An Attack of 1-Bombs

[trace_ekies]

Recently, I sent the following message to Laural:

Between 5/5 and 5/17, nine of my stories each received a single vote of one. During the same period, six others with two or three votes each had average votes of more than one point below long established averages, suggesting that there was a one vote in each of those as well. The other twelve of my stories had normal voting patterns for the same period. (The current lowest average vote on any of my twenty-seven stories is 4.11.)

What distinguishes these fifteen stories, and makes the voting on them even more suspect, is that, although these stories have been written at various times over the last eight years, every one of them features the same heroine. (None of the twelve having normal voting patterns has that same heroine.)

It is lamentable that anyone could be so despicable as to go though each of these fifteen stories and cast a vote having no relationship to the story itself. This needs to be addressed.

The affected stories are:

Clubbing and Tubbing;
House of Glass, Chapters 1 through 8;
Kara is Bad!;
Summer of 18, parts 1 through 4; and
The Workout.
​

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Trace Ekies

The salient points of the response are quoted below:

... We have a script that tags fraudulent votes (fraud votes being anytime someone tries to vote for a story more than once by trying to get around our system). ...

Do know in advance that we will not remove votes unless they appear to be fraud. ...

Am I to interpret this to mean that 1-bombs are okay as long as they do not constitute a multiple vote?

 

[StrangeLife]

Am I to interpret this to mean that 1-bombs are okay as long as they do not constitute a multiple vote?

In a way, yes. A 1-vote is not "bombing" - that's just a vote from a person who didn't like your story. The bombing occurs when one person gives you many 1-votes in order to make in the impact on your score larger than intended...

 

[trace_ekies]

In a way, yes. A 1-vote is not "bombing" - that's just a vote from a person who didn't like your story. The bombing occurs when one person gives you many 1-votes in order to make in the impact on your score larger than intended...

I can certainly understand if that happens to a single story. Even if a story has more than 200 votes averaging above 4.5, a 1-vote could still be cast by a person who just flat hated the story. But if they hated the story so much, and still go on to read and cast a 1-vote on fourteen more stories in the same series, that's not 'didn't like your story', that's a vendetta!

 

[sr71plt]

Am I to interpret this to mean that 1-bombs are okay as long as they do not constitute a multiple vote?

Yes. As long as the vote is an option, voting 1 is legitimate here as long as you don't commit fraud (e.g., vote more than once) to register it. There's no reason to think that there can't be an author whose writing is so bad in one or more ways that she/he deserves a vote of 1 on almost everything. The most prolific writer on the site is perpetually voted something close to that.

 

[trace_ekies]

... There's no reason to think that there can't be an author whose writing is so bad in one or more ways that she/he deserves a vote of 1 on almost everything. ...

Agreed. But could you guess as to why the 1-bombs were directed only at the fifteen stories that feature one particular heroine, whereas the twelve that didn't receive the 1-bomb have a different principle character. And why might a person continue reading them, (fifteen in all), after finding something they hated so much as to give it a 1-vote?

You have way more experience at this than me, perhaps you have some ideas.

 

[sr71plt]

I get two 1-bombs at about 10:30 a.m. my time the day after any story of mine posts. At some point they get swept--but they come back most the time if the story is in danger of going above a 4.49 in rating. The pattern itself is what tells me it has nothing to do with the quality of the stories and allows me to ignore it and continue to write and post what I want to write. I don't really have any insecurities about the quality of my writing (despite the attempt even on this forum to "fix" that for me). I'll never be either above or below the mid list in the marketplace, and I can live with that. I'd rather be writing then doing TV interviews. As far as income, royalties are just travel money gravy for me.

If readers here don't appreciate getting it for free or want to play king of the hill or vendetta games, then fuck 'em.

If you see the pattern of vendetta you do, you really should be able to separate that off and ignore it. You can either hyperventilate over these patterns or rise above them. Your choice. I don't make choices for other writers.

 

[AMoveableBeast]

I feel like people are allowed to hate your stories or, in this case, a particular character so much that they show their displeasure by thoroughly and systematically dropping the score of any story involving the hated character.

It's juvenile and petty, and I would never do it, but, honestly, it isn't uncommon. Read a Twilight review online. People travel far and wide to bash the "sparkling ones". It's almost a kind of reverse fandom. "Hate groupies", if you will.

Really, I'd take it as a compliment, if you can manage it. You affected someone that much. Isn't that the point of fiction?

 

[trace_ekies]

... You can either hyperventilate over these patterns or rise above them. ...

Thanks. After hyperventilating a while longer, I'll try the 'rise above' recommedation. It's still hard to believe that anyone could be so hateful.

 

[trace_ekies]

... take it as a compliment, if you can manage it. You affected someone that much. Isn't that the point of fiction?

Wow! It only took eleven years and twenty-seven stories to get awarded with a string of 1-bombs.

Yes, I know I really should consider it a compliment, but I'm going to have to vent a while first.

Thanks for the encouragement though!

 

[RejectReality]

It doesn't have to be a string of one votes on your stories to be fraud.

People sometimes bomb all the stories in a toplist to move up their favorite. People sometimes bomb every new story that comes out in a day for shits and giggles.

If you suddenly have a massive drop in score, there's a good chance somebody has been fucking around, and you may not be the only victim.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

As I see it LAUREL controls all the routes action takes, and allows trolls to stand on overpasses and piss on the traffic.

 

[Hypoxia]

As I see it LAUREL controls all the routes action takes, and allows trolls to stand on overpasses and piss on the traffic.

A guilty pleasure? A fetish? Could our gatekeeper have a troll fetish?

Let's try a certain approach.

In my wasted un-youth, I modded various conspiracy-theory fora. I have encountered just about possible conspiracy theory. A conspiratorialist might look at the LIT comments and 1-bomb situation as PLANNED, to keep authors and forum pundits occupied, distracted from what is REALLY going on.

And what is really happening? Well, if I told you, I'd have to kill you, heh heh. But whatever it is, it's hidden behind onionskin-like layer after layer of disinformation and distraction. ANON is just a pawn. Stirring-up controversy is a goal. Everything happens for a reason. There are no coincidences.

I'll leave it for brave explorers to dig up the truth here. It's out there somewhere. Truth, that is.

 

[Serafina1210]

Today I finally posted a story that got lots of readers and decent scores. I think some of those readers must have gone to look at my other things, which are dark and sometimes full of gay sex.

1-bombed 'em and cost me a little red H (sob).

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

Professional publishing houses have (albeit small) teams of people 1-bombing here to make it appear that readers do not like what they see here (which would be major competition to the 'old model' of publishing).

I could even tell you in which building and in which national capital some of these people are situated.

They are NOT Chinese, as it happens.

 

[Hypoxia]

I could even tell you in which building and in which national capital some of these people are situated.

Do we have to beg, or will you tell us?

 

[StrangeLife]

They are NOT Chinese, as it happens.

Australians?

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Wow! It only took eleven years and twenty-seven stories to get awarded with a string of 1-bombs.

Yes, I know I really should consider it a compliment, but I'm going to have to vent a while first.

Thanks for the encouragement though!

Try writing in Loving Wives.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Professional publishing houses have (albeit small) teams of people 1-bombing here to make it appear that readers do not like what they see here (which would be major competition to the 'old model' of publishing).

I could even tell you in which building and in which national capital some of these people are situated.

They are NOT Chinese, as it happens.

Sometimes you feel like a nut...oh boy.

 

[trace_ekies]

Try writing in Loving Wives.

I have actually, three times, but not since 2005. The waters there have become too caustic.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

A guilty pleasure? A fetish? Could our gatekeeper have a troll fetish?

Let's try a certain approach.

In my wasted un-youth, I modded various conspiracy-theory fora. I have encountered just about possible conspiracy theory. A conspiratorialist might look at the LIT comments and 1-bomb situation as PLANNED, to keep authors and forum pundits occupied, distracted from what is REALLY going on.

And what is really happening? Well, if I told you, I'd have to kill you, heh heh. But whatever it is, it's hidden behind onionskin-like layer after layer of disinformation and distraction. ANON is just a pawn. Stirring-up controversy is a goal. Everything happens for a reason. There are no coincidences.

I'll leave it for brave explorers to dig up the truth here. It's out there somewhere. Truth, that is.

I subscribe to THE MEANING OF ANYTHING IS THE OUTCOME YOU GET THEORY. So I get to narrow the options down to: LAUREL HAS NO IDEA HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM, LAUREL IS LAZY, LAUREL DOESNT CARE ABOUT THE PROBLEM, OR LAUREL LIKES THE PROBLEM.

 

[Mockingjay]

Uhm, what?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

LAUREL drives the bus or she don't. And the bus goes where she points it or it don't.

 

[Hypoxia]

LAUREL drives the bus or she don't. And the bus goes where she points it or it don't.

Ah, but who or what drives Laurel? Could be, she's just a tool, too, a pawn in a larger game. What game? Ah, do the ants we tread underfoot recognize the games we play? Do we comprehend the scripts we play out? When we reach the edge of the world, do we stop, or do we fall off?

Yes, yes, I'll go quietly...

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Ah, but who or what drives Laurel? Could be, she's just a tool, too, a pawn in a larger game. What game? Ah, do the ants we tread underfoot recognize the games we play? Do we comprehend the scripts we play out? When we reach the edge of the world, do we stop, or do we fall off?

Yes, yes, I'll go quietly...

She may be Obama for all I know. He's certainly clueless about the VA.

 

[trace_ekies]

... LAUREL HAS NO IDEA HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM, LAUREL IS LAZY, LAUREL DOESNT CARE ABOUT THE PROBLEM, OR LAUREL LIKES THE PROBLEM.

Laurel is lazy? No, I think not. As far as I am able to tell, she eats, sleeps and breaths this site.

Laurel doesn't care about the problem? No, I'm sure she does care as evidenced by all the effort that has and continues to go into cleaning up the votes and the comments.

Laurel likes the problem? No way. Voting problems discourage authors, with the result that they write less. Without authors there are no stories for the readers to read and with no readers, there is no site. No, I don't see any way that she could possibly like the situation.

Laurel has no idea how to fix the problem? That I believe is the most likely of the choices JBJ has suggested. There are a lot of smart people on this forum with a wealth of experience, yet no one has offered a carefully thought out suggestion for fixing the problem. This is not an easy problem to solve!