Feedback bashing

[caprine]

Possibly...

Come one, Guys. Learn to :hearr:LOVE your trolls. They are your best advertising.

I certainly generated a lot of comments with the Valentine story. Several were vitriolic. But, my score started at 3.04 and my stories almost never start below 4.0 and usually higher than that. But, the story does seem to be getting attention.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

hmmmmm, mebbe it's 'cos i've been absent (story-wise) for a year, but i had the impression that the bashing was on simmer rather than boiling a it was a couple of years ago. this is an observation based purely on personal experience of course.

i'd agree with JJ with regard to Loving Wives category etc, but i must admit to popping a piece in now and again purely to tweak, and see what shitstorm results.

 

[docBlue]

Until they vote-bomb your story with 1's and it slips into the fifth page of your category's toplist, which basically ensures it'll rarely get read.

Yep, last story got vote bombed by a guy who said, 'from now on I will vote all your stories a zero without reading them.'

Nice guy, that one. Bet you he shaves with a cold blade.

Another chipped in to detail how the policeman in my story (who searches a scantily dressed mrs.) could not have done that without 'probably cause' ... yadda yadda ... and then went on in excruitating detail about it.

Life ... live it, love it.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

Yep, last story got vote bombed by a guy who said, 'from now on I will vote all your stories a zero without reading them.'

Nice guy, that one. Bet you he shaves with a cold blade.

Another chipped in to detail how the policeman in my story (who searches a scantily dressed mrs.) could not have done that without 'probably cause' ... yadda yadda ... and then went on in excruitating detail about it.

Life ... live it, love it.

is zero on the scale?

ah, the pedants too, eh?

i had some guy yarp on about prison sentences... too bad he was thinking of US, when my piece was UK based.

 

[docBlue]

zero's not on the scale

but if it were, he'd use it. I'm thinking he was searching for negative numbers as well.

I actually explained the 'probable clause' and in fact it did happen for a different probable cause in real life. Of course it's 'fiction' so I extended the 'search' for erotic reasons.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

but if it were, he'd use it. I'm thinking he was searching for negative numbers as well.

I actually explained the 'probable clause' and in fact it did happen for a different probable cause in real life. Of course it's 'fiction' so I extended the 'search' for erotic reasons.

there are some fuckin' weird bastards out there... and those are only the ones that write!

...and also him with the long hair in me av.

 

[starrkers]

is zero on the scale?

ah, the pedants too, eh?

i had some guy yarp on about prison sentences... too bad he was thinking of US, when my piece was UK based.

I wrote one about people having sex in a church and had one pedant wanting to know what denomination the church was.

 

[Charles Petersunn]

So very "nice" to hear that others feel similarly

I have submitted a number of stories to Literotica. I stopped for awhile (and began writing for a different site) because I just became so frustrated with the hostile, vicious, and really poorly reasoned negative feedback, along with the fact that persons were providing the lowest possible scores without really understanding any justification for this. I realize that my stories aren't necessarily fantastic works of art, but it's really hard to imagine that they deserve scores of "one" (as compared to stories with average scores of 1 or 2). It's quite frustrating to work so very, very long on a story, including subtle and covert references to other works and literature, copyediting again and again, developing the story over time, and then a person posts a comment that it "sucks" because anal sex just involves "more shit on your dick." This story ("My little brownie cupcake") was posted as an anal sex story. How could it not involve anal sex? Or, for another story, one person gave it the lowest possible score because "would you trust this dirtbag of a husband?" and another "what an asshole of a husband" because he engaged in BDSM play with his wife (who in fact wanted it and loved it!). This story ("The submission of Maureen") was posted in the BDSM section, and his husband was far nicer to Maureen than probably the vast majority of the men in this section.
Plus, it really does seem that persons just provide scores of "1" or "2" for no really compelling reason.
I do appreciate that this website now disallows multiple voting, and I certainly applaud that.
And, I also appreciate that there really is no alternative, short of no feedback or voting. The best alternative (to me) would be to have a panel of 50-100 persons provide the ratings and feedback, the persons selected for the purpose of being more objective, neutral, fair, and competent (e.g., Sack, and others have posted their own ratings of stories). However, I also appreciate that it would be a tremendous amount of work for this panel.
So, in the end, yes, one has to try to accept the lack of fairness, the machinations, and the hostility. But, I must admit that it is also difficult for me after putting in so much time, work, and feeling into a story, and then get so trashed in one day.
In the end, I just want to say that I am so "glad" that others share this concern. I must admit to only recently becoming aware of this forum (I don't know how I missed it for so long), and it does help to realize that you are not the only one feeling so frustrated and hurt.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

I wrote one about people having sex in a church and had one pedant wanting to know what denomination the church was.

what colour were the vicar's nix?

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Oddly, my latest story is not getting the usual PCs. I have had my fair share of "Why don't you stop and write something worthwhile."

Answer: Because I don't feel like is, asshole.

 

[caprine]

Vote Scale

is zero on the scale?

ah, the pedants too, eh?

i had some guy yarp on about prison sentences... too bad he was thinking of US, when my piece was UK based.

Voting for a score is one thru five stars. In the public comments, readers can give a zero, but these do not (so far as I know) affect the score unless the person also gave a one star (which he probably did if he bothered to vote with a star).

 

[artlover637]

After reading this I am unsure I want to post my first attempt at a story. Is it possible to truly not care what others think?

 

[manyeyedhydra]

After reading this I am unsure I want to post my first attempt at a story. Is it possible to truly not care what others think?

Go for it! There's plenty of feedback that's helpful and positive. The rest is just comedy from people who need to get out more.

I've been very fortunate with feedback so far (surprising considering virtually none of my characters ever survive my stories ), but I think that's because i submit in one of the quietest areas (Erotic horror).

I did have someone carpet-bomb all my stories a while back, which was kind of annoying as the downside to being in a quiet category is it takes ages for the ratings to recover back to those little H's.

 

[mellowgyrl]

After reading this I am unsure I want to post my first attempt at a story. Is it possible to truly not care what others think?

I think you shouldn't let a few crabs ruin your writing experience. If writing was your profession you'd have to deal with such problems on a daily basis anyway. Didn't somebody once say that opinions are like assholes - everybody has one. You don't have to listen to all of the feedback if you don't want to. It's your option to delete or ignore as you see fit. Yes, it does sting when a troll hits you with a mean spirited comment (I probably have the thinnest skin of everybody on this board) but you have to take it for what it's worth. If the comment is just a bashing with no suggestions or if its not based on anything productive then its not worth wasting your time worrying about it. If you dwell on the negative then the trolls win and you never want to give power to the trolls!

My suggestion is to write and write and when you think you can't write anymore write again!

 

[artlover637]

Thanks for the encouragement. When it's done, I will submit it and see how it goes.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

As you would expect, as the site matures and gets wider coverage, the rough and tumble gets worse. With a million (some extinct) members and goodness knows how many lurkers, it is not surprising that Feedback is getting more heated and personal.

I would bet there are organized groups now targeting a site like Lit.

However, I can live with anyone who clicks on the site being able to vote or send an author an offensive anonymous mail. It may be hurtful and unjustified but, if you put yourself out there, you have to roll with the punches.

What I can't get my head around - given I think PCs were a good development - is anonymity. Some comments in the war zone categories are as long as proper posts, but whilst no author can post 'anonymously' a platform is given to tirades of invective with little bearing on the literary merits of the story.

If you wish to make a public comment you should face up to being public yourself.

Just like on the forum, to make a public comment you should be required to be a member and to identify yourself (under your pseudonym). Sure, a series of duplicate names can be created, but creating a new alt every time you want to make an offensive PC would just increase the site's revenue from advertising.

Seems a win-win to me.

 

[Lalah]

As you would expect, as the site matures and gets wider coverage, the rough and tumble gets worse. With a million (some extinct) members and goodness knows how many lurkers, it is not surprising that Feedback is getting more heated and personal.

I would bet there are organized groups now targeting a site like Lit.

However, I can live with anyone who clicks on the site being able to vote or send an author an offensive anonymous mail. It may be hurtful and unjustified but, if you put yourself out there, you have to roll with the punches.

What I can't get my head around - given I think PCs were a good development - is anonymity. Some comments in the war zone categories are as long as proper posts, but whilst no author can post 'anonymously' a platform is given to tirades of invective with little bearing on the literary merits of the story.

If you wish to make a public comment you should face up to being public yourself.

Just like on the forum, to make a public comment you should be required to be a member and to identify yourself (under your pseudonym). Sure, a series of duplicate names can be created, but creating a new alt every time you want to make an offensive PC would just increase the site's revenue from advertising.

Seems a win-win to me.

What difference would it make if instead of coming from "Anonymous" the trolling comment came from "steve152" ?

 

[mellowgyrl]

What difference would it make if instead of coming from "Anonymous" the trolling comment came from "steve152" ?

You could reply to "steve152" and say, "Hey, I see you didn't like my story. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can improve or do you think saying 'I suck ass' is sufficient?" I agree that most trolls hide behind being Anonymous and if they had to respond w/their login name would think twice about bashing. Plus, when you provide PC under your name you have to own up to that comment. You said it, your name it attached to it. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can say anything behind being Anonymous.

 

[sr71plt]

What difference would it make if instead of coming from "Anonymous" the trolling comment came from "steve152" ?

I think it's because "steve152" is much less likely to be nasty and off the wall in the first place than "anonymous" is.

 

[Lalah]

But "steve152" is still anonymous. Not only do you have no idea who the person is, he doesn't even have to ever reply to or read anything addressed to him, or even visit the forum. Heck, it could be an alt account.

The way I see it, if anonymous comments hurt you, the same comments from a 0 post guy with a generic name will hurt just as much.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

What difference would it make if instead of coming from "Anonymous" the trolling comment came from "steve152" ?

You could reply to "steve152" and say, "Hey, I see you didn't like my story. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can improve or do you think saying 'I suck ass' is sufficient?" I agree that most trolls hide behind being Anonymous and if they had to respond w/their login name would think twice about bashing. Plus, when you provide PC under your name you have to own up to that comment. You said it, your name it attached to it. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can say anything behind being Anonymous.

I think it's because "steve152" is much less likely to be nasty and off the wall in the first place than "anonymous" is.

In turn, Lalah, the difference is that if "steve152" made asilly/rude comment on your story and then followed it up by commenting troll-like on other stories, he leaves a trail. Writers and readers know him, ignore him, and generally get on his case.

mellowgyrl, I quite agree. With public comments there should be a right of reply. Anyone can mail me, I don't delete PCs - Iam at a disadvantage. Again I say, if they stick to one log-in name, we know them - if they keep using new log-ins, the site beefits from a bigger 'membership' and gets more ad dollars.

sr, my point entirely. Let anon send me the worst he can by mail - I've got some pretty vile stuff in the past - but, in public, he must have atag.

 

[mellowgyrl]

But "steve152" is still anonymous. Not only do you have no idea who the person is, he doesn't even have to ever reply to or read anything addressed to him, or even visit the forum. Heck, it could be an alt account.

The way I see it, if anonymous comments hurt you, the same comments from a 0 post guy with a generic name will hurt just as much.

I don't know if its a question of being hurt as much as it is a question of occurance. I don't think (and I could very well be wrong here) that those who do bash would be so inclined to bash if they couldn't do it anonymously. Its far different to call somebody's work a piece of trash w/their login name than it is anonymously. I think it might just deter them a bit from doing it. I know I haven't received much bashing from people w/their login names as I have from anonymous users. But I could be wrong Lalah...I'm not saying you're wrong and I'm right by any means. Just thought that might be a solution to the ever growing problem.

 

[Lalah]

Having to sign up could certainly get rid of the lazy trolls. But if you look at the member list you'll see there are many many members with 0 posts, that most likely never visited the forum. I don't think 20070924 (true member name) really care what we think of him...

 

[sr71plt]

Having to sign up could certainly get rid of the lazy trolls. But if you look at the member list you'll see there are many many members with 0 posts, that most likely never visited the forum. I don't think 20070924 (true member name) really care what we think of him...

Yes, that's certainly true. And there are plenty of "nice, decent" folks here who will just turn to one of their alts to do their "fun" work. But I'm sure a good many of the anonymous slam PCs are just from readers in passing who don't want to take the trouble (or create a link back) by registering at all, so the number of the nasty posts theoretically would decrease.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Having to sign up could certainly get rid of the lazy trolls. But if you look at the member list you'll see there are many many members with 0 posts, that most likely never visited the forum. I don't think 20070924 (true member name) really care what we think of him...

No, the 0 posts mean they haven't submitted a story, not that that they haven't commented of posted a comment on the forum.

Why did 20070924 join? I would guess not because they wanted to write offensive public comments.