I need to create a poll that is to create a ranking list of items in order of how good they are. I intend to show each user two items together and make them choose one which the
My assumptions, based on your comment, proceed as follows.
For clarification, do you intend to set it up so user's see two random distorted images, or will you associate distorted images with specific original images?
If you intend to associate specific distorted images to specific original images, I think my idea will work.
You can expand beyond this to start ranking original image "groups" as well if you have a counter for total overall votes. You just normalize those (image_votes / total_votes) * 100 and sort it. Then you'd get a "ranking" of which images appear(ed) the most.
Look at the ELO chess rating system if you want something fancy.
I think you can use the Elo Algorithm which was used to rank chess players and was created by Professor Arpad Elo. You can read more abot this algorithm on this Wikipedia Page
It was also used by Mark Zuckerburg in making Facemash. It was a site on which people can rate girls upon the bases of there hotness. If you have watched the picture "The Social Network" you would be knowing about this. If you want a practical use of this algorithm You can visit this page. If you know PHP you can easily change the look of the index.php (homepage). Yoou can replace the images of girls with those of what ever you want to rank