Sigh...

[BiscuitHammer]

How do y'all deal with trolls who tank your story ratings because they can? For me, this started a few months ago after a posting war began on one of my review sections. Apparently someone who was transgender or a transvestite liked one of my stories. Then some twerp began yelling on my wall about 'destroying any story that this 'tranny' liked.

Since then, when I publish, someone messages me and says he ands his friends are going to make sure I pay the price for that person liking my stories and would actively tank my ratings.

How do you other authors handle that? It is rather frustrating.

 

[sr71plt]

You could turn off comments and voting for awhile. They may be gone (for awhile) when you come back on. You can also delete comments individual. Can't do much about the rating bombs. It's happening across the board to most everyone else too, albeit not evenly, I'm sure. I guess the ultimate fix is to stop posting stories here.

 

[CarlusMagnus]

How do you other authors handle that? It is rather frustrating.

Other strategies:

You could PM Laurel with copies of the notes the "twerp" (I would use a stronger word) sent you and ask if she can do anything about the putative campaign against you.

You could abandon your account and sign up under another handle. To keep from being followed, you'd have to sever all public connection between the two accounts, so you'd lose any reputation you've built up. On the good side, you'd lose the trolls; on the bad side, you'd lose your fans.

You could forget about the scores and just write. The comments are more important anyway.

 

[Bramblethorn]

PM Laurel so she's aware of the situation.

After that, use the "report story" button on one of the targeted stories and enter something like "author requesting sweep of this and my other stories". Depending on how they're doing it, this can be pretty effective in cleaning the bombers out of your stats. If you see the vote count dropping on your stories you'll know they've been swept.

And remember that assholes can negate good votes - at least until they're swept - but they can't negate good comments.

Good luck!

 

[ChloeTzang]

PM Laurel so she's aware of the situation.

After that, use the "report story" button on one of the targeted stories and enter something like "author requesting sweep of this and my other stories". Depending on how they're doing it, this can be pretty effective in cleaning the bombers out of your stats. If you see the vote count dropping on your stories you'll know they've been swept.

And remember that assholes can negate good votes - at least until they're swept - but they can't negate good comments.

Good luck!

You could switch categories you submit stories in too. I find my trolls hang out in Loving Wives and they don't look at stories in other categories so unless I submit a new story in Loving Wives (which I do but infrequently) they generally don't bother me elsewhere.

 

[SusanJillParker]

Report the abuse to Laurel.

Delete their comments.

Never answer them.

Then, find out where they live and before you kill them, you torture them. You have them beg for their lives before killing their cat, their dog, and/or their goldfish...and then you kill them.

Sorry, I got carried away.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Report the abuse to Laurel.

Delete their comments.

Never answer them.

Then, find out where they live and before you kill them, you torture them. You have them beg for their lives before killing their cat, their dog, and/or their goldfish...and then you kill them.

Sorry, I got carried away.

Oh, no, that's great Susan. Do carry on. I like your style on this. Impeccable. But I'd suggest feeding their goldfish to their cat first.

 

[Nezhul]

Oh come on! Killing someone is never a solution. Its immature.

Instead, you torture them and leave them disfigured for life, preferably driven insane by the experience. Castrated and with half of their fingers missing (its important not to take your grudges TOO far, after all. We are not savages.) Then they serve as a living reminder of the grim fate that awaits anybody who trolls you.
A corpse is too easily forgotten

 

[ChloeTzang]

Oh come on! Killing someone is never a solution. Its immature.

Instead, you torture them and leave them disfigured for life, preferably driven insane by the experience. Castrated and with half of their fingers missing (its important not to take your grudges TOO far, after all. We are not savages.) Then they serve as a living reminder of the grim fate that awaits anybody who trolls you.
A corpse is too easily forgotten

You guys! I'm heading out the door laughing. Thanks for that what a way to start the day.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Or you can turn both comments and voting off. You obviously hit a nerve with someone out there, so you deal with it or not. Ignore them, they go away once you quit responding.

Or quit accepting anonymous feedback.

 

[TamLin01]

Your stories so far for 2017 are rated 4.79, 4.7, 4.77, 4.41, and 4.72. You're fine.

 

[lovecraft68]

The loving wives trolls left that sewer awhile back and now,attack any story with "fags niggers and cunts" cunt by their definition is any woman that cheats or does anything they don't like. They also say cuck and pussy about any man in a story who doesn't "burn the bitch"

The site can easily end the majority of this by blocking anonymous posters once and for all as that's what most of them hide behind. Or they can ban by IP address any anon troll that uses those terms and goes further by spewing what in the real world would equate hate crimes/ hate speech.

But they won't. It's freedom of speech here unless of course they don't like what yo are saying...and they embrace the trolls as,well as hate speech just check their favorite forum for proof.

You can block anon on your panel and deal with losing the good anon comments or just learn to ignore them. Otherwise don't expect anything else to be done because that would involve giving a rats ass about being a hate spewing cesspool

 

[CarlusMagnus]

Oh, no, that's great Susan. Do carry on. I like your style on this. Impeccable. But I'd suggest feeding their goldfish to their cat first.

NO! Feed the cat to the goldfish!

 

[someoneyouknow]

See my signature.

 

[GoldenCojones]

How do y'all deal with trolls who tank your story ratings because they can? For me, this started a few months ago after a posting war began on one of my review sections. Apparently someone who was transgender or a transvestite liked one of my stories. Then some twerp began yelling on my wall about 'destroying any story that this 'tranny' liked.

Since then, when I publish, someone messages me and says he ands his friends are going to make sure I pay the price for that person liking my stories and would actively tank my ratings.

How do you other authors handle that? It is rather frustrating.

I read comments when I need a good laugh. That is all they are there for. I look at ratings kinda the same way until the first rush of trolls is over anyway.

The real trick for me is favorites and email feedback. That is how I judge my story. The reason is simple. No mater what you write someone is going to dislike itl But that isn't who you are writing for. You are writing for those who like your stories.

Imagine if Ray Bradbury had stopped writing because one person disliked "Halloween Tree" We would never have had "Something Wicked This Way Comes"

Don't worry or bother with the haters. They live pathetic empty lives (ie they can only feel hate) and they are not worth worrying about. Write what you like and never stop writing. What you have to say will touch someone and if you change even one life, you are a successful writer.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

NO! Feed the cat to the goldfish!

Possible, but a very slow process. And if you don't salt the meat with mosquito larve you can find the fish starts to reject the-

What are you all staring at? Oh, like you never wanted to.

 

[dlcalguy]

I just move on. I've never had a bad actual comment, the people who down-vote don't seem to explain.
So, in my case, I assume my usual subject matter attracts the attention of some homophobes who (actively search through the category that they profess to dislike and) hit every new story.
Nothing to be done about it. But it can be very disappointing when a story you are quite proud gets early negs and so never reaches a wider audience.