The Author's Hangout Valentine's Day 2012 Support Thread

[lovecraft68]

Just to elaborate a little further, and so no one here thinks I have no idea what I am talking about.

Although I am not a web coder like Dark I, like anyone else here with time and patience, can track scores.

So let me tell you how it has been since my story debuted.

I have been number one with DG at number two right up until yesterday. Very good story by the way DG, I voted, but am sure it was scrapped.

Night Tempest was somewhere around 4/ 5 for most of the duration and Golden arrows was not even sniffing a top spot.

Yet here we are. They swept and swept and manipulated until they had what they wanted. Hell the announcement post was edited 3 times in three hours was she still making up her mind?

DG stayed at 2 because he won last year so they did not want anything said about that, and they got their favorite category in #1

Only reason Golden Arrows snuck in was there was no non-human entry that they could have given #1 or 2 to.

I want to make it clear I mean no offense to the winners or am I taking credit away form their work. But Night Tempests reply of “I was surprised” says it best. Of course they were because they knew where they stood.

For those of you who think this is sour grapes I will let you know I have already received close to a dozen PM’s and e-mails telling me what a screw job this was.

I will not post their names so that they may have a chance to win a future contest (but that is doubtful) but if anyone cares they can scroll through my 70 comments and find the ones from competing authors telling me I should win. But I suppose those must be cheerleader votes as well.

The sweeps are designed to rid the stories of troll votes and “cheerleaders” but at the end of the day it all boils down to the cheerleader running the contest.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Congratulations to the winners.

I had one entry in the TS & CD Category that finished with 4.68, which I thought was pretty high, although not in the money. My other entry was a GM story that got bombed early and, apparently, never swept.

I don't really expect to win any contests, since people don't usually vote that high for the kind of smut I usually write.

 

[nicecthulhu]

Congratulations to the winners!
It was my first contest here and a lot of fun just to participate.
Entering the contest accomplished two of three things for me. It found me two people who understand grammar a lot better than I do to help me where I most need it. It brought me a lot of new readers. I just hope they stick around!
Unfortunately, my story wasn't quite good enough to keep that magical 4.5 value.
I'm looking forward to improving on my writing and putting an entry in for the Hallowe'en contest when that eventually rolls around.
I recommend entering contests like this one to other new authors.
The only problem I had with the contest was that as the end approached my score was slowly working its way up to, and then over, 4.50 and then right at the end it dropped just below! Argghh!
Also, a thank you to PennLady, others who answered the questions I had and to all those who read and voted on the stories (mine especially, of course).

 

[scouries]

lovergirl you were fucked from the start and just about everyone around here knew it. Set up by people who don’t like you and never have.

Nothing can surprise me here anymore. Not since the first freddie survivor debacle years ago. Even though I’d heard the background noise that time I was still stunned at how he was brought down and the prize stolen from him. How everyone cackled in glee behind his back even though it was they who had cheated him. Their joy at hurting another author was a disgusting sight.

The pattern of voting and comments on your Valentines entry made me nervous from day one. Even though I don’t like you I don’t like seeing people hurt simply to entertain a group of mean spirited little people. I suspect your tormentors are the same small clique who’ve been at this game since I arrived here. I can just see darkboy smiling evilly as he passed around your email and his response to his cabal of coconspirators. ‘Wait til he gets the news that he’s lost’ I can see them all saying to themselves as they huddled in their dark corners snickering. I’m afraid it was you who got played as the sub this time around. And your whining and crying is simply feeding their despicable ugliness. Encouraging further outrages.

But you know what? I say FUCK EM!
​

 

[lovecraft68]

lovergirl you were fucked from the start and just about everyone around here knew it. Set up by people who don’t like you and never have.

Nothing can surprise me here anymore. Not since the first freddie survivor debacle years ago. Even though I’d heard the background noise that time I was still stunned at how he was brought down and the prize stolen from him. How everyone cackled in glee behind his back even though it was they who had cheated him. Their joy at hurting another author was a disgusting sight.

The pattern of voting and comments on your Valentines entry made me nervous from day one. Even though I don’t like you I don’t like seeing people hurt simply to entertain a group of mean spirited little people. I suspect your tormentors are the same small clique who’ve been at this game since I arrived here. I can just see darkboy smiling evilly as he passed around your email and his response to his cabal of coconspirators. ‘Wait til he gets the news that he’s lost’ I can see them all saying to themselves as they huddled in their dark corners snickering. I’m afraid it was you who got played as the sub this time around. And your whining and crying is simply feeding their despicable ugliness. Encouraging further outrages.

But you know what? I say FUCK EM!
​

Let's not get carried away here. I don't blame the other authors and Dark has always seemed fair in his dealings with people.

This all comes from above where I am not popular especially recently for pointing out their refusal to remove underage stories even when reported to them.

But that's life and end of the day I know I had the best entry this time around.

But I would not be true to myself if I did not express my displeasure I have never been one to roll over and accept what others do.

In keeping with that theme I will compose a message to Laurel saying what I am saying here.

 

[sr71plt]

Congrats to the winners.

I didn't see a big sweep at the end--just one 1 vote, which was swept by this morning. There were earlier sweeps, though. I lost maybe 7 votes in total, all low, because the score kept going up. Ended at a 4.4.

The contest scoring is, indeed, impossible to figure out (which is a reason not to bother to try to do it while the contest is going on) and the voting is like a sieve, so it's best to go into contests with the concept that the payoffs are higher "New" list placement, placement on an additional list for the duration of the contest, and the attraction of new readers to your stories. I also gain more "favorite authors" than usual during a contest. And then just be pleasantly surprised if your story wins.

 

[sr71plt]

But that's life and end of the day I know I had the best entry this time around.

And you call other posters arrogant?

From looking at the stats, I'd thought you won too. But then I've thought that about many other stories in past contests and been wrong.

But I'll have to say that the payoff of this contest for me is to watch you acting like you are on this thread.

 

[TxRad]

Isn't it funny how this thing with LoveCraft plays right into scouries master plan to screw with the contests and everyones heads that are in it.

The only one around here that has tons of practice at manipulating the votes and scores is the one and only scouries.

As for a group of AHer's out to get scouires goes all the way back to his first incarnation as Sarahhh. He used a female alt so he could use fake pictures to try and manipulate the votes and favorites. Then the Unitit scandal broke. He always sent the same left tit picture. That is when he got laughed out of the AH and his hatred of the AH began.

The stolen AV he uses now is the same one that Sarahhh used. How stupid can you get.

So, as usual this is more of scouries bullshit to wipe out a contest system he can't cheat and to run off as many writers as possible. So go ahead and leave if that is what you want to do but then if you do, he wins.

The reason for the sweeps in the first place is scouries and his alts.

 

[scouries]

posted on the other thread in reply to miss red...

I too have tried to read scouries works, and see if he really is as awful as everyone claims and though I will now have another troll one-bombing me (if he/she/it wasn't already) I honestly couldn't make it past the first few paragraphs, and I've tried on three different occasions with three different stories.

It always gets back to this, doesn’t it? Attack my writing! You’re not the first (as even you acknowledge in your post), it’s the easiest way to deflect attention from whatever argument or point I was making. It’s a tried and true AHland technique – so I guess you are becoming an AHer.

The point dear lady is that SF (and NH) stories have a huge advantage over stories from other categories simply because that group of readers are the least discerning on the site (then comes the Gay male and Romance audiences). You know it, I know it, we all know it. I believe authors in other categories get cheated by this imbalance and something should be done about it.

My second point, a long held one, is that an author should only be allowed one entry per contest. A significant numbers of authors (including the 2nd placer) don’t agree. In his case he conceded he only does it to jump the queue!

My third point, another long held one, is that the stories that draw the most VIEWS, COMMENTS, VOTES and FAVORITES, clearly indicating some high level of reader interest and acceptance, should be among the winners of a contest supposedly decided by their votes.. Which, as you know, presently almost never happens.

As to the SWEEPS – no one believes in the results anymore. This last minute jumping up and down of vote totals and scores has cost the winning stories all credibility. I believe the contest results are fixed by the QUEEN. Some will argue she’s just trying to get fair results but with all this back room shenanigans no one really knows. And never will. Are her prejudices and favorites influencing her actions?

If you want to address these or other contest issues go ahead. Intelligent discussion, even if you don’t agree with my view of the contest world, is always welcome.

But dissing my stories? It’s lame. And silly. You're better than that! Some like them (many in fact). Others don’t. ​

 

[BuckyDuckman]

For whatever it's worth to the discussion - here is where I finished:

4.44 points - I stalled at 4.42 for a long time, then advanced to 4.43 after talk of sweeps. Dipped again to 4.42, back up to 4.43, and finished with 4.44. That's interesting to me, considering the number of voters I had.

Speaking of which, I apparently had 325, though only 8 comments. Other stories seemed to have fewer votes, but more comments. Guess I'm just not friendly enough? I don't know.

63153 people apparently viewed my story, which makes me happy. It's by far the highest view count any of my stories have received. Closest competitor would be my LV story at 54,004 views.

So, if it matters, how do I feel about all this? Fine. I'm not much for drama (outside of my stories, of course). It is what it is. I didn't monitor my score, number of votes, or page views as closely as others during the contest.

 

[MaddieKim]

Congratulations to all the winners.

DG and Red, you both are soooo bad…but in such a good way…on top or bottom, oh my. Hee,hee.

Congratulations winners! This was a strong field of stories. I read and voted on them, and am not surprised by any of the winners... only sad more stories couldn't win. They were that good. I'm starting to think Valentine's Day brings out the best romances!

talismania said it all, hence the quote. There were some great stories and I thank all the authors who shared them with us.

 

[Mostera1]

Shocked

I was shocked that Lovecraft's story dropped as much as it did. The story was superb, and I thought for sure it would win or at least place; because it was like the Energizer Bunny it kept going and going. It was leading from the get go and never wavered for all the time it had been posted. So, the number of points the story lost in one final sweep seemed ridiculous to me.

My questions are:
I thought sweeps were done through out the contest? So if there was 'bogus' votes they should have swept away much earlier, not all at once at the end. How can that happen?

Not logical to me which explains my surprise at the point joustings in the end. Conversely along that same line, my personal favorite 'Golden Arrows' by Red, who I thought was getting unceremoniously trashed by trolls and as I told her in my humble opinion was about 0.2 points lower than it should be, shot up and finished in third place which I am ecstatic about.

I do not pretend to understand the inner workings of contests and am grateful for this free site to read and to post in, however; and I am sure my suggestions would fall on deaf ears, because I would be considered a 'bottom feeder' for my meager postings and as a 'newbie' writer too.

Nevertheless, if not being done, I suggest deep sweeps more frequently, so authors can get an accurate read on how their story is doing. It didn't seem logical to me all the roller coaster twists and turns that went on this last day of the contest. Normally the end of the ride is when things slow down, and we all settle back to marvel at the trip we just took. But with this contest, the biggest drops, and steepest hills happened at the end. Puzzling.

Again, my heartfelt congratulations to all the winners, especially Red , and LC if you decide to pull away, and I hope you don't email me where you will post next.

Thank you!

 

[TxRad]

The sweeps used to be all during the contests but all it did was give the trolls and manipulators a road map of where to hit. It was also a waste of time and site resources so the sweeps were saved for the end. The smaller sweeps you saw back at the end of the month were for the end of the month contest and it looks like a lot of the contest stories were not swept.

Scouries complains about the sweeps but he is the number one reason for them. Vote manipulation are his stock and trade. Misdirection also. He used to drop all kinds of votes on certain stories just so they would be swept. Those large numbers on other peoples stories covered up the massive sweeps on his.

One tactic doesn't work so he uses another. his agenda is to pull down the contests and the AH. He has stated as much in his thread in the feedback forum.

 

[Cia81]

Maybe

Sweeps throughout are great and wonderful, if the staff is paid and have work hours. If not, it's hard to get to everything when you have to fit site work into your life and free time. Having periodic sweeps of all the stories, rather than just doing them once, would probably mean doing the same job multiple times. As an admin on two other story sites, I can tell you that doing that is irksome because there is always something that needs attention. Story approval, rule breakers, newbie teaching, tech issues . . . it all takes time and effort. I hate doing the same thing over again because of that.

I'm not familiar enough with the site to know if the staff is paid or not, but I can understand why they sweep at the end that way. It would suck if you're in first and then lose, but it's not like they hide that can happen. *shrugs* I didn't consider my 'place' in the contest that much because I knew it would likely change.

Oh, and to the ranter that said gm readers stick together, hell yeah they do. The category and audience might be smaller than other categories on the site, but those stories often mean a lot to the readers and authors. Not everyone who writes gay male is a gay male (lol, me included) but a lot of us have faced issues due to sexuality and that comes out in our stories. Readers who have experienced that respond because of that. Being different isn't easy, gay, lesbian or bi. It isn't a kink. It shouldn't be something to be ashamed or scared of, but a lot of times it's a hard thing to discover about oneself because of society's perceptions. A lot of the stories, especially the romances with happily ever afters, give us hope that things really can turn out better. If I received a lot of votes because I gave people that hope, then I'm damn ecstatic.

 

[lovecraft68]

Isn't it funny how this thing with LoveCraft plays right into scouries master plan to screw with the contests and everyones heads that are in it.

The only one around here that has tons of practice at manipulating the votes and scores is the one and only scouries.

As for a group of AHer's out to get scouires goes all the way back to his first incarnation as Sarahhh. He used a female alt so he could use fake pictures to try and manipulate the votes and favorites. Then the Unitit scandal broke. He always sent the same left tit picture. That is when he got laughed out of the AH and his hatred of the AH began.

The stolen AV he uses now is the same one that Sarahhh used. How stupid can you get.

So, as usual this is more of scouries bullshit to wipe out a contest system he can't cheat and to run off as many writers as possible. So go ahead and leave if that is what you want to do but then if you do, he wins.

The reason for the sweeps in the first place is scouries and his alts.

I am not posting to further Scouries cause. The fool was her before me and will be here until they kick him off.

And even if your thought is he sabotaged me, that's crap and I will
explain why.

If a vote comes from an identical IP address the vote may count but the score may not reflect it.

There were several points during this thing that I saw a span of 40+ votes yet my score did not change. If it were a one vote I would have dropped but did not

at 600+ votes I understand it takes quite a fe 5's to pick you up especially at 4.85 where this was for an entire week. But 40 and no change? So I figure okay maybe this is someone ballot stuffing.

But if my score did not rise due to these votes it should not have dropped when they were removed.

There is no other way around this except a fix. I am far from a favorite here and it would have pissed them off to see me come out on top.

If they were intelligent they would have had me place third to try to make it look less blatant, but they're not.

But no worries, I am not the next Scouries, this ends here for me but as I said that will be the day that I say "yes ma'am, thank you ma'am may I have another?"

 

[NightTempest]

Sweeps throughout are great and wonderful, if the staff is paid and have work hours. If not, it's hard to get to everything when you have to fit site work into your life and free time. Having periodic sweeps of all the stories, rather than just doing them once, would probably mean doing the same job multiple times. As an admin on two other story sites, I can tell you that doing that is irksome because there is always something that needs attention. Story approval, rule breakers, newbie teaching, tech issues . . . it all takes time and effort. I hate doing the same thing over again because of that.

I'm not familiar enough with the site to know if the staff is paid or not, but I can understand why they sweep at the end that way. It would suck if you're in first and then lose, but it's not like they hide that can happen. *shrugs* I didn't consider my 'place' in the contest that much because I knew it would likely change.

Oh, and to the ranter that said gm readers stick together, hell yeah they do. The category and audience might be smaller than other categories on the site, but those stories often mean a lot to the readers and authors. Not everyone who writes gay male is a gay male (lol, me included) but a lot of us have faced issues due to sexuality and that comes out in our stories. Readers who have experienced that respond because of that. Being different isn't easy, gay, lesbian or bi. It isn't a kink. It shouldn't be something to be ashamed or scared of, but a lot of times it's a hard thing to discover about oneself because of society's perceptions. A lot of the stories, especially the romances with happily ever afters, give us hope that things really can turn out better. If I received a lot of votes because I gave people that hope, then I'm damn ecstatic.

Thank you! It's really sad that most of you feel like I don't deserve this. One, being it's my first contest and I'm no one to any of you, and second being your dislike of the gm category. I just wanted to say that I actually put alot of time and work into this piece and am really excited that gm gets some more credit. Granted I'm not the best author on here by any means, but everything I do write means alot to me. So I'm sorry that some of you don't feel I'm good enough or favorited or some such, but I'm just happy and thankful no matter how I won.

Thank you to all of you that did leave nice comments and emails! I really appreciate it. To Red and DG, congratulations! To everyone else...I took the time to read each and every story. All of you worked really hard and kudos to you guys.

 

[sr71plt]

It's really sad that most of you feel like I don't deserve this.

Whoa! You haven't heard from "most" of anybody. Do that recount on who is grumbling and don't let that tarnish your enjoyment for winning. The contest is what it is.

 

[NightTempest]

Oh I'm enjoying it. I was posting a mass message so I didn't have to reply to all the emails I'm getting.

 

[estragon]

I'd like to see Dark's final scoreboard, if he's kind enough to post it. The stats would be very interesting. As very much an "also-ran", I'd like to see how the field finished.

 

[Darkniciad]

I'll get the track up in a little bit. Running through the numbers as they stand right now.

Hmmm... then again. The numbers still haven't updated.

I'll take a look again after I've had something to eat.

 

[DG Hear]

Thank you! It's really sad that most of you feel like I don't deserve this. One, being it's my first contest and I'm no one to any of you, and second being your dislike of the gm category. I just wanted to say that I actually put alot of time and work into this piece and am really excited that gm gets some more credit. Granted I'm not the best author on here by any means, but everything I do write means alot to me. So I'm sorry that some of you don't feel I'm good enough or favorited or some such, but I'm just happy and thankful no matter how I won.

Thank you to all of you that did leave nice comments and emails! I really appreciate it. To Red and DG, congratulations! To everyone else...I took the time to read each and every story. All of you worked really hard and kudos to you guys.

...and congrats to you also!!! I believe every writer puts forth their best efforts, especially in a contest. We are all playing by the same rules. This was your time to shine and I'm happy for you. I often root for the newbies in a contest.

I had other stories in the contest and was surprised they didn't do better but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

You wrote a good story, got the highest average number of votes and that makes you #1 in this contest. You don't need to apologize to anyone for being a winner. Again Congratulations!
With Respect
DG Hear

 

[slave_]

lovecraft NOT WIN AT ALL?!?!

Talk about fixed. Don't give me "sweeps" excuse bullshit. And yes, I know points or not, the winner is up to Laurel, so give me a break, points don't count.

 

[YoursSINSerely]

Hey, congrats to the winners! It's a big deal. Nice job. Good going. Way to go, and all of that! I still wish I had finished my little tale.

 

[lovecraft68]

So I have to say that (and hopefully he does not mind me mentioning this) I had an interesting "conversation" with Dark that I think shed some light on things.

Before I go any further, I would like to apologize for going off on the site earlier and saying stupid shit.

In my defense (and there some here close to me who know I am not lying) I took some pretty bad news over the weekend. I have a couple of tough situations going on that I am helpless over.

In perspective this contest means nothing, but became the straw that sent me over the edge.

So again I apologize for my rude behavior and certainly do not want to take anything away from the winners or anyone else who put their hard work out on the line for this thing.

As I explained to some people through Pm's today I am not upset about the money (although the poor little pups at the SPCA lost out) or placing although it would have been nice. I am upset because the sweeps are designed to erase cheating or try to erase cheating.

By my score falling it makes it look as if I cheated and I will say this. I can be an asshole and a half when I want to be, but I am extremely competitive and have never won anything unfairly in my life. I can be a jerk, but never a cheat.

The reality was I was cheated, but not by the site, but by someone we are all very familiar with.

So the good news here is this just gives me a new game to play.

As a Satanist I believe in the principle of Lex Talionis or an eye for an eye. The other party now has it coming to them in spades and I have already begun.

So in closing again allow me to apologize to the winners, other contestants and the site in general.

Now if you'll excuse me I have things to plan.

 

[PennLady]

As a Satanist I believe in the principle of Lex Talionis or an eye for an eye. The other party now has it coming to them in spades and I have already begun.

So in closing again allow me to apologize to the winners, other contestants and the site in general.

Now if you'll excuse me I have things to plan.

Does Satanism say anything about wasting your time planning revenge against someone you don't even know?