The Mysteries of LR's ranking algorithms

[Jackobin]

Hi,
I wonder if any other authors have run into inexplicable anomalies in the ranking of stories. In this particular case, I've had a story up for twelve days which has never been under 4.5 in rank with, at this time, six votes. However, it does not have a "Hot" label, and if I recall correctly, it has never gotten one.

I thought that stories graded 4.5 or above automatically got a "Hot" label. I see numerous other stories that are a simple 4.5 labeled "Hot".

Anyone have any insight into this? I've had other stories that were labeled "Hot" that fell out of that rating when the stories got hit with apparently 3 star or lower votes, but this one has yet to achieve "Hot" despite having been at 5 stars for several days and then at 4.5 or 4.75 ratings.

I suppose I shouldn't care so much about ratings and labels, but I do think that a "Hot" label is something that attracts more readers to take a chance.

I'm a relatively new author here, but now have 17 stories up and am still trying to understand how LR works and how the readers act.

Feel free to post any answers here or contact me directly.

Thanks so much!

Jackobin

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

Jakobin, you said your story has six votes so far. It needs at least ten votes and still be at 4.5 or higher to get the red H. Hopefully that will happen for you soon.

 

[KeithD]

Hi,
I wonder if any other authors have run into inexplicable anomalies in the ranking of stories. In this particular case, I've had a story up for twelve days which has never been under 4.5 in rank with, at this time, six votes. However, it does not have a "Hot" label, and if I recall correctly, it has never gotten one.

I thought that stories graded 4.5 or above automatically got a "Hot" label. I see numerous other stories that are a simple 4.5 labeled "Hot".

You have to have at least ten votes at 4.5 or higher to register a Hot. Six votes isn't there yet.

 

[Jackobin]

Thanks for cluing me in... A further ranking gripe

Thanks for the quick replies, SouthernCrossfire and Keith D.

Okay, that makes sense. I figured it might be something like that, though I could swear that I'd had "Hot" labels early on with stories that didn't yet have ten votes, but that is likely just a bogus memory.

While we are discussing LR rankings and labels, I have another mild gripe about the 5-star system. I don't know if anyone else feels this way or not. That is that if people are going to use the star votes to actually make nuanced ratings, 5 stars strikes me as too blunt a tool. With 20% increments, a 5-star vote is like an A or A+ grade, but a 4-star is like an 80% C+ grade, it seems to me. B grades can't be done individually with such large increments.

Personally, if I don't like a story or just think it is merely okay, I withhold my vote, as I think that 1 to 3 stars are unduly punitive. If I think a story is quite good but not perfect, I'll give it a 5 to either encourage the author or to indicate it is hot to me despite its imperfections. I've had stories that had like 12 5-star votes and then dropped to 3.75 ratings because of a couple lowball votes. My feeling is if you don't like a story, just move on, as it is obviously not for you. (I'm using "you" here as a general term).

But perhaps I am too touchy,

 

[jaF0]

My feeling is if you don't like a story, just move on, as it is obviously not for you.

My feeling is that if you're going to rate a story, you should do it honestly. If not, why have anything other than a '5' option?

 

[PennameWombat]

<snip>
While we are discussing LR rankings and labels, I have another mild gripe about the 5-star system. I don't know if anyone else feels this way or not. That is that if people are going to use the star votes to actually make nuanced ratings, 5 stars strikes me as too blunt a tool. With 20% increments, a 5-star vote is like an A or A+ grade, but a 4-star is like an 80% C+ grade, it seems to me. B grades can't be done individually with such large increments.<snip>

This has been... discussed.

Many times

Please, not meaning anything personal against your comment. Long threads exist but they've been pushed down in this forum and on where folks have proposed various other weighted methods and other things, sometimes to long periods of discussion. Bottom line seems to be that this is Laurel's site and she doesn't mind what's here now. We all just live with it.

 

[Jackobin]

Over and Out

This has been... discussed.

Many times

Please, not meaning anything personal against your comment. Long threads exist but they've been pushed down in this forum and on where folks have proposed various other weighted methods and other things, sometimes to long periods of discussion. Bottom line seems to be that this is Laurel's site and she doesn't mind what's here now. We all just live with it.

Fine. I've had my say, and I don't need to or mean to belabor it. I've been reading stories here since, what?, 2002, but just this fall registered and started posting stories. So my awareness of what has been discussed to death on the Board is about nil. Thanks to all who have responded.

 

[KeithD]

The reality of the Literotica system, concerning how keen the writers are on being seen as superlative where you don't get marked with an H with anything below a 4.5 rating, is that there are only two categories in the five-star system: 5 and "no."

 

[NotWise]

The reality of the Literotica system, concerning how keen the writers are on being seen as superlative where you don't get marked with an H with anything below a 4.5 rating, is that there are only two categories in the five-star system: 5 and "no."

True, but there are varying degrees of "no."

4 - nah
3 - nyet
2 - fuck you
1 - and your mother, too.

 

[SimonDoom]

The rating system has been beaten to death, but it's still a fair subject to discuss. I personally do not think any reader should feel reluctant to give a grade below 5 if they honestly feel the story doesn't deserve a 5. If the author doesn't get a red H as a result, well, so what? Nobody is entitled to one. I have plenty of stories with red Hs, and some without. I cope. Others can too.

 

[sirhugs]

The rating system has been beaten to death, but it's still a fair subject to discuss. I personally do not think any reader should feel reluctant to give a grade below 5 if they honestly feel the story doesn't deserve a 5. If the author doesn't get a red H as a result, well, so what? Nobody is entitled to one. I have plenty of stories with red Hs, and some without. I cope. Others can too.

but we cry ourselves to sleep at night...

 

[Omenainen]

True, but there are varying degrees of "no."

4 - nah
3 - nyet
2 - fuck you
1 - and your mother, too.

This made me laugh.

 

[AlinaX]

This made me laugh.

Me too.

I don't mind the four-star votes, but the one-bombs are cruel, especially on a new story.

 

[sirhugs]

True, but there are varying degrees of "no."

4 - nah
3 - nyet
2 - fuck you
1 - and your mother, too.

This made me laugh.

Me too.

I don't mind the four-star votes, but the one-bombs are cruel, especially on a new story.

but what the trolls don't get is just how popular fucking your mother is on Literotica...

 

[Omenainen]

but what the trolls don't get is just how popular fucking your mother is on Literotica...

So that’s why! It all makes sense now!

 

[Zeb_Carter]

but what the trolls don't get is just how popular fucking their mother is on Literotica...

I fixed the foible for you, it's not our mother who gets fucked but theirs. But then they all read incest.