We need a thread on votes again

[Lovepotion69]

Just for the heck of it.

I got my latest story posted (fetish category), and the first 11 votes put me on a 4.73 score. Three votes later I'm down on 4.40, and now on 15 votes I'm down to a score of 4.35. Talk about decline!

Just out of curiosity (and I'm sure this has been asked thousands of times), is it very common that scores are high at first, then plunges down, before going up slowly again?
It's happened to all of my stories, apart from the Gay Male story.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

It's the only way. Great rating until the minute someone sees it in the top list, then it's hammered down. After that first impact, it's a slow recovery.

 

[MathGirl]

I'm sure this has been asked thousands of times), is it very common that scores are high at first, then plunges down, before going up slowly again?

If a story starts out with high scores, it always declines. Often precipitously. Steep, too. Why? I'll let someone else answer that. Don't worry, though, someone will.
MG
Ps. I don't think they necessarily rise again after a time. Once something gets lambasted, it seems to usually stay down there. The catetory really doesn't have much to do with the slope of voting averages.

 

[Seattle Zack]

Just for the heck of it.

I got my latest story posted (fetish category), and the first 11 votes put me on a 4.73 score. Three votes later I'm down on 4.40, and now on 15 votes I'm down to a score of 4.35. Talk about decline!

With that few votes, even a few 3s instead of 5s can lower your score appreciably:

11 votes x 4.73 = 52 total points
15 votes x 4.35 = 65 total points

So in those 4 votes you gained 13 points -- either (5,5,2,1) or (5,4,2,2) or (4,4,4,1) or (4,4,3,2) or (4,3,3,3).

As you get more votes the overall average will vary less and less with each vote.

That being said, I have noticed the exact same thing -- one of my stories was up to 4.90 after 10 votes, the next day it had dropped to about 4.55. There may be some people who intentionally vote 1s on stories with high averages.

--Zack

 

[MathGirl]

As you get more votes the overall average will vary less and less with each vote.
There may be some people who intentionally vote 1s on stories with high averages.

Dear Zack,
I've never heard a truer arithmetical statement. Q. E. fucking D!!

You seem to have little faith in the ethics of your fellow man. I can't believe anyone would stoop so low as to do that. You might benefit from spending some time contemplating the writings of St Thomas Aquinas.
Helpfully,
MG

 

[Seattle Zack]

Quod erat demonstrandum
Hic et ubique...

Half a bee, philisophically,
Must ipso facto half not be.
But half a bee has got to be
Vis a vis its entity.

d'you see?

But can a bee be said to be
Or not to be an entire bee,
When
half the bee is not a bee,
Due to some ancient injury?

 

[FlyontheWall99]

I got to say that I noticed the same thing in my own stories. Not so much immediately upon submission, but some time after they've been on site and the readership has moved on. It does make you wonder about the motives of some people. I mean at least three of my higher scoring stories suffered significant downturns from 4.8s to around 4.5s, and each of those stories had been on site for a period of at least three months, so they were no longer on the new list .....

And yes all three were on the hot list, so it may well be some people who enjoy knocking stories back to the ground ....

Back to writing ....

Fly ....

 

[raphy]

Quod erat demonstrandum
Hic et ubique...

Half a bee, philisophically,
Must ipso facto half not be.
But half a bee has got to be
Vis a vis its entity.

d'you see?

But can a bee be said to be
Or not to be an entire bee,
When
half the bee is not a bee,
Due to some ancient injury?

ERIC!!!!!!

 

[MathGirl]

Originally posted by raphy ERIC!!!!!!

Dear r,
Because of your shamelessly flouting mutiple exclamations and Z's lame attempt at poultry, I think I'll resign from this here thread.
MG

 

[Guest]

Maths: I liked his poultry, it gave me a buzz. I like exclamatory men too.

Yeah, yeah, you're going to say I'm easy. No, I'm very particular but men offer such a variety of choices. (You're too young to know this yet.)

bzzzzzz!!!, Perdita

 

[soupwarsproject]

Just for the heck of it.

I got my latest story posted (fetish category), and the first 11 votes put me on a 4.73 score. Three votes later I'm down on 4.40, and now on 15 votes I'm down to a score of 4.35. Talk about decline!

Just out of curiosity (and I'm sure this has been asked thousands of times), is it very common that scores are high at first, then plunges down, before going up slowly again?
It's happened to all of my stories, apart from the Gay Male story.

That's happened to us as well (and we're new). One of our stories averaged out at 4.75 but with about five (or so) votes later it was down to the 4.36. A hetero journal entry consistenly scored fives until it abruptly dropped to 4.50 when it reached the 11 vote mark. It is an interesting phenomenon to be sure. We just wish that people gave us feedback on WHY our stories received a poor rating. It's a bit disconcerting. On the bright side, the ones that are low from the start are useful because we know to rewrite them. C'est la vie.

Loki and Vas from the SWP

 

[Just_John1]

Just a thought

I was thinking about this the other day actually (yes that was the smokey smell)... I was thinking perhaps, assuming no evil which I do understand exists, that perhaps when a story comes out it is a surprise to the reader, they're affected by it and they vote. But when it reaches the top list that expectations of that story are different, perhaps more critical and when shown in that light then perhaps the reader justifies a lower score. And then when the total vote average drops, then expectations return to normal. Or perhaps I'm just totally full of shit and way too idealistic. Perhaps I'm just trying to justify my own experiences... My stories always do the same thing.

Like I said... Just a thought.

JJ1

 

[Quasimodem]

I’ve got a slightly different theory.

You write your story, submit it, and when it gets posted, rush into AH, and all your usual forums, either shamelessly plugging, or dribbling mentions of it through your posts.

Naturally, all your friends read it and vote high.

Maybe you have a set up where everybody who likes your stuff signs up to be notified when a new story is posted. So they come early, as well.

This way your friends and fans vote on your story early, then the blundering turd passes by leaving their opinions as well.

Could that not also explain the strange voting pattern?

 

[FlyontheWall99]

I’ve got a slightly different theory.

You write your story, submit it, and when it gets posted, rush into AH, and all your usual forums, either shamelessly plugging, or dribbling mentions of it through your posts.

Naturally, all your friends read it and vote high.

Maybe you have a set up where everybody who likes your stuff signs up to be notified when a new story is posted. So they come early, as well.

This way your friends and fans vote on your story early, then the blundering turd passes by leaving their opinions as well.

Could that not also explain the strange voting pattern?

That's of course assuming you've been flogging your story around the AH and parts and other community members read you material. I certainly don't have either of those influences on my work, and the phenomenon still exists ....

Back to writing ....

Fly ...

 

[Icingsugar]

Dear r,
Because of your shamelessly flouting mutiple exclamations and Z's lame attempt at poultry, I think I'll resign from this here thread.
MG

Poultry? Drove a truckload of chicken once. Is that poultry in motion?

Blah.

 

[Guest]

Oh, Sugar - now your English is so good it's bad.

Perdita

 

[Icingsugar]

Just for the heck of it.

I got my latest story posted (fetish category), and the first 11 votes put me on a 4.73 score. Three votes later I'm down on 4.40, and now on 15 votes I'm down to a score of 4.35. Talk about decline!

Just out of curiosity (and I'm sure this has been asked thousands of times), is it very common that scores are high at first, then plunges down, before going up slowly again?
It's happened to all of my stories, apart from the Gay Male story.

Not that I have any good case studies, but it seems logical, like Lauren, MG and others ponted out. ith few votes, the chance of "too" high or low rating is imminent. And with the number of votes it will settle at a more accurate level.

I've also seen fresh stories get an average of 3.5 to 4.0 in the beginning, but then slowly climb to 4.5+ when not on the New Stories list anymore. That's when the category-browsers pick it as one in their particular fetish area, where a certain theme might be more appreciated, than by the general reader who scans the New list.

 

[Pure]

While there are some "1" vandals, as I call them, some of whom give 1s to a bunch of top stories, another issue is writers and fans jockeying to have certain stories look good. Hence after there is an initial 'high' average, say 4.75, you've got 'fans' trying to insure their favorites remain on top. While voting 5s to faves is one common way--the most common way according to Laurel-- voting 1s to non faves is even more effective at altering the list in the desired way.

It's also true that the attention a story draws, early on, does initially encourage such behavior, and as months pass, the 'fans' ignore certain stories.

J.

 

[MathGirl]

I knew it!

Poultry? Drove a truckload of chicken once. Is that poultry in motion?

I just KNEW someone was going to do that. I knew it! Thank God it wasn't me.
MG

 

[Seattle Zack]

Re: I knew it!

I just KNEW someone was going to do that. I knew it! Thank God it wasn't me.
MG

MG, I thought you promised to stay away from this thread? More poultry for you:


Is this wretched demi-bee,
Half-asleep upon my knee,
Some freak from a menagerie?
No! It's Eric the half a bee!

I love this hive, employee-ee,
Bisected accidentally,
One summer afternoon by me,
I love him carnally.

Semi-carnally.

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: I knew it!

Semi-carnally.

Zack, you rawwwk!

Perdita


MG: what are you still doing here? Go write a haiku about friggin baseball.

 

[raphy]

ERIC!!!

Wait. Didn't I already say that in another thread?

Raph, with severe deja vu

 

[Guest]

Raff, you said it above; seems you don't have enough memory for deja vu.

I'm sure this will brand me unkindly but what's with the "Eric"?

'dita

 

[Seattle Zack]

Re: Re: Re: I knew it!

It's a Monty Python song, Perdita. "Eric the Half a Bee" Flip side of "The Lumberjack Song" if I remember correctly.

MG: what are you still doing here? Go write a haiku about friggin baseball. [/B]

We could just make up haikus about MG, since she's "retired" from this threat....

Flicker of Math Girl
Never nice, always pithy
Shadow on the moon

--Zack

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: Re: Re: I knew it!

It's a Monty Python song, Perdita.

We could just make up haikus about MG, since she's "retired" from this threat....

Gracias, I missed out on MP, only know bits of the movies.

I like that you slipped, presumably, and wrote 'threat' above.

Arithmetical big butt gurl
Potty-stuck, smart and spunky
Sensitive? ... Nahhhhhh.