Story Was Up, Now Reject 2 Weeks Later?

[PennLady]

If you want to delete an account, you should send a PM to Laurel.

[Brandie69]

Originally Posted by PennLady

If you want to delete an account, you should send a PM to Laurel.

PennLady, you are just so consistently helpful and to the point, without getting down into the fray.

It never ceases to amaze me how people will write things on message boards like this that they would never say to the face of a stranger. I've seen quite a number of other posts here and there asking how to delete an account, and generally the answer is quick and simple: PM Laurel. This thread took two pages of bitching and personal attacks to get to that simple point.

Incidentally, what I've always been taught is that numbers from 1-9 should be spelled out as "one" through "nine." Any number higher than that should not be spelled out; numerals should be used instead. This makes perfect sense, because of the number of keystrokes (or pieces of type) needed, on average, to say "seven" (for example), versus "eighteen thousand four hundred and twenty-three."

[sr71plt]

Bullshit. The OP got detailed, to-the-point advice from the very beginning.

The numbering issue is complicated. The base guidance is that one through ninety-nine (in most cases--there are exceptions) are written out in humanities works (which includes fiction and most nonfiction), per the Chicago Manual of Style. Using arabic numbers for 10 and above is the guidance provided for scientific works, per the American Psychological Association (APP) publication manual. The kicker is that some mainstream publishers go with the APP rather than the CMS guidance even for humanities works. This is pretty much what's done in both the U.S. and UK publishing industries.

[Brandie69]

This thread took two pages of bitching and personal attacks to get to that simple point.

Bullshit.



This made my day.

When I was teaching my kid to drive, I said to expect everyone else around you to do the worst thing possible. It was very gratifying to me when everyone else around promptly obliged.

[sr71plt]

To which I repeat "Bullshit." The initial responders took time and effort to give detailed and complete help to the OP's stated problems--as they became redefined and clarified. And he bit the hands that were trying to help him.

I didn't see your name among any posters who provided any help.

[lovecraft68]

Originally Posted by PennLady

If they took more time to go through stories then no doubt fewer stories would be posted per day and the bitching about it would ensue. This is a FREE site. I'm not defending their policies or anything else -- just nothing that they are providing a place to put stories, they do a pretty good job of it, and any issues should be taken up with the site owners/managers.

Absolutely people would bitch that it would take say 5 days instead of three for their free story to go up on a free site.

So that bitching would take the place of the seemingly endless "my story got rejected but so and so's didn't bitching"

One way or another there will be bitching. But at least with an extra delay to insure their rules are enforced there could be no more "That's not fair" bitching. It would just be bitching.

[sr71plt]

Unless the number being submitted decreases, it doesn't work that way, Lovecraft. Think about it. Just not keeping up with demand would push posting dates back further with each passing day. There aren't too many ways to control how many are submitted each day. (Of course long delays in posting can help decrease the interest in submitting and bring the submissions pile down a bit that way.)

[lovecraft68]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Unless the number being submitted decreases, it doesn't work that way, Lovecraft. Think about it. Just not keeping up with demand would push posting dates back further with each passing day. There aren't too many ways to control how many are submitted each day. (Of course long delays in posting can help decrease the interest in submitting and bring the submissions pile down a bit that way.)

I'm sure you're right. I never said it would happen.

Its their site they can obviously do as they see fit.

I know if this were my "product" and I had certain things I did not want here I would make the effort not to have them here. When I ran my store I had certain things I would not allow there, especially during card tournaments and the kids that broke the rules were warned, then told to leave. By doing that it insured the others all obeyed the rules.

A rule is only followed if there is a threat of repercussion. I.E. if cops never gave speeding tickets we'd all be driving 95 MPH all day.

If they don't enforce their rules they can't expect people to follow them.

The way around the "back-up" that you call out is a very simple one: Have someone else help scan the stories. Doesn't take a brain surgeon to know the 3 or 4 rules they have or spot really horrid grammar/spelling.

But they don;t choose to which is their business. It is, however, why I take no offense to someone posting they're pissed off because their story was rejected for "X" when "X" is all over the damn site.

[sr71plt]

That's not responsive to what I posted. It's a matter of mathematics, not the policy of the Web site. You indicated that if Laurel spent more time on each submission each day to review it in more depth this would just mean maybe waiting five days for posting rather than three. If the submission rate doesn't change, though, it means progressively more days of delay. It wouldn't stop at five days. The backlog would just build and build and build, each day more stories submitted than the number reviewed and passed into the file. It's a pretty simple mathematical concept.

[lovecraft68]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

That's not responsive to what I posted. It's a matter of mathematics, not the policy of the Web site. You indicated that if Laurel spent more time on each submission each day to review it in more depth this would just mean maybe waiting five days for posting rather than three. If the submission rate doesn't change, though, it means progressively more days of delay. It wouldn't stop at five days. The backlog would just build and build and build, each day more stories submitted than the number reviewed and passed into the file. It's a pretty simple mathematical concept.

I called out 5 days as a quick for instance. It would be hard to say what the actual delay would be unless one had all the numbers which would vary day to day as some authors(like myself) always submit work on the same day to try to hit a certain release date.

[sr71plt]

You still don't get it (or are pretending you don't). *shakes head*

[scouries]

I have to admit that when ace starts explaining mathematics I get nervous. Very nervous. I don't think that elite preppy school he attended ever addressed the subject when he was there. Too busy teaching latin and how to keep your nose in the air...

However in this case he is 100% correct. Each day our poor QUEEN would fall farther and farther behind until authors responded, out of frustration, by submitting less stories.

However, lovergirl (ytcc), in spite of her complete ignorance of mathematics, does make an important point. Which is that the site owners, for whatever reason, don't solicit help from the many, many people who visit this site. Many of whom would be delighted to help.

It is why the contest system is a shambles, why change is so slow, why change when it comes often doesn't address the concerns of the site users.

There is an inexplicable bizarreness to the way the site is run...

[sr71plt]

I think that's excellent incentive for you and Lovecraft to find some other site, then.

[lovecraft68]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

You still don't get it (or are pretending you don't). *shakes head*

There's nothing to get. No one would know the numbers. You just can't understand when people discuss things that have no clear answer. Reason being because you can't google it or look it up in the CMS because without something to read then quote you have no clue about anything.

Rolls eyes.

[lovecraft68]

Originally Posted by scouries

There is an inexplicable bizarreness to the way the site is run...

No, Jim, its called apathy and not wanting to put any effort into it. They get new authors every day they get new readers every day and the standard response to any griping is if you don't like it leave.

Yes, the contests could be run much better and more fairly(especially the monthly's) but people continue to flock to them and enter so why change?

No one knows what goes into the final sweep and how they determine a winner. The formula has nothing to do with "mathematics" and everything to do favorite categories and authors. But, hey, don;t like it leave.

Or in your case create a fake contest.

[lovecraft68]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

I think that's excellent incentive for you and Lovecraft to find some other site, then.

But then you couldn't keep looking up at me in all the contest standings!