly extinct in the wild" designation, abbreviated CR(PEW). It would presumably fit on the table somewhere between "Extinct" and "Critical", although its ordering relative to "tall", "2" and "G" is unclear.

The title text suggests that a score at this level had been {{w|Grading on a curve|graded on a curve}}, which bumped its rating up to "Venti", which is on the table, two steps below "Least concern". This would be an extraordinary example of such a curve, pushing the score from approximately 2/10 to almost 8/10. This could only happen if the exam was extremely difficult, meaning most results were significantly below 2/10.

==Transcript==
: [Caption above the frame:]
: Universal Rating Scale

: [A vertical scale, with 45 gradations, labelled. These are the grades:]
: 0
: 1
: Strongly Disagree
: F
: [star] ☆
: Extinct
: Tall
: 2
: G
: Critical
: [frowny face] ☹
: 3
: endangered
: [two stars] ☆☆
: PG
: Disagree
: VG
: 4
: Grande
: 5
: PG-13
: [neutral face] 😐
: 6
: T for Teen
: 7
: [three stars] ☆☆☆
: Agree
: Venti
: 8
: Least Concern
: [smiley face] ☺
: A
: Strongly Agree
: Category 5
: EF-5
: NC-17
: UNC
: AA
: [four stars] ☆☆☆☆
: A+
: S
: AAA
: 10
: 10.0
: 11

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]