If you turn off scores...

[AwkwardlySet]

The reason you haven't seen more effects from sweeps is because once again, Lit has abandoned the monthly contests. When those are happening there is a sweep that goes across the entire site to find the top stories in each category, then the winners and you'll see changes in your story file

But...they're not doing them again, never a reason why they decide to stop, perhaps can't afford it? Or, more likely, really don't care.

More than a few people mentioned monthly contests as the reason for the sweeps we used to think of as "regular." These occurrences that some people describe - of stories losing votes and scores going up, are something I noticed myself on the first iterations of my stories - those I took down at one point, but only up until some moment in 2022 or 2023, if I recall correctly. Then it stopped suddenly. And yeah, people keep saying that monthly contests stopped happening a few years ago. These things are likely connected so I am inclined to agree with you.

 

[Diamondknight87]

Those sweeps still happen to some extent. The score on the story I spoke of earlier went down one rating and my score went from 4.74 to 4.76. That was yesterday.

 

[Diamondknight87]

Another 2 star rating, just like clockwork. It's starting to feel like someone set up a bot or something to give me alternating 2 & 3 star ratings every day between 10pm and 4am EST.

 

[MillieDynamite]

It seems a bit vindictive of anyone to do such a thing. More than that, obsessive is the right word. They are making sure it doesn't get swept away. Who did you piss off that badly to make them want to hurt your work like that?

Another 2 star rating, just like clockwork. It's starting to feel like someone set up a bot or something to give me alternating 2 & 3 star ratings every day between 10pm and 4am EST.

 

[lovecraft68]

It seems a bit vindictive of anyone to do such a thing. More than that, obsessive is the right word. They are making sure it doesn't get swept away. Who did you piss off that badly to make them want to hurt your work like that?

They write in NH, its one of those tribal categories where fans of favs there attack other authors.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I don't remember if I've ever put any of my Horror stories in that category. Probably all of mine have been in EH and not the other. I do tag it as non-human at times.

 

[RejectReality]

SF&F and NH have always been dog-eat-dog. The lower vote totals contributed to that.

Holy fuck the collapsing of chaptered stories into a single entry on the toplist cannot happen soon enough. LOL I haven't extensively scrolled through those lists for a while. Damn... There is zero room for anybody else. NH has 4 pages of 4.87 scores. That's insane.

 

[Imakewetspots]

I’m certain there are some who deliberately piss on certain works or certain authors without taking the time to read it.

Lately, I’ve tried to painstakingly watch for the very moment one of my stories gets published. I have seen, more than once, a story of mine getting a couple (or more) ‘one star’ votes right out of the gate. I’m talking about within the first ten minutes of being published. I typically write 30k word stories and they take a long time to read. There’s no way someone can finish a 30k word story and vote on it inside of ten minutes.

And even if it were possible, it seems highly suspect that the first five people who read it would utterly hate it so much to vote it a one when the hundred votes that comes in the following days are all fives. I have grown used to watching my newly published stories start out at 1 and slowly claw their way to a 4.5 or better over time.

I can’t help but wonder what my actual ratings would be if this strange phenomenon didn’t consistently happen.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Even a speed reader would take three-quarters of an hour or more to read thirty thousand words in printed form. I don't think you can read any faster on a monitor (perhaps slower). So, no, they didn't read it. I always believed there was a governor of some kind that checked how long you took to read before it counted the vote. My guess is... I'm wrong.

I’m certain there are some who deliberately piss on certain works or certain authors without taking the time to read it.

Lately, I’ve tried to painstakingly watch for the very moment one of my stories gets published. I have seen, more than once, a story of mine getting a couple (or more) ‘one star’ votes right out of the gate. I’m talking about within the first ten minutes of being published. I typically write 30k word stories and they take a long time to read. There’s no way someone can finish a 30k word story and vote on it inside of ten minutes.

And even if it were possible, it seems highly suspect that the first five people who read it would utterly hate it so much to vote it a one when the hundred votes that comes in the following days are all fives. I have grown used to watching my newly published stories start out at 1 and slowly claw their way to a 4.5 or better over time.

I can’t help but wonder what my actual ratings would be if this strange phenomenon didn’t consistently happen.

 

[Imakewetspots]

Even a speed reader would take three-quarters of an hour or more to read thirty thousand words in printed form. I don't think you can read any faster on a monitor (perhaps slower). So, no, they didn't read it. I always believed there was a governor of some kind that checked how long you took to read before it counted the vote. My guess is... I'm wrong.

What they really need is some sort of rule built into their software (or governor or whatever) whereby members who consistently give one votes get further scrutiny. And if it appears they are doing that, ban them, taking note of their IP address to make it more difficult to sign up for another acct.

As a writer, it’s demoralizing to see that your work can never be accurately assessed when these kind of behaviors go unchecked. I make nothing from writing. I just enjoy seeing comments, suggestions and it’s nice to get a story in the ‘hot’ zone. If there were more of these people, they could drag any story into the mud, ratings wise since most readers don’t vote anyway.

 

[MillieDynamite]

But they don't downvote as a member. They use a second browser and a VPN to change the location, then change it every time they come to the site, 1 after, 1 after, 1 after, and so on. But more deviously, they just give you a 2, 3, or 4, and drops you and doesn't look out of the ordinary so doesn't get swept away. Everything that isn't a 5 brings your score down.

What they really need is some sort of rule built into their software (or governor or whatever) whereby members who consistently give one votes get further scrutiny. And if it appears they are doing that, ban them, taking note of their IP address to make it more difficult to sign up for another acct.

As a writer, it’s demoralizing to see that your work can never be accurately assessed when these kind of behaviors go unchecked. I make nothing from writing. I just enjoy seeing comments, suggestions and it’s nice to get a story in the ‘hot’ zone. If there were more of these people, they could drag any story into the mud, ratings wise since most readers don’t vote anyway.

 

[lovecraft68]

I found the new AH anthem. Just replace the word spam with score

 

[lovecraft68]

SF&F and NH have always been dog-eat-dog. The lower vote totals contributed to that.

Holy fuck the collapsing of chaptered stories into a single entry on the toplist cannot happen soon enough. LOL I haven't extensively scrolled through those lists for a while. Damn... There is zero room for anybody else. NH has 4 pages of 4.87 scores. That's insane.

I will be popping the cork with you, if it ever happens. Its past disgusting. I'm tired of seeing chapter 105 with 40 votes ahead of a standalone with thousands of votes.

 

[Imakewetspots]

But they don't downvote as a member. They use a second browser and a VPN to change the location, then change it every time they come to the site, 1 after, 1 after, 1 after, and so on. But more deviously, they just give you a 2, 3, or 4, and drops you and doesn't look out of the ordinary so doesn't get swept away. Everything that isn't a 5 brings your score down.

Ok, well that sucks!

 

[MillieDynamite]

Yes, it does!

Ok, well that sucks!

 

[AwkwardlySet]

SF&F and NH have always been dog-eat-dog. The lower vote totals contributed to that.

Holy fuck the collapsing of chaptered stories into a single entry on the toplist cannot happen soon enough. LOL I haven't extensively scrolled through those lists for a while. Damn... There is zero room for anybody else. NH has 4 pages of 4.87 scores. That's insane.

I write chaptered stories but I couldn't agree more. I also think that Lit's word count rules have contributed greatly to this overcrowding. Just today I saw chapter 40 of a story series where each chapter is somewhere between 1k and 1.5k words. Why the hell would you need to split a story into so many tiny chapters? I think some people are obsessed with padding their story file or something.

 

[RejectReality]

I will be popping the cork with you, if it ever happens. Its past disgusting. I'm tired of seeing chapter 105 with 40 votes ahead of a standalone with thousands of votes.

Well, that's not really the case here. These are genuinely some of the most popular stories in the category. They have thousands of votes, which is no minor thing in those categories.

They're still taking up all the real estate, preventing anyone new from getting any exposure, and an exception rather than the rule.

It's coming. Not fast enough for anyone's taste, but it is coming, and it will be a boon for both authors and readers when it does.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

It's coming. Not fast enough for anyone's taste, but it is coming, and it will be a boon for both authors and readers when it does.

You sound like a politician when you say it.

 

[lovecraft68]

It's coming

I have the feeling its going to get here around the time George double whopper Martin finishes his next book.

But if it does....will it include removing them from qualifying for the monthlies (providing they come back) and excluding them from annual awards because they're not a finished story?

 

[ElectricBlue]

I can’t help but wonder what my actual ratings would be if this strange phenomenon didn’t consistently happen.

Keep in mind that one-bombing happens to just about every new story, and gets dealt with the same way (through the sweep mechanism), so in a way, the score in the end is reflective of where that story sits. The problem you have is worrying about it in the first week, which is when all the shenanigans go on.

What I suggest, is not worry so much first off, but accept that your score after thirty days is what it is, after it's settled down (and most likely, been swept at least once). The score games happen across the board and all stories are scrubbed the same way, so in the end, that's the score. You just have to get there!

 

[RejectReality]

You sound like a politician when you say it.

I don't know what to tell you if you can't see the building blocks being put into place. The new series coding was a major step. The new story cards available in several places are part of it. The new works page puts several elements into place. It's all being implemented and run through its paces.

 

[lovecraft68]

I don't know what to tell you if you can't see the building blocks being put into place. The new series coding was a major step. The new story cards available in several places are part of it. The new works page puts several elements into place. It's all being implemented and run through its paces.

None of that means it's what they want to do.

That's always been the issue here: Can't and won't are very different things.

 

[Diamondknight87]

They write in NH, its one of those tribal categories where fans of favs there attack other authors.

You're not wrong about it being tribal. The same author has probably 2/3 of the Hall of Fame slots from the same series!

How on earth part 102 has thousands of votes, much less at a 4.9 rating is just beyond ridiculous!

 

[alohadave]

Keep in mind that one-bombing happens to just about every new story,

If it helps, it doesn't just happen here. Authors on SOL complain about exact same thing.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Down and upvoting happens here and everywhere. It is just how things are. I suspect at SOL, it is people with many accounts since you must be a member to vote. I think you have to be a member (not a paying one) even to read.

If it helps, it doesn't just happen here. Authors on SOL complain about exact same thing.