Voting and Comments

[Lifestyle66]

I can't even figure out how you people know how many 1 votes you get. All I see is the average

A few months ago, one of my stories went live (1:30 am EST), and I happened to wake at 2:00. I checked on my story list, and found the new one had a rating of 1.67 with six votes.

That's possible only with one 5 and five 1's.

 

[alohadave]

I can't even figure out how you people know how many 1 votes you get. All I see is the average

https://www.literotica.com/s/how-to-analyze-your-scores

 

[TarnishedPenny]

A few months ago, one of my stories went live (1:30 am EST), and I happened to wake at 2:00. I checked on my story list, and found the new one had a rating of 1.67 with six votes.

That's possible only with one 5 and five 1's.

Ouch!

 

[AlexFourways]

https://www.literotica.com/s/how-to-analyze-your-scores

I took a look at that and it seemed a lot of work*. I (perhaps stupidly) keep a spreadsheet which for new stories I update (from my home page) daily and older stories no more than weekly.
Row 1 is an abreviated title (2 Quiet Man And The Daughter) > 2 QMATD
Row 2 is just the number of visits - if it was 2107 yesterday and 2340 today, then another 230ish views.
Row 3 (assuming column B) =AVERAGE(B5:B107) : The 107 allows for about 100 scores, but can be updated!
Row 4 =COUNT(B5:B107) : The number of recorded views (calcualted not entered)
Rows 5 to 107 (or more) are the scores.
So if day 1 you get 5 scores and a rating of 4.6, then by experimentation that has to be three 5s and a two 4s or 4x5 and a 3
Day two 8 scores but falls to 4.25 could be a number of things, but looks like 2x5 and a 1
Of course if you check more often it is easier to spot when 7 scores at 4.7 turns into 8 at 4.25!
Story series have their own sheet in my Ratings spreadsheet workbook.

*YMMV but I am (OK retired so was) an Engineer, which I self depricatingly refer to as a Scientist with poor maths.
I crave the magic red [H] but have learnt to give a Galic shrug if it dissapears. I know it was [H] and just some ***** had a strange idea about what they wanted from the story, but didn't feel it worth commenting so I could avoid upsetting them in the future.

 

[EmilysRopes]

A few months ago, one of my stories went live (1:30 am EST), and I happened to wake at 2:00. I checked on my story list, and found the new one had a rating of 1.67 with six votes.

That's possible only with one 5 and five 1's.

Two 3s and four 1s?
One 3, two 2s and three 1s?
One 4, one 2 and four 1s?

Asks the maths pedant.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Two 3s and four 1s?
One 3, two 2s and three 1s?
One 4, one 2 and four 1s?

Asks the maths pedant.

I stand corrected.

But I still have at least half and maybe two-thirds of my dedicated readers as 1-bombers, rather than five out of six.

 

[AlexFourways]

I stand corrected.

Oh, you have a standing desk, these days I normally 'sit corrected'

But I still have at least half and maybe two-thirds of my dedicated readers as 1-bombers, rather than five out of six.

Fortunately I don't have those sort of followers (but only have 1/5 the number) and I note from a quick peek, your metier includes a lot of Loving Wives stories which, from other threads, seems to attract an odd sort of reader who obsessivly read and then rail against the story and the outcome, whether it be reconciliation, moving on or BTB (took me a while to understand that wasn't Back to Basic but Burn the Bitch/Bastard). My suspicious node wonders if they actually read the story, but just see a new LW and drop a 1 on it!*
I am a bit of a scatter gun writer, but haven't got into LW, but never say never as I wouldn't have thought I would write BDSM.

My biggest 'gripe' is the lack of comments.

*Until I read one I thought the story would have been about a wife going the 'extra mile' to make their partner happy, not to get out of his field of view. Despite what I wrote above about not getting into LW, I am tempted to write a story that is what I thought LW was and see if it gets flamed! The more I thinks about it the amusing I find it! Could do it for April Fools, the joke being on the reader! But if I wait, I'll probably forget!

 

[Lifestyle66]

Oh, you have a standing desk, these days I normally 'sit corrected'

Fortunately I don't have those sort of followers (but only have 1/5 the number) and I note from a quick peek, your metier includes a lot of Loving Wives stories which, from other threads, seems to attract an odd sort of reader who obsessivly read and then rail against the story and the outcome, whether it be reconciliation, moving on or BTB (took me a while to understand that wasn't Back to Basic but Burn the Bitch/Bastard). My suspicious node wonders if they actually read the story, but just see a new LW and drop a 1 on it!*
I am a bit of a scatter gun writer, but haven't got into LW, but never say never as I wouldn't have thought I would write BDSM.

My biggest 'gripe' is the lack of comments.

*Until I read one I thought the story would have been about a wife going the 'extra mile' to make their partner happy, not to get out of his field of view. Despite what I wrote above about not getting into LW, I am tempted to write a story that is what I thought LW was and see if it gets flamed! The more I thinks about it the amusing I find it! Could do it for April Fools, the joke being on the reader! But if I wait, I'll probably forget!

Loving Wives is described as "extra-marital fun, sharing, and more." So, I write about the "fun" sharing.

Almost half of that audience HATES non-monogamous sex, and they vote accordingly. Another half LIKE fun, sharing stories. But those fun lovers are not as dedicated to flaming their preferred stories with 5's. My stories (good ones) tend to rate at an average of 3.4.

Try reading my "Unique Rewards of Yoga" series starting with the husband's POV as an example of what to expect. It's rated 3.34/305 and has 18 comments (over 29K views.)

 

[RonEhrs]

I would be very interested in finding out "average" ratings. 3 may be the technical midpoint, but I wonder if there's some degree of inflation parallel to grade inflation on college campuses. If a story is truly awful, chances are you will bail pretty quickly and not bother giving it a rating. If it's bad because it's someone whose English is bad, you most likely won't finish it, and many people will hesitate to beat up on them for trying. Almost all of my works (27/30) have a rating above 4. Those that don't typically have something that some people really object to. My lowest-rated story (2.82) was about a girl who "punishes" her boyfriend by pegging him with a large strap-on. I can understand. Cringeworthy for me as well, although I could argue for it as a feminist tale about female empowerment. Another was an essay where some people disagreed strenuously with my argument. On the other hand, I used to teach English in college, so writing itself isn't an issue for me. I must admit I am amazed at writers who have apparently written over a hundred stories. Coming up with an idea and letting it work itself out takes time.

 

[NikkijMaadison]

Try writing a transgender character in a story that is not categorized as transgender or cross-dressing. Even when you tell the story from the POV of the non = trans person. I know the ones will come. Like someone else's comment: 9 fives and then one ... one. deflating.

Stars, especially 5 stars, are nice. So are praising comments. But write the story you want to write. Don't get hung up on stars or comments.

What's truly fun and hot, if you may, is the reader who can place themselves in the character. Recently, I have developed stories with different muses. And their feedback has been invaluable. One told me she read it three times... and three finger-driven O's.

I will take that over stars any day.

 

[AlexFourways]

What I find frustrating is when a story has had, say six fives, three hearts and is on six lists, then it is clear that there have been four votes of 1 or 2.
Then, when the score recovers to near 4.5 it happens again!
But the worst part is I get very few comments, and without them, unless the low votes are Trolls, how can I improve what has upset them?
I wish that any vote below 3 should require a comment, and if it doesn't pass moderation, the vote should be struck.
I also rarely get comments; of the last dozen, four had no comments, and only one had more than three comments!

 

[pink_silk_glove]

But the worst part is I get very few comments, and without them, unless the low votes are Trolls, how can I improve what has upset them?

If you feel the need to fix what upset them, then you feel the need to pander for a score. There are many many things that we can do to improve our prose and storytelling and they likely will not affect our lit scores.

I wish that any vote below 3 should require a comment, and if it doesn't pass moderation, the vote should be struck.

That's just silly. It's also arrogant. If you critique me, justify it, but if you praise me It's all good. If the bad votes need justification but the good votes don't, that is nothing but ego and it won't help you improve as a writer one bit. I'm sure that you don't intend that but the ego is sneaky that way. This is normal. The vast majority of human beings live their entire lives never really noticing where their ego is. Now that I've shown you a spot where it creeps up, you have the opportunity to watch for it and keep it in check. The ego holds us back from learning improving and growing. If you want to rise above, the choice is yours.

 

[AlexFourways]

If you feel the need to fix what upset them, then you feel the need to pander for a score. There are many many things that we can do to improve our prose and storytelling and they likely will not affect our lit scores.

I understand what you are saying, but in my case it's not wanting to flatter my ego, that would be asking for praise. I want criticism as I write to learn. Of course I like praise and that helps raise my writing.

On wanting some justification for low scores...

That's just silly. It's also arrogant. If you critique me, justify it, but if you praise me It's all good. If the bad votes need justification but the good votes don't, that is nothing but ego and it won't help you improve as a writer one bit. I'm sure that you don't intend that but the ego is sneaky that way. This is normal. The vast majority of human beings live their entire lives never really noticing where their ego is. Now that I've shown you a spot where it creeps up, you have the opportunity to watch for it and keep it in check. The ego holds us back from learning improving and growing. If you want to rise above, the choice is yours.

I suppose, like others who have commented, I was seeing it as an anti-Troll measure rather than ego boosting. Actually, if I wanted only ego boosts, I would seek comments from high votes, not low ones. But low ones tell me more about what to change. YMMV, and it clearly does.

This morning I had a very negative comment on a (3-year-old) story, telling me to go back to writing shopping and to-do lists. I thanked the Anon, though I doubt they will see it. My crime, that made the story 'absolute rubbish'? Mixing up a name, I have learned to be more careful, but now I have a proofreader and use text to voice as names are a bit of a blind spot for me. I'd fix it here if it wasn't so difficult, but I have on the other site I post on.

As I said YMMV, and I reserve the right to be (proved) wrong.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I understand what you are saying, but in my case it's not wanting to flatter my ego, that would be asking for praise. I want criticism as I write to learn. Of course I like praise and that helps raise my writing.

No, I can tell that you don't understand. The praise cannot help raise your writing if it doesn't explain what the praise is for. In order to improve we need to change. Someone giving you an unexplained 5 will not elicit any change. So unless our writing is perfect it will not help us.

Why does the anonymous vote less than 3 need to be removed when the anonymous vote 5 can stay on the center of the mantlepiece, so to speak?

 

[AlexFourways]

No, I can tell that you don't understand. The praise cannot help raise your writing if it doesn't explain what the praise is for. In order to improve we need to change. Someone giving you an unexplained 5 will not elicit any change. So unless our writing is perfect it will not help us.

I think we are at cross purposes. A high vote doesn't tell you why, but indicates that your writing achieved its purpose. However, any comments help hone your writing, which is why I try to 'pay' writers by commenting.

Why does the anonymous vote less than 3 need to be removed when the anonymous vote 5 can stay on the center of the mantlepiece, so to speak?

Because I have disappointed someone who has taken the time (unless a Troll) to read and consider the story. I have failed them and want to know how to make it up to future readers.

I think we will not agree on this, as we have a different mindset on the issue. Also, in thinking that low votes should require some validation, I was reiterating views by others, but they wanted anonymous 1 votes to be banned. I wouldn't go that far; I'd just like to know why.

Above, someone commented about getting downvoted for transgender in a non-transgender story, but in https://www.literotica.com/s/love-your-readers-categories it suggests that transgender is a 'trump' category (Nr.5) so having it in Romance would lead to some 1 votes. But without explanation, how is the author to know?

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I think we are at cross purposes. A high vote doesn't tell you why, but indicates that your writing achieved its purpose. However, any comments help hone your writing, which is why I try to 'pay' writers by commenting.

The purpose of getting a good score. Or the approval of a group of readers who know or even care little about the craft of writing and are just looking for someone to serve them their fave kink. So you are only correct here if the purpose of your piece is to pander for approval.

Because I have disappointed someone who has taken the time (unless a Troll) to read and consider the story. I have failed them and want to know how to make it up to future readers.

You failed to pander.

Also, in thinking that low votes should require some validation, I was reiterating views by others, but they wanted anonymous 1 votes to be banned. I wouldn't go that far; I'd just like to know why.

We all would, but clearly you show hardly the interest in why you scored well as why you scored poorly. A high score could just mean that your unicorn was a big titty redhead and the reader is into big titty redheads, and had nothing to do with your prose nor storytelling. In which case we can dismiss this 5 just as well as a troll 1. Yet you are not interested in dismissing any 5s. You already said, a 5 means that you did well and that's all that you need to know. If you really wanted to improve your craft you'd want to know why you got a 5 just as much as any other score. But nope, we got what we came for, our 5 vote, job done, were good, reader told us so, that's it.

It's very clear here that your motive for writing here leans very heavily toward pandering for scores, and to be clear, that's perfectly okay, just don't kid yourself.