Ratings for casual games - new feature !

It isn't that hard to calculate a performance rating on one's own, if one has a burning desire to see one's unrated rating. :)

One way to approximate a preformance rating that I have used in the past under various circumstances: I "score" each of my games as follows:

if I win, I add 400 points to my opponents rating, and that is my rating for just that game.

If I lose, I subtract 400 points from my opponent's rating, and that is my rating for just that game.

If I draw (oh, I'll bet nobody saw THIS one coming, ..... snicker), I take my opponent's rating for just that game.

NOW, I go back and average, game by game, the rating "scores" from the last, say, 10 games. Or 20. Whatever.

There are no doubt other ways to do this, but the one I have outlined seems to be pretty functional and easy to do.

I no longer play rated often (I used to, for many years) because I play chess for the same reason some older gentlemen water color. I can now stay utterly relaxed and unconcerned about victory and loss. My ego is kept as far out of the game as it is practical to do (admittedly, one can never completely abandon ego unless, perhaps, one dons orange robes and subsists on alms).

But, every once in a great while, I can check my home-made "performance rating" to see if I am aging gracefully or, instead, should start playing bingo, instead.

So far, other bingo players are safe from me.

Privacy and Motivation:
Pros: Players might be more inclined to play casually if they can track their progress privately.
Cons: Some players might prefer a public casual rating to showcase their skills in a less competitive environment.
Technical Implementation:
Pros: The “/casual” URL extension is a straightforward way to differentiate between rated and casual performances.
Cons: Implementing a new rating system could require significant changes to the existing infrastructure and may affect server load.
User Experience:
Pros: It could enhance the user experience by providing a more relaxed gaming environment while still allowing for self-improvement.
Cons: There’s a risk that players might take casual games less seriously, potentially affecting the quality of the games.
Cheating Concerns:
Addressing your concern about cheating, a private rating might indeed reduce the incentive for cheating in casual games.

Rating is an incentive for cheating. Adding a rating doesn't take away that incentive, it adds it. What am I missing?