Moral question

[Guest]

Hi, A good friend of mine asked me to vote for his story. Well I voted for him, cos he's a friend, but I didn't get hot at all. The story was pretty funny tho. He said he asked all his friends to vote, because he said that way more people would get to read it.

So anyway, do you think waht he did is okay? I guess its not against any rules. I didn't tell him wot I voted. It wasn't 5 points.

Do think that its not playing fair?

Annie.

 

[Cheyenne]

Ask tigerjen, and then stand back.

 

[perks]

isn't that ethics?

 

[Bindii]

Personally I wouldn't vote for anyones story if it wasn't good, no matter who they were.

 

[JerseyBoy]

hey its for a friend...the voting hardly means that much but the authors LOVE to get 5's

for something so minor in the scheme of things just be happy you made someones day

 

[Cheyenne]

isn't that ethics?

Good point.

 

[Nomadic Lady]

Personally I think no one has the right to ask you to do such a thing. Asking you to read it is one thing but to vote for it as well. Who the heck wants to win that way....well I guess he does.

I know i'm making a big deal out of this, but for some writing comes without much effort if any, and for others each sentance may be a struggle. So the 5 points to someone who struggles may mean much joy.

By the way, even voting for yourself is pretty sad.......Shit, think I made some enemies here.

 

[Guru]

 

[April]

Personally I wouldn't vote for anyones story if it wasn't good, no matter who they were.

I think you should vote. If it's not good, vote accordingly. That's why there are five choices.

 

[Nomadic Lady]

If you were running for political office, wouldn't you vote for yourself?

No.

 

[Guest]

 

[Never]

I give my friends fives, yeah. I figure it's good karma for all the crap I put people though.

 

[Chicklet]

Voting For Friends

Okay, I have to say that I am guilty of asking my friends to vote for me. Here are my reasons: Out of a thousand people that view my stories I get about twenty feedbacks. The feedback is *always* positive. Of those twenty people only about five vote for my story, and two more people vote one's probably out of spite. So the average is shaky, even though people obviously like my story. I ask my friends to vote to even it out a little bit. Plus I've only got a couple of friends, so it doesn't make much of a difference. Plus, of course, It makes me feel friggin good to have a good score. = ) = )

 

[lilrosie lips]

If you voted your conscience, then you shouldn't feel bad. I know that I will get a variety of votes on the one story I have done and any future stories as well. It's a subjective vote, and not every story is going to please everyone. As for promoting someones work, if you feel it is warranted then do it. If you don't want to recommend it, then don't. If someone asks you what you think, then tell them. One word of warning, if it isn't exactly a complementary recommendation, then I would tell them in a PM, it might save you a friendship.

Now on to important matters....

Would you read my story?.... and vote?... and give it a 5 please!

Just kidding... sort of....

 

[intrigued]

Wow. I'm just not able to do what this person asked you to do. Maybe I am too much into freedom and privacy, but my thoughts and reactions to stories and poetry should be anonymous, until the point that I vote or provide feedback. I do think though, that if one is going to read something, theyshould vote one way or the other. It pains me to view my ratings versus my views, because it makes me think, well... guess they weren't moved any at all, or they would have voted something.

In your situation, you are speaking of friendship, and that is a bit different. I still could not ask that of someone, but since your friend did, I guess the best you can do is tell them what you like about the story, and leave it at that. If they seek more information, let it rip. But always...always vote honestly. It means alot to the writers.

 

[Nomadic Lady]

I always expect the truth out of my friends even if it hurts. They to me are my true friends. If one is scared that they may hear a negative response then they should not have asked to begin with. Yes voting is great but only if the vote is warranted.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I usually don't ask my friends to vote for my stuff. If they do, they do, if they don't, they don't. I definitely don't want to know what the vote was. I don't want gratuitous 5s and I don't want to find out that my friends thought a 5 was gratuitous unless they care to explain why.

However, I don't think it's unethical to ask your friends to vote, just cruel and unusual punishment for your friends. I doubt I could be that mean to them, myself. Nothing quite like creating the ol' internal "who should I be loyal to? My friend or myself?" Not everyone is willing to tell a good buddy that they suck like I am.

I don't want to make friends with people that I see make a habit of such carryings-on. Saves the effort of having the board drama carry on for hours and involve two forums and a lot of sniveling. And then pasta, for some gawdawful reason. I never understood the pasta.

 

[Weird Harold]

...And then pasta, for some gawdawful reason. I never understood the pasta.

Pasta is good for fights -- It's messy; it sticks when thrown; it doesn't relly hurt anyone.


Asking friends to "vote" is OK. Telling friends what to vote, and/or getting upset when they don't vote a 5, is NOT OK.

 

[Dusty Farkworth]

I tell my froends my stories are listed here in Lit. and that they can vote on them if they chose to. I do ask for an honest reply to how they liked the stories and to be honest as to where I could improve my writing. Without honest imput my writing is worthless and I can't improve in my writing skills. If a person votes on a story, then let them vote honestly. We all like 5s but it's the lower votes that keep us on our toes.

Dusty

 

[Guest]

I'm at my friends house, who asked me to vote. I told I voted 3 because it was funny, but not hot. He says he doesn't want to put pressure on me, I said no problem. But then he says that some people do much worse which is to give a one-point vote to a story becasue they want some other story to do better. When I asked him why, he said because people who write are all twised and fucked up. I said ito him that in my experience of one person, namely him, that I agree!

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Most writers here don't get so many votes. The ones who post stories constantly or are acclaimed, or both often get plenty of votes, but the rest of us (like myself, five stories in a year...) get fewer, so the one or two votes can make a difference. Asking was tacky, and didn't show a lot of personal strength, in my "never-humble" opinion, and voting wasn't the strongest reaction either, but in truth, people vote out of spite, and now they vote well for their friends, so there isn't a balance any way you look at it.