This Is BULLSHIT !!!

[AsylumSeeker]

Okay, I pour my heart and soul into my stories and I'm equally affected by the "zeros" and good votes I get. But Lit isn't helping !!!

As an example:

EROTICIZM AT IT'S BEST
10/02/06 By: Anonymous in Austrakia
An unbelievably sexy story. One of the best I have ever heard. Turned me on to the utmost. I had better not say what the result was. Not sure how far I can go with the comments.

Yeah, you'd think I should be proud, but it got a less than sizzling 50% vote (default if no vote is selected).

Why are the writers punished because commenters don't select a vote?

This is pure BULLSHIT!!!

I'm not looking for any cash prize, just the recognition my stories deserve.

Point made.

If that makes me a whiner, so be it.

AS

 

[CopyCarver]

Okay, I pour my heart and soul into my stories and I'm equally affected by the "zeros" and good votes I get. But Lit isn't helping !!!

As an example:

EROTICIZM AT IT'S BEST
10/02/06 By: Anonymous in Austrakia
An unbelievably sexy story. One of the best I have ever heard. Turned me on to the utmost. I had better not say what the result was. Not sure how far I can go with the comments.

Yeah, you'd think I should be proud, but it got a less than sizzling 50% vote (default if no vote is selected).

Why are the writers punished because commenters don't select a vote?

This is pure BULLSHIT!!!

I'm not looking for any cash prize, just the recognition my stories deserve.

Point made.

If that makes me a whiner, so be it.

AS

Bullshit is the word. The irony is that it happens most often to good stories, which are inherently more likely to get comments than the mediocre variety.
The solution would be simple: eliminate the default altogether so that no vote registers as no vote.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Vindicated

Thanks much CC.

I'm glad to "hear" your acknowledgement of this issue.

I don't lay blame at anyone's feet, I feel blessed to have this creative outlet, but at the same time I'd like to express my frustration and an interest in seeing improvements made.

AS

 

[fieryjen]

Calm down

The 50% vote that goes with the comment section is separate from the 1-5 vote that a reader can chose without commenting. The 50% are not used in the tally of the score for your story. They will not influence your story's rating at all.

 

[CopyCarver]

The 50% vote that goes with the comment section is separate from the 1-5 vote that a reader can chose without commenting. The 50% are not used in the tally of the score for your story. They will not influence your story's rating at all.

True, but it trashes the hell out of the comments page--sort of like receiving a great review in the NYT that's headlined "Adequate Attempt."

 

[AsylumSeeker]

LOL CC, and thanks to FJ for enlightening me.

AS

 

[fieryjen]

True, but it trashes the hell out of the comments page--sort of like receiving a great review in the NYT that's headlined "Adequate Attempt."

Hmm. I've never really minded that much, since it's pretty obvious the reader just forgot to set the thermometer if they write a great review and give a 50%. I really don't think the feature's all that useful, that's probably why I don't pay it much attention. I'd much rather have a reader leave a comment than get a 100% on the thermometer scale.

LOL CC, and thanks to FJ for enlightening me.

AS

No problem

 

[WindWraith]

I don't even notice the thermometers at all, I just read the reviews, although I guess I might be more attentive if I actually wrote, rather than just reading.

(half the site's down for me atm, died when I was half way through a great story... hope it's back up soon )

 

[curl4ever]

Nice if default were no vote!

The solution would be simple: eliminate the default altogether so that no vote registers as no vote.

I think this would be a very good solution.

As an author I have occasionally responded to a public comment by leaving a comment of my own. That puts me in the awkward position of being forced to post a thermometer rating of my own story.

-curl

 

[fieryjen]

I think this would be a very good solution.

As an author I have occasionally responded to a public comment by leaving a comment of my own. That puts me in the awkward position of being forced to post a thermometer rating of my own story.

-curl

I always leave it as 50% in that case. But that's probably because, as established above, I don't really care.

 

[Whisky7up]

Strange...I thought I'd read several times (on the AH) that the thermometer votes DID count where the poster of the review had not voted in the 1-5 feature.
I could be wrong......

 

[AsylumSeeker]

I like that my frustration has generated some discussion that more than I may be able to learn from. In my (possible) innocence I just hated to see someone give me rave reviews only to not apply a vote and unintentionally deflate my rating.

And if FJ is right, the 100 degrees doesn't count either. Hmmm... I guess they even out in the end.

Maybe I'm still confused, but I actually started a thread that didn't end at 3 posts, and for that I feel a sense of excitement (LOL)

 

[Darkniciad]

From my experimentation, the thermometer does count, under the right circumstances.

Whichever is selected first, vote or thermometer, is the one that counts toward your score and vote total. If someone does both, only the first counts.

I put a "comment only" on one of my stories just to test it, and both the score/vote total incremented. I did this in two windows ( story in one, author page in another ), on a story that was well off the radar by several weeks, in the wee hours of the morning, and in as close to real time as possible ( just the time it took to switch windows and refresh )

I then went back and clicked a vote, no incrementation.

Unless it has changed in the last couple of months, if they only comment - or comment first - the thermometer does count.

Best practice: Always vote first, then comment if you wish, just so you don't forget to set the thermometer.

From what I've heard, most people tend to do this anyway, so odds are that thermometer didn't hurt your score. Just for piece of mind

 

[curl4ever]

From my experimentation, the thermometer does count, under the right circumstances.

I also felt this was true. When I was posting a Public Comment to reply to an anonymous comment, I wasn't forced to vote but I was forced to choose a thermometer. (I picked 75% since I'm a humble guy ) Even though it was a stable period with no other votes that day, immediately after my comment, my score decreased as if someone had voted a 4.

Can we get an expert opinion from Laurel or Manu?

-curl

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Thanks for chiming in!

I, for one, would appreciate a definitive answer.

I spend many hours writing that I should commit to other interests. I truly invest all that I am in my stories.

That sounds so sad... but that sums it u

 

[Selena_Kitt]

We had a discussion about this in the AH a few months ago. The thermometer's DO count, if you use them first. Most people don't know it, though.

 

[curl4ever]

We had a discussion about this in the AH a few months ago. The thermometer's DO count, if you use them first. Most people don't know it, though.

Thanks for the pointer! I would like to nominate you for the award for best "shedding light instead of heat."
-curl

 

[fieryjen]

I certainly had no idea about that. Sorry for posting false information, and thanks for correcting me.