nominations

[Ambrosious]

Oh, Jesus

Fred, you should open your own site, then you can run it how you see fit. This is getting ridiculous. Really.

 

[Guest]

Fred is not actually Fred. He claims to have read and voted on every single story in the past year. Yet, he didn't bother to register. But even on his early posts, he mastered the bells and whistles of posting. I suspect he is an author who is upset about having all his early accumulated votes discounted.
But I could be wrong. Just a theory.

 

[Laurel]

to clarify my point about the number of posts and the validity of the name; sure there may not be any connection, but when you see a rash of names that have registered the same day they voted, all in a row, I find that odd.

I think I can explain that...When we set up the Nominations forum this year, to keep out the multiple nominations from single users as best we could, we made it so unregistered users couldn't post there. I then made an announcement on the front page of the site directing people to that forum. A small fraction of the visitors of this site visit the BB - we've got like 10,000 members, but we get around 100,000 daily visitors. Therefore, many of the people coming to the nominations area had never bothered to register. The nominations gave them a reason to do so. I think that's a likely explanation for the rash of new members. We had a jump in membership when we set up the SRP/RPG areas, and another jump when we set up the Personals section, so this would seem a likely explanation for this jump in membership.

Fred is not actually Fred. He claims to have read and voted on every single story in the past year. Yet, he didn't bother to register. But even on his early posts, he mastered the bells and whistles of posting. I suspect he is an author who is upset about having all his early accumulated votes discounted.
But I could be wrong. Just a theory.

Oh no, let's not start THAT again...lol...

 

[Whispersecret]

Got a good night's sleep. Here I am.

Okay, I cop to it. It was me. I brought up Dillinger's name again, and I can see now that I was wrong to bring that suspicion up again. My apologies.

Laurel, didn't I send you an email while you were gone about some mischief brewing on this thread? Or was that about something else? I can't remember.

It's sad (but not surprising) that people stoop to using votes to retaliate for personal slights. I wonder sometimes if people who dislike my board persona or what I say here go to my story and vote it down. (Since the chapters are listed separately, one "enemy" has ten shots at me.) Also on the other side of the coin, I wonder sometimes if friends give me 5's just on the basis of our friendship, which is just as wrong.

On a side note, Laurel, my essay, 'How To Name Your Characters" is categorized under "How To," which is what I categorized it under when I submitted it via the new system. However, I think it belongs in the Writer's Resources Area instead. What are your thoughts, Hobson?

 

[Guest]

mute point whisper. Clinton pardoned Dillinger this morning.

 

[Laurel]

Okay, I cop to it. It was me. I brought up Dillinger's name again, and I can see now that I was wrong to bring that suspicion up again. My apologies.

No apologies necessary. I should've stepped in sooner, but I thought it would die and everything would be fine. I'M the one who should apologize for not doing my job as webperson. So, Sorry everybody.

Laurel, didn't I send you an email while you were gone about some mischief brewing on this thread? Or was that about something else? I can't remember.

You probably did...I hoped it would all fade away. Big misjudgement on my part.

It's sad (but not surprising) that people stoop to using votes to retaliate for personal slights. I wonder sometimes if people who dislike my board persona or what I say here go to my story and vote it down. (Since the chapters are listed separately, one "enemy" has ten shots at me.) Also on the other side of the coin, I wonder sometimes if friends give me 5's just on the basis of our friendship, which is just as wrong.

See, that's the tough thing with the voting. I know people's friends come and give them 5's as "way-to-go's". This kinda taints the accuracy of the votes, but there's no way to stop it from happening, any more than you can stop someone from giving you a 1 just because they don't like your name. (BTW, some disgruntled fool sought out my ancient Literotica Reunion chapter so they could give it a 1 vote! lol!)

That's why I don't want anyone to get too upset over the voting. This site should be fun. The second any of it ceases to be fun, then it's not serving it's purpose. When an author gets upset over the voting scores, it's upsetting to me because I want them to enjoy the site.

On a side note, Laurel, my essay, 'How To Name Your Characters" is categorized under "How To," which is what I categorized it under when I submitted it via the new system. However, I think it belongs in the Writer's Resources Area instead. What are your thoughts, Hobson?

I have plans to put it in the Writer's Resource section as well, but what I'm thinking of doing (and Manu and I have been discussing this back and forth since I posted your piece) is inputting ALL of the Writers Resources into the "How-To" section. See, if they're in the script, they can garner votes. I think that if you take the time to write a How-To piece, you should be allowed to receive voting feedback on the effectiveness on that piece.

However, I'm not sure about mixing erotic writing How-To's with other erotic How-To's. So, I'm thinking of maybe making a separate "Writer's Resources" category. Do you think that's appropriate, or is voting on the Resources too weird?

 

[Madame Pandora]

Okay.

As whisper has said in a previous post on another thread…this will be long, so pull up a chair if you are inclined to read it…

I am done with this subject. However, several things have been said that put me in the position of either ignoring it or defending my position. I have tried to ignore it all of today, and it just hasn’t worked. So…I will defend my position, knowing full well how arrogant and ridiculous it makes me feel.

Firstly, on a personal note, I would like to address Dom and whomever G man is who feel I “whine” over getting low votes. I’ve gone back over my posts. I STILL don’t see what I posted as “whining.” So, I think this is a difference of opinion. I see it as presenting an example, and you see it as whining. Fair enough. But, I would like you to notice that, IN FACT…when I posted my last comment about getting a 1, here is what I said:

Last night at before I went to bed my latest story had 12 votes and a 4.92 average. The only possible combination was eleven 5s and one 4. Then...this morning, it appeared on the "Top Lists." As I write this I have gotten only ONE other vote. And, my 13th vote is....a 1 (possibly a 2, but I think Larel ALWAYS rounds up). Dropping my average to 4.7.

Dillinger, unless I am much mistaken, lives on the West Coast and wouldn't even be awake at 7:30am EST. So....either an early bird just doesn't like me....or there's more than one person who likes to tinker with top lists. You can blame Dillinger for a little of it, but you can't blame him for every story that falls.

My reasons for posting this was, first of all…to point out that I think some stories take lower scores when they hit the top list because some people either 1) place higher expectations upon a story highly placed or 2) like to knock down the temporary “king/queen of the hill.” My OTHER reason for posting that was to POINT OUT that it couldn’t have been DILLINGER.

I read back over this whole damn thread from beginning to end, and I realize that, in the beginning, I was leaning toward accusations. It also doesn’t reflect it, but I was NEW to the area and still learning how things work around here. I was also running a fever and the flu. But I didn’t know HOW the systems worked here. I still don’t know how they work, but I thought perhaps there was an easier way of discerning numbers and facts than having Laurel go through days and days of logs. Having realized there is NO WAY to know for certain, I abstained from accusation. Period.

Let me tell you something, though, it is because of this thread that Dillinger emailed me, and because of this thread that we began to become friends. He is an intelligent and articulate man who has never once asked anyone to defend him or snuck away from this discussion. So, you can say what you want about this being a “witch hunt” or as you like. But, I have always looked at this thread as a DISCUSSION and I have ignored accusations in favor of the DISCUSSION aspect. And I take serious offence to being chastised like a child. I am, in all things, open-minded. I try not to use absolutes and not to tell anyone their opinion is wrong. I will defend my opinion strongly, but I also have no problem with anyone else doing the same. I may tell someone what I think they “should” do, but I never say they “must.” I do this with the understanding they are fully able (as some HAVE DONE) to tell me to go fuck myself. This is one of the risks you take when you declare an opinion. Someone may declare the opposite. This is called DEBATE. I have never been afraid of or personalized this process.

Several times I asked if we could discuss things without accusation. But, I suppose no one saw that.

Laurel, I appreciate that you are just another person and you want to engage in the fun and debate on the boards. Certainly, I hope that you realize the fact that I have begun to frequent this place means that I admire what you have done, and what you will continue to do. I am not someone who feels the need for compliments given for the sake of complimenting, so I do not laud, or create threads just to thank you. Perhaps I should, I don’t know. However, from what I’ve seen, you don’t appear to need that, though you are gracious in the accepting of such thanks. I tend to think my way of showing my gratitude is to continue to write and be a part of this place you have created. I am sorry if this is flawed logic.

However, Laurel, when you post on a thread, and declare you don’t approve of something, it is a little like the teacher telling the class to hush. Yes, we are still free to talk, but there is that sense of getting the glare from the front of the classroom. This is your place, when all is said and done, and, like it or not, your opinion will carry more weight to some than that of an ordinary member. Since you took direct quotes from several of my posts and incorporated them into your own, I can’t help but feel a little attacked by you. I am bitterly disappointed by that feeling.

As I have said SEVERAL TIMES, I find nothing wrong with discussion. Nothing. At the end of the day these are all just words on a screen. I write stories about rape and incest, but they are fantasies…they are words on a screen. Why, if that can be acceptable, can’t all other discussion be acceptable? I’ve tried to understand why some people are intimidated about talking things out both on board and in email and have never gotten an answer. I’m sorry if Laurel or anyone else looks at the things I have posted on this thread as a criticism or an attack.

Something that continues to bother me is the excuse that this is “JUST A PORN SITE.” Well, if that is all this place is…I have no reason to be here. And I think that statement is wrong. I have been to porn sites and they don’t offer near what this place offers. I think this is a statement of ignorance. I think this site is a crossroads of idea and perception. I think it’s a place some come to jerk off and others come to exchange ideas and some come to do both. I think it bridges a gap between porn and erotica, and provides a forum for both. I have never, in all my years on the web had any interest in a “porn” site. I have found this place, on the other hand, intriguing and fun and thought-provoking. I’ve met interesting people, encouraged my friends to come and visit, and received a certain degree of satisfaction as a writer by feeling comfortable enough to have my scribblings posted here with some positive results.

For those of you who think this is “just a PORN site,” I think you’re missing a lot of its appeal and your underestimating it greatly. I understand that the main jist of the place is sexual enjoyment, but I don’t understand why that is all someone would want there to be. I also happen to find debate enjoyable, but I guess I’m in the minority on that issue judging from what I’ve seen here and some of the things I’ve been written privately.

I have still not quite decided how to feel about all of this. Like I said, I participated as part of this forum because I felt there was no ceiling of topic. When I participate in something, I don’t see anything wrong with discussing improvements or possibilities. I just don’t. If that is something that will encounter such intense criticism, well that makes me pause. Negative…positive…no matter. Everything should be able to be discussed. If it’s not, then it’s not really an open forum and I have no place here.

For the record:

1. I did not believe Dillinger was “cheating” once I got to know him. I did not, however, have any proof either way, so I chose to simply ask if we could discuss ideas without accusation. I think that is clear in all of my later posts. As I said, a friendship with him has begun to form BECAUSE of this thread, so if you think nothing good can come from a debate, that’s your prerogative. I happen to know for a fact there are some of us who can discuss ideas and debate them – even hotly debate them - without getting personally offended or losing our reasoning.

2. I never asked Laurel to check and verify Dillinger’s innocence because if HE didn’t see the need for it, neither did I. He knew he didn’t cheat. I believed him, so it was as simple as that. Also, after reading Laurel’s posts in the Patryn thread, I didn’t think she participated in any of that. To me, that’s opening a can of worms. “Come on, Laurel, please look, you did it for DILLINGER…” etc. But, I can also understand Laurel being motivated to make an exception. It’s her site, it’s her prerogative. But I didn’t see the need for me or anyone else to ask.

3. I still think there are things worth discussing here, but it’s not worth the strife some people obviously feel it causes. I don’t feel anything is ever hurt by discussion…apparently some do.

4. I have no problem with being accused of “whining” or “bitching” for the simple fact that I know my motives for presenting the things I presented. No one who would accuse me of such knows me. If something I say truly irritates you that much, email me. Dillinger did. Nothing I post on this board is out of malice. Even when I am fed up, I’m not truly angry. Words on a screen are just that. If the person who took ALL the heat on this thread can realize I meant him no malice, then maybe that’s worth giving me the benefit of the doubt.

I don’t like defending myself or feeling I’ve been put into a position where I should. I will always defend my arguments and my ideas, but to defend myself personally on a public forum irritates me, as I’m sure it irritated Dillinger to have his ethics brought into question. That I feel I have to defend myself makes me reconsider even becoming a part of this forum. I have tried in all that I do to express myself reasonably, if nothing else. That is not to say I haven’t expressed myself harshly at times or been wrong, but I have apologized as well, when I feel I have been wrong. I am just the same IRL as I am here. If I can’t be myself here…well, then I’ve no business here.

I don’t think this place is “just a PORN site.” I don’t feel anything is off limits for discussion. One person said to me that I am expecting “too much” from this site. I don’t know. I feel you should expect more from the world, so what do I know. Obviously, I will reconsider being a part of this place if I have been so seriously mistaken as to its nature.

Either way, if I stay or go...this is the last I have to say on this thread.

MP

 

[Deborah]

No comment. Well, almost no comment.

First, I stand behind everything I said already.

Second, I don't agree with Laurel on some issues raised here, but I have to say from everything I have seen on this board in the past 15 months or so, she is the LAST person who would attempt to silence someone's "right" to speak by exerting her "power" as webmistress. Otherwise, she would have put a gag on me long ago.

If anyone wants to discuss or debate anything further on this thread with me, send me an e-mail. Like MP, this is the last I have to say about any of it on the board. It seems to me most everybody who wants to have a say has had one.

BTW, MP, don't you dare go anywhere. You rock! And so does WS even though we haven't seen eye-to-eye on a few things. And that bitch Laurel, she especially rocks. Oh shit, I suppose she'll really want to tie me up and gag me now.

 

[Fred H.]

Fred, you should open your own site, then you can run it how you see fit. This is getting ridiculous. Really.

Your feelings of protection are admirable and understandable, but consider what Madame Pandora has written in her last post here--it is well stated. If Laurel writes something that I disagree with, I will not just nod my head in agreement and patronize her by not posting my opinion on the matter. Patronizing her would piss her off more. I would think she does not want a bunch of "yes" members. This is a public board with an invitation to submit. She understands that. All we are trying to do is understand and maybe help the process of nominations and voting. Madame Pandora's ideas on 'discussion' are very intellectual and very mature, check them out.

 

[Fred H.]

Fred is not actually Fred. He claims to have read and voted on every single story in the past year. Yet, he didn't bother to register. But even on his early posts, he mastered the bells and whistles of posting. I suspect he is an author who is upset about having all his early accumulated votes discounted.
But I could be wrong. Just a theory.

Never claimed to read all the stories. I have read many.

I am registered (did so on this thread).

Posting is rocket science? I understand computers very well and this forrmat of BB is used on other web sites. I have been reading at Literotica for a long time, I just never post and after the nomination and voting question has been exploxed I will go back to just reading.

I do not have any posted work on this site and do not write erotic litature.

Fred is not Fred? No, Fred is Fred H. Does anyone post with a full name on this site? I have not noticed many.

 

[HSWriter]

This is nuts. I have totally lost the whole focus of what this thread was about... can anyone remind me?

 

[Fred H.]

HSWriter the thread is a discussion about nominations and voting. Unfortunately it has slide into an thread about accusations and personal attacks.

I was looking at the nominations just a minute ago and it strikes me that almost none of the old top twenty have made it to be nominated. I understand why and will not rehash the technicalities again, but the whole nomination 2000 ideas seems incorrect after some stories had been on the list for over ¾ of the year and now get no mention. This coupled with other possible problems makes me think that Laurel should have the local editors submit their choice and leave it at that as the years pick. Then work on and fix the problems for next year.
One good thing out all this is at least the members are thinking about the nomination and the stories, rather than some of the fluff going on here in the general area. I personally think this is a very important concept for Literotica and needs much attention (and I know they're aware and looking at it).

 

[Guest]

Rename them the Fred H awards and let Fred pick all the winners.

 

[WriterDom]

Fred, it might be more productive to go ahead and nominate the stories you like and maybe others would follow you if they felt the same way.

 

[Whispersecret]

I appreciate what Fred is trying to do for us authors. As is apparent in this thread, when an author stands up for his work and cares about recognition, he often gets mistaken for a whining, egotistical schmuck. It's nice to have an advocate who has nothing to gain for himself. Thanks, Fred.

 

[Whispersecret]

Also, a nod to Deborah. I appreciate that compliment. For what it's worth, while I still disagree with you in some areas, my respect for you is on the rise. I'm beginning to see that behind that acidic/humorous exterior, there is a person of conviction.

 

[Laurel]

Also, a nod to Deborah. I appreciate that compliment. For what it's worth, while I still disagree with you in some areas, my respect for you is on the rise. I'm beginning to see that behind that acidic/humorous exterior, there is a person of conviction.

You mean, a person who should be convicted, more likely.

Nah, just kidding...maybe. Deborah's an old-school Literotican - one of our first authors - and I dig her as much as I dig her off-the-wall writing. She's like you in many ways, WS - hard-headed, with a chewy center.

 

[Whispersecret]

She's like you in many ways, WS - hard-headed...

I do NOT own a strap-on! LOL.

 

[Laurel]

She's like you in many ways, WS - hard-headed...

I do NOT own a strap-on! LOL.

Sure, that's what they all say...

 

[Fred H.]

Fred, it might be more productive to go ahead and nominate the stories you like and maybe others would follow you if they felt the same way.

yes, good suggestion, I will be making my selections in a day or two.

and please everyone for the sake of the site, the writers, and other readers...... VOTE!

If I have harped on this topic forgive me, but this is the time to harp on it. It will be done and over in a while.


tHe 'Fred H' awards, that was good fun even I laughed!

 

[Fred H.]

It's nice to have an advocate who has nothing to gain for himself. Thanks, Fred.

well I have a little to gain. If you write a new story all my efforts would be more than worth it. Same goes for all the other great writers that submit and there are many whom do not post on the forums.

so 'Thank You' Whispersecret. Your a special person with a wide, and understanding view of the world. My hat's off to you.

 

[Fred H.]

Rename them the Fred H awards

hey Laurel? I'm kind of tickled by this idea! Any chance?

 

[Guest]

Fred's request

NO NO NO
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION FRED
NO NO NO

DOES NAG NAG NAG MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU

 

[Laurel]

Rename them the Fred H awards

hey Laurel? I'm kind of tickled by this idea! Any chance?

LMAO!

 

[Fred H.]

[/B][/QUOTE]
LMAO! [/B][/QUOTE]

Laurel glad to we (the unidentified poster and I) can make laugh still!

You are a good person.

Time to nominate!

regarding "no no no"

one no is good enough, and it is a good time to nag all the way till Jan 31/2001.