An Ode to the Loser Who Slashed 4 Poems With a '1'

[Lauren Hynde]

I agree - relutantly - but I see your point. Why not vote a 1? BUT a ONE and two must leave a why, and it cannot be the bad excuse of "because it did not get me off."

Sorry, but no cigar. I have voted 1s and 2s before, and with good reasons. When I vote 1s and 2s, I don't do it on a whim, I do it because in my opinion as a reader, those are bad poems. I could write a long-winded feedback message and explain why I gave this poem and that a 1, but why should I waste another second of my time on bad poetry, when there is already so little time to read the good one? That's what the voting system is there for. High score or low, its purpose is to be a 1-digit opinion without any waste of time.

And no, choosing not to vote on those poems is not an option. By not voting down bad poems, you're allowing them to stay afloat based solely on fluff. If you don't vote on every poem you read, using the entire spectre, it means that every time you give a poem you like a 4, you're effectively shooting it down in favour of all the poems you didn't like but for which you didn't vote. Yay on you.


PS:

 

[~hellbaby~]

I am not about to put a bag over my head or post poems anon. But I still stand that a person should be able to vote without comment or reason.
__________________

If you cannot or are not willing to acknowledge your own vote, why should anyone else? No one forced you to vote, if that were the case I feel differently.
Just on anonaminity in general, not specific to here, because, afterall, its a story or poem getting a vote, not the next president of the US. (whomever she may be) I feel the votee has a right to know who voted if requested, as in an uncharacteristically low vote or ignorant comment. In any vote a record of who voted is kept, to check for voter fraud.Clearly though it doesn't work for crap though. Not to study who voted what but to be able to know if the suituation occurs. Similar to the way you can get a phone call traced. voting could be kept private from 'the public' but acessable. If your voting how you feel and saying what you mean then you should be able to stand by your actions with conviction and defend them.

 

[CharleyH]

Sorry, but no cigar. I have voted 1s and 2s before, and with good reasons. When I vote 1s and 2s, I don't do it on a whim, I do it because in my opinion as a reader, those are bad poems. I could write a long-winded feedback message and explain why I gave this poem and that a 1, but why should I waste another second of my time on bad poetry, when there is already so little time to read the good one?
PS:

So, you are saying you are an asshole? Or maybe just too afraid to leave a comment?Too afraid of having your own poems bashed, which is also a wussy-assed thing to do.

Do not bad poems need more critique and comment than throwing laurels to a good one? Why waste your breath on an excellent poem, then? We know it is as excellent as a bad poem that sucks shit. Yet you comment on the good? No? Anything lower than a four deserves your time - throwing a 1, or 2 or 3 without even a polite critique PC or PM sucks shit. I agree - why vote at all if you are too afraid to say how you voted?

I am not afraid of bad marks, but without the constructive criticism ... do I care? I get Laurel to erase the bomb, NOTHING is worth a 1, if only for effort in producing and trying.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I feel the votee has a right to know who voted if requested, as in an uncharacteristically low vote or ignorant comment. In any vote a record of who voted is kept, to check for voter fraud..

Actually, the votee should have the right to diddly squat and like it. All the votee needs to know is that a record of who votes is being kept away from him or her by an independent authority who will deal with any case of fraud appropriately.

 

[Du Lac]

So, you are saying you are an asshole? Or maybe just too afraid to leave a comment?Too afraid of having your own poems bashed, which is also a wussy-assed thing to do.

Do not bad poems need more critique and comment than throwing laurels to a good one? Why waste your breath on an excellent poem, then? We know it is as excellent as a bad poem that sucks shit. Yet you comment on the good? No? Anything lower than a four deserves your time - throwing a 1, or 2 or 3 without even a polite critique PC or PM sucks shit. I agree - why vote at all if you are too afraid to say how you voted?

I am not afraid of bad marks, but without the constructive criticism ... do I care? I get Laurel to erase the bomb, NOTHING is worth a 1, if only for effort in producing and trying.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

So, you are saying you are an asshole? Or maybe just too afraid to leave a comment?Too afraid of having your own poems bashed, which is also a wussy-assed thing to do.

Do not bad poems need more critique and comment than throwing laurels to a good one? Why waste your breath on an excellent poem, then? We know it is as excellent as a bad poem that sucks shit. Yet you comment on the good? No? Anything lower than a four deserves your time - throwing a 1, or 2 or 3 without even a polite critique PC or PM sucks shit. I agree - why vote at all if you are too afraid to say how you voted?

I am not afraid of bad marks, but without the constructive criticism ... do I care? I get Laurel to erase the bomb, NOTHING is worth a 1, if only for effort in producing and trying.

No, I did not say that. I said that every poem I read without exception gets a vote from 1 to 5. If I have any comment to make and if I have the time to make it, I will do it regardless of the vote. I have left comments with votes from 1 to 5, and never anonymously.

But if I am pressed for time, or - quite frankly - if I know that the author couldn't care less about the reasons of a low vote, I will vote the way I want without leaving a comment. And if you don't like that, shut down voting altogether and leave only feedback on. I never heard you complaining about any of the un-commented 5s I left on your poems and stories...

 

[~hellbaby~]

So, you are saying you are an asshole? Or maybe just too afraid to leave a comment?Too afraid of having your own poems bashed, which is also a wussy-assed thing to do.

Do not bad poems need more critique and comment than throwing laurels to a good one? Why waste your breath on an excellent poem, then? We know it is as excellent as a bad poem that sucks shit. Yet you comment on the good? No? Anything lower than a four deserves your time - throwing a 1, or 2 or 3 without even a polite critique PC or PM sucks shit. I agree - why vote at all if you are too afraid to say how you voted?

I am not afraid of bad marks, but without the constructive criticism ... do I care? I get Laurel to erase the bomb, NOTHING is worth a 1, if only for effort in producing and trying.

Exactly, if there is no reason why or suggestion how to improve the work then they better get used to bad poems because it takes more than bad marks and insults to get better.

 

[CharleyH]

You say, my beautiful and lovely Lauren :

I could write a long-winded feedback message and explain why I gave this poem and that a 1, but why should I waste another second of my time on bad poetry

So, do you critique bad poetry or give dozens of roses to a 4 or 5?

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Exactly, if there is no reason why or suggestion how to improve the work then they better get used to bad poems because it takes more than bad marks and insults to get better.

Obviously. For that you need a group of friend who will vote your poems up and giggle a lot and awe.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

So, do you critique bad poetry or give dozens of roses to a 4 or 5?

I critique bad poetry when I have to critique bad poetry and I critique good poetry when I have to critique good poetry. I don't think either type appreciates roses, though.

 

[CharleyH]

I critique bad poetry when I have to critique bad poetry and I critique good poetry when I have to critique good poetry. I don't think either type appreciates roses, though.

Proof in the pudding may be a good and cliche'd ask at this point. I have seen plenty of your cudos, but tell me Lauren, when you are so not afraid to give your 1, 2 or 3? What do you say? Oh and I need proof.

 

[annaswirls]

Actually, the votee should have the right to diddly squat and like it. All the votee needs to know is that a record of who votes is being kept away from him or her by an independent authority who will deal with any case of fraud appropriately.

Wow.

What a concept.

The very thought of elected officials having the right or ability to find out how individuals voted is just so Orwellian I am going to have nightmares. THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES.


and for heavens sake this is all so crazy.

and just because I defend someone right to privacy if the choose to remain private does not reflect my actions for myself. People have rights that they may or may not choose to act upon.


I like all natural peanut butter.
I can do so WITHOUT taking a stand.

I do not like Skippy or Jif or the hydrogenated oil sugared etc. brands.
and I will never waste another minute speaking of such

I will NOT argue with someone who has a different opinion.
I will NOT defend my choice unless I want to.
I don't care if the peanut butter industry wants my opinion.
I am not sending fan letters or letters of protest.


I give all natural a 5
and the fake stuff a 1

and you know what?
most Americans will vote opposite.
My opinion will be drown
but that is okay.


good lord get me off this crazy thing

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Proof in the pudding may be a good and cliche'd ask at this point. I have seen plenty of your cudos, but tell me Lauren, when you are so not afraid to give your 1, 2 or 3? What do you say? Oh and I need proof.

What, do you want to see public comments made by me?

 

[WickedEve]

Sorry, but no cigar. I have voted 1s and 2s before, and with good reasons. When I vote 1s and 2s, I don't do it on a whim, I do it because in my opinion as a reader, those are bad poems. I could write a long-winded feedback message and explain why I gave this poem and that a 1, but why should I waste another second of my time on bad poetry, when there is already so little time to read the good one? That's what the voting system is there for. High score or low, its purpose is to be a 1-digit opinion without any waste of time.

And no, choosing not to vote on those poems is not an option. By not voting down bad poems, you're allowing them to stay afloat based solely on fluff. If you don't vote on every poem you read, using the entire spectre, it means that every time you give a poem you like a 4, you're effectively shooting it down in favour of all the poems you didn't like but for which you didn't vote. Yay on you.


PS:

There's plenty of poorly written poetry out there. Some of it even has groupies praising it as word wizardry and whatever. And if any of you have a poem with that phrase in your feedback, I'm not talking about you! I'm using that as an example. lol But when I read a poem, even one with an H, and I think it's really bad, I may give it a lower vote or I may rate it a 50 and make a comment. I've read some horrible poetry by newbies. I rarely leave a low vote on those. I think it's devastating to new poets. I usually give them a polite 75 and offer some suggestions and invite them to the board. If I don't have time to leave feedback, then I don't vote either. Why discourage them before any of us have a chance to show them what poetry can really be like? I suppose I believe in a more gentle approach. Though, I'd like to slap some of the regulars and newbies around here who rant and rave about poetry and they can't write worth a darn. I'd like grab all the novice poets and point them in the direction of good poetry before one of the idiot poets gets a hold of them and tells them their crap is good and it's from the heart and don't change a thing! But there is board etiquette. There are manners that must be remembered. I try to be polite and remember that possibly those poets I disagree with may be writing good poetry and it's me who is screwed up in the head thinking what I write--and what Ange and Lauren and Pat and anna and neo and maria and boo and tath and liar and the list goes on--is good poetry! Where was I going with this? Oh, gentle. Vote brutally or vote like a creampuff.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Wow.

What a concept.

The very thought of elected officials having the right or ability to find out how individuals voted is just so Orwellian I am going to have nightmares. THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES.


and for heavens sake this is all so crazy.

and just because I defend someone right to privacy if the choose to remain private does not reflect my actions for myself. People have rights that they may or may not choose to act upon.


I like all natural peanut butter.
I can do so WITHOUT taking a stand.

I do not like Skippy or Jif or the hydrogenated oil sugared etc. brands.
and I will never waste another minute speaking of such

I will NOT argue with someone who has a different opinion.
I will NOT defend my choice unless I want to.
I don't care if the peanut butter industry wants my opinion.
I am not sending fan letters or letters of protest.


I give all natural a 5
and the fake stuff a 1

and you know what?
most Americans will vote opposite.
My opinion will be drown
but that is okay.


good lord get me off this crazy thing

Still 100%

 

[CharleyH]

What, do you want to see public comments made by me?

I want you to direct me to poems you made critiques on when you gave a 1, 2 or 3, no matter how small, and prior to today LOL

you know I luv ya.

 

[annaswirls]

So, you are saying you are an asshole? Or maybe just too afraid to leave a comment?Too afraid of having your own poems bashed, which is also a wussy-assed thing to do.

Do not bad poems need more critique and comment than throwing laurels to a good one? Why waste your breath on an excellent poem, then? We know it is as excellent as a bad poem that sucks shit. Yet you comment on the good? No? Anything lower than a four deserves your time - throwing a 1, or 2 or 3 without even a polite critique PC or PM sucks shit. I agree - why vote at all if you are too afraid to say how you voted?

I am not afraid of bad marks, but without the constructive criticism ... do I care? I get Laurel to erase the bomb, NOTHING is worth a 1, if only for effort in producing and trying.

It is not a matter of being afraid.
It is a matter of time and effort put into people you do not even know want the critique. There are threads for heavy critque.

 

[~hellbaby~]

Actually, the votee should have the right to diddly squat and like it. All the votee needs to know is that a record of who votes is being kept away from him or her by an independent authority who will deal with any case of fraud appropriately.

That works for me, on the most basal stripped level thats a solution.. It takes care of the issue of voting,I think they should be able to confront commentors. Although it is a choice to accept anon. comments, you should not have to turn away all comments because of a coward. Just like you should not have your self and possessions torn through to get on a plane. But because of a few, you do. When a fair comprimise cannot be agreed on, everyone loses.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

There's plenty of poorly written poetry out there. Some of it even has groupies praising it as word wizardry and whatever. And if any of you have a poem with that phrase in your feedback, I'm not talking about you! I'm using that as an example. lol But when I read a poem, even one with an H, and I think it's really bad, I may give it a lower vote or I may rate it a 50 and make a comment. I've read some horrible poetry by newbies. I rarely leave a low vote on those. I think it's devastating to new poets. I usually give them a polite 75 and offer some suggestions and invite them to the board. If I don't have time to leave feedback, then I don't vote either. Why discourage them before any of us have a chance to show them what poetry can really be like? I suppose I believe in a more gentle approach. Though, I'd like to slap some of the regulars and newbies around here who rant and rave about poetry and they can't write worth a darn. I'd like grab all the novice poets and point them in the direction of good poetry before one of the idiot poets gets a hold of them and tells them their crap is good and it's from the heart and don't change a thing! But there is board etiquette. There are manners that must be remembered. I try to be polite and remember that possibly those poets I disagree with may be writing good poetry and it's me who is screwed up in the head thinking what I write--and what Ange and Lauren and Pat and anna and neo and maria and boo and tath and liar and the list goes on--is good poetry! Where was I going with this? Oh, gentle. Vote brutally or vote like a creampuff.

Fuck manners. For tonight only (maybe) the gloves are off. But other than that, great post, Eve.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

It is not a matter of being afraid.
It is a matter of time and effort put into people you do not even know want the critique. There are threads for heavy critque.

Exactly.

 

[PatCarrington]

hey.

anyone know a glue that sticks cloth to metal?

 

[Du Lac]

There's plenty of poorly written poetry out there. Some of it even has groupies praising it as word wizardry and whatever. And if any of you have a poem with that phrase in your feedback, I'm not talking about you! I'm using that as an example. lol But when I read a poem, even one with an H, and I think it's really bad, I may give it a lower vote or I may rate it a 50 and make a comment. I've read some horrible poetry by newbies. I rarely leave a low vote on those. I think it's devastating to new poets. I usually give them a polite 75 and offer some suggestions and invite them to the board. If I don't have time to leave feedback, then I don't vote either. Why discourage them before any of us have a chance to show them what poetry can really be like? I suppose I believe in a more gentle approach. Though, I'd like to slap some of the regulars and newbies around here who rant and rave about poetry and they can't write worth a darn. I'd like grab all the novice poets and point them in the direction of good poetry before one of the idiot poets gets a hold of them and tells them their crap is good and it's from the heart and don't change a thing! But there is board etiquette. There are manners that must be remembered. I try to be polite and remember that possibly those poets I disagree with may be writing good poetry and it's me who is screwed up in the head thinking what I write--and what Ange and Lauren and Pat and anna and neo and maria and boo and tath and liar and the list goes on--is good poetry! Where was I going with this? Oh, gentle. Vote brutally or vote like a creampuff.

most new poetry is poorly written... be it new as lacking experience or a new write of an experienced poet.. we all know the importance of editing. Hence why I agree with Eve here. Like I said... I post alot of my poems to learn how to get better... the group of friends who say that is great are wonderful and I do appreciate support... only I know in my soul if something still needs more... despite fluff .. hmmmm.... is that what support is now adays.... I will know when my writing still needs work. (and almost all of it does!)

One poem I did this for was Yellow Inbetween... it was close but not there and I still could not get THERE. I put it up to see if others could help me see the there in it.... Eve did just that.... so it now is in my editing pile and I try new things with it. Until finally hopefully I will get the THERE that the work deems. We all have to start somewhere. Our group of friends are needed for support to go forward and the truthfulness of all is needed so we can learn and grow. Otherwise I would just keep posting on my blog and think what I write is the best.............no response, no growth, just lingering out there in cyberspace lost in limbo.

du~

 

[Angeline]

Exactly.

Hey Sponge Lauren Smarty Pants.

I wrote you a poemy in Rybbka's challenge thread. Did you know that?

 

[CharleyH]

If I don't have time to leave feedback, then I don't vote either. Why discourage them before any of us have a chance to show them what poetry can really be like? I suppose I believe in a more gentle approach. Though, I'd like to slap some of the regulars and newbies around here who rant and rave about poetry and they can't write worth a darn. I'd like grab all the novice poets and point them in the direction of good poetry before one of the idiot poets gets a hold of them and tells them their crap is good and it's from the heart and don't change a thing! But there is board etiquette.

Like I always say - I am perfecly imperfect as a poet.

Why don't you slap the ones that need slapping, then? I am not beyond contradiction, myself, but the poets you know well, on the PB, should be able to take it best, especially from you? No?

This is a public venue and good or bad, we need to suck it all up. Have you started a "new poets come learn here, let me teach you, or tell you" thread? Perhaps you should ... new poets need your kind of encouragement.

 

[champagne1982]

That works for me, on the most basal stripped level thats a solution.. It takes care of the issue of voting,I think they should be able to confront commentors. Although it is a choice to accept anon. comments, you should not have to turn away all comments because of a coward. Just like you should not have your self and possessions torn through to get on a plane. But because of a few, you do. When a fair comprimise cannot be agreed on, everyone loses.

You shouldn't have to deny yourself the joy of receiving intelligent commentary on your poem, story, drawing or pussy pic. You're right in that. You don't have to take any critique at all on your work, favourable or otherwise.

Everything is about choice.
You choose to write, to share, to read, to vote, to accept accollades and to resent dislike.

It's all about choice. You can choose to carry on this thread and let the trolls know that they've annoyed and pissed ya's all off and you can choose to persist in valuing valuless opinions.

If you really need the prize money each month, I'd suggest peeling your drawers off on the amateur pic forum and start cyber sucking each and every one of your potential fans. Another good way to get high votes, I'll bet, is to orgasm on an mp3 sound bite and call it audio poetry. Good luck!