Congrats to the ASSOCIATION of INDEPENDENT READERS “Special Contest” AWARD WINNERS

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Originally Posted by KillerMuffin

That's an interesting proposition. I find myself intrigued by this idea. It randomizes the story situation for the general readership (that is, those who do not populate the board and chatrooms) by removing the interesting elements that tend to create bias in voting (sexually provocative female names, for example).

The problem is that it relies on the ethics of the writers of the story. Can the writers be trusted not to run to their fanbases and send private messages requesting a vote on specific stories? No, they cannot. Can writers be trusted not to use an IP spoofing vote-bot? No, they cannot. Can writers be trusted not to publicize which story is theirs? No, they cannot.

I think that you are generally an honest person, Freddie (if I may call you that). You would hold to the bounds of the contest. sr71plt is generally an honest person. So is michchick, DarkNiciad, et al. There is at least one person on this thread that I know of that can personally create an IP spoofing vote-bot and and interest in creating the alts to go with it. It's not that difficult. I cannot create one on my own (the codes running php sites are too complex for me these days), but it's not that hard for a script kiddie. Actually, given a month or so and some crack sites, I could probably figure it out. Well, my ISP would shut me down first. Warez, not so c00l.

Now, how could a randomized contest be run so that writer fraud be reduced? Reducing reader bias is simple enough. A double blind would be best---writers unable to view the contest in progress and readers unable to know who wrote which story. If such a contest were set up, where stories were posted with no identification for a period of time for the public to vote on, would you trust the voting results? The stories would have to fit certain parameters of course, same setting and character archetyps, same category, same level of kink, etc.

But the question remains, if there were a special "Blind" contest, where writers submitted a story that met parameters, all were posted on the same day to collect votes for, say three weeks, with daily top billing on the new lists under the same title, all writers agree to say nothing of who wrote what to anyone until the end of the contest, would you believe the results of the contest were geniune or would you think that somehow, fraud was committed or the results were rigged? If the vote did not go for you and you did not win? Would you doubt the honesty of others in the contest?

Thank you for this post.

Would I more believe a contest conducted in the way you described? Yeah, I would, more than the way that the contest is conducted now. Presently, it's a popularity contest.

I'm just one guy with one computer and one IP address. I just write stories.

Further, I don't care if I win or lose a contest. My big thing is writing the story. Then, when I post it, reading the comments. I don't care so much about the score because I realize that people will down vote my story if it's better than their story.

Perhaps, the answer is a combination of things. Leaving off the author's name, having the public vote, those who contribute a story cannot vote, and having a panel of 3 or 5 volunteer judges that change with each contest. The votes count for 50% and the judges count for the other 50%.

When I see the same people winning over and again, when I read some of the stories from those writers who never win, it's just not fair.

Maybe if we all put our heads together, this could be a better place.

I agree with the people you named as being honorable. After a while, with everyone have so many alts, I just don't know who is friend and who is foe and who is cheating and who is honest (lol).

Can we all just get along (lol)?

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I think if there were enough of us who are fed up with the present voting system and want change, maybe we can make our suggestions to Laurel.

All that I'd like to see is a fair contest. For once, I'd like to see the best story win a contest and not the most popular writer with the most friends, family, and fans voting up his or her story, while they down vote the other competitor's stories.

Wouldn't that be novel (lol).

Thanks for your post.

(Sorry Scouries for temporarily taking over your thread.)

[KillerMuffin]

Originally Posted by BOSTONFICTIONWRITER

Thank you for this post.

Would I more believe a contest conducted in the way you described? Yeah, I would, more than the way that the contest is conducted now. Presently, it's a popularity contest.

I'm just one guy with one computer and one IP address. I just write stories.

Further, I don't care if I win or lose a contest. My big thing is writing the story. Then, when I post it, reading the comments. I don't care so much about the score because I realize that people will down vote my story if it's better than their story.

Perhaps, the answer is a combination of things. Leaving off the author's name, having the public vote, those who contribute a story cannot vote, and having a panel of 3 or 5 volunteer judges that change with each contest. The votes count for 50% and the judges count for the other 50%.

When I see the same people winning over and again, when I read some of the stories from those writers who never win, it's just not fair.

Maybe if we all put our heads together, this could be a better place.

I agree with the people you named as being honorable. After a while, with everyone have so many alts, I just don't know who is friend and who is foe and who is cheating and who is honest (lol).

Can we all just get along (lol)?

Publishing is just a huge popularity contest. I'm in the middle of getting an MA and my comprehensive exam list is a popularity contest for mostly dead people (tho' some contemporary writers are still breathing!) Literary canon? Thpththp! The whole concept of publishing and contests is inherently unfair.

I think one of the problems with contests on Lit is the paradigm. Readers see the H and know it means "hot". Hot means what? What gets you off. Writers, especially those of us that hang on the boards and in the chat and talk about writing and improving the story, don't think of the story's excellence in terms of sexual gratification, but in terms of how well written it is. This schism causes problems. Readers are defining how to vote one way and writers are defining the outcome of the voting a different way. Trolls make this worse, of course. I still get feedback from stories that say "I love the story, it's one of the best written on the site, but it wasn't very hot, so I only gave it a 3." Or something like that. I've had to accept that, hey, not a bad writer, just not a hottie. Lit "sells" sex. That's what readers come for, so the words and symbols are geared for sex. It's why people who, stylistically, write "crap" outscore people who write well.

So, the contest thing? Yeah, the judges would blunt the "hot" issue. They'd look for writing skill over smut skill where the readership flips that. But how to choose judges? Based on what? Statistically, how much relevance should they have? I know you think 50%, but the blind method removes a lot of reader bias. Giving 3 people 50% control injects more bias. Of course, if they are choosing based on different criteria than "I liked it" and "I got off," this might mean more.

[scouries]

QUOTE freddie (Sorry Scouries for temporarily taking over your thread.)

I'm delighted to seee you here my good man.

And even more delighted to see the famous Many Feathers. I'm actually in the process of writing a post in which he figures prominently.

And its always a delight to see Miss Muffin !I just hope though that the two weirdos who're always following her around don't show up. They're pitiful.

jim

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Originally Posted by scouries

QUOTE freddie (Sorry Scouries for temporarily taking over your thread.)

I'm delighted to seee you here my good man.

And even more delighted to see the famous Many Feathers. I'm actually in the process of writing a post in which he figures prominently.

And its always a delight to see Miss Muffin !I just hope though that the two weirdos who're always following her around don't show up. They're pitiful.

jim

Psst...don't say anything. Just between you and me, but is that really Killer Muffin's ass?

Wow!

I mean you have some hot women highlighted on your sight, but Killer Muffin's ass is amazing and I'm not even an ass man. I'm a breast man, but I'd switch if I had a woman with an ass like that.

"Oh, hi, honey. What am I doing? Oh, just reading some poetry online. I gotta go. Bye."

[KillerMuffin]

Originally Posted by BOSTONFICTIONWRITER

Psst...don't say anything. Just between you and me, but is that really Killer Muffin's ass?

Wow!

I mean you have some hot women highlighted on your sight, but Killer Muffin's ass is amazing and I'm not even an ass man. I'm a breast man, but I'd switch if I had a woman with an ass like that.

"Oh, hi, honey. What am I doing? Oh, just reading some poetry online. I gotta go. Bye."

It's the ass of an Italian model holding the lucious Ladyforce model of the Tanfoglio .45 ACP. The StudMuffin assures me that my ass is much nicer, but he is biased.

[Many Feathers]

Originally Posted by BOSTONFICTIONWRITER

Psst...don't say anything. Just between you and me, but is that really Killer Muffin's ass?

Wow!

I mean you have some hot women highlighted on your sight, but Killer Muffin's ass is amazing and I'm not even an ass man. I'm a breast man, but I'd switch if I had a woman with an ass like that.

"Oh, hi, honey. What am I doing? Oh, just reading some poetry online. I gotta go. Bye."

That AV has been around longer than most of us have been. Even back when I was Thesandman...I very often drooled over that gorgeous hiney. And kudos to KM for still being around too. Even mentioned her name once in a story I wrote..."I remain". Nice to see you still about too KM. As always.

I remain...

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Actually, now that I've been here for a while, I like your thread better out here in the country rather than in the congested city. I can think better. Yeah, I like what you did with the place. The landscaping is amazing.

Laurel did you a favor when she moved you out here. Look at all the land you have. How many acres do you think that is out back? Got be at least 50 acres.

It's just beautiful way out here.

[scouries]

LITEROTICA CONTESTS

Yes we still have to address the CHEATING problem.

And we also have to address the andtheend problem.

But I believe there’s an even bigger issue facing the LITEROTICA Special Contests. And just what is this pressing problem? What could possibly be more important than the rampant cheating and ballot box stuffing. Or more important than the stopping of these lunatics from the SURVIVORS CONTEST?

Quite simply – FAVORITES. Or should I say the lack of them.

Did any of you notice that in the last contest (EARTH DAY 2010) only three out of the top 100 MOST FAVORITE authors on the site submitted stories? Three measly percent. And these are supposed to be READERS CHOICE contests.

Thank the lord for sarahhh, alwayswantedtoo, and D.G.Hear. I had planned to enter but even with an entry from yours truly we’d only have been up to 4%.

Where are the greats?

And why don’t they submit stories to the contests?

Have they all been chased away By the lack of transparency? By the QUEEN’S continual refusal to show us the real results?

Where is Slickman?
rgjohn?
Goldenaingel?
Elianna? and her funny names
TryAnything?

And the wonderful chief ManyFeathers?
the BarondeSade?
secretme?
youbadboy? and his sarah
niki_2021?

walterio?
bluedragonauthor?
Fuck, where’s Just Plain Bob?
samslam?
Tx Tall Tales?

And soular? Hell she’s supposed to be the most influential writer and she doesn’t enter contests!
Eldridgein00?
BlewWater69?
Isobael?
AsylemSeeker? funniest guy arounnd

Evil Alpaca?
Jazz Matthews?
Erlikkhan?
Even Boxlicker? for crying out loud. And he’s a SURVIVALIST.
DamonX?
Lesbian TawneyT?

And of course Freddie?

Our goal for the next contest, this NUDE DAY CONTEST 2010 should be to get stories from the greats, from the authors our readers love, our FAVORITES

In fact maybe we should limit entry to authors who're in the Top 100.

Fuck the wannabees for once... and we'd have no ALTS!

james r scouries esq.

[sr71plt]

Wondered what you were doing all day. Glad you got bogged down in meaningless busywork.

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Wondered what you were doing all day. Glad you got bogged down in meaningless busywork.

I saw your mother's dead body in the back of TxRad's pickup truck.

I thought you should know.

Happy 71st birthday. You lied to me about being 70. Now I have to run out and buy another candle.

[sr71plt]

Being over the top sleazy isn't going to do a thing for you, Freddie. You're impotent here.

I see that you are still pushing phony by posting those bogus book covers on your profile here. Inferiority complex much?

[Darkniciad]

Personally, I'd like to see the Survivor contest go away, and those prizes put toward a blind contest with a panel of judges, and/or a category challenge contest.

Apologies to any offended survivor contestants, but I think that one has run its course. It's far removed from the roots of its conception to encourage writing in multiple categories, and simply becoming a problem.

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by Darkniciad

Personally, I'd like to see the Survivor contest go away, and those prizes put toward a blind contest with a panel of judges, and/or a category challenge contest.

Apologies to any offended survivor contestants, but I think that one has run its course. It's far removed from the roots of its conception to encourage writing in multiple categories, and simply becoming a problem.

Well, yes, I've been suggesting both of those things for some time now--back when Freddie was still only whining about not winning the survivor contest.

[Darkniciad]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Well, yes, I've been suggesting both of those things for some time now--back when Freddie was still only whining about not winning the survivor contest.

All three, actually I'm just connecting them all together *laugh* I seriously doubt there's a budget for any new contests, but a How-To/Summer Lovin' swap might be feasible.

The regular contests aren't going away. They're probably one of the big draws that keeps the traffic up, which keeps the site profitable. Adding a contest that doesn't have the category bias that permeates the whole site might just be the trick to bring in more, though. As nutty as scouries is, he's right that a lot of authors probably don't participate because of the flawed nature of an internet poll as judge of a contest.

My guess is that it would end up providing a nice block of high quality stories that might not otherwise have ended up on Lit because they simply won't "sell" here with the bias and assorted trolling.

And scouries would be here screaming bloody murder at the end of each one when he didn't win

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by Darkniciad

I'm just connecting them all together *laugh* I seriously doubt there's a budget for any new contests, but a How-To/Summer Lovin' swap might be feasible.

The regular contests aren't going away. They're probably one of the big draws that keeps the traffic up, which keeps the site profitable. Adding a contest that doesn't have the category bias that permeates the whole site might just be the trick to bring in more, though. As nutty as scouries is, he's right that a lot of authors probably don't participate because of the flawed nature of an internet poll as judge of a contest.

My guess is that it would end up providing a nice block of high quality stories that might not otherwise have ended up on Lit because they simply won't "sell" here with the bias and assorted trolling.

And scouries would be here screaming bloody murder at the end of each one when he didn't win

I think true category contests would gin up more interest. Ones not on themes (with some of the current ones getting pretty tired and well-worked over), but on some of the categories with smaller readerships. True category contests.

[Darkniciad]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

I think true category contests would gin up more interest. Ones not on themes (with some of the current ones getting pretty tired and well-worked over), but on some of the categories with smaller readerships. True category contests.

I think that they're either going to have to do something about the poor category choices for many genres before category contests would really draw a lot of stories or reader interest, though -- at least if they're run in the same manner as the current contests.

If they're another blind judged contest, that's another animal altogether. Maybe one for anything, and one each year on a different low-read erotic category/genre.

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Originally Posted by KillerMuffin

It's the ass of an Italian model holding the lucious Ladyforce model of the Tanfoglio .45 ACP. The StudMuffin assures me that my ass is much nicer, but he is biased.

Wow! Double wow!

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Originally Posted by Darkniciad

Personally, I'd like to see the Survivor contest go away, and those prizes put toward a blind contest with a panel of judges, and/or a category challenge contest.

Apologies to any offended survivor contestants, but I think that one has run its course. It's far removed from the roots of its conception to encourage writing in multiple categories, and simply becoming a problem.

Actually, I think the contest can be improved. The first order of business is to increase word count from 750 to 1,500. That would stop the previous winners, MungoPark, PrincessErin, and now Bakeboss of writing nonsensical 800 words stories that are devoid of tension, character development, dialogue, sex, and interest in readers wanting to read what they write.

Also, they need to have rules that are the same for the monthly contests regarding accepting stories. If the story is accepted by Laurel, then that should be good enough for the Survivor Contest.

Also, new paid moderators need to run the contest, Scouries, Sarahhh, and I have already volunteered our services over Crimson and Lauren.

I agree with you that the prize money for the Survivor Contest should be increased to at least $1,000 for the second place winner and a new car to the winner, a Mini Cooper.

Those were great ideas you had Darknicaid. The car as the grand prize was an inspired thought. Good job.

Let the games begin.

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Well, yes, I've been suggesting both of those things for some time now--back when Freddie was still only whining about not winning the survivor contest.

You mean, of course, being cheated out of winning the Survivor Contest.

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Originally Posted by Many Feathers

That AV has been around longer than most of us have been. Even back when I was Thesandman...I very often drooled over that gorgeous hiney. And kudos to KM for still being around too. Even mentioned her name once in a story I wrote..."I remain". Nice to see you still about too KM. As always.

I remain...

It makes me wonder what the rest of her looks like.

Now, there's a woman that should be used as a model to make blow up dolls.

Did I just write that? Where's my delete key? Shit, that's the enter key. Oops, too late.

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by BOSTONFICTIONWRITER

Also, they need to have rules that are the same for the monthly contests regarding accepting stories. If the story is accepted by Laurel, then that should be good enough for the Survivor Contest.

Oh, I agree with this. It's idiocy that the site accepts/places a story in one category and the survivor moderators decide on their own to move it elsewhere.

But then the survivor contest is getting worse and worse anyway.

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by BOSTONFICTIONWRITER

You mean, of course, being cheated out of winning the Survivor Contest.

Happily, that's irrelevant, because all you care about is the writing.

[scouries]

2010 NUDE DAY CONTEST

An ASSOCIATION of INDEPENDENT READERS (A.I.R.) sanctioned event

Are you going to enter?

james r scouries

[TxRad]

Since there is nothing called the ASSOCIATION of INDEPENDENT READERS (A.I.R.) associated with or from Lit, except in scouries head, it can't sanction anything but the usual hot air..