After I finish an unrated game with a very low rated opponent, it brings down my average opponent's rating.  What gives?  That's obviously silly.

no one's rating should be effected in an unrated game. 

I think unrated games shouldn't even count in the number of win/loss, but I don't know if it's possible.

It only affects your average opponent's rating, not your actual rating. The average opponent is merely a guide to people looking up your previous record as to the general level of person you have played against. The total games played by you also includes your unrated games, so the average is like for like. In any event the average of opponents is a relatively meaningless statistic, as many highly rated players play rated and unrated games against weaker opponents who challenge them because they are polite people prepared to help others improve their game.

You can get too obsessed with statistics. Leave that to the baseball and cricket nuts.

Yelena Dembo is probably the strongest player on this site, and her average opponent rating is 1449, because she is prepared to play a range of weaker players who want to learn.

Perhaps it might be useful to show averages for rated games as well as for all games, though I fail to see the point, as your own rating takes the relative strengths of opponents in rated games into account. 

AlecKeen, you didn't tell me anything I didn't know already.  Did you even read what I said?

I agree it is a little silly, but your avg opponents rating is merely a guideline for perspective opponents, it doesnt actually have any bearing on your rating and therefore you shouldnt stress over it too tough

Can't you tell I'm in a panic?

Haha yes obviously you are! Its ok take a chill pill everything will be ok!  

I think anaxagoras is conserned about what some of you have said.  Being a nice person, he accepts an unrated game for a lower player to help them out.  His average opponent rating goes down and one could think he only playes lower rated players and that might "scare" some people away from playing him.  As far as win/loss I think the game should still count in that stat-ot at least make a seperate win/loss stat for unrated games.

Yeah I think a seperate unrated win/loss column would be good, maybe ill go suggest it under the wishlist thread

maybe unrated should not count in ANY of the "rated" stats...

Yeah, something like that is in order...  In case you couldn't tell,  I'm not stressing over it! 

this thread was posted on my birthday :)