The AH Contest Complaint Thread

[Darkniciad]

While it certainly won't prevent contentious and argumentative posts in the individual threads, I thought I'd provide a place to rant, complain, or grumble about the various Literotica writing contests. Even one complaint or response to same posted here instead of in a support thread is one less post that those trying to enjoy the contest will have to wade through.

For anyone who might wish to utilize this resource, here are a few tips to help you do so.

Subscribe to this thread. That provides you with an easy link in your User CP to locate it, should you want to use it. Odds are that it will drop down out of sight and become difficult to find at times.

If you want to complain about how the contests are run, or make suggestions for changes ( though such might end up buried under rants ) then all you need to do is find this thread and post.

If you want to respond to someone complaining in a support thread, here's an easy way to move your response here, rather than responding in the support thread.

Click "Quote" on the post that you want to respond to in the support thread. If you think multiple posts are necessary for context, you can use the multi-quote button instead, and then click "Reply" to start a post with all the necessary posts quoted.

Once the post window appears, highlight all of the text with your mouse, and copy it ( a right click will provide this option for most users )

Then, leave the support thread without submitting anything, and navigate to this thread. Click "Reply" here, and then paste the quotes you copied earlier into your post ( again, a right click will provide the paste option for most users )

Respond to the quotes in this thread as you wish. If you copied everything earlier as I suggest, the name(s) of those quoted and a link to their original post(s) will be affixed to the quotes.

Naturally, nobody is obligated to utilize this thread. If you feel the need to complain or respond, and don't wish to (further?) derail a contest thread, it's here.

 

[TxRad]

Good try Dark but it ain't going to work. The Three Stooges will post in the contest thread and then copy it here, there, and everywhere as usual.

 

[Darkniciad]

Good try Dark but it ain't going to work. The Three Stooges will post in the contest thread and then copy it here, there, and everywhere as usual.

I know, but it doesn't mean that anybody has to respond to them in the contest threads

I prefer Triad of Ultimate Ego. I'm pretty sure that Larry, Moe, and Curly would find the comparison insulting *laugh*

 

[Darkniciad]

Hey, I get a chance to use it already

This last contest was a perfect example of this – db, a long time backer of your vote system, who used questionable tactics in the contest

Your "questionable tactics" are made up from whole cloth. The reason for the rule barring chapters is quite clear. It plainly says that all entries must be self-contained stories -- in other words, having a beginning and an end. It also says that stories of multiple chapters entered in the contest must be a single submission.

Why might this rule have come into being? Well, let us examine the contests leading up to the rule.

If we dig back several contests prior to the rule, we see this.

Winter 2007: 7 chapters of multi-part stories out of 81 entries
Valentines 2008: 4 chapters of multi-part stories out of 84 entries

Forward in time a little:

Earth Day 2008: 20 chapters of multi-part stories out of 56 entries

Skipping How-To, as the theme wasn't exactly chapter-friendly anyway

Nude Day 2008: 22 chapters of multi-part stories out of 71 entries
Halloween 2008: 49 chapters of multi-part stories out of 165 entries

Winter 2008 introduced the No-Chapter rule. Looking at this, what might one reasonably deduce was the reason for the rule?

By the way, you never did get around to explaining how your unsupported interpretation of a plainly worded rule classifies me as a "cheater" for giving returning characters cameos in my story, while sarahhh using herself wearing an "I love dick" t-shirt in nearly every story she's entered in a contest of late isn't.

Who's playing favorites?

 

[DG Hear]

Not really a complaint. I have never entered the contests for the prize money. I never expected to win and haven't won any of the special contest such as nude day etc. I have won a couple of monthly contest and an end of the year best story. Funny when I think about it, it was under non-erotic.

I enter the contest for the quick posting, less than one day compared to 5 to 7 days. Also it gives me a topic to think about. Something to focus on. Finally I get a kick out of the comments. Both on the story and Og's thread. The roller coaster ride always makes it interesting.

I do believe that it is a free site to submit stories on and if a person isn't happy with the rules, than post elsewhere. I don't agree with all the rules but I don't have any investment in the site. I do post on three sites and Literotica has always had the most reads for me.

Well that's about it except thanks to Lit for posting my stories.
With respect
DG Hear

 

[DG Hear]

I just thought of an idea that might be worth looking into. There seems to be a lot of complaints over one author's or another's story being favored over others due to category choice.

I would like to see Catagory contests other than nude day, earth day, etc. It would challege authors who want to participate in the contest to come up with new material. It might also open up interest in some of the lesser known catagories.

No author is forced to particapate and I know there are a few that I wouldn't take part in. The playing field would be the same for everyone. If the powers that be don't feel the story belongs in said catagory, they can notify the writer and he/she can submit it as is into a fitting catagory or change it to meet the contest catagory.

Any other thoughts or opinions on this?

 

[Darkniciad]

SR's brought that up quite a few times. I doubt you'd get much argument about having some rotating category contests to give every genre a guaranteed win once in a while.

I just thought of an idea that might be worth looking into. There seems to be a lot of complaints over one author's or another's story being favored over others due to category choice.

I would like to see Catagory contests other than nude day, earth day, etc. It would challege authors who want to participate in the contest to come up with new material. It might also open up interest in some of the lesser known catagories.

No author is forced to particapate and I know there are a few that I wouldn't take part in. The playing field would be the same for everyone. If the powers that be don't feel the story belongs in said catagory, they can notify the writer and he/she can submit it as is into a fitting catagory or change it to meet the contest catagory.

Any other thoughts or opinions on this?

 

[Darkniciad]

There's a lot of griping about the sweeps, and even more tongue-in-cheek quips about it in the guise of griping, but the times that I've tracked it ( either methodically as I did this time, or far more often by just checking the "H" stories ) they rarely matter.

The ranking of the stories doesn't change all that much. The top ten rarely drop out of it, and few below it ever rise into that range. Every so often, something with a low number of votes will bubble up -- even place -- after a sweep, but most of the time, it's the same stories that have held the highest scores throughout the contest that end up placing when the winners are announced.

The only constant that I've noticed is that the average score always rises. The sweeps absolutely have a bias against low votes.

When you look at the average percentage of votes swept ( as reported in the threads ) those are fairly equal as well. Those outside the average are usually low vote total stories or those in notoriously low-scoring categories.

What it boils down to is that not much changes with regards to who's going to win the contest, but everybody gets a better score when the Hoover comes round.

I do believe that Manu's changes to the voting system may very well have defeated some of the multi-voters. Granted, people can get around them, but my observation is that it seems to have done some good.

I also think that removing that pesky thermometer from the comment section has helped in this regard. No matter the argument and back and forth over that, it was counting as a vote under certain conditions, and it was possible to accidently double vote via the thermometer. Quite naturally, that made it very easy to double vote on purpose.

The thermometer was confusing, and causing more problems than it was worth. Good riddance.

Just some general rambling that I don't want to clutter up the support thread with.

 

[Owlwhisper]

.....

 

[Darkniciad]

Damn... I must have missed that 4.80 completely. I only saw that on day 1 of the contest. It never got above 4.79 ( and that not for very long usually ) after that.

I've picked up about 10k views and 70 votes since the winner announcement, and have a 4.77 right now, so it's still little changed in score from where it sat through pretty much the whole contest.

 

[D_K_Moon]

Did you ask Laurel about the possibility of making this thread a sticky?

 

[Darkniciad]

Did you ask Laurel about the possibility of making this thread a sticky?

Nah. Most people probably wouldn't use it, even if it was nailed to the top of the forum.

I'll probably ressurect it every so often when I want to respond to something in a support thread that I think isn't supportive, but I don't expect it to actually serve any useful purpose beyond that. It would be nice if it did draw some of the back-and-forth out of those threads, but I seriously doubt it.

 

[driphoney]

Okay, since this thread isn't being fully utilized I've decided to vent about my primary issue with contests.

When is Lit finally going to start the Ghost Writer Program for those of us who wish to enter contests but can't dream up even a simple themed fuck scene?

Answer me that, will ya?

Just think, this could also be a way that a writer, who might wish to remain behind the scenes and not cause distress by posting too many stories, to get their words read while remaining truly anonymous. No accusations of "Alt!" "Alt!". No needing to read or respond to negative feedback. None of the bad, only the gentle, inner calm of knowing you've helped a fellow human being and found an secret outlet for your work.

 

[TxRad]

Okay, since this thread isn't being fully utilized I've decided to vent about my primary issue with contests.

When is Lit finally going to start the Ghost Writer Program for those of us who wish to enter contests but can't dream up even a simple themed fuck scene?

Answer me that, will ya?

Just think, this could also be a way that a writer, who might wish to remain behind the scenes and not cause distress by posting too many stories, to get their words read while remaining truly anonymous. No accusations of "Alt!" "Alt!". No needing to read or respond to negative feedback. None of the bad, only the gentle, inner calm of knowing you've helped a fellow human being and found an secret outlet for your work.

How many plot bunnies do you need? Let me know, I have several hundred to choose from, no waiting, free shipping.

 

[driphoney]

How many plot bunnies do you need? Let me know, I have several hundred to choose from, no waiting, free shipping.

Plot bunnies?

I need a fully written story! Who's got time to dream up dialogue? Plot points?(Whatever those are.) And all that other mumbo-jumbo that goes in between?

I have a content analysis paper on Fast & Furious, with no content (both film and analysis) to write! I have a paper on Cycladic figure art to write! I have a paper to dream up on what I got out of this particular sociology class that has changed me that will use up every ounce of creativity I can muster! (Yes, don't laugh. That's the final. )

 

[jomar]

Not a complaint so much as a lament. Sad to see what what an alt-fest it got to so quickly over on the contest threads.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Plot bunnies?

I need a fully written story! Who's got time to dream up dialogue? Plot points?(Whatever those are.) And all that other mumbo-jumbo that goes in between?

I have a content analysis paper on Fast & Furious, with no content (both film and analysis) to write! I have a paper on Cycladic figure art to write! I have a paper to dream up on what I got out of this particular sociology class that has changed me that will use up every ounce of creativity I can muster! (Yes, don't laugh. That's the final. )

I'm just finishing up one for Loving Wives that I'll let you post!

 

[driphoney]

I'm just finishing up one for Loving Wives that I'll let you post!

Mmm. I think you're rates are higher in the sci-fi department. You should be selling that.

We can name it The Du Drip Affair. Or maybe The Do Drip Affair.

 

[Darkniciad]

No need for a quote. I believe the cast of the farce in the contest thread are quite apparent.

Not so fun when you're on the other end of the baseless accusations, insults, "witty" nicknames and general delusional fuckwittery, is it, Ego the third?

Amusing, and yet sad at the same time.

 

[Darkniciad]

Still riding this horse, BFW? *laugh* She's getting more than a little fly-blown after lying around dead for weeks. Might want to consider finding another mount.

Of course, all the yammering of you three numbskulls has attracted quite a bit of attention. I'm up 124 votes and 15k views since the end of the contest, with lots of nice comments on the PC board and in email. The rest of my stories in the series are racking up votes and views, as well as the rest of my list as Les and some crossing over to my stories as Dark.

As I said from the beginning, all it takes is a skim of my story to determine that all the frothing at the mouth is nothing more than sour grapes. Seems most people are going beyond skimming it to read, vote, comment, and seek out my other tales, though

I've entered numerous contests under an "unknown" alt, and done quite well with a few of them, though I've never placed in that name. Laurel is well aware of that pen name. I sent a PM as "him" and a confirmation PM as Dark to make sure that she knew the name was mine, to prevent the unlikely prospect of placing in a contest twice within six months.

I suppose that when you're trying to game the system at every turn -- as you do -- it's hard to imagine that anyone is playing fair

Silly little clone factory Looks like the needle is in the right place.

I dunno, just a suggestion, but why not write a story about, gees, I dunno, Woods? You can write Nude In The Wood or Wood and Nude or Woody in the woods nude or do you save the woodsy theme just for your Earth Day wins?

Oh, I know, why not come up with a new Alt? That way, you can cheat to win, yet, another contest again. Yeah, I like that idea. Only, I'm sure you've already thought of that and are doing that anyway already. I figure your post is nothing more than a smoke screen to throw people all of you.

Hey, if I read another story where you've repeated 3,000 words out of 13,000 to make another templated contest story as an entry, then no matter what alt you use, I'll know it's you, Woody (lol), I mean, Dark One.

 

[Darkniciad]

Just change the name in the above post. Ditto.

Oh, and it's 125 new votes now + the score just went up again *laugh*

Free publicity

QUOTE db I'm drawing a complete blank for this contest, and don't really anticipate that changing.

Duh! Just do what you did in the last one – take 3000 or 4000 words from an old story, then change it a bit and submit it as a new one. Then suck up to the QUEEN.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I see you've started your own complaint thread.

It's a bit oxymoronic, isn't it to have a complaint thread when you have no complaints?

Now, instead, you'd be better off having started a cheating thread to show the rest of us how to win a contest.

At the present time, I have no complaints.

Carry on...cheater.

 

[Darkniciad]

I see you've started your own complaint thread.

It's a bit oxymoronic, isn't it to have a complaint thread when you have no complaints?

Now, instead, you'd be better off having started a cheating thread to show the rest of us how to win a contest.

At the present time, I have no complaints.

Carry on...cheater.

Give that poor dead horse another flogging!

Again, I have to ask, why did you turn off voting on the one story you had in the last contest that was not only doing well all the way, but on the rise as soon as the sweeps started? Afraid you might accidently place and take away all the fun of ranting about how everybody is out to get you?

Or was it just as simple as exploiting a glitch in the H code by locking out voting as soon as you get one to make your story list look better?

How's having scouries fling poo at you going, by the way? Enjoying a little taste of your own meds? I'm sorry to admit that I'm quite enjoying the show, though it is cluttering up the contest thread.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Give that poor dead horse another flogging!

Again, I have to ask, why did you turn off voting on the one story you had in the last contest that was not only doing well all the way, but on the rise as soon as the sweeps started? Afraid you might accidently place and take away all the fun of ranting about how everybody is out to get you?

Or was it just as simple as exploiting a glitch in the H code by locking out voting as soon as you get one to make your story list look better?

How's having scouries fling poo at you going, by the way? Enjoying a little taste of your own meds? I'm sorry to admit that I'm quite enjoying the show, though it is cluttering up the contest thread.

Sorry, Cheater, but you mistaken me for someone who has alts. I have no alts. I want credit for everything, good or bad, that I write.

Moreover, I haven't submitted a story since December 2008. I did rewrite some of my older stories this year, but they were posted under Bostonfictionwriter.

Just because you and everyone else around here have dozens of alts, not everyone is under handed and a cheater. Some of us adhere to higher moral standards. Some of us do not possess the ability to cheat and deceive. Some of us are truly good people and modest, like me.

Hey, if you give me any more shit, I just might buy this site and ban your ass (lol). How would you like me then? Huh?

Yeah, I thought so. Okay, okay, stop kissing my feet. It feels weird when you stick your tongue in between my toes like that. Gross. What's wrong with you? That's so nasty.

"Pardon? Do I have to pee? Why? You want to hold my cock for me? Gross. Are you gay, too? I thought just the pilot was queer."

 

[Darkniciad]

Yeah, we know, you don't have any alts

It helps if all the stories don't look exactly the same, and all of them don't use the same unique style of posting (lol) in comments and the forums. Also helps when you don't have the whole army of them commenting on your stories back-to-back.

Not to worry, by the way. I reported that bug in the H code. I'm sure it will be fixed soon

The only thing I have to wonder is whether scouries is actually stupid enough to not recognize your latest alt, or whether this is all some part of his delusional master plan.

Just keep flinging those baseless accusations while you leave behind a trail a mile wide to your actual gaming of the system. The more people who recognize you as a hypocritical, petulant child with tourette's, the better