more about tops & flops lists

Compared with other ways to present information, lists offer several advantages. Lists are:

• Short, sweet, and to the point.
• Easy to understand.
• Easy to remember.
• Relatively easy to find.
• Focused on specific aspects of the arts.
• Fun.

Visitors use Tops & Flops lists for almost any imaginable reason:

• To get ideas for books to read or avoid.
• To see concerts to attend or miss.
• To identify art to see or buy; to learn who or what is in or out, up or down.
• To sharpen their ideas about what's important in the arts.
• To learn about art museums to see or avoid.
• To find artists or art movements to explore.

...and much, much more.

would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

Electricka's Tops & Flops lists are similar to favorites lists, 10-best lists, lists of films you love to hate, and the Tops & Flops lists you see at other web sites or in magazines or newspapers; they resemble these other kinds of lists that rate the arts that you're probably familiar with. However, calling this feature Favorites In The Arts or 10-Best In The Arts would be something of a misnomer. Electricka's Tops & Flops lists work in basically the same way and have some of the same objectives as many of these other kinds of lists, but they give the list-maker more discretion and involve him more in the list-making process.

In addition, not only do they issue praise, criticism, or blame; many of these lists express information about the arts that is neutral in character, objective, and informative, without the list-maker's opinions entering into the picture.

Compared with a typical Favorites or 10-Best list, a Tops & Flops list offers these advantages:

• Topics can range widely. Virtually any category, subject, or theme about the arts served by Electricka's muses is acceptable.
• There can be any number of items in a Tops & Flops list, up to ten.
• A list's category, subject, or theme can be neutral and objective.
• Neutral list items can be ranked or unranked. One item on a neutral list can be earlier or later than another, closer or nearer than another, larger or smaller than another, etc.
• A list's category, subject, or theme can be unfavorable as well as favorable.
• Favorable or unfavorable list items can be ranked or unranked. One item on a list can be better or worse than another.
• If ranked, rationale for the ranking may be provided by the list-maker, at his option.
• Free-form comments by the list-maker are not only invited, they are encouraged.

Another way in which Electricka's Tops & Flops lists differ from other lists: they do not express the personal likes and dislikes of professional or semi-professional critics; instead—and this is important—they represent the opinions of Electricka's visitors. Visitors to Electricka's web site make up their own lists and submit them to Electricka for publication. They have wide latitude in making choices about what to include and selecting list options such as category, subject, or theme, items on a list, etc.

More discretion for the Tops & Flops list-maker results in lists that have more flexibility, scope, and information content than you may be accustomed to seeing on other lists. These differences between one of Electricka's Tops & Flops lists and an ordinary favorites or 10-best list encourage and stimulate Electricka's list-makers to be more creative, imaginative, and willing to share information. They result in lists that better serve the interests of the arts and of Electricka's visitors.

—note— a word of advice to list users Tops & Flops lists are created and submitted by Electricka's visitors. Choice of category, subject, theme, items, rationale, comments, opinions. ratings, and all supplementary information are those of the individuals who create them. Electricka's Staff review lists for clarity, completeness, accuracy, and propriety. However, Electricka, ETAF Staff, ETAF, or DCI, cannot vouch for and are not responsible for the choice of category, subject, or theme; item choices; or information content. The opinions and rankings in a list are those of the list creator and do not necessarily represent those of Electricka, DCI, or their agents. Lists are not necessarily right or wrong; they merely help shed light on a category, subject, or theme. Electricka recommends that you approach a list with a questioning mind and take from it what you believe it has to offer.