Ratemyprofessors.com; use it, don't abuse it

Like a good many of students on campus, I now find myself searching through the archives of Ratemyprofessors.com for usable comments that will help me to make an informed decision about which classes to enroll in this spring.
   
However, finding usable comments can be difficult, especially when I find myself sorting through insolent garbage like this:
   
“She was a horrable (sic) Teacher I wish i (sic) would have had any other teacher tan (sic) her. The wrought (sic) more papers in her class than any English class i (sic) have taken.”
   
Maybe the author of this comment could have asked the professor for a little help with his or her grammar and punctuation before resorting to public blasphemy of the professor’s good (or not so good) name. A short lesson on libel wouldn’t have hurt either.
       
As a contributing critic and consumer of Ratemyprofessors.com, I advise you to rate your professors; however, I must first offer a few suggestions:
    
1)    Leave out personal attacks. I know that you may hate your professor, but publicly doing so benefits neither you, the professor nor the student body. Rather than writing “teacher sucked,” which is vague and libelous, try describing why the teacher sucked, like “she is always late” or “he reads straight from the PowerPoint.” 
   
It lets the readers make an informed decision about the professor, rather than letting you decide for them.
    
2)    Speak for yourself.  Before you write something like, “He needs to retire ... Don’t take humanities with him. It’s not worth your time,” think from the perspective of other students. Do they think the professor is wasting their time and should retire? According to the student who wrote, “BY FAR MY BEST TEACHER EVER!” the answer is no. I know this may come as a surprise, but the world doesn’t revolve around your opinions. So, instead of assuming that you speak for the greater good, try to speak for yourself. 
   
Ex. “In retrospect, I wish I had taken the class with another professor. It wasn’t worth my time.”
    
3) Describe both strengths and weaknesses. Only telling one side of the story leaves the reader unsure of what to think. I find myself skipping over comments that give only the professor’s strengths or weaknesses but not both. I do this to avoid getting stuck in the “WORST PROFESSOR EVER” vs. “BEST PROFESSOR EVER” battle.  So, please take an extra minute to tell both sides of the story.
    
4)    Use specific, pertinent details. Like I alluded to above, vague comments don’t provide any useful information. One student made the comment, “Great and easy.” Great in bed and easy on the eyes?
   
To read the comment, I must make an assumption, which, as my mother taught me, makes a proverbial donkey out of the student and me. Describe what the professor was great at and how the professor was easy, but take care to avoid unnecessary marginalia about the professor.
   
Like this comment, “McDonalds everyday? Somebody’s got the munchies!!” Was it funny? Maybe. Informative? No. Give specific details pertaining to how the professor interacts with students and how the class is run; the more detailed you are with your comments, the more the readers benefit.
    
5) Proofread your comments. If you’re rating a professor, you’re probably a college student; so, write like one. Nothing detracts more from a good comment than poor spelling, improper grammar and/or misplaced punctuation. Now, I know that you won’t catch every mistake (I never have), but do your best. I can assure you that the more mental effort you exert in your writing, the smarter and more convincing your comment will sound.
    
Undoubtedly, I haven’t touched on every piece of advice I could give, but these five simple suggestions lay a solid foundation to build your first and/or next comment on Ratemyprofessors.com. With that said, go forth unto all the lands and critique your professors, for your well-written comment will help students make informed decisions about their education for years to come. The bottom line: use it, don’t abuse it.