Bullshit Ratings

[Artie88]

I have read many stories on this site, first at random (whatever caught my eye) and then according to the ratings (top lists).

I also checked readers comments for those stories.

And, what I have found is that I cannot for the life of me figure out how so many of these stories could be rated so highly.

I know not everyone has the same tastes, so I have to assume that there are a very great number of readers who like some of the stories that I believed are absolute trash.

But, when I look through the readers' comments, they rarely seem to reflect the high ratings of these stories.

So, what should be the guide I use to choose which story to read next?

The ratings and comments don't align, so I can't depend on those.

A shame really, because there is no other obvious way.

So, I ask, what am I to use as a gauge other than the BULLSHIT RATINGS?

 

[AlinaX]

Actually, bad grammar and poor characterisation are major kinks for a lot of readers.

[ETA: There's a reason it's called the Kink's English...]

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

I dont look at ratings or comments. I go strictly by title and blurb. I open several stories in different windows and begin reading. If one doesn't catch my interest, I go to the next. I also use the similar stories links.

If I find myself favoriting multiple stories by one author, I will begin to read all their stories.

 

[KeithD]

Doing advanced searches of the story by category and tags might be your "thing" in isolating stories you want to read.

https://search.literotica.com/

 

[GroverLang]

There are a great number of stories, sometimes with a very high rating, that are crap. One of the reasons for the score is because they are written for the masturbating reader. As long as they can orgasm, whether man or woman, they don’t care about the plot or quality of the writing. That type of story is usually no more than two pages.

There are many writers who churn out this crap because they like seeing that red H and aren’t interested in writing an actual story (assuming they are capable of doing so) and aren’t interested in improving the technical side of their writing either. Why would they when both they and their readers are getting what they want?

When I’m looking for a story, I normally frequent four categories, and I go by the title and description which, on average, means I try a couple of stories although sometimes it’s more and sometimes none at all. The rating might be 4.7 it might be 3.7. That way I’ve read trash but I’ve also read some very good stories that readers who only go by a red H will miss out on.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You have to figure out the "rules of engagement" which vary widely from category to category. Find writers you do like, check out who they have in their favourites list (usually an indication of some similar taste). Over time you'll figure out what indicators you can rely on, and follow those. Judge also by the nature of comments being left - you'll soon spot whether a writer is getting thoughtful commentary vs "best story ever" x 50. Also know what you want to see in a story - some folk only want stroke and there are writers who satisfy that; others want long involved story telling, and they're catered for too.

 

[SeabornFare]

I have read many stories on this site, first at random (whatever caught my eye) and then according to the ratings (top lists).

I also checked readers comments for those stories.

And, what I have found is that I cannot for the life of me figure out how so many of these stories could be rated so highly.

I know not everyone has the same tastes, so I have to assume that there are a very great number of readers who like some of the stories that I believed are absolute trash.

But, when I look through the readers' comments, they rarely seem to reflect the high ratings of these stories.

So, what should be the guide I use to choose which story to read next?

The ratings and comments don't align, so I can't depend on those.

A shame really, because there is no other obvious way.

So, I ask, what am I to use as a gauge other than the BULLSHIT RATINGS?

Maybe you enjoy shitty stories while everyone else are reading soon-to-be award winners.

There are a great number of stories, sometimes with a very high rating, that are crap. One of the reasons for the score is because they are written for the masturbating reader. As long as they can orgasm, whether man or woman, they don’t care about the plot or quality of the writing. That type of story is usually no more than two pages.

There are many writers who churn out this crap because they like seeing that red H and aren’t interested in writing an actual story (assuming they are capable of doing so) and aren’t interested in improving the technical side of their writing either. Why would they when both they and their readers are getting what they want?

When I’m looking for a story, I normally frequent four categories, and I go by the title and description which, on average, means I try a couple of stories although sometimes it’s more and sometimes none at all. The rating might be 4.7 it might be 3.7. That way I’ve read trash but I’ve also read some very good stories that readers who only go by a red H will miss out on.

Readers will let you know if you're a good writer or if you're pretentious and egotistical. Just because you put pen to paper doesn't mean literary enthusiasts should appreciate it. It doesn't mean it's good. And it doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. Get out of your bubble.

 

[KeithD]

Readers will let you know if you're a good writer or if you're pretentious and egotistical. Just because you put pen to paper doesn't mean literary enthusiasts should appreciate it. It doesn't mean it's good. And it doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. Get out of your bubble.

Just because readers read, vote, and comment on a story doesn't mean they are "literary enthusiasts" either or that they know what they're talking about, for that matter. It's all a crap shoot. Best to read around until you find an author you like writing on topics you like and then follow them. And don't worry about what anyone else likes or doesn't.

 

[GroverLang]

Maybe you enjoy shitty stories while everyone else are reading soon-to-be award winners. Readers will let you know if you're a good writer or if you're pretentious and egotistical. Just because you put pen to paper doesn't mean literary enthusiasts should appreciate it. It doesn't mean it's good. And it doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. Get out of your bubble.

Thank you for responding to a comment I clearly didn’t make. Perhaps you are intent on annoying people in this forum as you seem to be doing in others. Good luck.

 

[AlinaX]

One of the reasons for the score is because they are written for the masturbating reader. ... That type of story is usually no more than two pages. There are many writers who churn out this crap because they like seeing that red H ...

I feel like I'm being kink-shamed.

Hmm. Need an RC-vibrator that reacts to Literotica notifications...

 

[SeabornFare]

Thank you for responding to a comment I clearly didn’t make. Perhaps you are intent on annoying people in this forum as you seem to be doing in others. Good luck.

You've combined my responses when you quoted me. One of my responses is clearly for Artie, while the other is clearly for you, which makes complete sense, given the context of your post.

 

[lovecraft68]

I start with what I'm in the mood for and go to that category. I pick what I'll read by title and description, sounds interesting I'll check it out, doesn't I pass

Sometimes I'll see an author I've enjoyed before and click on that one

Its not rocket science, choose based on your interests not scores and comments because as your post proves, they can be meaningless, a few of my favorite stories here are well under the H rating

 

[KeithD]

I might note that a two-page Literotica story is twice as long as what most mainstream writing contests permit to enter contests. There's nothing "too short" for a short story in a two-page Literotica story.

 

[Bramblethorn]

From my stats, about 1-2% of those who voted will leave a comment. You should expect comments to represent the extremes, those who really loved or hated a story. That's not necessarily going to tell the same story as the average voter.

If you prefer to browse by subject matter, KeithD gave a good search tip. My enjoyment of stories tends to come down to style issues that aren't easily searchable, so my strategy is:

- read a bunch of stories, but be prepared to skip out as soon as it starts feeling meh
- when you DO find stories you like, check out the author, check out their other stories, check their favourites, and repeat.
- Maybe also check out the people who favourite them and see what else they've favourited.

 

[ElectricBlue]

From my stats, about 1-2% of those who voted will leave a comment. You should expect comments to represent the extremes, those who really loved or hated a story. That's not necessarily going to tell the same story as the average voter.

My comment ratio is stronger than that - I see roughly one vote per hundred Views (some categories might be 1:60 or 1:70), and one comment per thousand. That's generally consistent across my collection - except for Group. Those guys react (to my content, anyway) noticeably less on every measure that I think means something. Maybe I don't write enough orgies - threesomes don't seem to count .

 

[SimonDoom]

Many, many Literotica readers are looking for quick arousal. They gravitate toward categories they like and reward the stories that give them the fix they're looking for. Often, those readers don't care much about "literary quality," whatever that is.

There's nothing wrong with this.

If that's not what you are looking for, and you're looking for stories that show good prose and good storytelling skills, then here's what you should do:

I.D. a few writers whose stories you like. Then check out their favorites lists and find out what THEY like. Chances are good your tastes will overlap. Follow the authors you like. Keep an eye out when their stories are published.

The other thing to do: check out lots and lots of stories. Constantly look for the stories of authors you have not read. Read the first five paragraphs. If you don't like them, abandon the story. 95% of the time I can tell within 5 paragraphs whether I will like a story or not. Don't waste your time.

This is what I do. It beats to hell any other way of finding stories I want to read on Literotica.

 

[Bramblethorn]

My comment ratio is stronger than that - I see roughly one vote per hundred Views (some categories might be 1:60 or 1:70), and one comment per thousand. That's generally consistent across my collection - except for Group. Those guys react (to my content, anyway) noticeably less on every measure that I think means something. Maybe I don't write enough orgies - threesomes don't seem to count .

You're right, I misspoke - my counts are about ten votes per comment.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You're right, I misspoke - my counts are about ten votes per comment.

It's one of those uncanny things about Lit, how these ratios seem to stay consistent between categories - with two exceptions, of course, which are different worlds .

 

[lovecraft68]

It's one of those uncanny things about Lit, how these ratios seem to stay consistent between categories - with two exceptions, of course, which are different worlds .

I believe LW is the most commented on as the factions not only spew at the author, but at each other.

Ironic that the most vocal readership is the one you want to hear from the least.

 

[SimonDoom]

I believe LW is the most commented on as the factions not only spew at the author, but at each other.

Ironic that the most vocal readership is the one you want to hear from the least.

Yes, LW is truly the outlier category. I have published one story in that category. It is by far my lowest-rated story. But it also has the highest vote:view ratio and the highest comment:view ratio of all my stories.

They are a motivated bunch, whatever else you say about them.

 

[DelNovo]

I will admit to have wondered about that myself. I've found that the ratings don't truly reflect the quality of the stories, unless you grade them on a curve, so to speak.

That is to say, I've found nothing below 4.4 that I have rated 5. Between 4 and 4.4, I've given anything from 1 to 4. Below 4, I've never found anything that rates above 2 and most of it is garbage. This is only in categories I like, and I don't read stories that have "warnings" in the beginning about plot elements or character types that I don't find appealing.

I've written four stories and, probably like any author, I think my stuff is good stuff. Three of the stories hover between 4.77 - 4.8 and the other is at 4.37. While most people would probably say that 4.77 - 4.8 are good scores and I wouldn't change my stories, the difference between 4.8 and 4.9 is the difference between "hardly anyone will see this once it's no longer on the first page of newest stories" and "contest winner / top ten in the Hall Of Fame". So I've looked at those 4.85 - 4.9 stories to figure out how I can improve what I write, and most of the time, I can't figure out what's so great about those stories.

Seriously, one such highly rated story that I recently read, posted in the "first time" category, contained no sexual activity at all and did not carry a disclaimer in the beginning about there being nothing sexual in it. There's a place for non-erotic stories, and "first time" isn't it. Another had so many grammar errors that it couldn't have been on account of editing oversights (which any author can have). I was actually here on the forum tonight, thinking about posting a thread about this very topic. Perhaps you beat me to it.

And I do have to agree also about the rating and comment ratio. It's hard to figure out why a story that has nothing but raving positive comments sits at anything lower than 5.00, and why a story rife with negative comments is still at 4-something.

I haven't figured out the answer yet. There might be a bunch of people out there just looking for a cheap thrill, rationalizing the reading of stories like these by thinking that it isn't quite pornography. Maybe the answer will bubble to the surface after a lot of people respond.

 

[ElectricBlue]

And I do have to agree also about the rating and comment ratio. It's hard to figure out why a story that has nothing but raving positive comments sits at anything lower than 5.00, and why a story rife with negative comments is still at 4-something.

Because the number of people who comment is only 10% of those who vote, and the number who vote is only 1 - 2% of those who open your story. So you've got a feedback pool getting progressively smaller - in that sense, it's effectively two different cohorts.

 

[married40scouple]

I agree with much of the feedback on this topic. I initially do not read stories based on ratings. I go through the latest submissions and read the ones with Title and Description that catch my eye. I then read the first couple of paragraphs and if it did not meet my expectation, I move on to the next story. However, if it seems to have potential, I will skip a few paragraphs to see if it improves.

If I have made it to the end of the story, I rate it a 5. I rarely give it a 4 and never lower. My logic is some people who did not overlook some things I did will rate it lower and the actual rating will pan out correctly (more or less).

I have generally* noticed the extremely high ratings are more lengthy with great character development, a real issue that is uncovered and discussed and makes the reader think, plausible, contains great build-up and excellent sex scenes, and of course perfect or near perfect vocabulary, sentence and paragraph structure.

*I say generally because I have read the very highly rated stories so I can discover what I need to understand when I post a story. I know the work I have submitted are not 4.8 or higher because I would need to put in a lot of time and effort and I would use an editor. I have used a Literotica editor in the past and it worked great. Therefore, if you want the near perfect rating-or someone who will honestly critique your work-get an editor!

Take this post for example, was my vocabulary correct, did I use commas correctly, should I have used colons, are my paragraphs cohesive and do they break appropriately? An editor will tell me these things and future postings would probably improve.

Ratings can be misleading, therefore, falling back on what others have posted on this topic, read the stories that interest you and don't get hung up on ratings. If you enjoyed it-awesome (and please rate )! If not-move onto the next one.

 

[enigma3]

I agree with much of the feedback on this topic. I initially do not read stories based on ratings. I go through the latest submissions and read the ones with Title and Description that catch my eye. I then read the first couple of paragraphs and if it did not meet my expectation, I move on to the next story. However, if it seems to have potential, I will skip a few paragraphs to see if it improves.

If I have made it to the end of the story, I rate it a 5. I rarely give it a 4 and never lower. My logic is some people who did not overlook some things I did will rate it lower and the actual rating will pan out correctly (more or less).

I have generally* noticed the extremely high ratings are more lengthy with great character development, a real issue that is uncovered and discussed and makes the reader think, plausible, contains great build-up and excellent sex scenes, and of course perfect or near perfect vocabulary, sentence and paragraph structure.

*I say generally because I have read the very highly rated stories so I can discover what I need to understand when I post a story. I know the work I have submitted are not 4.8 or higher because I would need to put in a lot of time and effort and I would use an editor. I have used a Literotica editor in the past and it worked great. Therefore, if you want the near perfect rating-or someone who will honestly critique your work-get an editor!

Take this post for example, was my vocabulary correct, did I use commas correctly, should I have used colons, are my paragraphs cohesive and do they break appropriately? An editor will tell me these things and future postings would probably improve.

Ratings can be misleading, therefore, falling back on what others have posted on this topic, read the stories that interest you and don't get hung up on ratings. If you enjoyed it-awesome (and please rate )! If not-move onto the next one.

Yeah i agree. it's the same as film ratings, some of the best stories i've read are rated at 3.2 .....just comes down to taste and content i suppose.

 

[MohanSingh]

A lot of good stories don't get high ratings. Just treat it like Pornhub. Get through as many as you can and surely one will get you to shoot a load.