Rating Systems Are Broken: Why Time Is the Fix
Tispiti Blog. Made for everyone, curated by locals.
Rating systems can be overly complex, artificially inflated, and mostly imperfect. Whether it’s a 5-star scale, a 10-point ranking, or a 100% score, the way we evaluate and “rank” experiences is rife with issues that compromise accuracy and trust.
The issues:
No shared anchor point
How does a 4.6 on Google Maps compare to an 8.7 on The Infatuation or a single Michelin star? Without a common framework, ratings become abstract numbers meaning across platforms.Oversimplificiation
Reducing an experience to a single score flattens nuance. A 4.0 could reflect a brilliant spot with patchy service or a bland venue with a good location.A reliance on user-generated or aggregated content
The democratisation of information is valuable. But it can also be flawed. Volume introduces noise. Reviews often reflect hyper-specific personal preferences or hinge on the reviewer's mood that day.Fake reviews are rampant
Scores can be gamed – bought, sabotaged, or inflated – especially on high-traffic platforms. This erodes trust in even the most established rating systems.Lack of cultural context
Ratings rarely account for outdated opinions, changing standards, or how an experience lands with different demographics. What resonates with tourists may leave locals cold – and vice versa.
The result? A system that is increasingly muddled, difficult to trust, and prone to exploitation.
Why These Systems Keep Failing Us
The core issue? Lack of transparency and adaptability.
Consider some real-world examples:
A 4.8-star restaurant might be a quiet neighborhood gem – or a tourist trap in disguise.
A seemingly objective 8.3 score doesn’t carry the same meaning across cities with totally different standards, cultures, or price points.
Layer in fake reviews and conflicting aggregation sources, and the numbers become less about quality – and more about visibility manipulation. That disconnect leaves a major gap: we need a system that’s practical, universal, and grounded in real-world decision-making.
Why Time Is a Better Measure
At Tipsiti, we built our alternative rating system around one idea: time.
Time is a resource everyone understands. Whether someone is visiting a city for one day or one month, the way they prioritize their time reflects what (we hope) they might value most. By anchoring ratings to time, we’re not just ranking quality – we’re helping travelers make better, more informed decisions.
Why Time Works as a Universal Anchor
It’s relevant to everyone
Tight schedule? You need instant clarity. Long stay? You have room to explore deeper layers. Time frames offer built-in prioritization.It allows for context and nuance
Unlike stars, time-based tiers reflect purpose. What’s essential for a day-trip visitor may not matter to someone spending a month in the same city.It’s a shared language
Time acts as a common denominator across preferences, budgets, and demographics. It doesn’t attempt to impose subjective judgments – it simply asks, “How much time do you have?”It’s harder to game
Framing recommendations around time avoids the pitfalls of fake reviews and inflated ratings. It’s grounded in practicality rather than hype.
This approach resonates with us because it’s clear, actionable, and free from the clutter of inflated scores or dubious reviews.
How Our Time-Based System Works
Tipsiti’s five-tier structure maps recommendations to the time a traveler has:
One Day: Essential must-sees for travelers with only 24 hours in a city. These places demand immediate prioritization.
One Weekend: High-value recommendations for weekend visitors, showcasing iconic and well-regarded experiences.
One Week: Foundational picks for a week-long stay, blending top attractions with local favorites.
One Month: Recommendations for travelers with the luxury of time, offering a deeper exploration of the city’s culture and rhythm.
One Season: A reservoir of spots for those staying long-term, filled with local haunts and under-the-radar gems.
By framing cities this way, we help travelers navigate with clarity – not clutter.
Time Is the Context Ratings Were Missing
Ratings were designed to bring order to choice. But they’ve lost that purpose in a sea of fake reviews, generic scores, and inconsistent standards.
Time is simple. It’s honest. It reflects how people already think about travel – “what can I do in the time I have?”
By using time as the organizing principle, we’re not just ranking places. We’re helping people prioritize more meaningfully, with less guesswork and more confidence.
We believe this is the future of evaluating destinations – a measure that is meaningful, practical, and most importantly, timeless.
