Ratings is the sole reason we play

You can't deny it.  Ratings is the only incentive to win here.  If you played a 2500 player, would it matter if you won unless there was a "best win" to showcase the accomplishment?  If there was no ratings, how would you know how strong your opponent is? 

Plain and simple:  If you don't think ratings matter, than why don't you just play a chess program instead?  So with that said, if you think your putting a halo over your head because you think ratings don't matter.... I think your just trying to pad and soften the blow of lost rating points.  But yes, we also play for enjoyment too...(which also stems from ratings)

no/end thread

Ratings don't matter. period.  I play people as opposed to machines because people are prone to mistakes while computers follow there programming without fail. If you only enjoy chess based on ratings then why would you ever play an unrated match against a friend? I enjoy playing chess reguardless of rating, which is why I prefer to play OTB matches for fun rather than compete. Just because you value the rating points so much doesn't mean everyone else does.

I agree erikido, the reason I made this thread is because I'm sick of reading peoples comments saying ratings don't matter.  Also, try to come up something chess.com related that hasn't been addressed.  Top three  1. Cheating  2. Ratings 3. Knight or Bishop.... That is from memory, not sure if that is the actuall tops.

 I'm not saying people are fanatical about ratings. (most aren't)  What I'm saying is ratings is the only judge of improvement, competition, placement, and incentive to play your best game.  This site is nothing like playing in a park... there would be no honest game if not for ratings.  I am not a high rated player, but having ratings gives me a challenge to keep reaching higher and higher.  It eliminates people playing easy and uninspired.  If not for ratings, people would have no problem with timing out, because NO PERSON is watching.   Get it?

Suddenly without ratings, the person would no more than a person with the makeup of a computer and have no personality behind the computer.

My guess if you don't like the ratings, play a computer and roll with the boredom.

 I agree.  But, it is more like 1. cheating 2.  people are doing something unethical should I kill my opponent? 3.  knight or bishop

But, to be fair no.3 is something which ALL beginners wonder and I would venture that is 90 percent of the people on here.

It is the same in all types of forums.  The only other forums I generally spend my time on are fitness forums.  All you ever get there is I want toned (insert whatever bodypart), will x workout get me hyuge bicepts in 5 days without any work, will x supplement lose me x amount of pounds without doing anything else.

The common thread- magic bullet.   

 4.  Resigning- although this is a fun one to put your 2 cents into

sole reason...nope.  not even close.  If I divulged the reason I play...you'd think I was even more nutty than the people who care about ratings...so I'll just...say no, it's not for ratings.

Hey I just started playing chess I'm trying to get the points so that I can become one of the true chess players so to me yes points do matter

 Then please share why not?  It isn't wrong to play for ratings, as someothers seem to think.  Playing without care of ratings shows a lack of passion. 

 I wasn't saying that asking a knight or bishop is better is a bad question.  Just it gets asked over and over.  It can get old answering the same questions over and over(especially when sometimes there is basically the same thread directly under it).

That was my point in my other post though.  THat a lot of people on here are new so those are the types of questions they will have(Although they would probably do better to do a search of the forums before they made their post)

 Yes, it gives everyone of every ability goals to reach.  Ratings shouldn't make you lose sleep at night, but ratings DO give some people feelings of satisfaction and motivation to improve.  A 1000 player wants to reach 1200, a 1600 wants a 1800, etc etc.

alright, I'll divulge it, but don't let it leave this thread.  pssst...I have this fetish for beating boys at things.  The look of a boy getting schooled by a girl in ping pong, tennis, chess...whatever...is priceless.  So I need to get a lot better so I can do it more frequently.  Blame it on my dad.  

Winning is the incentive to play here

 A "boy" who is insecure will be upset to lose to a girl.  I lost to a girl yesterday at chess, but I also beat her a few days earlier.  Her rating was in the mid 1900's and was my best win. 

There is no problem losing to a girl at chess. 

 Yes, but without the ratings, you wouldn't have the appreciation of beating a put together chess player, or a donkey pressing the mouse button.

I love ratings!  I don't care what everybody else says.  Ratings give me a goal to one day attain.

As far back as I can remember, boys (in general) make a big deal about losing to a girl.  At university, if I was beating a string of boys at racquetball or ping pong, boys would gather and hoot at my opponent with obnoxious comments like "damn, he's getting torn up by a girl"...sure, I'd shoot dirty looks at them...but the reality is, my competitive side gets an extra kick out of it...and chess is a game I especially enjoy beating boys at...especially unsuspecting boys who aren't even really "chess players" but who randomly end up offering a game of chess.  It happens a lot.  :)  Sometimes it's as if they can't believe we have brains or interests outside of shopping.

I do play for ratings, but that is not the sole reason I play. It's fun, and a good way to get to know people. If ther were no ratings there is no doubt I would continue playing with people.

 Your play itself will determine your appreciation of the contest not a rating score.