Comment and star cleaning

[Sir_Maveric]

Just wondering how often the algorithm fires off to clean up those things. I'd like to see the real rating of my story, and some troll is logging in over and over and bombarding me with 1's. I'm not in it for the stars, but the comments so far are only a few. Trying to gauge whether it's worth another chapter. I was up to 4.94 and it's been hit a few times today. Hoping the clean up will give me a true picture of how it's being accepted or not.

 

[NotWise]

Just wondering how often the algorithm fires off to clean up those things. I'd like to see the real rating of my story, and some troll is logging in over and over and bombarding me with 1's. I'm not in it for the stars, but the comments so far are only a few. Trying to gauge whether it's worth another chapter. I was up to 4.94 and it's been hit a few times today. Hoping the clean up will give me a true picture of how it's being accepted or not.

While the process is automated, I think it's started manually. It begins when Laurel starts it.

You might be clinging to your scores just a little too much. Sit back. Relax. Have a beer. Write another story.

 

[KeithD]

Sorry, but at 4.88 in current rating for your only entry in two years, you aren't being bombarded with 1s. It's extremely difficult to exceed 4.90 and stay there. I suggest tamping down expectations. It might be time for the system to just turn the damn ratings off.

 

[Sir_Maveric]

Like I said, not looking for the stars, but I do like it when things are fair. At 119k words I expect some negativity, but when it drops to 4.83 (in my current dashboard) from 4.94, something is going on. It should take them a while to read this and if they're just voting out of spite, then how do I get an accurate reading from the story except from the comments which aren't rolling in yet.

*cracks beer and sits back, trying to relax*

 

[NotWise]

*cracks beer and sits back, trying to relax*

Isn't that more fun?

Honestly, I track votes on my stories probably as much as anyone. But really, don't kill yourself with worries.

 

[Sir_Maveric]

I know, and it's not the stars that are important. I spent two years on this (off and on) and put a lot into it. Just looking for a fair vote so I can gauge if it was worth it. I can pump out a chapter a month but it will be garbage if I do. I'm not a great writer. The story means something to me though and I wanted to get it out. I guess I wish more comments would come in so I could know.

 

[Rustyoznail]

I know, and it's not the stars that are important. I spent two years on this (off and on) and put a lot into it. Just looking for a fair vote so I can gauge if it was worth it. I can pump out a chapter a month but it will be garbage if I do. I'm not a great writer. The story means something to me though and I wanted to get it out. I guess I wish more comments would come in so I could know.

There'll probably be a general sweep after the Halloween comp closes. I doubt anything major will happen until then.

We'd all love more comments - good or bad. Can't force that, though...

 

[KeithD]

No, it doesn't take much to drop a rating from 4.94 to 4.83 in this system.

 

[Sir_Maveric]

Thanks all. I'll try and be patient and wait out the initial onslaught of ups and downs. I remember them from the last time I posted stories. I think it's a combination of two years of work, and being upset about Eddie Van Halen that has got me worked up tonight.


Time for another beer, or three.


Thanks.

 

[RejectReality]

You're only showing 7 votes on the toplist for the chapter in question. Even assuming you have a couple more votes than that, a single 4 could knock you down to the lower score you're reporting.

Assuming you had 4.94 with 6 votes, and vote #7 was a 4, you would actually be down to 4.80.

That's not trolling. Someone just liked it rather than loved it.

 

[Sir_Maveric]

Maybe another 4 beers then while I contemplate life and a messed up scoring system.

My dash shows 12 votes.

Thanks all.

 

[NotWise]

Maybe another 4 beers then while I contemplate life and a messed up scoring system.

My dash shows 12 votes.

Thanks all.

Twelve votes? Why would you worry about twelve votes? I'm suddenly not feelin' it for you.

Write another story.

 

[TeroWright]

I'm happy with anything above a 3 because it means the story is more liked than not out of 5 stars. My highest story 'average' right now is 4.7 - that's all parts of any particular title taken into consideration. It's not a 4.8 or 4.9, but it's still really good considering.

I'll never understand why anyone makes any kind of fuss about anything over 4.5.

Just be thankful you're getting votes at all.

 

[KeithD]

Like I said, not looking for the stars, but I do like it when things are fair. At 119k words I expect some negativity, but when it drops to 4.83 (in my current dashboard) from 4.94, something is going on. It should take them a while to read this and if they're just voting out of spite, then how do I get an accurate reading from the story except from the comments which aren't rolling in yet.

*cracks beer and sits back, trying to relax*

OK, there's an issue right there. 119,000 words posted just two days ago--and a chapter from a series you left hanging for two years. Isn't it unrealistic to expect it to have been found, put into perspective, and read in that short time, let alone voted and commented on?

 

[RejectReality]

Maybe another 4 beers then while I contemplate life and a messed up scoring system.

My dash shows 12 votes.

Thanks all.

A likely scenario is 10 5s and 2 4s = 4.83 11 5s and a 3 would also come up to 4.83, but that doesn't mesh with your observation that the score dropped more than once. There's no way that any lower vote than 3 was cast.

If you're looking for whether to continue, that's a fairly solid indicator that those who are still along for the ride after the previous chapters are happy with the story.

 

[Sir_Maveric]

A likely scenario is 10 5s and 2 4s = 4.83 11 5s and a 3 would also come up to 4.83, but that doesn't mesh with your observation that the score dropped more than once. There's no way that any lower vote than 3 was cast.

If you're looking for whether to continue, that's a fairly solid indicator that those who are still along for the ride after the previous chapters are happy with the story.

That actually makes me feel a lot better. Thank you. First was a 4 for sure. I saw it come up. I don't understand the scoring system here and until I get comments, I have no idea if it's liked or not. I can only go by stars.

You just made my night a little better. Thank you.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Maybe another 4 beers then while I contemplate life and a messed up scoring system.

My dash shows 12 votes.

Thanks all.

In that case, you're fretting far too early. Your story is fresh out, there's a contest running, and twelve votes is never enough to give a "true" rating. Come back in twenty days, is my suggestion.

 

[Emirus]

I know, and it's not the stars that are important.

The story means something to me though and I wanted to get it out.

You say you’re not looking for stars and they’re not important but the way you’re carrying on I don’t think you’ll find anyone who believes you.

Everyone’s story means something to them, you’re not on your own, but 99.999% are realistic and don’t expect a 5 for every story. I think, with all due respect, those who have already commented have shown a great deal of restraint. So far.

As for not understanding the voting system this is your fifth story and I don’t believe you.

I’ve just looked and it’s on 4.79 (which is bringing it in line with previous chapters) with 1414 views.

I would think the vast majority of them are potential readers who have clicked on, seen the length of the story, and moved on. Taking into account it’s only been up for a couple of days those who have read it must have spent the majority of their waking hours reading it.

You haven’t received any 1’s for this story and, without knowing the number of votes your other chapters have received, I doubt if there’s any 1’s there as well. Scores of around 4.8 and above mean the vast majority of votes have been 5’s with a handfu of 4’s.

I don’t see you’ve got anything to complain about. There are thousands of writers on this site who would love to have their stories around the 4.8 mark.

It had been known that the result of writers creating threads complaining about their scores had resulted in them going down further. Not everyone who reads this column is a nice person and some of them, when reading complaints such as yours, will deliberately down vote. Putting a target on your back isn’t necessarily the right thing to do.

Think before you rant next time.

 

[SimonDoom]

A 31-Lit page chapter is quite an achievement. That's a novel-length chapter.

But as of right now the chapter has, according to the top list, 12 votes, and at least 9 of those votes are 5s. Why is it important if a few votes are 3s or 4s?

The score currently is 4.79, which is a very good score. It's consistent with previous chapters, which you've been writing since 2018.

When the vote total is under 100, one has to expect a fair amount of volatility in the score. That's not unfairness. It's just math.

 

[TxRad]

I usually have my comments and stars dry cleaned to keep them from shrinking.

 

[sirhugs]

Like I said, not looking for the stars, but I do like it when things are fair. At 119k words I expect some negativity, but when it drops to 4.83 (in my current dashboard) from 4.94, something is going on. It should take them a while to read this and if they're just voting out of spite, then how do I get an accurate reading from the story except from the comments which aren't rolling in yet.

*cracks beer and sits back, trying to relax*

what's going on might not be trolls, but the simple reality that lots of readers think a "4" out of 5 is a pretty good score...

 

[gunhilltrain]

That actually makes me feel a lot better. Thank you. First was a 4 for sure. I saw it come up. I don't understand the scoring system here and until I get comments, I have no idea if it's liked or not. I can only go by stars.

You just made my night a little better. Thank you.

Man, I knew you had 119K words, but I didn't think you'd publish it as one thirty-one page story. Even in the novels and novellas category, most people break them into chapters and submit those.

But you pulled it off. (The series I'm doing now will probably not top 33K words, and I'm breaking it into maybe nine parts.) If you're at 4.79 now, it will probably remain in the red H category indefinitely. Voting and comments tend to drop off quite rapidly, I'd say in about a week or so.

So congratulate yourself on your achievement and don't worry about the score. Don't just have a beer; have a Manhattan or whatever drink it is you prefer.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

That twice someone has said they really don't care about the score, then complained about the score dropping. Shit happens. Someone didn't like your chapter, maybe because it was so long, so they down voted, from a 5 to a 3 or 4. Live with it. I have several hovering around x.xx or less but, then again I really don't give a damn about scores.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Man, I knew you had 119K words, but I didn't think you'd publish it as one thirty-one page story. Even in the novels and novellas category, most people break them into chapters and submit those.

But you pulled it off. (The series I'm doing now will probably not top 33K words, and I'm breaking it into maybe nine parts.) If you're at 4.79 now, it will probably remain in the red H category indefinitely. Voting and comments tend to drop off quite rapidly, I'd say in about a week or so.

So congratulate yourself on your achievement and don't worry about the score. Don't just have a beer; have a Manhattan or whatever drink it is you prefer.

And I don't understand this. The category is called Novels and Novellas, wouldn't that suggest to you that that's what you are going to get? All in one shot?

 

[gunhilltrain]

And I don't understand this. The category is called Novels and Novellas, wouldn't that suggest to you that that's what you are going to get? All in one shot?

That's what I would have thought too, but most were submitted as chapters. There are a handful in one shot; the longest one I've found is eleven Lit pages.