Ouch, a 1... [gay male sex category] what am I doing wrong?

[holliday1960]

.....

 

[ElectricBlue]

That doesn't have much to do with the functions that are broken (e.g., they have contact buttons for e-mail, but they don't open their e-mail, and they leave it up to forum members to get that across to people punching the contact buttons without response) and deadwood on the Web site (and claims of functions that aren't there--e.g., try asking Fern a question or check the "news" on the home page). They breezed right by all of the nonfunctioning stuff around here to apply some makeup to the Web site. The look of the Web site seems to be to give advertisers the impression there are bells and whistles here that aren't here.

That's the short answer, because they aren't going to do anything about it, and there's no payoff to having this discussion again.

Fair call. The site does seem to work to the philosophy, "if the core ain't broke, don't fix it, but don't fuck about with the edges (coz we know they're unfixable, and besides, who cares?"

It's a bit like man in orbit - the most dependable freight vehicle is the old Soyuz, lobbed up every month or so with a tonne of food and a box of rabbits, keeps on doing its job. Meanwhile, "better" technology comes and goes. Looks like the only thing that's going to stop Lit's agricultural haulage is when the servers fall over from the weight of 300,000 stories with really heavy ones and zeros.

Meanwhile, people keep coming back to read stories at a pretty phenomenal rate, so that bit, at least, still works. Who needs the pretty lights anyway? I guess I'll get them when I send my dollar. Words is words.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Additionally, I had numerous people favorite the story, yet no vote coincided with that. Not impossible of course, but it happened several times and then several hours later, votes would appear. Favorites seem to appear instantly. (I dunno; like I said, just an observation.)

Agree, some things (like Views) show up straight away, but there's a lag on other stats. Presumably there's some big master cycle, but it ain't driven by an atomic clock. Or it depends on how fast Manu pedals the generator, I don't know. One thing is for sure, the "follow" function is a little bit sporadic. I still haven't been "notified" that a fellow writer's story has gone up when I know it has. It still pays to have two tins and a long piece of string, I reckon.

 

[holliday1960]

.....

 

[sr71plt]

(coz we know they're unfixable, and besides, who cares?"

That's just the point--and is why I think failure to change them is probably a dishonest signal to advertisers of fake functions even though it often winds up to be a burden to the regular forum rats--most of the functions I and others have pointed to are readily fixable. Some just mean rewriting--as in the forum rules, which no long reflect actual forum policy in several ways. Some mean just rewording contact instructions (no, an e-mail isn't going to be answered. You have to send a PM directly to either Laurel or Manu) or a simple rewording of the link to the favoritist list (no, it can't be a "sneak peek" coming soon feature for eleven years plus). Some mean just deleting references to nonfunctioning programs--no you're not going to get new news on the Home page news list or an answer from Fern or girlfriend for anything you ask. And you can save a lot of wheelspinning and author grief by just axing the volunteer editor program and letting the workaround that forum users themselves have set up do its thing. And you can just drop the haphazard annual superlatives and monthly best nonsense that sometimes happens and sometimes doesn't and always doesn't reflect anything real.

These cleanups do not require coding changes.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

...These cleanups do not require coding changes.

Well, no. They all do. Even just removing dead features means a page's layout can change or will need to change. But it's not difficult and I agree features that just don't work should simply be removed. The site would look better with less clutter and it would certainly be a more honest approach.

My guess is the problem is simply fear. I doubt anyone is getting rich on this place and there could be the belief that any change, even small ones, could harm the revenue stream and put the whole place under. For us this is just a site with annoying layout, all easily fixable. But it's the daily bread for two people. Why should they risk it?

 

[sr71plt]

Well, no. They all do. Even just removing dead features means a page's layout can change or will need to change. But it's not difficult and I agree features that just don't work should simply be removed. The site would look better with less clutter and it would certainly be a more honest approach.

All you have to do is delete the words on the page--if there's no reference to it, it disappears as a feature. Surely you don't have to change code to edit the text on the pages.

But there's got to be a reason why even that much of an effort can't be taken to clean the site up. The obvious inference is that being misleading and dishonest about what is here is seen to have a benefit of some nature.

 

[KatieTay]

I did want to say to OP that he is most likely not doing anything "wrong", but as usual everyone else has beaten me to it, so, good.

I just want to share a little bit of what has kept me going, the kind of feedback that matters to me, much more than the ratings/H/whathaveyou.

Back when more feedback seemed to be given (readers, where've you all gone to), I would be so stoked to receive great feedback that told me my stories were doing what I wanted them to do: provide orgasms

One of my favorite pieces of feedback was that the reader had never really thought much about the kinks I explored, but my stories caused them to acquire new kinks. Conversion scored!

And my absolute favorite was that some guy said he needed 4 orgasms to "get through" one of my chapters. That made my day, and quite a few other days after that!

Now I just hope to get as many eyeballs on my stories as I used to, particularly because I believe my craft has improved. If I'm concerned about the ratings at all, it's because people are half-consciously influenced by them, really, and they might give low-rated stories a miss because, well, time is limited, after all. I don't blame them, but I want my stories to at least seem credible enough for people to click on them and check them out. Thereafter, it's all up to individual taste.

 

[JasonClearwater]

Thanks KatieTay

Feedback from some of the amazing authors here whose work I respect and enjoy myself, has been worth more than votes from anonymous voters. Especially since I can now see the pattern of the 1 bombs hitting me every time I post. Now I know it's trolls, I just shrug and think, yeah mate, well done. Winner.

I don't know if I'm giving anyone orgasms, but as long as someone's reading and enjoying what I'm writing, I'm content... for now.

Finding an audience for any writing is the most painful part of the process, and Lit is giving me more feedback than anything I have published anywhere else. So, in that, I'm rather grateful.

You know, when I was just a reader, I didn't even notice the star ratings. I just checked out everything that sounded interesting and if I didn't like it, I abandoned it. I wonder if readers are as influenced as other authors are, given we're so much more aware of it?

I just want to be better. To be a better writer. To make people feel something.

 

[ChloeTzang]

So, I've noticed that after managing to keep respectable ratings, I'm starting to drop as I go on, with the first rating on my latest entry a 1. I respect people's opinions... I just wish I understood why that's started happening.

Too much story? Was the sex unsexy? Didn't meet expectations? It's quite painful watching your *cough* art get voted down so harshly. I know, I know, don't be so thin-skinned, if you put it out there, expect critique... JC

Lol. I remembered your thread as I watch my latest masterpiece getting repeatedly one star bombed back down. So just to reassure you, it's not just you Jason. It happens to all of us. So the story is definitely not a feel good one but it's well written, just very pointed and sad in a bad sad way. I have 3k views, which is waaay less than I usually get in the IR category and that I kind of expected given the story. 60 ratings are on 3k views and it was down at 4.2 for a while. It's repeatedly crept up almost to 4.5 and then been one starred down again. It's pretty obvious the one stars are pure disliking the story plot and hey, I expected that on this one so I'm not bitching about it. Just saying, Jason - you are not alone.

 

[Comentarista82]

So, I've noticed that after managing to keep respectable ratings, I'm starting to drop as I go on, with the first rating on my latest entry a 1. I respect people's opinions... I just wish I understood why that's started happening....

JC

Sometimes there's no reason for it--people just rate a 1; I sometimes see a comment where someone goes off on how the person hated a character in the story because of a, b, and c--and the other posters love him/her and correctly identify what you wanted to do with that creation. You'll just have some posters that will say something few understand. If overall comments are positive, that would be the thing to look for--but if there's a pattern where posters notice a weakness, then you have something tangible too.

 

[Comentarista82]

Lol. I remembered your thread as I watch my latest masterpiece getting repeatedly one star bombed back down. So just to reassure you, it's not just you Jason. It happens to all of us. So the story is definitely not a feel good one but it's well written, just very pointed and sad in a bad sad way. I have 3k views, which is waaay less than I usually get in the IR category and that I kind of expected given the story. 60 ratings are on 3k views and it was down at 4.2 for a while. It's repeatedly crept up almost to 4.5 and then been one starred down again. It's pretty obvious the one stars are pure disliking the story plot and hey, I expected that on this one so I'm not bitching about it. Just saying, Jason - you are not alone.

The IR category seems to be one of the weaker ones because I've noticed weeks on end where whatever gets posted doesn't rate well and there are few good submissions. Usually when someone submits something quality there, it's well-received--but I noticed yours inexplicably sat at 4.22 for a while, got up to 4.49, then dropped again. Other than people rating and being buttheads (plus not saying why they rated it as they did)...it's ridiculous. I've seen some rate a story a one because the author didn't "update" within a month--and they post that comment. I mean...come on!

 

[ChloeTzang]

The IR category seems to be one of the weaker ones because I've noticed weeks on end where whatever gets posted doesn't rate well and there are few good submissions. Usually when someone submits something quality there, it's well-received--but I noticed yours inexplicably sat at 4.22 for a while, got up to 4.49, then dropped again. Other than people rating and being buttheads (plus not saying why they rated it as they did)...it's ridiculous. I've seen some rate a story a one because the author didn't "update" within a month--and they post that comment. I mean...come on!

Oh, in my case I'm pretty sure it's just they didn't like the story and they give it a one star. Given the story, I can see that. It's not exactly light hearted and happy. A bit too real for IR. so the one stars I kind of expected. Reader expectations and all that - you don't generally come here to read something sad and depressing, lit is escapism and I kind of didn't meet some readers expectations for that. On the other hand, to those that like a good story .... five stars. So it's bouncing around right now and creeping up again slowly....

The good thing is, it probably made a few readers think about the issue in question and that's what I intended. Not that it makes much difference... but it was fun to write and it was a story idea I wanted to try.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

Some categories are just rife with busybodies with nothing better to do than 1-vote every fetish they don't agree with (Gay Male, Incest/Taboo, and Loving Wives seem to be the kingpins, but you'll find trolls under every bridge). It sucks, but you'll see the scores rebound and balance out in a couple of weeks.

This.

Since I write across many categories, I've had a troll or two who have taken the time to search out more of my stories to bomb, quite often with a remarkably horrid comment, too. I would delete the comment and, in time, either the rogue troll votes were swept away or enough other readers were kind enough to offset the trolls.

I would highly recommend any author looking for more readers to dutifully enter every contest. Don't sweat winning, losing, or placing - do it for the increased readership! Those who like your style will eventually find you and your Lit library. Happy writing!