I'm so confused!!

[Justin_Thyme]

I just located my latest attempt at literary greatness *he laughs, embarrassed* and for the life of me, can not understand the voting. The story has already garnered 15 votes. The number of hits column shows '0'! How on earth can there be fifteen votes if no one has read the story yet? Fortunately, at least as of a few moments ago, the composite vote score was really good. I have yet to learn how to determine the actual number of 1's, 2's, 3's, etc. votes the story gets. Perhaps someone can help me there as well.

Oh yes, nearly forgot. the story is:http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=41292.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Votes update "real time." A vote is made and it updates in the system immediately.

Views update midnight Pacific Standard Time along with all the new stories.

 

[Justin_Thyme]

Confused

Thank you KM. That solves a couple of questions that nag at me. I still am curious though. How on earth do some folks seem to know that they have received '1' votes to bring their averages down? I'm just curious as I truly don't believe it makes a great deal of difference to me one way or the other. Sure, it feels good to see composite scores in the 4.5+ range but I write and post for my own enjoyment mostly. Actually, I have a hard time accepting that as many people open and presumably read the stories as the numbers seem to indicate.
Someday I'll get brave enough to ask someone to read one of the stories with a critical eye and let me know whether or not I am doing anything correctly or not.

Justin

 

[BrnEyedBeauty]

Re: Confused

Justin_Thyme,
Hi, I 'm a new "poster" also and have the same feelings that you do. I write for my own enjoyment but the fact that others are reading them excites me too. How long have you been writing? Care to commiserate some time? Don't let them get you down, ok? Hugs

 

[KillerMuffin]

I have no idea. When my stuff drops like a rock, I guess it's a 1. My guess is that most other people think the same way. Some avid score watchers are able to figure it out mathematically.

 

[Justin_Thyme]

Re,Re: Confused

BEB and KM
Thanks for the posts. And KM, your comment re. plummeting scores may just be the real answer. Guess I will have to get pencil and paper and brush up on my math skills.
Justin

 

[MysteryWriter]

ah math

(v*a)-(v1*a1) / v-v1=average of the change. where v1 is the original number of votes and v is the new number of votes and a1 is the original score and a is the new score... rofl

do it often enough and you can plot almost to the vote.

 

[KillerMuffin]

You have a highly subjective voting system where the voters intentions simply can't be determined nor can the votes be accurately quanitified. What does a 5 mean, anyway? That you're a great writer or that you made someone cum? What does a 1 mean? That you suck or that you didn't make someone cum? Are all 1's deserved or is your ego better than your writing? You've also got a voting system that is easy to get around. At Lit there is no possible way to make voting systems foolproof because that requires personal identification that no one will give to a porn site.

I know specifically of 5 authors who will go through ever single category that they write in and vote down everyone elses work. Nothing personal, just business. I know specifically of 14 authors who vote a 5 on everything they read because they don't want the authors to feel bad.

There are people who vote 1s because races mix. There are people who vote 5s just becuase the races mix. There are people who 1s because it's not incest. There's people who vote 1s because it is incest. There are people who read stories and vote 1s because it didn't get them hot. There are people who give 1s because of too many typos. There are people who give 5s because they just read a story with no obvious mechanical errors.

If you're watching your scores so closely that you can tell how many votes that you got in one day and what they were, then you need a new hobby. The voting system is a tool, not quantitative feedback. The only quantitative feedback available is from direct reader feedback.

There are a lot of stories roaming the top of the top lists written by people who couldn't get published outside of Penthouse Forum. There are a lot of stories roaming around the midlist written by people who could and have been published and paid money for what they've written.

A vote total isn't what defines if you're a good writer. The best way to look at a vote total is how it defines you based on an orgasm ratio.

 

[MysteryWriter]

HEY

I resemble that new hobby remark rofl

 

[CHEWEY]

Voting! Important or Not?

While the votes are not important to some, they are to me. They show me, as a writer, how I can improve on my next story. I finally got an H on my last story for a few days but I got it! Justin, I will never understand the voting here. Some story's come out with H's, some of us have to work for them. The more votes you have , the lower your ratings? Sometimes I think it's a quarter flip, the more friends you have , the better the score. Which is not right or true but that's the way it seems to me. I'm never sure whether I need to write better or get better friends But, HOWEVER, they do the ratings system on this site, keep writing, at least for yourself! That's what I do!

 

[Justin_Thyme]

Voting

Thanks for the comments Mystery Writer, KillerMuffin and Chewey.

MW - After viewing the formula for a while, I have come to the conclusion that I am too damn lazy to get the numbers and follow up. As most everyone seems to believe, the reasons for voting and the scores voted vary so widly, the composite score probably does not mean much anyhow.
KM - I don't doubt for a moment your statement re. 5 writers who deliberatly skew the voting. But for what reason? Business? Since the pay any of us receive is a (good?) feeling inside somewhere knowing we are able to even do this sort of thing, I guess I have a difficult time believing anyone could be so small. I know, I know. All I need to do is think back to 9/11 for evidence about how desperately some wish to cause hurt for others.
Chewey - Your reference to H's caused me to check the lists and I couldn't believe the number of them I have garnered. Why is beyond me. It is never my intention to write with HOT as a goal. I read stories that have not been rated H and see little difference in the degree of hot in any of them.
Anyhow, thanks all for participating in the discussion.
Justin