Changing the poetry top list is the wrong direction.

WriterDom

Good to the last drop
Joined
Jun 25, 2000
Posts
20,077
If you are looking to give poets more exposure that aren't on it. There is a very simple solution. You create a Poetry forum where each thread is a poem. And, if 212 people want to comment on a TJ poem that's fine. Those of us, and I'm not really including myself in "us" that don't even like her poetry, don't have to open the thread. Anyone wishing for instant feedback doesn't have to scrounge for 10 high votes to make the top list. The older poems fade quickly into history.

And there is nothing that says you can't continue the submission and voting cycle also.

I wouldn't be opposed to doing away with the top list. I stopped submitting because after 50 or so poems, it just got boring. I stopped visiting the top list because I got tired of the politics.

And what I suggest isn't that radical. It's how about 90% of web interacting poetry sites operate. Poetry is dynamic. Creating 6 different Top lists to make everyone happy is just silly. Because people will never be happy with top lists.
 
Damn

WriterDom--

I belong to a few communities like what you're describing. It is how it's done on the majority of boards. There are no top lists. And having more lists here isn't a solution.

After getting hot and pissed, I wanted to kick myself. For me, this whole escapade mirrors something personal for me. After calming down, I realized why this bothered me so much.

I wish I had taken your attitude before. I think I will consider going back to these communities more. Less drama. And people know my name. :)

Thanks, WriterDom.

Peace,

daughter
 
Daughter--

Puhleeze, you are the queen of drama dahling. You remind me of the person who always comes out of a barfight with skin and hair under your fingernails, a few teeth lodged in the leather of your shoe, and pieces of an ear or two between your teeth. All the while explaining to your mate, "Have you ever seen such a crowd of ruffians as that bunch?!? We really *must* go to a better place to pick a fight next time."
 
drama queen

WD, talk about realizing better options. Just re-read the thread on this option in an earlier thread. Nothing like a little drama. lol

Should have pushed harder for this the first time around. lol

drama queen can concede when there's a better way. :)

Peace,

daughter
 
the top list

So, you want the top list, a misnomer of ever there was one in the current climate, to remain the almost personal property of the few who now dominate it.

That list is farcical,
A vehicle for a select band of people to let each other see how good they are.
"22new poets who encroach, what to do, oh yes I know, if a few of us vote one, they will disappear.
lets keep this list for the REAL poets."
That seems to be the current attitude.
I have been on it twice to my knowledge, the first time ,I was marked down within hours and disappeared.
last night i got to number one,withi hours again,back to 60

Come on you elitist people
realise there are other poets here, you may not like what they write, but they have as much right to be on the list as anyone.
personally,could not care less now if my work never gets there again, expecting you lot to downmark it all anyway.

your response eagerly awaited
 
not an elitist but a realist

pleasureu--

I can appreciate your angst. Please believe that your desire for diversity on the top list is a wish of many. However, as many have pointed out there are reasons why it doesn't look like it's going to change.

WD, was on point when he said it is boring to see so few names, and the same poems all the time. However, many of us are not interested in aggressive marketing. I'd rather invest my energy in writing and being involved here. A change in format for exposure is a good idea.

Don't let this issue drain you.

I can't complain about feedback. I hear from readers on a fairly regular basis, and I have been told by a good number of them that they follow my work. That feels damn good.

Be well.

Peace,

daughter
 
Daughter

What a nice lady you are my dear.
thank you for the response.
I agree feedback is good, and far mopre relevant than an appearance on a manufactured list.

yet, I still await with interest, at least one,a nd possibly more replies, from the very people I castigate.

I read your new poem earlier my dear, my compliments to you,it is very good,and most enjoyable.
 
Thank you

pleasure u.

I have been reading you. If I haven't responded to someting that you'd like to discuss specifically, please let me know. I'd enjoy a dialogue.

I'm not sure if you'll get more replies. This got quite heated. Many opted to shut off and tigerjen did not.

What else is anyone going to add?

Peace,

daughter
 
Responses

They may not be responding directly to this thread, our silent friends.
But oH have they been busy
Your poem is now relegated to #3
Positions one and two now being held by tugerjen
WOW< WHAT A SURPRISE

with 85,and 86 votes for the two poems
A strange coincidence ,or what?


Incidentally, I have about 5 of my poems, in the high fours,with 8 or 9 votes, maybe I should contact my friends, and swamp the top five too. Yes, that is how easy it is too corrupt this list
Dont anyone ever tell me it does not happen either.
 
I'm not convinced there's a conspiracy to keep new poets off the top list.

Suppose there was one person who gets this idea in their head, "I'll get some other like minded people together, and we'll vote together to completely control the top list." This person then starts trying to find other scumbags with the same agenda. What are the odds he'll find similarly despicable individuals without someone taking offense at the idea and reporting them or at least leaking word that this is going on?

I think that it's entirely possible that there are a couple of dishonest people purposely voting down new poets so that their own work will remain on the list, however, the conspiracy theory seems unlikely.

Voting has always been a can of worms. I can't see it ever NOT being a problem.
 
My two cents... not worth much, but I'm tossing it in...

A simple solution to stop the majority of this vote tampering is to only allow voting by registered users (no matter what ISP they are on). This is exactly what we have to do in order to vote for our elected officials. It keeps people from voting more than once. And of course people can sign up for multiple accounts, but they would have to have more than one email address to do this. There is a limited number of emails a person can collect. It may not eliminate people from voting more than once, but it will certainly cut down on it. Also, this would allow for the managers of this site (Laurel, etc.) to see patterns in the voting that would show vote tampering (i.e., if the same set of registered users (with no stories, etc) always vote for one author's stories and no others.... and then when she looks into the emails for those set of registered users... wow.. they all start with joeblow@....).

Just my suggestion. I, myself, once had aspirations of winning or placing in the monthly contests and being on the top lists. But after following the voting my first few stories received, I gave up that pipe dream very quickly. I either don't have the necessary talent (very probable) or I'm not in the right clique of authors to be voted up onto the top lists (again very probable). At this point, I'm happy if my stories stay above 4 and I get good feedback from people (anonymous or otherwise). I'm more interested in improving my writing than winning a contest where it appears the voting isn't strictly legit.

Steping off the soapbox now... :)

- PBW
 
Whispersecret

I hear what you say whispersecret.

Conspiracy or no, some oe, or some people are keeping quality work off the list.
I am informed that some od those I complain of,with many many poems on the list, have turned the voting ff on some poems.
I commend them for that.
I also understand that tigerjen steadfastly refuses to turn any voting off.
I wonder if it is her ambition to dill all 75 places.
The attitude not to turn voting odd on the onlder poems is arrogance,and disrespectful to all the other poets trying to be heard

And, if you read this yigerjen, and it upsets you, I make no apologies.
 
typos

sincere apologies for my typos.
I have a vision problem, and dont always spot them.
Will take mor care in future
 
You have to be logged in to vote on a poll. Why shouldn't voting on stories be any different?

No matter what the remedy, it will still come down to politics. If being on the top list is a priority with someone, they'll go out and get the votes. I have two poems that have been stuck on 6 votes for a year. Interesting, they have about the same number of reads as my other poems. I could find 4 votes to make the list, but what's the point?

It's a popularity contest. At one time, Havocman had the top 5 or 6 poems. Does that mean that he had the best 6 poems? Probably not. But now, even though he had a base of 100 or so votes, not one remains in the top 150. Is that fair? Probably not.
I did free up 19 or so spots today, so perhaps he'll be back.


If we went to a forum style, we could spend more time talking about poetry and less about voting. But I'm tired of beating my head against the wall over that. I quit reading the feedback section a few weeks ago. I only came back when a search revealed my name was mentioned. I'm sorry I missed the Olympics. It looks like fun.
 
Sorry to see you go WriterDom. It's pretty sad when topics like voting drive people away, especially when that is not why we write the stuff we write.

- PBW
 
P. B. Walker said:
Sorry to see you go WriterDom. It's pretty sad when topics like voting drive people away, especially when that is not why we write the stuff we write.

- PBW

no, not leaving. It's not worth getting that upset about.
 
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