How Top [Category] Story Authors Lists Are Generated

[SimonDoom]

One of the innumerable puzzles of the Site to me is how Top Category Story Authors Lists are created. These are the lists you see in the right column on the category hub page. It's not based on how prolific you have been in that category. I know that for certain. I also know it's not based on how popular overall the author is who happens to have written a story in that category. It's probably a combination of factors, but I can't figure them out. Anybody know?

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm going to guess and say it has to do with overall activity as in recent votes, favs, comments, views on author's stories and the author themselves.

I have not published a new I/T story in a year and I show up as #4 on the 7 day and 5 on the other two. But every day I get some activity on my I/T stories so that's what I'm basing the guess on.

Being on a top author list, having top stories on the category lists...also winning contests in a category as they have a contest winners side bar and I currently have two listed there.

It would also explain how being prolific wouldn't put you on there, this is based on authors who's stories people read and respond to, not how much you can chuck up there that's getting no attention.

 

[KeithD]

One of the innumerable puzzles of the Site to me is how Top Category Story Authors Lists are created. These are the lists you see in the right column on the category hub page. It's not based on how prolific you have been in that category. I know that for certain. I also know it's not based on how popular overall the author is who happens to have written a story in that category. It's probably a combination of factors, but I can't figure them out. Anybody know?

You might note too that the "most popular" lists in the hubs vary drastically between the old look and the new look views--at least they do in the hub lists I look at.

 

[HeyAll]

I also think it's interesting.

Under the old system, I was featured on Anal and BDSM. That was back when it was calculated heavily on recent activities, and there was a 30 day list and 7 day list -- something like that.

Now, I'm not on the Anal or BDSM lists, despite having a bunch of stories there that did/do well.

I'm on the NonCon list though, having only 2 stories there. I've posted a story there recently, and one about a year ago.

So I agree that it relies heavily on recent activity and the strength of recently posted stories.

 

[KeithD]

I also think it's interesting.

Under the old system, I was featured on Anal and BDSM. That was back when it was calculated heavily on recent activities, and there was a 30 day list and 7 day list -- something like that.

Now, I'm not on the Anal or BDSM lists, despite having a bunch of stories there that did/do well.

I'm on the NonCon list though, having only 2 stories there. I've posted a story there recently, and one about a year ago.

So I agree that it relies heavily on recent activity and the strength of recently posted stories.

I've noted that the "most popular" listings in the new system for the GM hubs include authors who have very few GM stories on their lists. So, just like the "similar stories" lists that tend to include totally unrelated stories, I think whatever formula they are using in the new system is out of whack.

 

[AlinaX]

Huh, L&T and MC for me, so I'm guessing recent likes [favourites].

 

[lovecraft68]

I've noted that the "most popular" listings in the new system for the GM hubs include authors who have very few GM stories on their lists. So, just like the "similar stories" lists that tend to include totally unrelated stories, I think whatever formula they are using in the new system is out of whack.

It is not out of whack, it works like any algorithm, the more 'hits' a story gets the further up the chain it goes(like amazon rankings for instance) it has nothing to do with number of stories, but a story's numbers.

A person can write one story and if its a massive success in votes, favs, comments, bookmarks, views, it is going to get the author on that list.

You argue this because you think just throwing endless content against the wall should get you somewhere other than the most prolific list.

Guess what I'm saying is the lists we're discussing reflect content people actually read.

 

[SimonDoom]

I just can't figure it out.

I published a story in Toys & Masturbation yesterday. It's my first and only story in that category. And I'm listed fourth on the Top Toys and Masturbation Author List, which seems funny to me since it's my only story.

It's done fine, and mine is the only Toy story published in the last three days, but the list obviously isn't based just on recent activity in that category, because there are authors on the list who haven't published in the category recently.

My story has a 4.55. Good, but not spectacular. Not as high as other stories.

It must incorporate data from the author's other work, but I can't quite figure out how. T&M is a fairly quiet category, relatively speaking, and I publish a lot in incest, so I get a lot more views, probably, than the average T&M author.


But Specter Dugan is listed right below me on the list. He hasn't published recently in that category, but he has far more followers than I do, and I assume his stories over the last two years have generated more activity.

So it's a puzzle to me.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Hmmm... here is what I see for Incest.

Author, number of works, followers

klrxo 70 7170
TryAnything 45 7867
nikki_2021 96 8854
Xarth 113 10297
HeyAll 277 16634
rmdexter 182 7328
m_storyman_x 233 7207
silkstockingslover 538 37316
dezurtdawg 67 7662
SusanJillParker 623 7312

This is on the new page.

 

[SimonDoom]

Hmmm... here is what I see for Incest.

Author, number of works, followers

klrxo 70 7170
TryAnything 45 7867
nikki_2021 96 8854
Xarth 113 10297
HeyAll 277 16634
rmdexter 182 7328
m_storyman_x 233 7207
silkstockingslover 538 37316
dezurtdawg 67 7662
SusanJillParker 623 7312

This is on the new page.

It's hard for me to imagine that Silkstockingslover wouldn't be number 1 on that list, or that HeyAll wouldn't be number 2. Some of those people haven't written for years.

 

[lovecraft68]

It's hard for me to imagine that Silkstockingslover wouldn't be number 1 on that list, or that HeyAll wouldn't be number 2. Some of those people haven't written for years.

On the surface I agree with you, but again maybe those stories because of where they are keep getting the necessary hits to keep them on top. Also Silk doesn't just write incest, she does a lot of Lesbian and Heyall also branches out into Lesbian and BDSM so maybe that's part of it.

 

[lovecraft68]

For the hell of it, I went and checked Mature, the other category I've had some success in.

I show up as #6 on the three lists.

My Nude day entry this year was the first mature story I've published in a few years and it did well, but I also have the #7/52/55 stories on the all time Mature top list and I imagine its those three that keep me up there even though I'm not prolific there.

 

[lovecraft68]

I just can't figure it out.

I published a story in Toys & Masturbation yesterday. It's my first and only story in that category. And I'm listed fourth on the Top Toys and Masturbation Author List, which seems funny to me since it's my only story.

It's done fine, and mine is the only Toy story published in the last three days, but the list obviously isn't based just on recent activity in that category, because there are authors on the list who haven't published in the category recently.

My story has a 4.55. Good, but not spectacular. Not as high as other stories.

It must incorporate data from the author's other work, but I can't quite figure out how. T&M is a fairly quiet category, relatively speaking, and I publish a lot in incest, so I get a lot more views, probably, than the average T&M author.


So it's a puzzle to me.

If any hit on any story counted towards these top lists it could explain some things, but on the other side make things more confusing. But in a category like T&M there's not a lot of stories and they don't get big numbers so one good story no matter how old could stick around I would think?
But Specter Dugan is listed right below me on the list. He hasn't published recently in that category, but he has far more followers than I do, and I assume his stories over the last two years have generated more activity.

 

[KeithD]

You argue this because you think just throwing endless content against the wall should get you somewhere other than the most prolific list.

No, I don't, you sick little stalking puppy.

To the point I made about story hub "popular authors" listings being radically different the old vs. the new page looks, just now in the GM hub, the old list runs my two declared GM accounts as #1 and #2 (and I'm sure it comes as a surprise to you that I don't make up those lists myself). They aren't listed at all in the new page look in the hub. I also noted that among those listed in the new look are authors who don't stand out as writers in that category based on their lists. The #2 author on the current list only has one-tenth of their list in GM stories and not a single one of them has a red H.

The point I was making is that the lists are radically different, which they are. I wasn't blasting my own horn or attacking someone like you love to do on the discussion board nor was I asserting what the "right" was as you so self-righteously love to do here.

On the same point--the "most popular" hub lists being radically different between the old and new page looks, I could make exactly the same point with you in the I/T category. You are #4 on the old list. You aren't on the new current list at all. Whatever the formula is, it has changed between the old and new list and I question the new list on the basis of the how much the listed authors write in that category and what their shown ratings are in that category.

 

[Winter_Fare]

Seems like all time popularity is no longer down to a minimum 50 votes, so older stuff with a high score but fewer votes/reads gets a chance. That might mean those authors get more exposure: I've discovered a few new reads already that I would never have noticed before with the old rankings. Also, slightly off topic, the random story finder is a million times better now

 

[lovecraft68]

Seems like all time popularity is no longer down to a minimum 50 votes, so older stuff with a high score but fewer votes/reads gets a chance. That might mean those authors get more exposure: I've discovered a few new reads already that I would never have noticed before with the old rankings. Also, slightly off topic, the random story finder is a million times better now

For the all time top list for each category 100 votes are needed, most old stories can get that number

But for the list we're discussing that show up on each category page, I don't believe there is a minimum number of votes, its just has to get consistent attention.

That's also skewed by category. 50 votes might be a good number for some categories, but for LW, IT and maybe Mature, you need a good number to be able to get onto that list as those categories have large readerships.

 

[Qubiquitous]

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