The Politics and Math of Lit Voting

Thanks, Miss Prism

Always great to hear from another Oscar Wilde fan!

well written and thought provoking

This is a nice overview of the realities of the voting process on Lit. I particularly enjoyed the wry humor interspersed with the harsh realities. This author clearly knows how to write, and does so in an entertaining and provocative fashion. If this author isn't already writing commercially for profit, he/she should clearly start doing so. This is as good, or better, than many magazine articles. Very, very nice work.

Meaning of Stars - a digression

I think part of the issue is the "hover text" that appears over the stars. I thought that 3 stars meant "average", but the hover text states "Liked It - Keep on Writing". Since 1 star means "I hated it!" and 5 stars means "Loved It - One of the best!" I think that those votes would be the most infrequent (since statistically, most people tend near the middle of a bell curve). I vote 5 stars infrequently (for me, 5 stars means an outstanding masterpiece) and 1 star even less so (find it difficult to hate stories, and if I don't like the content, I just don't read it). So when I read a story that's "OK", that I neither like or dislike, I typically don't vote, as there's no star that covers that feeling.

But that being said, thanks Serafina1210, you bring up an interesting point (that most readers wouldn't think about) and you did an excellent job of explaining yourself. So in this case, I'll depart from the middle of the bell curve and vote (and no, I didn't vote 1 star).

Bah!

Totally unrealistic scenario and no sex. 1!

:P

Morion ...

I like your style!

Perhaps a better understanding of statistics would help.

And I'm not sure anyone understands the way voting works. A few have figured out a way to bypass the one person, one vote factor and vote numerous times on a single story. (Hello computer nerds and hackers). I also think that different sections achieve a higher (or lower) number of votes and comments. I don't think anyone reads every story in every category. Therefore it would be difficult to quantify any particular stories responses. Since most authors profess to write for their own satisfaction, it always amazes me when they pay any attention to the voting or the comments. Since it's also been shown that a huge percentage (more statistics for you) of people neither vote or comment one would naturally wonder how the voices of the minority should adversely effect the authors? Maybe voting and comments should not be allowed? Who knows.

Thankyou, Thankyou, THANKYOU.

You write for your own satisfaction; you post for EGO. If you really want to dilute the "1" bomb start an Erotic Writing class. Brainwash your students into voting the way you want otherwise don't worry about it. Most are saying that they did not like your story for what ever reason. Contrary to popular belief, people NEVER do anything without a reason. Yes I'm including those that are drunk, high on drugs and those that are depressed or all the above.
Comments? I read a story that had about 15 comments 14 of which were nothing but platitudes (garbage, they don't say anything). One just said "die" which made it the only constructive comment listed. I would scan the comments, delete the platitudes and those made by trolls and if it has something to say, pro or con, keep it.

What has happened to craftsmanship. You take the time to construct a good story, you respect your readers so you take the time to do a good job of editing then let it stand on it own merits. Who are you writing for. I think I would be most interested in those vote and comments that came after the story left the hub i.e. standing the test of time, also being more honest and constructive. But I guess that underlines the real reason you wrote the story.
What do you mean you didn't understand the statistics used. You all can add, subtract, multiply and divide without using a smart phone can't you. It was not that difficult to reason out. I do believe that "smartphones"? are making homo sapiens stupider and stupider along with being lazier and lazier. I can remember a time when just admitting that you did not know would get you fired not because you did not know but because you admitted it and suggesting that you were to lazy to look it up.
If you are really writing for your own enjoyment then who cares what the votes avg. out to or what the comments say.

Of course

If you are truly interested in higher scores, try no spelling errors, no grammatical errors and no punctuation errors.

Dammit Morion

I enjoyed this piece and had a really pithy and amusing comment to add. Then I read Morion's comment below. He's like the RaunchyMynxInDallas of comments: what's the point of trying for humor after he's posted?

Wow, great story! But what happened to the real-time vote update?! Please tell us you're going to write a sequel! I wanna know what happens!!

Hey, Beastie!

In the sequel, dozens of rage-bots bomb the shit out of "The Politics and Math of Lit Voting," and yet it goes on to win the category in the year-end awesome-story contest with FOUR VOTES!

Watch for it on HBO.

Witty Analysis

I'd like to believe that this is the case, but I feel like it's just as often a cushion assumption for a fragile writer's ego. And that's me speaking as a pretty low-key writer who would probably feel a lot better if she did buy into this.

But no, I'm sure it's all baloney. There's no conspiracy, there are no insecure writers trashing other works just to—WHAT?! This essay beat MINE for People's Choice? This . . . crude, this VULGAR piece of wish fulfillment trash! I'm gonna one-bomb this sucker into the ground! Teach YOU to try to teach ME!

(Seriously, though, what's the secret? I feel like I'm not playing this game right. XD)

Oh, and I just realized that I got so caught up in the joke, and in my own thinly-veiled befuddlement with why a writer who uploads at roughly three times my speed and with more consistent high ratings should somehow have more followers than me*, that I forgot to—shoot, I'm doing it again. Anyways, I liked this essay! It nailed down some good points and backed them up with math. And there was good use of humor to keep the casual reader interested.

5/5!Or it would be, if I weren't currently trying to one-bomb this story without actually understanding how the site works well enough to do so with any real effectiveness. Boy, long sentences tonight, huh? I gather my sentences get long when I'm trying to seem smart. Goblin is feeling threatened. Goblin's hackles are up. Damn it, I didn't even know there WAS a People's Choice Award and now I'm griping about it.

:P

*It's a mystery, is all I can say.

Here, have a five!

I tend to place more stock in comments (if written in intelligible English) and e-mails than I do in scores.

Yeah, sure I do. One-bomb ME, willya?

Time spent reading, writing, and listening is never wasted. Good read or bad read doesn't matter much. Reading in itself is peace. Art in itself is perfect.

More thanks

Thanks to erotichajj, GigglingGoblin, and the latest Anonymous for these excellent comments. It's absolutely true, Anon: reading is its own reward. And everyone should run over and read the Goblin's essay on Sexualizing Rape. It's excellent, and it totally deserved to win this category (in which the voting was in essence a coin flip).

Good essay

on a subject I did not know a lot about. Cant one bomb you like you wanted; did like the live blogging commentary from you on your score.

I typically only read LW, so I dont know anything except other categories have higher rated stories, You get a 4.75 in LW for a story 4 yrs old and you are a rock star, and an excellent writer, and made the majority of readers "feel" something thru your tale. A 4.75 in romance is not the same quality. A 4,75 in incest or interracial is way down from the 4.75 in LW in terms of quality of the writing, it is more of a stroke fest fueled by cliches.

I like that the site polices the scoring, although I have seen some strange things (a writer or two with lots of red "H" that are, oh so so).

Speaking for LW only, There is a definite difference in scoring in late 90's, early 2000's vs scoring since 2008. I think a lot of it has to do wiht the divisiveness of the presidential election, that absolute hate that 40% have for the president we have and his policies; and the 2008 financial crisis that led to a stagnant economy that has never fully recovered. The comments and hate take on a political tone. Ok great job, I wish I had given you a 5 now instead of the four. You got me to write a lot more than I normally do.

Oh and btw

I only clicked on this story cause of the blue "W" and the red "H" and the title intrigued me. I can prob count on one hand the number of essays I have read.

You made me laugh

Your essay is great. For the record I do not one bomb other authors nor am I a balding actuary in Hartford (maybe two of three?).

Well done.