Glicko ratings are terrible

It is not fair that everyone upvoted the OP!
Have you seen which variant LeifPetersen is playing and how frequently?!
Classical long games - and considering that for them applies the same rating variance system as for (ultra)bullet games!
So I can see and undestand his point, but I still dont agree with it as well...
Especially with his opinion about the meaning of online ratings.
For me it is just a tool to get paired with opponents of similar playing level; not more, not less.

PS:
Leif, I guess you remember me.
I doubt I will ever play a 45+45 game online.
But Teamleague was great. :-)

As someone who has just taken over a year long break from the site, in ranked bullet play, my rating very quickly settled back to around the range where it was before, after only a few games. Of course that would take longer at longer time controls but it shouldn't be too great an issue. And like several other posts have mentioned - the rating is more just to find opponents that play at a similar level to you.

@LeifPetersen When you say that things are pulled out of "thin air", that's false. Why would it be?

@LeifPetersen
I fully agree with you. Rating Deviation is definitely a param pulled out of thin air. In fact I would go so far as to say that acceleration does not exist regardless what they taught you in schools. It is just a concept pulled out of thin air. How is it possible to change the speed at which you are moving? am I right? If acceleration doesn't exist than nvm jerk and all that hyper jerk junk.

(ps. I am just joking) (FYI jerk is the acceleration of acceleration same with hyper jerk and hyper hyper jerk)

@Breeze_Bot It's quite obvious you're being sarcastic here. You don't need to say "just joking".

Also Speed doesn't make any sense either. How can you be here one second, then there another???

@LeifPetersen It‘s sheer mathematics. It‘s about winning probabilities. So what is wrong with that?

„I think the level someone's earned in the past should just stay“

You blame your mirror because you expect a different picture? Well, this is called reality and not Dorian Gray.

Glicko is not superior to ELO, it just places more emphasis on current form (or luck) relatively to past merit. According to Glicko the 500 games you played 2 years ago mean little compared to your recent 20. I prefer being ranked more according to total merit.

I’m a standard player, who sometimes takes long breaks, so to me Glicko is annoying. I just had a two year complete break from chess and returned winning three standard games in a row for no good reason. Opponents gave up or played poorly. I don’t want to chase my rating deviation as Glicko pushes me to.

@funkmaus I’m flattered you remember me. I enjoyed following your games and thoughts in Teamleague, and you really stood out in the community.

If I could decide a compromise on this debate it would be that new players on the Lichess server start out being rated according to Glicko, but once they have achieved a stable rating they switch to ELO. At least standard players.

Interestingly, there have recently been some players who felt that the acceleration was too slow, and who favored Elo because they thought Glicko would keep them at their old level ("rating trap")