Disappearing H after story.

[Brandii]

Within two days of my new story Charlotte being released to public viewing I had a big red H next to the story. It's gone now. Could it have been a lit mistake? Did they put it next to the wrong story for a while and then work out it wasn't mine it belonged with. What would cause that to happen?
I thought my writings skills were improving seeing that come up so quickly.

 

[cloudy]

Within two days of my new story Charlotte being released to public viewing I had a big red H next to the story. It's gone now. Could it have been a lit mistake? Did they put it next to the wrong story for a while and then work out it wasn't mine it belonged with. What would cause that to happen?
I thought my writings skills were improving seeing that come up so quickly.

The red H is given to stories with at least 10 votes and a score of 4.50 or better.

Your story must have dropped below that average.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Be of good cheer - your writing skills must exceed a certain threshold for scores to hang around above 4, especially as the number of votes grows larger (10 really is a small 'universe' upon which to judge.)

Those two places to the right of the decimal point are extremely misleading - lit scores are nowhere near that precise in any meaningful sense (which the mechanistic averaging of totally subjective votes is not.)

But the big picture is, in a rough-and-ready fashion the scores really do separate the wheat from the chaff for readers - those who do not know how to write from those who do, who can actually present readable prose, tell a story, develop some characters, establish an erotic situation, convey some feelings, pehaps describe some juicy sex, etc. Your early numbers on this one suggest you belong to that latter category.

 

[Trombonus]

Try not to worry about it. May have just been a visit from a troll. We all get them. I had a story up for a few months, and only just got an H next to it. There are a bunch of possible reasons why this happened to your story, most of which have nothing to do with your writing ability. I agree completely with what Roxanne said. Keep writing.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

One of my stories had a perfect rating of 5.0 after 12 votes. The thirteeenth vote was a 1 bomb, as were the next three after that. For a fleeting second I had the highest rated story on all of lit, and then it was gone...

I got my H back, but it'll never be #1 on the site again

 

[Weird Harold]

Could it have been a lit mistake? Did they put it next to the wrong story for a while and then work out it wasn't mine it belonged with. What would cause that to happen?

In addition to Cloudy's explantion:

The Red H is awared automatically by the site software and, unlike the Editor's Choice and Contest Winner flags, the Hot flag changes in "real-time" with the changes in the story score.

 

[Boxlicker101]

In addition to Cloudy's explantion:

The Red H is awared automatically by the site software and, unlike the Editor's Choice and Contest Winner flags, the Hot flag changes in "real-time" with the changes in the story score.

That's not completely true because there is quite a bit of lag time between reaching the 4.50 average with ten votes and having the Happear. If you look at your index and see that a story has just received its tenth vote, all fives, and go to look at the Top Scores, your story will not appear there. It may not appear there until the next day.

 

[Weird Harold]

That's not completely true because there is quite a bit of lag time between reaching the 4.50 average with ten votes and having the Happear. If you look at your index and see that a story has just received its tenth vote, all fives, and go to look at the Top Scores, your story will not appear there. It may not appear there until the next day.

That's because the top lists are not updated every time you request the page -- which is why the scores sometimes are different between the author's page and the category listings and top story listings and the H appears on some listings and not on others.

If you're watching your votes and checking hourly, the H will show up as soon as the tenth vote does -- and go away with that first one every perfect score gets around vote eleven or twelve.

 

[Boxlicker101]

That's because the top lists are not updated every time you request the page -- which is why the scores sometimes are different between the author's page and the category listings and top story listings and the H appears on some listings and not on others.

If you're watching your votes and checking hourly, the H will show up as soon as the tenth vote does -- and go away with that first one every perfect score gets around vote eleven or twelve.

When I refer to your "index page", I mean the page that you need a password to get to. You can see your total reads, total votes and score there, and you can access PC and delete them if you want. The H is not visible there and you cannot access a story from there. Votes and score update instantaneously, but not while the index page is open. If, while you are looking at the votes, somebody, somewhere, votes on a story, you won't see the change register. However, if you go away and come back a few seconds later, the score will have changed to reflect the vote that was just cast. Reads or Views are not updated instantaneously, and may change only once a day. Sometimes, when a story is new, you may show more votes than views.

The index page that is available to everybody includes the H but no other info on views, votes or scores. I don't know how long it takes for the H to show up there.

A few hours after it posted, a srtory appears in the Category Listing. Every story in a category appears in this listing, along with its score and the H if appropriate. This data is updated only about once a day and does not include reads or total votes. The Top Lists include the top 500 stories in every category, including the total votes and the score. They do not include the reads or the H , which would not eeally be necessary anyhow.

I'm not going to say anything about poems except to say that I'm not going to say anything about them.

What the Old Fart says is true about the Top Lists. Once a story shows up there with a perfect score, it is only a matter of a few hours before it collects at least one one-bomb, maybe several. That's just how trolls are.

 

[R. Richard]

An H may appear and disappear several times. If a vote score is close to 4.5, new votes may push the score over the magic 4.5 or push it below the 4.5 level. In addition, Laurel does sweeps of the votes from time to time and removes the troll 1 bombs. [I suggested summary execution of the trolls as well, however, it appears that there is some ticky-tack little law that prevents this.]

 

[Boxlicker101]

An H may appear and disappear several times. If a vote score is close to 4.5, new votes may push the score over the magic 4.5 or push it below the 4.5 level. In addition, Laurel does sweeps of the votes from time to time and removes the troll 1 bombs. [I suggested summary execution of the trolls as well, however, it appears that there is some ticky-tack little law that prevents this.]

Perhaps there could be a powerful electric source connected to the vote counter. When somebody has filled in the "1" bubble, and presses the "vote" button, it could send an electric current to electrocute the voter. If it is not strong enough for that, at least it might burn out the voter's computer.

 

[Brandii]

My H is back in place.

 

[lipsofanangel]

My H is back in place.

Congratulations!

 

[phoenixphair]

Death to trolls. I was "competing" for #1 with a perfect 5.0 in a toplist once, so thrilled with my own talent, because i am oh so perfect and...

anyway, i got to bask in the glory of my own narcissism for like two days, then BOOM i got smacked back to the third page (probably where i belong, i know i'm new so don't kill me).

hurts the ego.

i think i'm going overboard with the emoticons

at least i'm back on the first page again. kiss it, trolls.

hey Boxlicker: i know your title is "one sick fuck" but i'm gonna put it in a story. has nothing to do with you, but the character is not a nice man. just wanted to let you know. i felt irrationally guilty when i wrote it in the other day. it would hurt my feelings if someone used my title in a derogatory way. (it's "antisocial bitch")

 

[Boxlicker101]

Death to trolls. I was "competing" for #1 with a perfect 5.0 in a toplist once, so thrilled with my own talent, because i am oh so perfect and...

anyway, i got to bask in the glory of my own narcissism for like two days, then BOOM i got smacked back to the third page (probably where i belong, i know i'm new so don't kill me).

hurts the ego.

i think i'm going overboard with the emoticons

at least i'm back on the first page again. kiss it, trolls.

hey Boxlicker: i know your title is "one sick fuck" but i'm gonna put it in a story. has nothing to do with you, but the character is not a nice man. just wanted to let you know. i felt irrationally guilty when i wrote it in the other day. it would hurt my feelings if someone used my title in a derogatory way. (it's "antisocial bitch")

Trolls are highly aggravating but they are a fact of life, like the IRS smelly farts. The same thing has happened to me and probably to everybody on this forum, except maybe the very newest ones.

Actually, my title at the time is "Licker of Boxes" and I shouldn't need to remind anybody that does not refer to carboard cartons or orange crates. "One Sick Fuck" is something I was called by another author after I wrote "Mrs. Giggles Gang Shag". I took it as a compliment, and I am sure it was meant as one.

 

[phoenixphair]

Trolls are highly aggravating but they are a fact of life, like the IRS smelly farts. The same thing has happened to me and probably to everybody on this forum, except maybe the very newest ones.

Actually, my title at the time is "Licker of Boxes" and I shouldn't need to remind anybody that does not refer to carboard cartons or orange crates. "One Sick Fuck" is something I was called by another author after I wrote "Mrs. Giggles Gang Shag". I took it as a compliment, and I am sure it was meant as one.

i would take it as a compliment too. just making sure. i have read your stories (great btw, you should give lessons).

i'm sure even the orange crates would enjoy it...

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

That's because the top lists are not updated every time you request the page -- which is why the scores sometimes are different between the author's page and the category listings and top story listings and the H appears on some listings and not on others.

If you're watching your votes and checking hourly, the H will show up as soon as the tenth vote does -- and go away with that first one every perfect score gets around vote eleven or twelve.

LMAO, Harold. My Troll struck on vote number 2... hahahahahahahaha

Does that mean I'm poplular?

 

[Boxlicker101]

i would take it as a compliment too. just making sure. i have read your stories (great btw, you should give lessons).

i'm sure even the orange crates would enjoy it...

Thanks for the compliment. I have given lessons, sort of. In the "How to" contest that was held last year, my entry was "The Art of Writing Smut".

 

[matriarch]

An H may appear and disappear several times. If a vote score is close to 4.5, new votes may push the score over the magic 4.5 or push it below the 4.5 level. In addition, Laurel does sweeps of the votes from time to time and removes the troll 1 bombs. [I suggested summary execution of the trolls as well, however, it appears that there is some ticky-tack little law that prevents this.]

I so get annoyed with the blanket assumption that every 1 vote is a troll. I have said before, and I will continue to say, that the 1 vote is there to be used, else why put it up. I have voted 1, and I will continue to vote 1 if I feel a story deserves it. There aren't many, but they are out there.

And why on earth should Laurel do a blanket removal of all 1 scores? I don't believe she does, simple calculations of anyone's story scores will show that many 1 scores remain, as they should.

The only time I consider a 1 a troll is if every single story of a particular author is voted with a 1 in a single block of time. That, I DO consider malicious voting.

And far too many people on here, consider that getting a 3 or a 4, which can also heavily affect their average, as a troll vote. That is even more insulting to the reader/voter. A 3 I consider a vote for an average story, and the large majority of stories on Lit are average. A 4 is a damned good vote, making the story above average. For a story to get a 5, is the accolade of perfection. Be honest now folks, how many of us write perfection? I sure as hell know I don't.

 

[phoenixphair]

Thanks for the compliment. I have given lessons, sort of. In the "How to" contest that was held last year, my entry was "The Art of Writing Smut".

oh, honey (i'm Southern, so that is not a condescending "honey"). i read that too. i have lots of free time.

well, not so much free time as i just sleep so very little.

i cannot live up to your level of smuttiness. sigh. 'tis a flaw in my formidable armor...

 

[Boxlicker101]

LMAO, Harold. My Troll struck on vote number 2... hahahahahahahaha

Does that mean I'm poplular?

Harold is my middle name so I feel entitled to answer. It probably means you wrote about something the troll objected to, such as "slut wives and wimp husbands" or gay or lesbian or interracial (except the troll wouldn't have called them that.) or there was some kind of sex act the troll found disgusting (see the PC on "The Delights of Angelica's Ass" for examples.

 

[phoenixphair]

....For a story to get a 5, is the accolade of perfection. Be honest now folks, how many of us write perfection? I sure as hell know I don't.

i write perfection.

in my mind, i am my biggest fan ever because i am the best in my own head (not saying i'm the only one).
it's nice on my little island.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I so get annoyed with the blanket assumption that every 1 vote is a troll. I have said before, and I will continue to say, that the 1 vote is there to be used, else why put it up. I have voted 1, and I will continue to vote 1 if I feel a story deserves it. There aren't many, but they are out there.

And why on earth should Laurel do a blanket removal of all 1 scores? I don't believe she does, simple calculations of anyone's story scores will show that many 1 scores remain, as they should.

The only time I consider a 1 a troll is if every single story of a particular author is voted with a 1 in a single block of time. That, I DO consider malicious voting.

And far too many people on here, consider that getting a 3 or a 4, which can also heavily affect their average, as a troll vote. That is even more insulting to the reader/voter. A 3 I consider a vote for an average story, and the large majority of stories on Lit are average. A 4 is a damned good vote, making the story above average. For a story to get a 5, is the accolade of perfection. Be honest now folks, how many of us write perfection? I sure as hell know I don't.

I am somewhat inclined to agree with you, that some votes of 1 are deserved. I have voted that on two occasions.

I do have a broader definition of a "troll vote" than you do. A one vote that is not an honest opinion is a troll vote. If I have ten votes of 5 each, and the 11th one is a 3 or 4, I just figure that reader liked the story less. If it is a 1, I consider it to be a troll vote, cast to knock the story off the top of the category, for some ulterior reason. Likewise, if somebody always votes one-bombs on stories he or she dislikes as a class, such as cheating wives or gay or lesbian or interracial, those are troll votes, rather than an honest expression of opinion. Personally, if I don't like a certain category, I don't read in it.

I don't consider a 5 to be a vote of "perfect"; I consider it to say the story is in the top 10%. "How do I come up with that?" you ask? Simple. The scale isn't 1 through 5, it is zero through 50. (or, 0.0 through 5.0) If I think a story is a 45 on that scale (or 4.5) I will vote accordingly. Since the vote is in whole numbers, I round that up to five. If I thought it was worth 44 (or 4.4) I would round it down to 4. And 4.5 on a scale of 5 is the same as 9 on a scale of ten, or 90 on a scale of 100 or 90% on a scale of 100%.

 

[drksideofthemoon]

Box, and Matriarch, I agree with the both of you. There are times when a 1 vote is deserved, but one would almost think that if a story was that bad that it should have been rejected.

I personnally don't read stories in the categories that don't interest me. I think that too often the "1 Bomb" is used solely to knock a story down in the Top Lists, or in a contest.

I have no idea how the sweeps are done, but for my stories, my scores generally drop more times than they climb.

I don't think a story has to be perfect to warrant a 5, my method of voting is more along the lines of Box's thinking.

As always, this is just my opinion...

 

[Weird Harold]

LMAO, Harold. My Troll struck on vote number 2... hahahahahahahaha

Does that mean I'm poplular?

Like BL said, it probably means that you hit somebody's "squick factor" or got caught up in a blanket down-voting of the category. It might have been because of a "personal troll" but those are usually a bit more obvious than down-voting a single story.

People cast one votes for a variety of reasons -- I've cast one or two myself for excruciatingly bad stories that got through the approval process.

However, the eleventh or twelfth vote is apparently almost always given for the story's position on the top liist than for any merit or lack of merit the story might have; The pattern is too consistent over too many stories and too many years for the phenomenon to be a true vote on the merit of the story.

Not every story will emerge with a perfect score at ten votes, but every story I've seen that does gets that "reality check vote" when it hits the top lists.