In order to determine if the ratings are 'deflated', you would have to be able to directly compare the two. However, it is not possible, statistically, to do so with any acceptable level of variation.
If you are sincere when you are saying you are only asking for opinions, then, I gave an opinion based on my understanding of statistics.
It's not really possible to give a difinitative answer to your question
Comparing the two is not futile since there is a demonstrable statistical link (see reference already provided).
Chess.com ratings are on average deflated from USCF ratings (see reference already provided).
That there is a correlation is entirely to be expected for many reasons, and laying expectations aside, that there is such a correlation has been demonstrated (see reference already provided).
That Chess.com should be deflated from USCF is not surprising but on the other hand not to be expected--in the absence of other information it is exactly 50/50 which one should be inflated/deflated over the other (discounting the unlikely event of exact parity).
As a simple and non-scientific approximation, you could also observe the chess.com ratings of all the NMs, IMs, and GMs who play here and see that many of them are underrated and few of them are overrated by chess.com.
For myself, sitting at 1200ish, I can also say my own experience is that chess.com ratings seem lower than USCF, though I haven't played USCF in a long time and those ratings may have changed.
Anyway, it's not the case that the comparison is impossible or invalid, and the preponderence of the evidence is that chess.com ratings are deflated against USCF.
Yes it is. There are tables in that other link (above) that directly compare the two.
In OTB play you have mostly serious players. Not always, but walk into a tournament hall and pick out the ones who are there to kill time, reading a book while playing, goofing around with friends, and you'd probably get them all on one hand. Online, dozens if not more. I mean would you expect a 1400 OTB player to lose like in the game I just played where I moved my knights from their starting positions out once then back in for 6 moves? I wouldn't be able to beat a 1400 OTB player like that in blitz. Some people may have ratings close to their strength here but others may not, I wouldn't go around bragging about an online rating or claiming I'm a 1600+ OTB player strength because my online rating matches a 1600+ OTB players online rating.
Not to be too silly about this, but apples and oranges is almost a perfect example. They are both fruit. Both sweet. Both of a similar range of sizes. Both healthy to eat, at least in reasonable quantities. Both serve the same function within the ecosystem (protecting and distributing seeds). Both grow on trees. Both are grown and distributed commercially. There is vastly more in common between them than not. Granting they are not identical, very many valid conclusions can be drawn about either by reference to the other. In fact, most times that something is "apples and oranges" it is probably close enough to make decisions.
johnmusacha
Ah yes, fair enough for your first impression, but please read the information contained in the "link" posted in post #10 above.
It will open your eyes
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It really is a silly thread. Trying to compare the two is futile since there are SO MANY variables to take into consideration. Here are the 2 most significant:
1. Time controls. Very few people on Chess.com play the same time controls found in non-blitz/bullet OTB games. This is certainaly the most important factor separating the two.
2. Different pool of players. No doubt a lot of OTB players play at Chess.com. But Chess.com also has many people who don't play OTB at clubs or tournaments.
It is really one of those silly 'chessminded' exercises to try and compare the two.
The main issue I wanted to bring up was not to directly comparing the ratings, but to get other people's opinion on whether or not chess.com's ratings were deflated. I'm pretty sure thats exactly what I said when I started this thread. Many in the past that chess.com's ratings were inflated and I happen to think the opposite. Nowhere in my comments did I ask for a direct comparison of my chess.com blitz rating vs my OTB rating.
Some people just like to post for the sake of being judgemental and sounding intelligent.