Just a question about an odd voting trend on my stories.

[JadeMynx]

Hello all!

I have been noticing an odd trend when it comes to my stories being voted on. And though It really isn't a big deal as they always eventually reach the 4+ star territory, I just want to know if any other authors have noticed something similar.
Almost immediately after I publish a story (within 20-30 views or an hour, whichever comes first) it is voted one star. The weird thing is, is that it is always only a single 1 star vote. And then it climbs up and up to a comfortable level.

Anyone have similar going ons? I know for some authors that get tons of votes really quickly it might be hard to notice, but just wanted to check in.
Trolls? Or have I just gotten really lucky and the first person to vote on my stories is always the person who, for whatever reason, hates my stuff?

Just wondering.
Thanks for any and all replies.

~Jade

 

[NotWise]

I haven't counted early votes because the stories go live in the middle of the night, my time, and I see them five or six hours later.

What I have seen is that only a small number of the early viewers actually vote, and the average vote is usually low. I imagine that there's a community of readers who wait for the new stories to publish, then flip through them in hopes of getting off. They usually just go on if they don't get off, but a few will vote low.

 

[KeithD]

There most probably are many interested enough in not having a Web site like Literotica on the Internet at all that they run down the list downvoting everything as soon as a new list goes up.

 

[HectorBidon]

I haven't noticed the behavior you describe, but then again I don't check my scores from the very first hour after publication. By the time I check, perhaps 8-12 hours after publication, my scores are usually in the 3-4 range.

I notice, though, that one of your stories has 10 votes and a score of 4.9. The only way that can happen is from 9 five-star votes and 1 four-star vote. So by now (3 weeks after publication) the one-star vote has been removed. From time to time the site "sweeps" the vote results to remove votes deemed to be illegitimate. So maybe the site did consider the original one-star vote to be the work of a troll and swept it away,

One other thing to note, your stories are in Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Stories in that category generally receive fewer views and fewer votes than in some other categories.

 

[RejectReality]

Just keep at it. It takes time to build your audience in Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Eventually, you'll have a large enough following to mitigate the effects of those bombs during that critical first 24 hours when most of your reads and votes happen. The bulk of bombs will eventually vanish as the sweeps do their job, but they can certainly do a number on you early on when your vote totals are still low.

As your readership grows, you'll also start attracting more natural 4s. Those keep you from appearing too highly on the toplist, which is a hotbed of cheerleader/troll activity. They're all like that, but the lower average vote totals in the category cause wide swings over short periods of time. Pretty much any time you go over 4.9, you're going to get hit. Be prepared for it. Roll with the punch. In time, you'll settle into a nice score range that attracts new readers without reaching the "threatening" levels that trigger bombing.

The increasing vote totals will further insulate you against low votes, which will give you more time to attract new readers, so on and so forth. It's a slow snowball effect, but as long as you hang in there and keep telling good stories, you'll reach a point where you can shrug off the inevitable bombing runs.

 

[Darkniciad]

And don't let my 1 story in the category as RR fool you. I've got a little experience in the category

 

[Comshaw]

Hello all!

I have been noticing an odd trend when it comes to my stories being voted on. And though It really isn't a big deal as they always eventually reach the 4+ star territory, I just want to know if any other authors have noticed something similar.
Almost immediately after I publish a story (within 20-30 views or an hour, whichever comes first) it is voted one star. The weird thing is, is that it is always only a single 1 star vote. And then it climbs up and up to a comfortable level.

Anyone have similar going ons? I know for some authors that get tons of votes really quickly it might be hard to notice, but just wanted to check in.
Trolls? Or have I just gotten really lucky and the first person to vote on my stories is always the person who, for whatever reason, hates my stuff?

Just wondering.
Thanks for any and all replies.

~Jade

While it's frustrating, it appears you have a troll, either for you personally or for the story category you post in. It also appears from your post that other readers like your work and vote appropriately. Ain't much to be done about the trolls. I just ignore them. I learned a very long time ago, if I have no control over something, I am not going to let it get under my skin. With trolls that's exactly what they are trying to do.

Comshaw

 

[Lifestyle66]

I notice you have one story with a Red-H.

I had one story recently achieve a Red-H, and two days later, it dropped due to a 1-bomb (low number of ratings made that 1 VERY noticeable). And yes, I've noticed within the past few months, EVERY story I post (regardless of category) receives a 1-bomb within the first few hours. And my latest story received somewhat regular 1-bombs (four) every few hours after that.

In my opinion, we are being targeted, since this doesn't seem to happen to all authors. In my case, the 1-bombing with recognizable patterns (ie. EVERY story I had received a 1-bomb over the course of an hour) started the day I had a disagreement with another author here in the forums.

So, again, IMO, there are turds out there, and you might have unknowingly stepped on one.

 

[SimonDoom]

I notice you have one story with a Red-H.

I had one story recently achieve a Red-H, and two days later, it dropped due to a 1-bomb (low number of ratings made that 1 VERY noticeable). And yes, I've noticed within the past few months, EVERY story I post (regardless of category) receives a 1-bomb within the first few hours. And my latest story received somewhat regular 1-bombs (four) every few hours after that.

In my opinion, we are being targeted, since this doesn't seem to happen to all authors. In my case, the 1-bombing with recognizable patterns (ie. EVERY story I had received a 1-bomb over the course of an hour) started the day I had a disagreement with another author here in the forums.

So, again, IMO, there are turds out there, and you might have unknowingly stepped on one.

I tend to pay careful (some might say obsessive) attention to the response to my stories shortly after they are published, and I can tell you with confidence that MANY of my stories, regardless of category, get 1-bombs within the first 6 hours or so of publication. Maybe somebody is out to get me, but I doubt it. I think there is a pool of trolls who know when stories get published and who downvote stories for whatever reason. Maybe to give an edge to writers they like. I don't know. But I think this is a common phenomenon.

 

[Lifestyle66]

I tend to pay careful (some might say obsessive) attention to the response to my stories shortly after they are published, and I can tell you with confidence that MANY of my stories, regardless of category, get 1-bombs within the first 6 hours or so of publication. Maybe somebody is out to get me, but I doubt it. I think there is a pool of trolls who know when stories get published and who downvote stories for whatever reason. Maybe to give an edge to writers they like. I don't know. But I think this is a common phenomenon.

As I said, it doesn't happen to all authors.

But when all of MY older stories are suddenly and quickly opened and bombed, or one old story which crossed over to get a Red-H is singled out with a 1, ... I (Lifestyle66) am being targeted by a 1-bomber.

It happens.

But I think you are being too kind in believing it's a random group of readers (pool of trolls?) doing the 1-bombing. These are not people who "like" anything or anyone except themselves.

If I chose to do so (I have the IT skills), [Redacted. Please try not to give anyone too much information about potential means of score manipulation - AH Mod] to touch a web site like this and anonymously attack others.

But why bother? I'll leave such efforts and pleasures to a lifeless turd who needs it.

 

[Publius68]

I be never seen it happen quite so starkly before, but my new entry (a chapter two) today got 9 5s and a 4 in the first ten votes, then two ones in a half hour… I’ve noticed the odd one bomb before, but never for me so soon as to watch a 4.9 go to a 4.25 so fast!

 

[JadeMynx]

Ah, thank you for all the replies!
It seems it is not just me, which is good.

I honestly think I could take it seriously if the votes were 2's. lazy writing, grammar mistakes, just vomit inducing prose, whatever it is. But to actually get a one on a story, I feel like you uave to try to write something so bad that it is 20% or below.

I really do not mind the 1's as some of them get cleaned up by the bots(?) after a while. And like I said, my stories settle above or at a 4, which is pretty decent so I am happy. I was more concerned with the odd timing of the ones itself. But it seems there are just some trolls.

I notice, though, that one of your stories has 10 votes and a score of 4.9. The only way that can happen is from 9 five-star votes and 1 four-star vote. So by now (3 weeks after publication) the one-star vote has been removed. From time to time the site "sweeps" the vote results to remove votes deemed to be illegitimate. So maybe the site did consider the original one-star vote to be the work of a troll and swept it away,

One other thing to note, your stories are in Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Stories in that category generally receive fewer views and fewer votes than in some other categories.

I believe it now has 9 five's and 1 four. The 1 one vote (or maybe there was more) was cleaned up by the bots after a week or two, at least by my calculations.