I just got bombed...again.

[Nathan_Brazil]

It's an old story, but I thought I would share...

Just released a new chapter the other day, and it was (was) my highest score ever.

As usual, I was watching the early returns and just as it was preparing to hit 4.9...wham wham wham... Three or four one bombs in a row. Hell, they could have been 2s... Bingo... I'm gone.

Now... I'm not irritated. Hell, its kind of funny actually.

My guess is that another writer (or more likely, their fanboys) saw the score and wanted to save the list from me. I may never win a contest until I gets my own fanboys. Anybody wanna join my crew?

 

[sr71plt]

There's an effective voting block going here. I'm sure there are those who would be happy to give you names you can contact to try to join it. I have a feeling that the group would welcome you.

 

[lovecraft68]

Usually if its not a contest entry-you said chapter so I'm figuring its not-its as you said the top list watchers, most likely fans of the top story/author currently there.

Or if it just went up, it could be the new story trolls who go up and down looking for your name or certain types of stories.

There are people who take their bombing seriously. I was just telling someone that every story I post I get 3-4 one bombs like clock work between 12-12:30 telling me some of my fans spend their lunch at work trolling lit.

 

[Kantarii]

Do the votes really mean anything? I would trade all the votes on my stories for a handful of constructive feedback comments. I put more value to that than the votes.Kant

 

[sr71plt]

Do the votes really mean anything? I would trade all the votes on my stories for a handful of constructive feedback comments. I put more value to that than the votes.Kant

Different folks look for different strokes. Some of us are here to share, not to be critiqued by strangers of unknown ability, so for some of us "constructive comments" won't mean much either (unless, of course, it's comment from an account we know and respect)--and comments are relatively rare anyway. I probably pay the most attention to views (not having any real idea what constitutes a "view") and where I stand on the "popular author" lists on the category hubs from day to day. Anywhere I'm listing means I'm being read--a zapper can keep your scores low, but a zapper can't keep people from reading your stories if they want to--which is why I post to Literotica--to share my stories and be read.

 

[lovecraft68]

Like Pilot said, everyone puts more or less importance on the various stats here based on their own thoughts or opinion.

Score if the one I think everyone watches right away and gets hooked on, then vote total. Then you realize how many variables there are to vote total. What category, what day, the title, the tag line, the type of content etc...

Then you learn of the games played with the scores the one bombs from fans of other authors like the OP is dealing with. Personal trolls from the forums, category trolls pissed off authors...

One stat I like personally is favorites, both story and author. A troll cannot take them from you, nor would they give you one because its a positive thing. Now of course there are people-scouries the biggest offender-who will sit there and create countless sock puppet ids to boast his fav totals so yes, they can be manipulated.

But I know I don't do that, neither do I would say 99% of the authors here, so I know they're legit and I kind of weigh a stories success on those, its individual favs and how many new fav authors I grabbed in the first couple days its out.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

Zappers can keep your story from being read. That's the point - if they can drive you into the low 4s or less, lots of people will skip your story. Soon it falls off the new list and is never seen again. And if your story dares to approach a hall of fame, it will get bombed.

There's no fix for it. If people can vote anonymously, some will cheat. That's the price of sharing a website with pathetic assholes. Do not take scores seriously, is the takeaway.

I'm not fond of the views metric, either, given who claims to be number 1 in views and how he writes. I like comments; it's easy to know when you're getting thoughtful comments or empty noise.

 

[sr71plt]

Zappers can keep your story from being read. That's the point - if they can drive you into the low 4s or less, lots of people will skip your story.

I think that's the way it is with the regular file. If they can get the rate pushed low while the story is still on the New list, then I think fewer readers read the story than if the rate wasn't manipulated. I think this is used on contest stories too, but that the zappers keep coming back to those periodically--and try for a slam bang just before the voting is closed as well.

If you're part of a buddy group, too, your story can be bolstered early on by favorable comments by your buddies, and you can help deep six stories by those on your buddy group's hit list by putting lukewarm comments on their stories. It's really not that hard for combines to manipulate the ratings.

 

[sr71plt]

I'm not fond of the views metric, either, given who claims to be number 1 in views and how he writes. I like comments; it's easy to know when you're getting thoughtful comments or empty noise.

Well, yes, if you're fixated in being competitive with other authors. If you aren't and don't fiddle with the views yourself, the total can be meaningful to you, especially in comparison with your own other titles and, in an affirming way, with your sales totals if the title has been in the market. If your interest is in being read, the numbers generally look great at a free-read site in comparison to how many paid money to read something you put significant time into writing and presenting.

 

[lovecraft68]

If your interest is in being read, the numbers generally look great at a free-read site in comparison to how many paid money to read something you put significant time into writing and presenting.

And if people think they don't get many comments per read here, the comments are abundant compared to getting a review in the e-market. Especially with erotica people don't want to put their name down on some of the material they read.

Although when you consider amazon tracks every single thing you look at, never mind buy, its a moot point.

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

Bombing

In my case, I am reasonably certain that the bombing is connected to my stories making the all-time list.

As far as I know, there is only one author here that knows which pen names are mine, so the bombing isn't due to any kind of feud. But I do get bombed every time I ever crawl on to that list, and this keeps me from being a monthly category winner as well.

Mostly, I find this amusing, but at the same time, my Machiavellian side says...hmm, I wonder what I would have to do to create that sort of crazy enthusiasm amongst my readers?

And THAT is the sort of puzzle that amuses me.

 

[lovecraft68]

In my case, I am reasonably certain that the bombing is connected to my stories making the all-time list.

As far as I know, there is only one author here that knows which pen names are mine, so the bombing isn't due to any kind of feud. But I do get bombed every time I ever crawl on to that list, and this keeps me from being a monthly category winner as well.

Mostly, I find this amusing, but at the same time, my Machiavellian side says...hmm, I wonder what I would have to do to create that sort of crazy enthusiasm amongst my readers?

And THAT is the sort of puzzle that amuses me.

You could still win a monthly because of sweeps

I know because after my story was voted down enough to not place in last years Nude Day contest, I ended up placing first in the July Monthly.

What was very telling about that one of the people who placed was also nominated for a monthly-not sure a story can win both, but they had survived the nomination process-but after the contest was over and the sweep helped me out, my story was scored higher than theirs

Pretty much all the proof-as if most here after so many years would need it-of what goes on here.

 

[oggbashan]

Over time most of my stories gradually slip down in rating.

Those that have a minimal H e.g. 4.52-4.59 lose the H after a few months, and even the higher rated ones slip downwards.

But from time to time a set of my stories are marked down during a single day. Not all of them - I don't think Anon has the stamina to vote on 200+ stories, but many of those rated 4.5 or higher.

Sweeps do have an impact but I think the rating erosion is caused by multiple 4 votes, not by deliberate targetting of my work,

As for contests? I have seen several contest winning stories hit badly by 1-bombs in the days after the result was announced. I could understand people perhaps being disappointed - THAT was the winner? - and voting a 4, but it looks as if jealousy is involved as well.

A few years ago a third placed story could have been also eligible to win the Authors' Hangout Last Place (tm) Contest after a few days of 1-bombs.

There is never a shortage of assholes.

 

[lovecraft68]

What's funny about gradual trolling and bombing on my page is its easy to see in a couple stories.

First the A's always go up and down with sweeps because they show up and they hit the top of the list, then get bored and wander off.

Also my first two stories here not only start with A's but have the lowest vote totals of all my stories because of the categories and I was brand new.

Those stories early on were both around 4.6 now one is about 4.3 and the other a 4.12 because the bombs always show on those.

On the other hand all my other stuff has vote totals in the high hundreds or thousand plus so its hard to tell if they've been hit and some have so many votes it would take a serious effort to bring them down

 

[NotWise]

This topic comes up now and then, and you guys always come off like conspiracy theorists.

You might sway me at some point. I had a chapter that was doing pretty well, then a minor sweep pulled a couple votes and the score went high enough to get some attention -- not all-star attention, but maybe for the month.

I've been tracking the votes on my recent stories--it isn't like I'm getting too many votes, and the patterns seem vaguely interesting. The story was still visible in the I/T hub when the sweep happened, and about the time the the new score became visible I got two votes totaling 6 stars; probably a 1 and a 5, but two other combinations are possible.

My interpretation was that someone saw the jump, read the story and decided it wasn't worth its score, so they gave it a 1. Not a very rational vote, but a vote just the same. The conspiracy theory might also work.

But that brings up another question. I lagged a few months between posts and in that time I didn't watch the new stories coming in. My recollection was that I/T usually received something like 15 posts/day and easily 1/3 of those would score over 4.5 (friendly crowd). This spring they've been getting ~10 post per day and maybe 1/10 is scoring over 4.5. Is that a normal variation? Last winter my story probably wouldn't have come close to the high for a month.

 

[sr71plt]

Surprise, NotWise, swaying you was no where in my thoughts. Some of us have been around a lot longer with our eyes open than you have. But an intent to sway you? No. Sounds like you're fielding some sort of conspiracy theory.

 

[NotWise]

No. Sounds like you're fielding some sort of conspiracy theory.

Conspiracy theory? Me?

I didn't think there were many of us capable of conspiracy. That implies spontaneous organization at a higher level than the Republican Party can pull off right now.

 

[sr71plt]

I could have sworn that you introduced the "conspiracy theorists" concept to the discussion.

 

[LadyVer]

It's an old story, but I thought I would share...

Just released a new chapter the other day, and it was (was) my highest score ever.

As usual, I was watching the early returns and just as it was preparing to hit 4.9...wham wham wham... Three or four one bombs in a row. Hell, they could have been 2s... Bingo... I'm gone.

Now... I'm not irritated. Hell, its kind of funny actually.

My guess is that another writer (or more likely, their fanboys) saw the score and wanted to save the list from me. I may never win a contest until I gets my own fanboys. Anybody wanna join my crew?

Out of curosity, what category was the story in?

 

[NotWise]

I could have sworn that you introduced the "conspiracy theorists" concept to the discussion.

I did. That's an excellent point of argumentation.

So where does it get us?

 

[sr71plt]

Snubbed by Ticketmaster, along with everyone else.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

http://www.ericberne.com/games-people-play/aint-it-awful/

READ THIS ^^^^ AND CALL ME IN THE MORNING.

 

[Kantarii]

<--- trying to visualize the loud whistling sounds of bombs being dropped and the sounds of incoming artillery fire on a grid coordinate that usually annihilates an enemy's dug in position. Sorry, I was having one of my military flashbacks from my US Army days from the early 90'sKant

Ah, the Clinton administration sales pitch.... "Don't ask, don't tell"....haha yeah, everything is all clear now seeing the big picture

 

[lovecraft68]

This topic comes up now and then, and you guys always come off like conspiracy theorists.

You might sway me at some point. I had a chapter that was doing pretty well, then a minor sweep pulled a couple votes and the score went high enough to get some attention -- not all-star attention, but maybe for the month.

I've been tracking the votes on my recent stories--it isn't like I'm getting too many votes, and the patterns seem vaguely interesting. The story was still visible in the I/T hub when the sweep happened, and about the time the the new score became visible I got two votes totaling 6 stars; probably a 1 and a 5, but two other combinations are possible.

My interpretation was that someone saw the jump, read the story and decided it wasn't worth its score, so they gave it a 1. Not a very rational vote, but a vote just the same. The conspiracy theory might also work.

But that brings up another question. I lagged a few months between posts and in that time I didn't watch the new stories coming in. My recollection was that I/T usually received something like 15 posts/day and easily 1/3 of those would score over 4.5 (friendly crowd). This spring they've been getting ~10 post per day and maybe 1/10 is scoring over 4.5. Is that a normal variation? Last winter my story probably wouldn't have come close to the high for a month.

I'm glad you called out the funk it seems incest/taboo is in. I was checking the hub a few times recently and not only were scores very low, but the vote totals are nowhere near as high for most authors as they used to be.

Even silkstockinglovers contest entry-and many of hers can hit the 2k range-was below her norm, still big by most standards, but low for her.

I've also noticed established incest authors getting oddly low vote totals yet new comers with no history or prior fan base light it up.

And I mentioned this last year in a thread because I went around other hubs and saw votes/comments/favs down in many categories and my feeling was the site somehow was not getting the traffic it used to.

Of course immediately a usual suspect when it comes to saying anything like that comes racing in with all these 'stats' about traffic.

But just because someone comes here they may not be reading, there are tons of people who come here for the boards or if they are reading suddenly no one is voting.

Anyway glad to see someone else mention it, and its not limited to incest/taboo from what I've seen.

 

[lovecraft68]

Conspiracy theory? Me?

I didn't think there were many of us capable of conspiracy. That implies spontaneous organization at a higher level than the Republican Party can pull off right now.

The four little kids who live next door to me are more organized than the republican party these days.