The Authors' Hangout 2011 Halloween Contest Support Thread.

[Darkniciad]

Freddie *sigh*

Why don't you ask people who get very high vote totals what happens with their scores? How about looking through the tracks at someone you'll find on each and every one, with higher than average vote counts for every category he posts in?

DG.

His scores usually stabilize within a .05 range almost immediately, even as hundreds of votes continue to roll in.

He's just the easiest example, as he provides a large and constant data set. There are any number of other high vote total stories in each and every track that demonstrate the same narrow range of movement.

4.65 300 votes.

Add in 100 votes:

(80) 5s
(15) 4s
(5) 1s

4.65 400 votes.

That's a 4 to 1 ratio of 5s, and the score hasn't moved at all. The higher your vote totals go, the harder it is to move your score even a single .01 up.

On the other hand, it doesn't take many votes of 3 or less to move your score down.

It's not a conspiracy. It's just math.

That's also why so many of your scores sit in the 3.x range. You're trolled hard because of your posting personality. From what I've read in posts from Laurel back in the mists of time, and from examining gathered data, I believe that one of the major sweeps searches for "inconsistent" votes. Most of the time, those are the 1 bombs that go away and cause scores to jump.

However, in categories such as Loving Wives, you don't see those sort of jumps. First, because of the high vote totals. Second, because those 1 bombs aren't nearly as inconsistent in the category. Lots of trolls throwing 1s.

Because everything you write is trolled hard, the Hoover doesn't see as many of those votes as inconsistent with the voting pattern. It gets the multi-votes, the seriel troll votes, and probably a few others, but the sheer volume of people who are offended or irritated by what you post here makes what remains the standard voting pattern on your stories, so not as many low votes are removed.

 

[sr71plt]

Why bother? Freddie lives in another world altogether.

 

[Darkniciad]

Why bother? Freddie lives in another world altogether.

For the same reason I bother with so many things - n00bs who don't know any better. No sense letting them fall into the conspiracy theories.

 

[MagicaPractica]

Yet another contest I've missed. I actually didn't quite realize it was October until this past Sunday. Not nearly enough time for me to write a story on my limited daily time. Ah well, one of these days life will settle down. Good luck everyone!

 

[TrentEvans]

For the same reason I bother with so many things - n00bs who don't know any better. No sense letting them fall into the conspiracy theories.

As one of the aforementioned n00bs, I very much appreciate the stats and the explanations of how Lit works. It's like getting to go "behind the scenes" at Disneyland.

 

[Darkniciad]

As one of the aforementioned n00bs, I very much appreciate the stats and the explanations of how Lit works. It's like getting to go "behind the scenes" at Disneyland.

*laugh* Glad to be of service

Just keep in mind that I can only see what everyone else can see. I just dig a little deeper than most people, am a self-taught programmer, and have been around for a while. It's more like the guy who delivers supplies to Disney. I don't actually see what's going on in the service tunnels below the park.

And, here's tonight's track.

No new stories today because of Lit going all wonky yesterday.

Average score is 4.08 and the median is 4.14

Average vote total is 170 with a median of 78 and a total of 9171

I had to gather the vote totals for the four new stories yesterday from the category hubs, because the toplists aren't showing them yet. Most likely more fallout from Lit coughing up a hairball yesterday.

For anyone new, I only post averages and such during the contest, rather than the full data. The reason for this is that posting the full list would be a roadmap for trolls. Once the contest is over, I'll post a link to the full tracking of the contest, where you can go back through day-by-day and see how everything evolved.

This time, I'm also cheating a little and not tracking views, comments, or favorites to save some time. At the end of the contest, I'll go through and record all of these as they stand at the end, so the data will be there in the final tracks.

 

[LunaEroticaMystica]

Okay. 3,000 more words tonight and I'm feeling good about where it's going. Navigated some tough scenes, added some steam, and have a plan for the climax. I also kept it from going the "haunted house" route. Apple picking today got my juices flowing again. Yay and my voice is almost back to normal.

estragon, true! And you know there's no hurrying these characters. I won't sacrifice the story for it. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[SuperHeroRalph]

Freddie *sigh*

Why don't you ask people who get very high vote totals what happens with their scores? How about looking through the tracks at someone you'll find on each and every one, with higher than average vote counts for every category he posts in?

DG.

His scores usually stabilize within a .05 range almost immediately, even as hundreds of votes continue to roll in.

He's just the easiest example, as he provides a large and constant data set. There are any number of other high vote total stories in each and every track that demonstrate the same narrow range of movement.

4.65 300 votes.

Add in 100 votes:

(80) 5s
(15) 4s
(5) 1s

4.65 400 votes.

That's a 4 to 1 ratio of 5s, and the score hasn't moved at all. The higher your vote totals go, the harder it is to move your score even a single .01 up.

On the other hand, it doesn't take many votes of 3 or less to move your score down.

It's not a conspiracy. It's just math.

That's also why so many of your scores sit in the 3.x range. You're trolled hard because of your posting personality. From what I've read in posts from Laurel back in the mists of time, and from examining gathered data, I believe that one of the major sweeps searches for "inconsistent" votes. Most of the time, those are the 1 bombs that go away and cause scores to jump.

However, in categories such as Loving Wives, you don't see those sort of jumps. First, because of the high vote totals. Second, because those 1 bombs aren't nearly as inconsistent in the category. Lots of trolls throwing 1s.

Because everything you write is trolled hard, the Hoover doesn't see as many of those votes as inconsistent with the voting pattern. It gets the multi-votes, the seriel troll votes, and probably a few others, but the sheer volume of people who are offended or irritated by what you post here makes what remains the standard voting pattern on your stories, so not as many low votes are removed.

Thank you for takinng the time to explain it in that way. It makes sense to me now. I get it.

 

[SuperHeroRalph]

Luckily you just like to write, and none of the rest of that matters to you.

...and then you dare to write that I'm the one that attacks you, when I'm the one who never bothers with you.

 

[SuperHeroRalph]

Why bother? Freddie lives in another world altogether.

...and then you dare to write that I'm the one that attacks you, when I'm the one who never bothers with you.

 

[SuperHeroRalph]

Not to beat a dead horse, but let me get this straight.

So, these writing contests have nothing to do with writing stories. Is that what you're saying, Dark, because every time you explain how the statistics work around here you always give a little pinch about the reason why my scores are lower is because of my behavior on the forum boards? Correct?

So, no matter what talent I have or what story I write, playing nice with everyone here, is the key to winning a contest. Kissing everyone's ass is how to win a contest here.

Ergo, these contests are not writing contests but popularity contests. I see. Now, I get it. I do.

I've been attacked from the first day that I started writing and I'm still attacked now. That's okay. I'll take the verbal assaults as a compliment. People around here are afraid of me because my stories are better than their stories. Voting them down is their way of voting their stories up. That's it in a nutshell.

Yet, routinely, my stories appear on the 30 day, 12 month, and all-time list, under BostonFictionWriter, CarBuffStuff, PositiveThinker, WmForrester, and SuperHeroRalph. Conversely, I don't see any contest winning stories appearing on any 30 day, 12 month, and/or all-time list.

Where are the contest stories? Aside from incest routinely appearing on the most read boards, if a contest story was so good, so well written, and the writer was so talented, their story should supercede all over that and appear on the most read boards, but they don't. They never do.

If these contests were real writing contests, popularity would have nothing to do with them. These contest should be judge not only by their scores by also by their hits.

Nothing will change. I'm still the winner. What is important to me that I'm a better writer than I was in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and now in 2011.

You don't see me attacking other writers. What you see me constantly doing is defending myself against the continual attacks of other writers. Those same writers twist and spin their words to make it appear that I'm the one that starts all the trouble. I don't. I never do.

It's those that have tens of thousands of posts, those that live here on the forum boards 24/7, that start all the trouble. They are the ones with no life. All of this is just a game to them. This is their life.

I just write stories. Someone who has written nearly 1,000 stories and more than 6 million words that have amassed nearly 100 million hits, someone who seldom makes a post to the forum boards, is not here to make friends or to start trouble. I'm here to write and with all the other bullshit that interferes with the process of writing here and having a fair contest, it's hopelessly impossible to do that.

This is not a writing site. It's a popularity site. This could be the greatest site for writers and readers, but it's not. It's a sham and it's a shame.

 

[PennLady]

Story's up! Yay! http://www.literotica.com/s/the-collection-1

So nice to post something ... my last post was in May, I think. Geez.

 

[Darkniciad]

"Kissing ass" has nothing to do with it. Your last post is yet another example of the kind of thing that annoys people. It's an indirect attack, and you know it. Even though it's unfair for your stories to be voted upon based upon your posting personality, it's a fact of life here, and you make your own bed every time you snap and spew vulgarity at someone new ( who you no doubt believe is an alt ) or attack everyone in general, as you've done here.

People who've never made post 1 to the forum win contests. You don't have to kiss anybody's ass. You just have to not be an arrogant jerk.

To set the record straight, the stories of yours that appear on the most read list are also incest. The others don't make it there because incest pushes pretty much everything else off that list. Again, your views and categories are all in the tracks for anyone to see, and easily confirmed by anyone who wants to do the legwork to verify.

You're simply not going to get away with presenting lies as proof of your conspiracy theory so long as I'm around. Sorry.

 

[SuperHeroRalph]

Forget about me. Imagine a new writer, a writer that is not writing under an alt, a writer who doesn't know how this site works, and a writer who doesn't have a fan base.

Now imagine a writer who is very talented and who can write wonderful stories that paint images and draws emotion.

That writer doesn't have a snowballs chance of winning a contest here.

Why? Because some writer who already has a large popularity base, a writer who's turn it is to win a contest, will win over the more talented writer with the better story.

Say that's not true. Say that doesn't happen.

As far as lies, Dark, I don't lie.

I write fiction. I'm BostonFictionWriter. What some believe are lies was just me writing fiction.

Do you want truth? The truth is that this Literotica site has nothing, nothing, at all to do with erotic writing. The stories that receive the most attention are stroke stories. The stories that receive the most attention are not even the best written stories. This site is Sexotica.

Too many of the readers that read these stories don't want to read narrative, plot development, and/or character development. They want to read about sex right from the first sentence to the last sentence. With cock in hand they want to masturbate to our stories. They want to cum. They don't give a shit about the story, the writer, or the contest.

The truth is not the best stories win contests. Those writers who are the most popular win contests. Forget about my stories. Take my stories out of the equation. Now go read some of the winning stories and compare them to some of the losing stories.

Are you kidding me? Are you serious? That story won over this story? This writer, who can't write, has a sheet full of red H's? How is that possible? Because, newsflash, Literotica has nothing to do with quality writing, talented writers, and writing the best story that we can.

As a writer, I'd rather not win a contest knowing that my story sucked and was far from the best story in the contest. As a writer, I'd rather not win a contest knowing that the only reason why I won because I had the best avatar or was the most polite person on the forum boards.

Fuck the forum boards. We are writers and we write stories. That's all that should matter. Nothing else should matter, but the story.

Until they make these contests writing contests, until they devise a way that the most popular writer doesn't win, but the best story wins, then these writing contests are a joke.

As it is we all write here for free. For free, we sit for hours creating, developing, writing, and editing our stories. For free, we post them to the board. For what? To be bashed. Many of the best writers here don't even enter a contest. Why? Because they know they don't have a snowballs chance of winning a contest. They don't want their stories bashed over a contest they can't win. They don't want that negative attention.

I'm unpopular not because I lie, Dark, but because I speak the truth. If I must be the scapegoat for Literotica to have a fair writing contest, then so be it. Take our your frustration on my stories and they do. Bash my stories and they do.

As far as conspiracies go, there are conspiracies and collusion here, which is why I've yet to win a Survivor contest. Even the moderators made sure that I didn't win by cheating me out of winning. None of us know who works for Literotica or who is a plant for Literotica. As far as we all know, Literotica may pick and choose who they want to win a contest, so as not to pay out money.

It's all about the money. Do you want a fair writing contest? Then, remove the money. I've suggested this more than once. Do you want to attract quality writers? Then, pay us a stipend for all the customers that we bring to the site. Use our stories to create books to sell on Literotica, as they did with that one book they published in 2008.

I don't lie, Dark, but I'm unafraid to tell the truth. Maybe you are unable to discern a lie from the truth because you have a hidden agenda. For all that any of us know, you could be Manu, which would explain your ability to come up with so many propriety statistics that are unavailable to the rest of us.

Maybe your agenda and others here are to protect the lies of Literotica in making us all believe that these are fair contests, when they are not.

All any of us have in writing stories here is the hope of winning a contest and even that is taken away from us because these are not writing contests but popularity contests.

I am, Freddie aka Susan, AndTheEnd, BostonFictionwriter, CarBuffStuff, PositiveThinker, WmForrester, and SuperHeroRalph. I am a writer. I write fiction. I write stories. I am here because of the story and nothing else.

 

[PennLady]

My story is at a 4.38. I think I'm being trolled and I think I'm amused that anyone would take the time to do so.

 

[sr71plt]

...and then you dare to write that I'm the one that attacks you, when I'm the one who never bothers with you.

That's not attacking you, sport. That's just reminding you of what you always reasonably post.

I didn't use any faggot type words like you do or explode into the computer like you do, so it isn't anything like attacking. It's just repeating what you yourself post.

Have a good day.

 

[sr71plt]

So, these writing contests have nothing to do with writing stories. Is that what you're saying, Dark, because every time you explain how the statistics work around here you always give a little pinch about the reason why my scores are lower is because of my behavior on the forum boards? Correct?

So, no matter what talent I have or what story I write, playing nice with everyone here, is the key to winning a contest. Kissing everyone's ass is how to win a contest here.

That's about the size of it, yes. Of course you've reached this conclusion about thirty-six times before.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

As one of the aforementioned n00bs, I very much appreciate the stats and the explanations of how Lit works. It's like getting to go "behind the scenes" at Disneyland.

takes all the magic outta it though.

 

[sr71plt]

My story is at a 4.38. I think I'm being trolled and I think I'm amused that anyone would take the time to do so.

If your story is at 4.38, you certainly aren't being trolled anything like other entries are.

The sweeps should show better where everyone stands.

 

[scouries]

http://www.buckaroosfunnypictures.com/files/piks/uglybaby.jpg
superheroralphie a.k.a. little ralphie a.k.a. crackmaster a.k.a. carboy a.k.a.forestwill but not BFW

Posts like the ones he's made on this page are the clearest proof anyone would ever need to understand this guy is not our beloved BFW ​

 

[PennLady]

takes all the magic outta it though.

Well, yes, but some of us like seeing what makes the magic. I was on stage crew all four years in high school. I never wanted to be in the play, just make it happen.

If your story is at 4.38, you certainly aren't being trolled anything like other entries are.

The sweeps should show better where everyone stands.

Oh, yes, I know. And I don't mean to complain. I have to say it's something I notice; my stories usually go to 4.5 or better quickly, which is flattering. However, this is a new genre for me, and perhaps people don't care for it. On the other hand it only has 27 votes, and hasn't been up long. So we shall see.

I also find it baffling that there are people who troll. That they actually spend time thinking "I will go do this mean thing to someone I don't know because ..." And I know they've always been there, even before the internet.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

Well, yes, but some of us like seeing what makes the magic. I was on stage crew all four years in high school. I never wanted to be in the play, just make it happen.



Oh, yes, I know. And I don't mean to complain. I have to say it's something I notice; my stories usually go to 4.5 or better quickly, which is flattering. However, this is a new genre for me, and perhaps people don't care for it. On the other hand it only has 27 votes, and hasn't been up long. So we shall see.

I also find it baffling that there are people who troll. That they actually spend time thinking "I will go do this mean thing to someone I don't know because ..." And I know they've always been there, even before the internet.

if you see what makes the magic then you lose the magic. evryone knows that.

 

[Neonurotic]

Oh, yes, I know. And I don't mean to complain. I have to say it's something I notice; my stories usually go to 4.5 or better quickly, which is flattering. However, this is a new genre for me, and perhaps people don't care for it. On the other hand it only has 27 votes, and hasn't been up long. So we shall see.

I also find it baffling that there are people who troll. That they actually spend time thinking "I will go do this mean thing to someone I don't know because ..." And I know they've always been there, even before the internet.

Anything above 4.0 on a contest entry is good, below that usually means your story is being trolled with 3's, which will likely stick more than 1's and 2's. I don't think getting low votes during this time is anything personal, it's just fanboys/fangirls wanting their favorite authors to win, it's a popularity contest. And then there are readers who just get their passive-aggressive kicks by low voting everyone.

More on a personal note, I read your story and 5'd it because I liked it a lot. I think you did well in the Erotic Horror category, all the elements I look for in that category were there. I wouldn't let the reaction you get on the story be the basis if you should or shouldn't post in Erotic Horror in the future.

 

[PennLady]

Anything above 4.0 on a contest entry is good, below that usually means your story is being trolled with 3's, which will likely stick more than 1's and 2's. I don't think getting low votes during this time is anything personal, it's just fanboys/fangirls wanting their favorite authors to win, it's a popularity contest. And then there are readers who just get their passive-aggressive kicks by low voting everyone.

More on a personal note, I read your story and 5'd it because I liked it a lot. I think you did well in the Erotic Horror category, all the elements I look for in that category were there. I wouldn't let the reaction you get on the story be the basis if you should or shouldn't post in Erotic Horror in the future.

Thanks, Neo. I appreciate the vote and the support. I don't think I let feedback influence the genres I write in. I write whatever they happen to be and the category is what it is. This happened to be Erotic Horror b/c of the idea I had, and the song I got it from. I'm glad you liked it though.

It still makes me shake my head, though, that there are people who actively -- in that passive-aggressive way -- consciously take the time out of their day to try to annoy people over the internet. Really it's amazing.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Forget about me. Imagine a new writer, a writer that is not writing under an alt, a writer who doesn't know how this site works, and a writer who doesn't have a fan base.

Now imagine a writer who is very talented and who can write wonderful stories that paint images and draws emotion.

That writer doesn't have a snowballs chance of winning a contest here.

Why? Because some writer who already has a large popularity base, a writer who's turn it is to win a contest, will win over the more talented writer with the better story.

Say that's not true. Say that doesn't happen.

As far as lies, Dark, I don't lie.

I write fiction. I'm BostonFictionWriter. What some believe are lies was just me writing fiction.

Do you want truth? The truth is that this Literotica site has nothing, nothing, at all to do with erotic writing. The stories that receive the most attention are stroke stories. The stories that receive the most attention are not even the best written stories. This site is Sexotica.

Too many of the readers that read these stories don't want to read narrative, plot development, and/or character development. They want to read about sex right from the first sentence to the last sentence. With cock in hand they want to masturbate to our stories. They want to cum. They don't give a shit about the story, the writer, or the contest.

The truth is not the best stories win contests. Those writers who are the most popular win contests. Forget about my stories. Take my stories out of the equation. Now go read some of the winning stories and compare them to some of the losing stories.

Are you kidding me? Are you serious? That story won over this story? This writer, who can't write, has a sheet full of red H's? How is that possible? Because, newsflash, Literotica has nothing to do with quality writing, talented writers, and writing the best story that we can.

As a writer, I'd rather not win a contest knowing that my story sucked and was far from the best story in the contest. As a writer, I'd rather not win a contest knowing that the only reason why I won because I had the best avatar or was the most polite person on the forum boards.

Fuck the forum boards. We are writers and we write stories. That's all that should matter. Nothing else should matter, but the story.

Until they make these contests writing contests, until they devise a way that the most popular writer doesn't win, but the best story wins, then these writing contests are a joke.

As it is we all write here for free. For free, we sit for hours creating, developing, writing, and editing our stories. For free, we post them to the board. For what? To be bashed. Many of the best writers here don't even enter a contest. Why? Because they know they don't have a snowballs chance of winning a contest. They don't want their stories bashed over a contest they can't win. They don't want that negative attention.

I'm unpopular not because I lie, Dark, but because I speak the truth. If I must be the scapegoat for Literotica to have a fair writing contest, then so be it. Take our your frustration on my stories and they do. Bash my stories and they do.

As far as conspiracies go, there are conspiracies and collusion here, which is why I've yet to win a Survivor contest. Even the moderators made sure that I didn't win by cheating me out of winning. None of us know who works for Literotica or who is a plant for Literotica. As far as we all know, Literotica may pick and choose who they want to win a contest, so as not to pay out money.

It's all about the money. Do you want a fair writing contest? Then, remove the money. I've suggested this more than once. Do you want to attract quality writers? Then, pay us a stipend for all the customers that we bring to the site. Use our stories to create books to sell on Literotica, as they did with that one book they published in 2008.

I don't lie, Dark, but I'm unafraid to tell the truth. Maybe you are unable to discern a lie from the truth because you have a hidden agenda. For all that any of us know, you could be Manu, which would explain your ability to come up with so many propriety statistics that are unavailable to the rest of us.

Maybe your agenda and others here are to protect the lies of Literotica in making us all believe that these are fair contests, when they are not.

All any of us have in writing stories here is the hope of winning a contest and even that is taken away from us because these are not writing contests but popularity contests.

I am, Freddie aka Susan, AndTheEnd, BostonFictionwriter, CarBuffStuff, PositiveThinker, WmForrester, and SuperHeroRalph. I am a writer. I write fiction. I write stories. I am here because of the story and nothing else.

I partly agree with you, Freddie. To a some degree, the theme contests are about popularity of the individual authors rather than the quality of the stories, but this is not entirely so. I am certain there are people, including some on this forum, who have personal animus toward me and watch the new stories listing or my index so they can one-bomb anything new by me. This would be especially so in contests. I have observed how many of my stories have ratings of about 3.50 or lower after the first day, and how the scores creep upward to the neighborhood of 4.50 after some honest votes are cast. There's not much I can do about this, since I also refuse to kiss ass (figuratively speaking) on this forum or others.

However, this only applies to a relatively small number of votes. I have some fans who like to read my smut, and they have often told me as much. They are among the ones who vote honestly, and they are the reason my scores rise after a few days. That's not to say they all vote a "5" but some of them do. The problem is a one-bomb can offset many fives. Consider this: After ten votes, a story has a score of 4.90, which would result from nine votes of five and one of four. Somebody comes along and one-bombs it, and the score drops to 4.55. In order to return to 4.90, that story would need forty "5" votes and nothing lower.

You know as well as I there are two kinds of story on Lit. One kind is the carefully crafted tale you apparently aspire to, of carefullly drawn characters, believable dialogue and clever plots. There is also the kind I usually write, which are strictly stroke, and include graphic descriptions of sexual activity. I believe both styles are equally valid. The highest compliment I can receive from readers is one telling me how hard or wet they get and how they love to wank or frig from reading my smut.

Sometimes I try to write stories of the first type I describe, but I think it's more fun to write stroke, so that's what I mostly do.