Crazy

[Ancient117331]

"Crazy..."

Senna and any interested others,

My poem - "Loving You..." - is now #20. I watched it climb the Most Viewed List space-by-space from #100 until it finally broke the top 10 and then actually challenged the top 5. At first, I WAS silly enough to believe it rose because of merit - but soon enough realized most of its views were because of its placement by its title. (After 200+ votes its avg is only 4.02/3 or so.) I saw "Loving You..." finally start to drop when they added the "Audio Poetry" and the ones with pics or line drawings to the list - but even then it still managed to climb back (by being actually read - commented about - and voted upon) to within the top 10.

I saw Senna's reach the list and begin its slow climb as well - and thought it EARNED its place. I even specifically congratulated Senna on reaching the list. How does one congratulate these new people AND now - why even bother? They weren't even read and most likely won't be.

My next most-viewed poem at Lit is a mere 16K (but has a higher (4.38) vote avg), but I had hope it would EARN itself a place because its views weren't due to title placement - eventually - but not any more. They TOOK that HOPE away - but NOT just from me, THEY TOOK IT FROM ALL THE OTHER AUTHORS HERE - and DAMN but that's WRONG. Its sad when you have a sense of accomplishment or pride in your effort at a place where 'fairness' is just someone else's whim.

...and no one is doing ANYTHING to change anything... and there seems to be a lot of laughter - helpless laughter, frustrated laughter, word-less laughter because SOMEONE actually had pride in what they did... and we ALL lost with this, not just Senna or myself or the ones 'bumped' totally from view. We ALL lost - from works that now won't be written or posted, to people that won't bother to write or read or even try.

Chris Twyford
Ancient117331

 

[Angeline]

Senna and any interested others,

My poem - "Loving You..." - is now #20. I watched it climb the Most Viewed List space-by-space from #100 until it finally broke the top 10 and then actually challenged the top 5. At first, I WAS silly enough to believe it rose because of merit - but soon enough realized most of its views were because of its placement by its title. (After 200+ votes its avg is only 4.02/3 or so.) I saw "Loving You..." finally start to drop when they added the "Audio Poetry" and the ones with pics or line drawings to the list - but even then it still managed to climb back (by being actually read - commented about - and voted upon) to within the top 10.

I saw Senna's reach the list and begin its slow climb as well - and thought it EARNED its place. I even specifically congratulated Senna on reaching the list. How does one congratulate these new people AND now - why even bother? They weren't even read and most likely won't be.

My next most-viewed poem at Lit is a mere 16K (but has a higher (4.38) vote avg), but I had hope it would EARN itself a place because its views weren't due to title placement - eventually - but not any more. They TOOK that HOPE away - but NOT just from me, THEY TOOK IT FROM ALL THE OTHER AUTHORS HERE - and DAMN but that's WRONG. Its sad when you have a sense of accomplishment or pride in your effort at a place where 'fairness' is just someone else's whim.

...and no one is doing ANYTHING to change anything... and there seems to be a lot of laughter - helpless laughter, frustrated laughter, word-less laughter because SOMEONE actually had pride in what they did... and we ALL lost with this, not just Senna or myself or the ones 'bumped' totally from view. We ALL lost - from works that now won't be written or posted, to people that won't bother to write or read or even try.

Chris Twyford
Ancient117331

Do you feel good about your poem? Shouldn't the pride you feel come from writing it?

I rarely look at the top list--if I read beyond what's on this forum it's the new poems, but I'll go read your poem now.

 

[bogusbrig]

I don't even know where to look to see the hit parade and I'm not sure I care. Such lists are always superficial and never reflect quality. I'm not saying there aren't any good poems in the list I wouldn't know but I'd like to know how many top poems have cum, fuck or slut in the title LOL. OK someone is going to say none.

If your poem is getting read that is the best any of us can ask for.

 

[flyguy69]

It's always fun to sell your soul, but to a crowd of anonymous litsters? I think you are placing too much of your sense of self-worth into inept hands. Forget the top lists and listen to people whose opinions and poetry you respect.

If Angeline and Bogus like your work, you have considerable validation.

 

[Angeline]

It's always fun to sell your soul, but to a crowd of anonymous litsters? I think you are placing too much of your sense of self-worth into inept hands. Forget the top lists and listen to people whose opinions and poetry you respect.

If Angeline and Bogus like your work, you have considerable validation.

I started a thread for ept hands.

 

[bogusbrig]

For curiousity's sake can someone tell me where you find the pop charts?

 

[annaswirls]

Chris,
I am one of those people who writes because I have to, I write because I enjoy it, I wrote for many reasons, as I am sure do you.

I agree, if there is a system in place, like the most read poems, that is faulty, it should be fixed. It IS a sign of disrespect of our work if it is not fixed and it could be. I think you have every reason to be upset I am not assuming anyone was saying it was, just giving my opinion on the matter. I am also glad that you shared your experience, I never had any aspiration to have my work on the most read list, as it seemed like an impossible thing to get anyway... so I saw the problem as a bystander/member of the community. It was good to get another perspective.

I just hope it does not affect your writing. That would be a shame.

I do not think it is not shallow to desire and enjoy recognition. It is right up there on Maslov's hierarchy of human needs. (I am not assuming anyone was saying it was, just giving my opinion on the matter. )

It is natural that you have these reactions. No one that I know of was laughing at the poems that rose through the ranks at a highly improbable speed. They might laugh out of frustration -- the absurdity of the situation.

Whatever happens, I hope that your comment about stopping writing, reading etc. was a reflex response, and that nothing stops you from doing either beside your own personal desire to stop.

While recognition is important and feels good to many people, I know it is not what makes you write either.

Has anyone brought this up with Laural/Manu?

~annas

 

[flyguy69]

I started a thread for ept hands.

Can I get feck there?

 

[Tzara]

For curiousity's sake can someone tell me where you find the pop charts?

http://english.literotica.com/stories/toplists.php

 

[bogusbrig]

Thanks Tzara. I guess this puts me in my place. The top one has been read 165,792 while my most read poem has been read a mere 500 times LOL

Having a quick scan I think all the poems on the first page are porn-cum-erotica so I guess my subject matter is going to prove rather more boring for most.

I still say it is really inconsequential as to how ones work is perceived. I would rather have a couple of dozen readers who have a serious interest in poetry than thousands who are looking for a tease, though I don't deny a tease has its place and its a question of which audience tyou write for.

 

[Angeline]

Can I get feck there?

You can play Spinner (which you seem to have confused with Spin the Bottle--or Twister, I'm not sure).

It'll be ept as all feck.

 

[Tzara]

Thanks Tzara. I guess this puts me in my place. The top one has been read 165,792 while my most read poem has been read a mere 500 times LOL

Having a quick scan I think all the poems on the first page are porn-cum-erotica so I guess my subject matter is going to prove rather more boring for most.

I still say it is really inconsequential as to how ones work is perceived. I would rather have a couple of dozen readers who have a serious interest in poetry than thousands who are looking for a tease, though I don't deny a tease has its place and its a question of which audience tyou write for.

I glanced at the "most read" list and can see perhaps why some people are upset. The number one most read poem, posted in November of last year, has 165,000+ reads, or something like 2750 per day.

I agree with you (and Fly) that what matters most, at least to me, is comment from people I respect. I recognize that others feel differently and are concerned about the reads and votes and the red 'H' and green 'E'.

We am a diverse world.