Two Hot Stories Have Disappeared.

[gordo12]

Two stories formerly marked with the HOT symbol have lost it. In both cases, they were being bombed by trolls and I shut off voting to put an end to it. They were still hot for the last couple of years, but now the emblem has disappeared. Scores are 4.56 and 4.88.

Anybody else noticed this?

 

[KeithD]

This has been happening forever, across the board, to nearly everyone, I think. I don't see anything unusual in this.

 

[gordo12]

This has been happening forever, across the board, to nearly everyone, I think. I don't see anything unusual in this.

No, there is no voting on these stories. The scores haven't changed. The emblems have just disappeared and recently.

 

[gordo12]

With some readers looking for the red H before reading this now puts these stories at a disadvantage.

 

[lovecraft68]

Two stories formerly marked with the HOT symbol have lost it. In both cases, they were being bombed by trolls and I shut off voting to put an end to it. They were still hot for the last couple of years, but now the emblem has disappeared. Scores are 4.56 and 4.88.

Anybody else noticed this?

I've never turned off voting, but I thought at one point someone said if you did you could lose the H, but not the score?

 

[TxRad]

I've never turned off voting, but I thought at one point someone said if you did you could lose the H, but not the score?

That is the way it is supposed to work.

 

[lovecraft68]

That is the way it is supposed to work.

I thought so, but if you poke around it seems its not consistently enforced and many retain the H. Not sure if the site has a reliable way to search for this or it takes X amount of time and doubt they care to explain it.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Locking voting off used to only lock the score.

Maybe the new formula is, lock voting, you lock the score, you also lose the Red H.

Quiz Laurel, maybe?

Change category, would be my more obvious advice .

 

[lovecraft68]

My advice in the future is if you feel you're being bombed request a sweep to try and get the score back.

My other advice is not to worry about the H, but I get that's easier said than done.

 

[SimonDoom]

I don't know what the site does, but it seems right to me that one should not be able to lock in a score or a red H. If you turn off voting, you should lose your score and lose the red H.

I realize down-voting sucks, but we're all subject to it. To my way of thinking, either you subject yourself wholly to the voting system, with all its flaws, or you don't get to reap its benefits.

I may be missing something, but Gordo said one of the stories he turned voting off for because of bombing had a 4.88. How is it possible to have a 4.88 and simultaneously be subject to bombing?

 

[BelleCanzuto]

I just checked my stories, and the 3 that I had turned off voting for (my three 750 word stories) no longer have their red Hs, or their scores visible in my author control panel.

I'd heard the same, or seen it somewhere, that stopping voting meant the score went away.
I think that makes sense, personally, because I think some authors had manipulated it to lock off the voting when they had a high score, which might not be a true reflection of the consensus of readers.

 

[Voboy]

Do a test, OP.

Turn the voting back on. If the red H returns, well, then that's what happened.

Personally, I'm with @SimonDoom. Wanna reap the benefits? Then risk the detriments.

 

[gordo12]

I don't know what the site does, but it seems right to me that one should not be able to lock in a score or a red H. If you turn off voting, you should lose your score and lose the red H.

I realize down-voting sucks, but we're all subject to it. To my way of thinking, either you subject yourself wholly to the voting system, with all its flaws, or you don't get to reap its benefits.

I may be missing something, but Gordo said one of the stories he turned voting off for because of bombing had a 4.88. How is it possible to have a 4.88 and simultaneously be subject to bombing?

The 4.88 was higher than that @ 4.91. The 4.56 story was originally at 4.75 before a troll took it down (daily) to 4.48. I shut it down for a few days, reopened it, and as soon as it hit above 4.5 the trolling started again. Locked it again, reopened and when it climbed above 4.5 and the trolling started again, locked it permanently.
One of the westerns was bombed down from H to 4.48 before I locked it. Another author here worked to get a 4.45 story voted down to 4.31 and so on. I get sick of it and lock them. I know it's a common problem but I don't have the time or inclination to monitor it every day with all the crazies around.

 

[SimonDoom]

The 4.88 was higher than that @ 4.91. The 4.56 story was originally at 4.75 before a troll took it down (daily) to 4.48. I shut it down for a few days, reopened it, and as soon as it hit above 4.5 the trolling started again. Locked it again, reopened and when it climbed above 4.5 and the trolling started again, locked it permanently.
One of the westerns was bombed down from H to 4.48 before I locked it. Another author here worked to get a 4.45 story voted down to 4.31 and so on. I get sick of it and lock them. I know it's a common problem but I don't have the time or inclination to monitor it every day with all the crazies around.

OK, but why should you have a red H? We all get bombed. I've written and published numerous stories with "hot wife" themes and for all I know there have been vindictive trollers downvoting my stories for the last six years. I have numerous stories that do not have red Hs. It seems to me well, that's just the way it is. If you're going to be a Literotica author, take your lumps. I have a difficult time comprehending the idea of turning off voting for a story that went from 4.91 to 4.88, because my highest story, out of 54 stories published, has a 4.79. My attitude is, you're bothered by your story score dropping from 4.91 to 4.88? Seriously?

I don't mean to impugn your motives, but the fact is you are gaming the system, and by doing so you put those who do NOT game the system at a disadvantage. When my story Teddy Bear won a contest last summer, it had a score of around 4.8. I could have locked it in by turning off voting. I didn't, and its score is now down to 4.7, which I think reflects a fairly common pattern after stories win contests. So what? The contest is won, and there's no meaningful consequence.

My view on this is very clear: no author should be able to lock in a score or a red H. If you turn off voting, you should lose your score and lose your red H. Readers should see only a row of xxxxs where your score should be. Otherwise, it's not fair relative to every other author, and just as important it's not fair to potential readers because your score is not based on the same system that most other story scores are.

 

[gordo12]

OK, but why should you have a red H? We all get bombed. I've written and published numerous stories with "hot wife" themes and for all I know there have been vindictive trollers downvoting my stories for the last six years. I have numerous stories that do not have red Hs. It seems to me well, that's just the way it is. If you're going to be a Literotica author, take your lumps. I have a difficult time comprehending the idea of turning off voting for a story that went from 4.91 to 4.88, because my highest story, out of 54 stories published, has a 4.79. My attitude is, you're bothered by your story score dropping from 4.91 to 4.88? Seriously?

I don't mean to impugn your motives, but the fact is you are gaming the system, and by doing so you put those who do NOT game the system at a disadvantage. When my story Teddy Bear won a contest last summer, it had a score of around 4.8. I could have locked it in by turning off voting. I didn't, and its score is now down to 4.7, which I think reflects a fairly common pattern after stories win contests. So what? The contest is won, and there's no meaningful consequence.

My view on this is very clear: no author should be able to lock in a score or a red H. If you turn off voting, you should lose your score and lose your red H. Readers should see only a row of xxxxs where your score should be. Otherwise, it's not fair relative to every other author, and just as important it's not fair to potential readers because your score is not based on the same system that most other story scores are.

Only three stories out of 20 are locked, and all have suffered repeated trolling attacks. The 4.91 to 4.88 happened in half a day, and we've all had the discussions about top-list attacks. Who's gaming the system then? Locked it had a red H, open, it has a red H. How is the reader suffering?

And honestly, Simon, as a writer in LW I've taken more lumps than most of the authors here (except other LW writers).

No, I was more concerned because the Red H's have always been there and suddenly they aren't. I wondered what had changed and if anyone else was aware of it. That's all.

 

[lovecraft68]

Only three stories out of 20 are locked, and all have suffered repeated trolling attacks. The 4.91 to 4.88 happened in half a day, and we've all had the discussions about top-list attacks. Who's gaming the system then? Locked it had a red H, open, it has a red H. How is the reader suffering?

And honestly, Simon, as a writer in LW I've taken more lumps than most of the authors here (except other LW writers).

No, I was more concerned because the Red H's have always been there and suddenly they aren't. I wondered what had changed and if anyone else was aware of it. That's all.

Top list sniping is common, but it seems to me there's cycles where it's extreme. Why? No facts, but I've always felt a newish author/story on the list has some rabid fans or could even be calling for it themselves

Few years back I went to the Tumblr blog of an I/T author and saw them post to the readers about they could help them move up the lists by going after the 'undeserving' authors ahead of them. Sad and petty but it happens.

I'll repeat my prior advice to request a sweep when this happens.

 

[lovecraft68]

OK, but why should you have a red H? We all get bombed. I've written and published numerous stories with "hot wife" themes and for all I know there have been vindictive trollers downvoting my stories for the last six years. I have numerous stories that do not have red Hs. It seems to me well, that's just the way it is. If you're going to be a Literotica author, take your lumps. I have a difficult time comprehending the idea of turning off voting for a story that went from 4.91 to 4.88, because my highest story, out of 54 stories published, has a 4.79. My attitude is, you're bothered by your story score dropping from 4.91 to 4.88? Seriously?

I don't mean to impugn your motives, but the fact is you are gaming the system, and by doing so you put those who do NOT game the system at a disadvantage. When my story Teddy Bear won a contest last summer, it had a score of around 4.8. I could have locked it in by turning off voting. I didn't, and its score is now down to 4.7, which I think reflects a fairly common pattern after stories win contests. So what? The contest is won, and there's no meaningful consequence.

My view on this is very clear: no author should be able to lock in a score or a red H. If you turn off voting, you should lose your score and lose your red H. Readers should see only a row of xxxxs where your score should be. Otherwise, it's not fair relative to every other author, and just as important it's not fair to potential readers because your score is not based on the same system that most other story scores are.

I have two stories under 4 both in LW and both in the 2.85 range, Hazard of the trade so to speak
What contest did your story place in?

 

[KeithD]

That is the way it is supposed to work.

That actually went into effect only recently when it was opined that the H shouldn't be retained while the voting was turned off. Before that it was retained. I turned off all my voting for part of last year because my full file was under attack. The red H's were retained with voting turned off. They disappeared after the discussion of the issue on the board, but then reappeared when I went through and turned voting back on across the file.

 

[KeithD]

No, there is no voting on these stories. The scores haven't changed. The emblems have just disappeared and recently.

If you didn't turn the voting off then the likely explanation is sweeping followed by more voting.

 

[gordo12]

14 of my 20 stories are in LW so I don't think anyone could accuse me of being afraid to face the hostile crowds.

 

[KeithD]

I think we're just trying to help you find a technical reason for the issue you posed.

 

[SimonDoom]

Only three stories out of 20 are locked, and all have suffered repeated trolling attacks. The 4.91 to 4.88 happened in half a day, and we've all had the discussions about top-list attacks. Who's gaming the system then? Locked it had a red H, open, it has a red H. How is the reader suffering?

And honestly, Simon, as a writer in LW I've taken more lumps than most of the authors here (except other LW writers).

No, I was more concerned because the Red H's have always been there and suddenly they aren't. I wondered what had changed and if anyone else was aware of it. That's all.

Please understand this is not a critique of you personally, or your ethics or motives. You are responding to the system, which often seems weird and capricious. Readers can be vicious. I understand.

But my view is none of that really matters. Either we all abide strictly by the same system, or we don't get its benefits. Your story score only has meaning if it is the product of exactly the same system that yields my story score. I have never once turned off voting for any story. I suspect the vast majority of authors never have done so, either. Objectively, it makes no sense for an author to be able to lock in a score or red H. Does it seem unfair or cruel that mean people give you undeservedly low scores? Sure, but it's the same for all of us, so in a broader sense none of us can complain it's unfair. Some readers suck. I think we should all just brace ourselves and deal with it.

My story Teddy Bear, around the time it won its contest last summer, was well inside the top 10 all time for highest rated stories in the Toys category. It no longer is. If the system had let me I could have locked it into that position for all time, but I didn't. So what? What does it matter? If my story is subject to the same system that every other story is, I have no cause to complain.

 

[gordo12]

. Either we all abide strictly by the same system, or we don't get its benefits.

And that's where Kumbaya fails. They don't all abide by the same system. Tops list would be honest, contest stories wouldn't get bombed. Comments wouldn't be nasty. Downvoting wouldn't be prevalent right after or during dustups in the AH. If people end up in a story, not to their liking, they would quietly back out. And we both know that reality isn't even close to that idealistic picture.

Some shithead bought one of my books a couple of weeks ago and immediately delivered me a 2* (no comment why) and wrecked my perfect 5* scores to date. I can live with that. I got his money.

Human nature can be nasty, and I have no problem with sticking my foot in front of them and tripping them.

 

[gordo12]

Please understand this is not a critique of you personally, or your ethics or motives. You are responding to the system, which often seems weird and capricious. Readers can be vicious. I understand.

I'm well aware that you're being thoughtful and not nasty to me. I wouldn't ever expect that of you.

 

[KeithD]

but it's the same for all of us,

Well, no, it's not. This is the Internet. People get targeted here. It's not the same for all of us.