One of the interesting parts of the Web is how it’s dissolving the boundaries between people, such as between teacher and student. For instance, a number of professors are creating accounts on Facebook and other social networking sites as a means to reaching out to their students. A lot of this is also happening as a way for professors to tell their “side” of the story. The RateMyProfessor.com effect encouraged many academics to become part of the online conversation and not be left to the whims and disgruntled declamations of many in the student masses. The NY Times has an interesting article about how professors are feeling ambivalent about the increased scrutiny of their lives that you may want to check out.

I haven’t spent too much time looking at online professor rating systems, but for the program in which you may be enrolling, I would recommend getting to know the professors in more ways than their beer and travel preferences.  Find out about their teaching styles and their scholarly work. You want to find out if the professors in your program have similar views to you and perhaps have authority in a field. This is especially important for graduate programs where one-on-one work with professors is an integral part of the learning process.

Sure, while you’re at it, check out the online rating sites. It’s interesting to know what people are saying about professors, but don’t let that be your deciding criteria. Just because a few students say someone is “boring” doesn’t mean that that will be your experience. Conversely, if everyone thinks a professor is “totally cool,” that may not translate to a professor who can teach really well.

Draw up a list of important traits in a professor and check out the teachers based on that. See how they rate for you not just how other people rate them.