Story Board Mischief

[LadyJane]

Do you think people on this site are petty or childish enough to give low scores to stories that are rated highly to bump them out of the Top Lists? There have been some highly suspect manueverings on the BDSM board recently with highly rated stories all of a sudden plummeting (mine included!). I'm pretty sure that you're not allowed to vote more than once from the same computer (is that correct?), but when a story doesn't have that many votes to begin with, one "1" rating will send it on a downward slide.

Has anyone seen this happen before? Very curious indeed.

I suppose you could always call all your friends, have them log on to this site, and give your story a "5"... that is if you really want all your friends to know what you're writing about! Ha!

 

[MathGirl]

The short answer

Do you think people on this site are petty or childish enough to give low scores to stories that are rated highly to bump them out of the Top Lists?

yes

 

[Jenny _S]

It happens all too often. You will see more discussion of this in the Story Feedback Forum.

 

[Just-Legal]

Yup, unfortunately they do.

 

[OldnotDead]

YES!! Want to see a rating plummet? Have it start out at the top of it's category. Want to see it plummet faster? Have it start out at the top AND be part of a contest.

 

[gauchecritic]

Of course they are.

Probably something like 60-70% of stories have H after the first 10 votes.

That's mainly because the group of 'ordinary' readers who haven't back clicked contains a fair few people who will give a story they don't think is awful or average or even because it made them hard/wet, a five vote. Next group are the 'authors' who know what they like, recognise effort and in the main won't give a score below 3 without sending feedback and reasons. Then there are the trolls. Two kinds. If it doesn't get them hot or includes something they don't like (incest in a loving wives story maybe) then they give a one and sometimes a feedback missile. Troll two looks for stories likely to hurt their own story or their friends and without even bothering to read will give it a one.

That's how I see it anyway.

Lauren does try to keep a look out for trolling, try PMing her and explaining, she has the power to remove votes, and often does if she thinks it necessary. (Including 5s)

Gauche

 

[Seattle Zack]

Damn, gauche ... right on the money. That's it, exactly.

Your reply should be posted as a FAQ, required reading for any new Lit author. That would avoid the second most common question we get around here (MG seems to have Question #1 firmly in hand).

 

[damppanties]

Off topic

Now that the question has been answered enough times, I just wanted to say that MG's AV has changed and I almost didn't recognize Miss Cute as a Button. Perhaps the tag to her name should now read incognito.

 

[Stefan_J]

Just to take it back to the topic again - sorry - i was thinking that a way around this (especially for competitions) would be for a person to be able to vote they would have to be a member, and then it could be tracked how often a member has voted for a particular story...that would take care of multiple votes on the one story at least, and then if there was some sort of database that kept track of the avearage vote per user, say if an average over 10 votes was one or two, then the member should be asked to explain or lose their membership.

Just a couple of ideas that might fair things up a bit.

Quite frankly i find it appalling for someone to do such a thing, or to vote for themselves...you would think that if you cared about your writing you'd like to see yourself get recognition because your story is good, not because you can just up it falsely.

 

[Stefan_J]

Just to take it back to the topic again - sorry - i was thinking that a way around this (especially for competitions) would be for a person to be able to vote they would have to be a member, and then it could be tracked how often a member has voted for a particular story...that would take care of multiple votes on the one story at least, and then if there was some sort of database that kept track of the avearage vote per user, say if an average over 10 votes was one or two, then the member should be asked to explain or lose their membership.

Just a couple of ideas that might fair things up a bit.

Quite frankly i find it appalling for someone to do such a thing, or to vote for themselves...you would think that if you cared about your writing you'd like to see yourself get recognition because your story is good, not because you can just up it falsely.

 

[MathGirl]

Re: Off topic

Now that the question has been answered enough times, I just wanted to say that MG's AV has changed and I almost didn't recognize Miss Cute as a Button.

Dear Damp,
I may be disguised, but there's no doubt that I remain cute as a button. Thanks again to Svenska for the imagery magic she does.
MG

 

[LadyJane]

OK, I don't vote for my own stories, but my husband does! Does that count? Sorry if this has been discussed ad nauseum, but I'm fairly new here and usually don't hang out at the Discussion Boards and this didn't happen with my first three stories, so it took me by surprise. Anyway, I'm sorry it does happen, but I won't take it personally. I usually don't pay much attention to the rating of a story when I choose to read it anyway. Thanks for your honest feedback.

 

[cookiejar]

YES!! Want to see a rating plummet? Have it start out at the top of it's category. Want to see it plummet faster? Have it start out at the top AND be part of a contest.

Getting an "E" pretty much assures you of lower votes or it did in my case. I think they judge you more harshly.

 

[Alex De Kok]

Getting an "E" pretty much assures you of lower votes or it did in my case. I think they judge you more harshly.

Which is unfair, of course, but very probably simply a reflection of human nature - the expectation is higher on seeing the E. Possibly the only category where there is more balance is in Chain Stories, where Laurel has given quite a few Es - I think it might be because she likes to see the authors working together.

Alex

 

[oggbashan]

Possibly the only category where there is more balance is in Chain Stories, where Laurel has given quite a few Es - I think it might be because she likes to see the authors working together.

Alex

So would I but the chain story I started at the AH's request has only one link. Further contributions are requested - please.

Your completed NaNoWriMo rubbish might be suitable.

To see the first chapter click the link below.

Surely someone must be able to follow on.

Desperate Og

 

[RenzaJones]

Being new here I have to ask

Is it possible that some people just don't care for your work be it your style or language or even a rash of grammer mistakes? I've seen a number of posts alluding to being disliked or flamed if your story was rated high and then went low. I know sometimes when I read a story that I don't like I don't have the time or in some cases the inclination to sit and edit the story (if the mistakes are grammatical.) Also plenty of stories have plot holes or irrational change of scenery or clothing (*things that simply paying attention could have twarted.) In any case I don't feel like going back through the story to point out the mistakes so I don't send feedback on those simply because I realize sending feedback without detail is useless. On the same hand I don't vote on those stories because w/o feedback what's the point. I said all that to say isn't it possible that some people vote giving the story their honest opinion but don't bother with feedback?

Secondly some of the stories that I've seen rated as hot are actually horrible because there's no plot or build up just pages and pages of fucking and in the end I can barely remember the characters name's let alone their sexual motivation. In these cases when I vote I send feedback reiterating the latter statement?

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Re: Re: Off topic

Dear Damp,
I may be disguised, but there's no doubt that I remain cute as a button. Thanks again to Svenska for the imagery magic she does.
MG

I'm the Hermione Granger of the Paintshop Pro.

 

[Chicklet]

I suppose you could always call all your friends, have them log on to this site, and give your story a "5"... that is if you really want all your friends to know what you're writing about! Ha!

When I started out at Lit this is exactly what I did. I was certain that all my stories were bombed, so I got on messenger and gave links to all my friends. "Give me a 5!" I told them. And they did. No matter that I got that head start, my story went on a downslide. Not much of one, though, it still has about a "4" rating. Not bad for my first try, huh? It has a huge number of votes, though <grin>

I haven't done it since those first couple of stories. I realized that I could get decent scores by waiting. And then, more recently, I stopped caring what my scores were. Why should I bother looking when the stories I put more effort in to only get 4.0 and the stories I shoot out in twenty minutes get 4.5? So I sit back, read my feedback, reply, write more stories, and don't pay attention to what the rest of the world "rates" my story as.

Chicklet

 

[Alex De Kok]

Like/Dislike

I think it's futile trying to give a rationale to some of the voting and feedback. For example, on one of my own stories I got Your story sucks from Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Anonymous 'A' and Wonderful story... well developed story line interspersed with beautifuly written erotic detail!! Please, write more when you can!!! from Anonymous 'B'. Remember, these were comments on the same story.

My spelling is good - although on occasion I have been challenged on my use of US instead of UK spelling, and vice-versa - my grammar is good, so it can't be that. I have given up trying to understand, but I wish Anonymous 'A' had told me why (s)he felt that way.

Alex

 

[gauchecritic]

Re: Like/Dislike

I wish Anonymous 'A' had told me why (s)he felt that way.

Alex

Sorry about this, but when mentioning unknown sexes we all write either he/she (she/he) or (s)he. Doing this we are neglecting sexless people or its. So when referring to unknown nasty feedbackers shouldn't we refer to them as (s)h/its?

Gauche(Whose hallowe'en story still isn't posted and is sorely tempted to ask The Question

 

[OldnotDead]

Re: Re: Like/Dislike

Sorry about this, but when mentioning unknown sexes we all write either he/she (she/he) or (s)he. Doing this we are neglecting sexless people or its. So when referring to unknown nasty feedbackers shouldn't we refer to them as (s)h/its?

Gauche(Whose hallowe'en story still isn't posted and is sorely tempted to ask The Question

LOL, Gauchie, as I put on my flak jacket and start digging a quick foxhole.

 

[damppanties]

Re: Re: Re: Off topic

I'm the Hermione Granger of the Paintshop Pro.

Your AV looks more like Prof. McGonagall.

 

[Alex De Kok]

Re: Re: Like/Dislike

Sorry about this, but when mentioning unknown sexes we all write either he/she (she/he) or (s)he. Doing this we are neglecting sexless people or its. So when referring to unknown nasty feedbackers shouldn't we refer to them as (s)h/its?

Oh, yes! That makes me feel much better!

Gauche(Whose hallowe'en story still isn't posted and is sorely tempted to ask The Question

Mine isn't either. D'ya think there's safety in numbers? Probably not . . .

Alex

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Off topic

Your AV looks more like Prof. McGonagall.

...which is exactly how Hermione's gonna look like when she grows up!

 

[damppanties]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Off topic

...which is exactly how Hermione's gonna look like when she grows up!

Errr... aren't you all grown up?