Proof that "Favorites" aren't all they're cracked up to be

[SimonDoom]

I had to share this because it literally made me laugh out loud and I thought others might appreciate it. In the last 24 hours I had a reader "favorite" one of my stories. He subsequently made the following comment on the very same story not long afterward:

"Robert is as a**hole. He should be replaced. 1 star....."

 

[KeithD]

Well, yes. I found someone attacking me here, who obviously doesn't read the genre I write in this account, immediately favorite me. That quite obviously was just to know when I posted a story so it could be zapped. As soon as I called them on it, I was unfavorited.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

Don't ruin favorites for me, it's all I got here.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I had to share this because it literally made me laugh out loud and I thought others might appreciate it. In the last 24 hours I had a reader "favorite" one of my stories. He subsequently made the following comment on the very same story not long afterward:

"Robert is as a**hole. He should be replaced. 1 star....."

Which confirms some folk use faves as a bookmark, which they've been doing all along.

I like the coy self-censorship too - your asshole is an a**hole, which suggests a delicate care for your sensitivities. Whereas in fact, he's a twat.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I write my stories to generate a reaction. A negative reaction is just as good as a positive reaction to me.

And LOL at them saying you should be replaced.

He probably meant that the character should be replaced. Anyway, I've looked at the list of favorites of some of them. There are readers here with at least 200 or more such stories; I've never tried to count them all. I guess reading Lit is a hobby for some people.

 

[SimonDoom]

He probably meant that the character should be replaced. Anyway, I've looked at the list of favorites of some of them. There are readers here with at least 200 or more such stories; I've never tried to count then all. I guess reading Lit is a hobby for some people.

Correct. The reader hated the character in that particular story (I've had a few readers say the same thing). The same reader gave another of my stories 5 stars. He seems to have "favorited" most of my stories, presumably as a means of bookmarking them to read later.

 

[neuroparenthetical]

Either George or George would have something to say about the word "Favorite" being used for the particular function it's used for on this site. I'd go with Orwell just to be contrary, but Carlin is the obvious pick.

"I think we all know that a lot of these assholes' 'favorites' end up having to take out restraining orders against them. Still not as bad as the dipshits who leave 5-star book reviews then admit they're not reading them till next summer, but at least Grandma Gum Queen getting her Kindle ready for the beach probably won't try to rape ya. Maybe they all belong on the same dating site with each other. There's a million-dollar idea."

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

I had to share this because it literally made me laugh out loud and I thought others might appreciate it. In the last 24 hours I had a reader "favorite" one of my stories. He subsequently made the following comment on the very same story not long afterward:

"Robert is as a**hole. He should be replaced. 1 star....."

Don't knock it, a ‘favourite' is a 'favourite' come what may. Count it up as a win and move on.

 

[Bramblethorn]

"I'm your number one fan!"

 

[Smuttyandfun]

The weird thing I find is when readers 'favorite' a story, or even a whole bunch, without actually favoriting anything. One reader favorited almost almost all of my 160 odd stories, but none of them stuck. I guess it's like a tip of the hat, to try and tell me that they like what I write. But I don't why they bother, because it doesn't do much for me to see all these favorites that don't mean anything.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Well, yes. I found someone attacking me here, who obviously doesn't read the genre I write in this account, immediately favorite me. That quite obviously was just to know when I posted a story so it could be zapped. As soon as I called them on it, I was unfavorited.

Reading some of the comments here, maybe a distinction between "Favorites" and "Followers" can be agreed upon?

As I understand it, "Favorites" bookmark a posting (story or chapter). "Followers" bookmark an author.

The two are not interchangeable. Marking a post as "Favorite" does not provide updates on, or notifications for other works by the author, whereas "Following" will.

 

[stickygirl]

I've had numerous favourites, but when I check their list my favourite has gone. I presume they metaphorically folded back the page = favourite, read the story and thought it was crap = unfavourite. Lit only notifies you of favourites not the unfavourites. Same with followers.
We can't blame readers for being weird when this forum is full of crackpots.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Reading some of the comments here, maybe a distinction between "Favorites" and "Followers" can be agreed upon?

As I understand it, "Favorites" bookmark a posting (story or chapter). "Followers" bookmark an author.

The two are not interchangeable. Marking a post as "Favorite" does not provide updates on, or notifications for other works by the author, whereas "Following" will.

Correct.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've had numerous favourites, but when I check their list my favourite has gone. I presume they metaphorically folded back the page = favourite, read the story and thought it was crap = unfavourite. Lit only notifies you of favourites not the unfavourites. Same with followers.
We can't blame readers for being weird when this forum is full of crackpots.

When I first joined Lit, an "unfavourite" showed as a little broken heart. Terribly sad

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I've had numerous favourites, but when I check their list my favourite has gone.

You inspired me to do a quick six-month comparison.

Looking at the same 69 submissions I had posted on Lit during this period, only 3 of them saw a drop in the number of favorites and most saw a slight increase. Those stats are just for the raw numbers from the data download, however. They don't account for "comings-and-goings" where one reader drops a story from their favorites and someone else adds it. I think the consistency in the total is about all that I can measure reliably.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've had numerous favourites, but when I check their list my favourite has gone. I presume they metaphorically folded back the page = favourite, read the story and thought it was crap = unfavourite.

Yes, I've found this happening with my stories too.

One of the most peculiar things I've noticed is when it indicates on my activity page that someone has "favorited" one of my stories several times in relatively rapid succession. Are they really that undecided? I wonder what's going on.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Yes, I've found this happening with my stories too.

One of the most peculiar things I've noticed is when it indicates on my activity page that someone has "favorited" one of my stories several times in relatively rapid succession. Are they really that undecided? I wonder what's going on.

I've seen that too. I always figure it's a server hiccup, but I don't go back and see if they sort themselves out, with the duplicates disappearing.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Correct. The reader hated the character in that particular story (I've had a few readers say the same thing). The same reader gave another of my stories 5 stars. He seems to have "favorited" most of my stories, presumably as a means of bookmarking them to read later.

"Favorites" is not a great metric, but at least they noted that the story exists. "Views" is even fuzzier, because people may just be flipping through with short attention spans. They are approximations at best, as long as the writer understands that.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

Yes, I've found this happening with my stories too.

One of the most peculiar things I've noticed is when it indicates on my activity page that someone has "favorited" one of my stories several times in relatively rapid succession. Are they really that undecided? I wonder what's going on.

I've seen that, too. I didn't know if it was someone making sure it worked, or if it was some glitch in the program.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Reading some of the comments here, maybe a distinction between "Favorites" and "Followers" can be agreed upon?

As I understand it, "Favorites" bookmark a posting (story or chapter). "Followers" bookmark an author.

The two are not interchangeable. Marking a post as "Favorite" does not provide updates on, or notifications for other works by the author, whereas "Following" will.

True, but followers is a fuzzy metric too. Usually they sign up and I never hear from them again - they rarely comment, for example. Still, at least they care a little.

 

[gunhilltrain]

"I'm your number one fan!"

"You are a dirty birdie."

 

[SimonDoom]

They are approximations at best, as long as the writer understands that.

This is true for all data here, and much angst would be spared, I think, if everyone kept it mind.

10,000 views sounds like a lot, until you know the next guy has 20,000. The numbers are only meaningful in an extremely rough and very relative sense.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

True, but followers is a fuzzy metric too. Usually they sign up and I never hear from them again - they rarely comment, for example. Still, at least they care a little.

So here's the question:

Which influences readers the most to read (and hopefully vote on) a particular story, the number of followers that an author has, or the number next to the little heart icon which indicates how many other readers have selected the story as a "favorite"?

I have one story with a 4.19 score, but 49 "favorites", and I also have a story with a 4.84 score and only 24 "favorites".

 

[Imstillfun]

I know of people who say they hate my work, leave me 1* bombs and nasty comments, but have favorited me As an author. Its ok, I consider them fans.

I do look at favorites to read ratios. I think that’s a better metric than scores.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

So here's the question:

Which influences readers the most to read (and hopefully vote on) a particular story, the number of followers that an author has, or the number next to the little heart icon which indicates how many other readers have selected the story as a "favorite"?

I have one story with a 4.19 score, but 49 "favorites", and I also have a story with a 4.84 score and only 24 "favorites".

IME the score relates to how well the story meets the expectations of those who open it. Favourites mean it struck a chord with a subsection of those. A bunch of my stories have quite a few Faves and a lowish score, or a high score and almost no Faves.

Obviously Faves also get used as bookmarks, and writing quality influences a score a bit, but anything that isn't middle of the road for a category tends to get more Faves and lower score.