Is asking for a sweep pointless?

[Emirus]

At the end of November/beginning of December I asked for a sweep of a particular story. The story has had 88 votes with eight of them 1-bombs.

I was advised to use the report button at the end of the story, which I did, but nothing has happened about my request. Was what I did wrong? Should I have asked for a sweep in some other way?

The story is floating around just below the magic 4.50 but if the 1-bombs are removed it will shoot up to 4.77. If eight 5's are also removed it would still be 4.62.

As a new writer of nine months who has averaged one story a month I'd like encouragement and having a story swept to remove the morons would be encouragement.

What is the correct way to ask for a sweep?

 

[Emirus]

Anyone out there?

As there hasn’t been any response to my question I decided to bump it back up the list before it sank in the swamp forever.

Is it pointless asking for a sweep and if it isn’t what’s the best way to go about it?

On a forum where some people delight in sharing their knowledge and helping others (or in some cases telling others what to do) I did think there would be a good response. But apparently the question is unanswerable or everybody’s asleep.

What is the correct way to ask for a sweep of a story, assuming that you can do this?

I expected Manu would respond as I would have thought it would be an easy one for him to answer.

 

[RejectReality]

Honestly, you may as well just wait on the next normal run of sweeps to hit you. Not every sweep will pick up the shenanigans, but eventually, most of them get erased without any special intervention.

Letting the normal sweeps slowly whittle down the bombs actually works in your favor, because a suddenly jumping score attracts attention from more trolls.

 

[Emirus]

I appreciate what you say but when you have a story languishing just below the magic red H that would be on 4.80+ without them it’s difficult not to be annoyed. I’ve other stories that have suffered because of the 1-bombers but this is the worst.

 

[KeithD]

I imagine most of us haven't committed on how to ask for a sweep because we haven't ever asked for a sweep.

 

[RejectReality]

When something gets bombed especially hard, there's probably a reason for it, and that reason could be an especially dedicated hater(s). If that's what it is, having a dedicated sweep is as likely to see your score knocked down even lower a couple of days later.

As hard as it is to do, the effort you're expending on worrying about a bombed score would be better spent on producing new work. Keeping your name out there and attracting new readers is the absolute best way to raise that one the few decimal places it needs to get the red H back, and armor it against further troll onslaughts.

Most trolls get cocky and start leaving a trail. Once they do, the Hoover will find that trail, and start vacuuming up their garbage. The more votes you've picked up from new readers, the harder it is for them to bomb your newly revived score back down.

I appreciate what you say but when you have a story languishing just below the magic red H that would be on 4.80+ without them it’s difficult not to be annoyed. I’ve other stories that have suffered because of the 1-bombers but this is the worst.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I appreciate what you say but when you have a story languishing just below the magic red H that would be on 4.80+ without them it’s difficult not to be annoyed. I’ve other stories that have suffered because of the 1-bombers but this is the worst.

If you keep telling folk here how it bugs you, there's folk out there who will oblige by giving you extra special attention. You're painting a target on your back, I reckon.

Just wait, like we all do, for the regular contest sweeps to go through. The Valentine's Day comp is running, so sweeps will come with that. They run through the whole story file (even if you're not in a contest). There might be some time limit in terms of how far back a sweep will go, I haven't quite figured that out.

 

[RejectReality]

I've had 1-bombs that languished for years before finally get stripped away by sweeps, so the age of the vote is probably irrelevant.

Said story then had a perfect 5... for all of a day. It was immediately bombed with two 1s. A sweep went through a little later, took it back to a perfect 5. Bombed again.

It Yo-yo'd for a few months until somebody gave it a 4, and kept it out of the target zone on the tip top of the toplist the next time a sweep ran through.

Like I said, trolls leave trails when they get cocky. Those digital trails don't really fade with age. Once they slip up, there's mass Hoover justice for umpteen victims.

If you keep telling folk here how it bugs you, there's folk out there who will oblige by giving you extra special attention. You're painting a target on your back, I reckon.

Just wait, like we all do, for the regular contest sweeps to go through. The Valentine's Day comp is running, so sweeps will come with that. They run through the whole story file (even if you're not in a contest). There might be some time limit in terms of how far back a sweep will go, I haven't quite figured that out.

 

[Emirus]

FRUSTRATION is the name of the game.

Thank you for all your comments, all of which I’d considered myself except for the point about the overall sweep whenever there is a contest. I didn’t realise that happened but I’ve only been here a few months. I’ll keep an eye open for anything that happens after a contest.

I’m happy in one respect. This thread has now received responses. Which not all threads do.