What do you vote with?

[SeattleRain]

This has been covered before, but things are a little calm around here.


I wrote a poem that had the word "Confession" in the title.

Someone voted this low, stating that they liked the poem, but thought that it was a mockery of a religious practice that she considered sacred.

I am not about to start a discussion about religion, but the word confession is not sacred. The act is sacred for some.

There was nothing religious about this poem. There was nothing in the poem that reflected this sacred act. There are other meanings of the word that fit in with the poem.


Of course, the reader brings his or her interpretations to the work, but it is best, I think, to give the writer the benefit of the doubt in making judgements like thinking you are being mocked or getting offended.

People who would think I would mock someone's religion do not know me.

Acceptance of differences in belief systems is something that I hold as one of my most strongly held beliefs. I wrote a sermon on it once.


So, what was the answer last time we asked? Do you vote on content or the quality of the poem?

SeattleRain



ps not to say I think that the quality of the poem was that great. that is not the point.

 

[tungtied2u]

This has been covered before, but things are a little calm around here.


I wrote a poem that had the word "Confession" in the title.

Someone voted this low, stating that they liked the poem, but thought that it was a mockery of a religious practice that she considered sacred.

I am not about to start a discussion about religion, but the word confession is not sacred. The act is sacred for some.

There was nothing religious about this poem. There was nothing in the poem that reflected this sacred act. There are other meanings of the word that fit in with the poem.


Of course, the reader brings his or her interpretations to the work, but it is best, I think, to give the writer the benefit of the doubt in making judgements like thinking you are being mocked or getting offended.

People who would think I would mock someone's religion do not know me.

Acceptance of differences in belief systems is something that I hold as one of my most strongly held beliefs. I wrote a sermon on it once.


So, what was the answer last time we asked? Do you vote on content or the quality of the poem?

SeattleRain



ps not to say I think that the quality of the poem was that great. that is not the point.

Seattle,

I must confess this irks me too. Forgive me if I say, I don't think you'll ever convert them to your way of thinking....

Some people are so certain they know the way they can't consider other paths......

(how they can be so sure, without having been to where they're headed, I don't know)

 

[tungtied2u]

Re: Re: What do you vote with?

Seattle,

I must confess this irks me too. Forgive me if I say, I don't think you'll ever convert them to your way of thinking....

Some people are so certain they know the way they can't consider other paths......

(how they can be so sure, without having been to where they're headed, I don't know)

Oh, and in answer to your question, I vote with my head and my heart and sometimes in the caes of erotic potery firm......convictions...

 

[The_Fool]

I vote with my passion...

 

[Angeline]

my piggy toes.

 

[The_Fool]

my piggy toes.

Perfectly polished?

 

[*Catbabe*]

I vote on the quality of the writing not the subject matter. Only on one occasion have I not voted because I felt I couldn't look past the subject matter and judge the poem as a piece of writing. I would never vote a piece of writing down just because I didn’t agree with the theme or opinion presented by the author. That’s like screaming at someone because you don’t agree with what they are saying.

It might be a coincidence, but I picked up a rather nasty, but diligent troll or two after I posted a poem that took a side in a hotly debated topic. I just don’t care anymore. I used to say I didn’t care and still did, but now I honestly don’t care. The idiots do make me less likely to post poems at Literotica, but I don’t feel like I am missing all that much because I can just send my poems to the people that I want reactions and comments from anyway or post them on the threads. I still get feedback but don’t waste any time thinking about who gave me a one and why.

I do miss out on hearing from some people… people I think might be too busy to read things right now or I don’t know them well enough to ask them to read my stuff and that is too bad.

I also don’t want to annoy Laurel by posting and pulling poems every five seconds. ; )

I think the whole thing sucks Seattle. I wish it could be fixed, but I don’t think it ever will. Anonymous voting will always bring out the worst in some people. We need the Jesus’ eyes watching all the voters and then problem would go away. Oh damn, I said Jesus…that should be worth at least ten one votes. : )


Nice toes, Ange.

 

[OT]

I'm just a regular guy. I think it's nearly impossible to separate form from content. (Sure, as an academic exercise, we can agree to pick something apart and inspect it for proper syntax yada yada yada, but ...

mostly I think the movie analogy applies.

I find it very hard to praise the "exceptional camera angles" in
<insert movie type that you don't particularly enjoy here>.

With no apologies, I like and dislike stuff for many reasons.

To answer the vote aspect: I rarely vote any more.
The voting is so twisted that I either vote 5 or not at all.

If someone asks for a vote, then I vote my reaction to the poem.

 

[Angeline]

I vote on the quality of the writing not the subject matter. Only on one occasion have I not voted because I felt I couldn't look past the subject matter and judge the poem as a piece of writing. I would never vote a piece of writing down just because I didn’t agree with the theme or opinion presented by the author. That’s like screaming at someone because you don’t agree with what they are saying.

It might be a coincidence, but I picked up a rather nasty, but diligent troll or two after I posted a poem that took a side in a hotly debated topic. I just don’t care anymore. I used to say I didn’t care and still did, but now I honestly don’t care. The idiots do make me less likely to post poems at Literotica, but I don’t feel like I am missing all that much because I can just send my poems to the people that I want reactions and comments from anyway or post them on the threads. I still get feedback but don’t waste any time thinking about who gave me a one and why.

I do miss out on hearing from some people… people I think might be too busy to read things right now or I don’t know them well enough to ask them to read my stuff and that is too bad.

I also don’t want to annoy Laurel by posting and pulling poems every five seconds. ; )

I think the whole thing sucks Seattle. I wish it could be fixed, but I don’t think it ever will. Anonymous voting will always bring out the worst in some people. We need the Jesus’ eyes watching all the voters and then problem would go away. Oh damn, I said Jesus…that should be worth at least ten one votes. : )


Nice toes, Ange.

Thank you. If I vote with both feet you get a ten. (One of my feet has an alt.)

Actually, I hate voting. I've said it before and I'll say it again (except for my Halloween story. There I like it--but only because a cash award is involved.)

I have a confession. I never give a poem less than a 5. Ever. If Angeline votes on your poem, you got a 5 from her. I think I am very open-minded about "fiveness." I believe every score should have a range. There are "great" fives (Eve's Into the Mountains is a great five), and there are fives that squeak in imo. Having said that, there are lot's of poems I don't vote on because I don't feel they have that spark. And then there are the ones I never get around to reading, lol.

It's all about feedback. I could very much live with no voting here and just go with comments and feedback. That's where you learn stuff and, ergo, improve.

Oh and I don't take off for spelling and grammar unless there is a pervasive pattern of errors that makes it hard for me to read through the poem.

 

[Guest]

I'm very spasmodic in my voting but I vote according to how the poem moves me. I never mark low and most poems I comment on get fives. I've never voted less than three in all my time here.

I still don't let myself get tied up in the votes for my poems, I write for my own pleasure, if others enjoy them or are moved, that's a bonus.

 

[Angeline]

Perfectly polished?

cold and in sweat socks, at the moment.

(sorry to ruin the image but it's damn cold up here...)

 

[Maria2394]

I vote my reaction to the poem, emotional, if it brings tears, its a 5, etc, if it angers me, without being abusive, its a 5, I also dont take off "points" for spelling or syntax, unless its run amok in the poem. If I feel I cant give a poem at least a 4, I dont vote at all.

Also, neo alerted me to this and I was so surprised to learn, I experimented on my own poems and he is right. If you do not vote, but leave your therm at default, it votes a three. likewise, if you do not vote and set the therm at 75% its a 4, etc. I thought it was a kooky notion until I accidentally oned my own poem, 9 by leaving a coment in response to a comment and set my therm at 0 so it wouldnt look as though I was in love with my own work) and then I thought, geez, this is strange, I had no idea I was giving people threes when I thought I wasnt voting at all, so now I vote at least a 4 if I intend to leave it at default which I stopped doing cause it made me feel guilty, damn, I am mental, huh

ps, ange, you stole my piggy toes answer, or great minds think alike,

 

[SeattleRain]

Hey I have to apologize for the initial tone of this thread, I really was defensive and should have given myself a chance to mellow out.

It is always an interesting topic, the whole voting thing.

I think it get skewed in a bizarre way when people just don't vote when they don't like something. I have only once or twice gone below 3. If everyone (or more people) voted then everyone would get a better picture -- be able to compare their poems with their other poems....

if I get 6 5's it really what does it mean? And if the next time I get 4 5's, does that mean the two people who usually vote slept in, or do they not like it?



I have no idea how much it sucked for other people, or if they thought it was average or a little above average, or if it just sucked. I mean, it is okay to give someone a 3 if it is an average poem, right?

Angeline, why don't you just give the lower 5's a 4?

Think of it as a B+




I am trying to figure it out. I dont always vote either. Sometimes I forget. I try to though, because I do think it helps get a feel for how you are doing with a poem.

Everyone says they like comments, which is true! Of course, they are more important than votes, but the vote is a quick snapshot.

I guess.


The only reason I think of votes is when your stuff gets on top list more people read it. If it gets an H more people read it. No matter how fucked up the system is, that is the truth.

I get off on people reading my stuff and it just festers down there in the deep abyss when people don't vote.

so voting.

I wish if it has to be here, that it would actually mean something, and if no one votes, how can it?

 

[Maria2394]

pss, to my anonymous, though absent lately troll who said I worshipped my red H's. I laughed my ass off, then deleted almost all of them, and a little green E see? Im not all that anal but it did just about kill me the first few times it happened, then I took Eves advice and turned off the anonymous FB and felt bad about that too, now I feel like I am not permitted to leave anon FB, even though it would be nice anon FB, or at least intended to be helpful anon FB, cause that would make me a hypocrite...

 

[Angeline]

Hey I have to apologize for the initial tone of this thread, I really was defensive and should have given myself a chance to mellow out.

It is always an interesting topic, the whole voting thing.

I think it get skewed in a bizarre way when people just don't vote when they don't like something. I have only once or twice gone below 3. If everyone (or more people) voted then everyone would get a better picture -- be able to compare their poems with their other poems....

if I get 6 5's it really what does it mean? And if the next time I get 4 5's, does that mean the two people who usually vote slept in, or do they not like it?



I have no idea how much it sucked for other people, or if they thought it was average or a little above average, or if it just sucked. I mean, it is okay to give someone a 3 if it is an average poem, right?

Angeline, why don't you just give the lower 5's a 4?

Think of it as a B+




I am trying to figure it out. I dont always vote either. Sometimes I forget. I try to though, because I do think it helps get a feel for how you are doing with a poem.

Everyone says they like comments, which is true! Of course, they are more important than votes, but the vote is a quick snapshot.

I guess.


The only reason I think of votes is when your stuff gets on top list more people read it. If it gets an H more people read it. No matter how fucked up the system is, that is the truth.

I get off on people reading my stuff and it just festers down there in the deep abyss when people don't vote.

so voting.

I wish if it has to be here, that it would actually mean something, and if no one votes, how can it?

I used to work with a committee to design writing scales to score student essays. We were very into the idea that one must allow a range within a scale point based on certain criteria (I'm nutty, but objective). It's like the scientific method for writing.

But probably the real reason I don't give 4's is cause if I feel it falls below what is in my mind a 5, I don't want to vote on it. Maybe it's a pass-or-fail thing for me. (You know my background is English and education; I can't help thinking this way. I'm brainwashed.) I will sometimes send feedback without scoring though.

 

[Maria2394]

wow angeline, that makes perfect sense, when I took my entrance exam for the college I last attended, I had to write an essay and the scoring system was 1-3 and if you got less than the 3 you were automatically placed in remedial classes...

 

[Angeline]

wow angeline, that makes perfect sense, when I took my entrance exam for the college I last attended, I had to write an essay and the scoring system was 1-3 and if you got less than the 3 you were automatically placed in remedial classes...

see? you're brainwashed, too.

 

[SeattleRain]

hmmm let me sii if I get this right

if angeline doesn't give me a 5 I go to remedial poetry?

I am still confused.

the scientist in me just knows that the more data the more reliable the experimental results


I guess all we can do is do unto other poems as we would have done unto our own....

I think I will go print out a few poems, roll em up and smoke them on the porch, anyone want to join me?

 

[tungtied2u]

hmmm let me sii if I get this right

if angeline doesn't give me a 5 I go to remedial poetry?

I am still confused.

the scientist in me just knows that the more data the more reliable the experimental results


I guess all we can do is do unto other poems as we would have done unto our own....

I think I will go print out a few poems, roll em up and smoke them on the porch, anyone want to join me?

I'm with you....no Bogarting allowed...ok?

 

[SeattleRain]

I'm with you....no Bogarting allowed...ok?

at the risk of sounding cliche, you wanna smoke a hale first?

no

save that hyper shit for the morning, I am tired


lets roll up something more mellow,

I vote for an Early Taghatahagataha
how do you spell that anyway?

you bring the incense

 

[tungtied2u]

at the risk of sounding cliche, you wanna smoke a hale first?

no

save that hyper shit for the morning, I am tired


lets roll up something more mellow,

I vote for an Early Taghatahagataha
how do you spell that anyway?

you bring the incense

early tath...that's some good shit....I'll also supply the surgical scissors.....don't want to waste any....

 

[Tathagata]

my piggy toes.

that I want to see

 

[Tathagata]

I have a confession. I never give a poem less than a 5. Ever. If Angeline votes on your poem, you got a 5 from her. I think I am very open-minded about "fiveness." I believe every score should have a range. There are "great" fives (Eve's Into the Mountains is a great five), and there are fives that squeak in imo. Having said that, there are lot's of poems I don't vote on because I don't feel they have that spark. And then there are the ones I never get around to reading, lol.

It's all about feedback. I could very much live with no voting here and just go with comments and feedback. That's where you learn stuff and, ergo, improve.

Oh and I don't take off for spelling and grammar unless there is a pervasive pattern of errors that makes it hard for me to read through the poem.

I'm basically the same 4 or 5 I've explained why before.
If i don't like it I just don't vote
many times I vote but don't comment because I don't have the time to or can't think of anything that " needs" to be said

On the subject of trolls...yep I have a few too.
there are people who are just going to one vote you no matter what you put up.
I feel bad for them...they need to get laid or something

and Catbabe......
jeez
relax will ya??
don't get your panties in a knot..
Oh wait...

 

[Tathagata]

at the risk of sounding cliche, you wanna smoke a hale first?

no

save that hyper shit for the morning, I am tired


lets roll up something more mellow,

I vote for an Early Taghatahagataha
how do you spell that anyway?

you bring the incense

awwwwwwww
aren't you sweet



I'd sugest some Seattle too but I suspect it would turn into an orgy

which, you know, is fine with me

 

[DeepAsleep]

What do I vote with? I use a sextant and take readings from The north star, Tath's beer can, and the Washington monument, thereby triangulating the position of the proper vote, using calculus, trigonometry, and sheer pigheadedness. Then I throw that away and pick the number from a scale in my head ranging from "Not gonna vote" to "I really like this, so I'll click on five." based on how much I felt the poem.

I leave it to the experienced, technically versed poets to tear apart structure and form, unless something in what I think is a good poem just won't stop jabbing me in the eye with a sharp poetstick.

And anon commenting is copping out. I just don't believe in being a pussah about speaking your mind. If you can't put your name on a turd, don't put it in someone's shoe.

Don't take that the wrong way. Constructive criticism is supposedly part of why we're here, and I'm cool with that - it is, after all, why i started hanging around. But if you're going to kick someone in the balls (all criticism hurts, a little, I think.) look them in the eye when you do it.

My 1.5 bits.

~D.A.