The Halloween 2024 Official Contest Support Thread!

[MillieDynamite]

You can and it shouldn't every take your vote away if your IP hasn't voted for it more than one time. Most of the votes that are swept are anon votes.

Maybe they swept a 5 and a new person voted a lower vote?

I just looked at another person's story which I read and enjoyed and voted 5, but my vote was no longer there, it must have been swept. Are we not able to vote for each other?

 

[Katie_Mae]

You can and it shouldn't every take your vote away if your IP hasn't voted for it more than one time. Most of the votes that are swept are anon votes.

No, I'd only voted for it once and voted under this account.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

I don't know how many votes, since I don't keep track of that, but the score went from 4.08 to 4.38 at some point.

 

[yowser]

Five fewer votes, up by a quarter star. You don't suppose...?

Naw.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Well, you can reenter your five star vote.

No, I'd only voted for it once and voted under this account.

 

[Katie_Mae]

Well, you can reenter your five star vote.

Yeah, I've done so. Wonder if it will get swept again as I didn't re-read the story this time. I noticed it wasn't the only of my votes to get swept (I went and checked just now) so it seems the algorithm thinks something is suspicious about me/my voting, lol.

 

[StillStunned]

Remember that votes only show up immediately in your own control panel. You won't see another writer's scores change instantly.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Beats the F'ing heck out of me!

Yeah, I've done so. Wonder if it will get swept again as I didn't re-read the story this time. I noticed it wasn't the only of my votes to get swept (I went and checked just now) so it seems the algorithm thinks something is suspicious about me/my voting, lol.

 

[MillieDynamite]

In fact, other than your control panel, they change relatively slowly.

Remember that votes only show up immediately in your own control panel. You won't see another writer's scores change instantly.

Yeah, I've done so. Wonder if it will get swept again as I didn't re-read the story this time. I noticed it wasn't the only of my votes to get swept (I went and checked just now) so it seems the algorithm thinks something is suspicious about me/my voting, lol.

 

[Katie_Mae]

Remember that votes only show up immediately in your own control panel. You won't see another writer's scores change instantly.

Yes, I'm not looking at the Author's score. On some stories I've voted on (yes, all ones I've read) when I look at the stars where you vote they are all black, like I haven't voted. My votes have stuck on a few other stories though, so who knows.

 

[RetroFan]

I couldn't get mine finished in time unfortunately, thanks to writer's block, work and other factors. But given its a horror-incest story that doesn't directly involve Halloween, I guess I can finish it off and publish it in a few weeks time. I have another story like that from a couple of years ago - Exploring With My Big Brother - which I intended as a Halloween story, but as it wasn't set at Halloween I ended up publishing it in November.

 

[Actingup]

Most of my stories have changed overnight. My Halloween entry lost 5 votes, increased by 0.02, which is nice, but one in LW lost 21 votes and the score increased more significantly. Even a story from the Summer Lovin' comp got swept (lost 1 vote). Nice to see the process in action.

 

[FreyaGersemi]

I just looked at another person's story which I read and enjoyed and voted 5, but my vote was no longer there, it must have been swept. Are we not able to vote for each other?

Interesting...

 

[Inkent]

Posting in the LW category on a regular basis I've seen a trend. Before anyone can reasonably have sufficient time to read whatever I post storywise, I seem to get hit with the one star brigade quickly, my assumption is that someone that really don't like the category hopes a low score will scare people off a story due to ratings. Tends to pick up quite quickly and stabilise after that though. My Halloween entry has been interesting to watch. Every time it's nudged over the 4.5 mark, within minutes it's dipped back down below that to 4.49 and basically stayed that way. With the sweep today, hey presto, back over the 4.5 threshold by a bit of a margin against the number of votes. Some mighty strange people out there!

 

[DukeofPaducah]

I don't know how many votes, since I don't keep track of that, but the score went from 4.08 to 4.38 at some point.

I checked the record of my vote and comment on your contest story. They were both still there, unchanged.
Cinco Solares.
It was one of those most outstanding ones I had read. And far and away smokin’ as far as erotic.
It practically gunned my monkey. I had to call lifeflight. I thought I would have to go grind my organ elsewhere. ¡Haha!

I don't know how many votes, since I don't keep track of that, but the score went from 4.08 to 4.38 at some poin

 

[AlexIce]

My score jumped up from 4.68 to 4.75. While I'm thrilled about that, I'm also kind of mystified by it.

 

[Katie_Mae]

Interesting...

My vote on your story remained. It seems the algorithm thinks just some of my votes are suspicious.

 

[AlexFourways]

I have seen some benefit from the sweep, which also included my non-Halloween story but published in the competition time threshold. Both stories benefitted but nothing earth shattering and both below the magic 4.5!

 

[OtterlyMindblowing]

Sweep didn’t seem to touch All Tricks. Disappointing, that, it’s looking to end at 4.82 after more than a week at 4.86

 

[Katie_Mae]

Sweep didn’t seem to touch All Tricks. Disappointing, that, it’s looking to end at 4.82 after more than a week at 4.86

I've seen two small sweeps on my story since the one I posted earlier, there could be more sweeps to come on your story.

 

[Actingup]

I've seen two small sweeps on my story since the one I posted earlier, there could be more sweeps to come on your story.

Yes, my scores have changed again since a couple of hours ago. It looks like a slow process. Must be torture for the admins (and not in a sexy way...)

 

[Rustyoznail]

There's usually a light dusting or two a few days before the comp ends, then a major tidy right before the winners are announced.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I had five votes removed and my average jumped a tenth to 4.54 and then back down to 4.52 within three votes. Probably won't stay above a 4.5 for long. Not a huge concern. I knew going in it was liable to get bashed around a bit by some readers.

 

[Katie_Mae]

I had five votes removed and my average jumped a tenth to 4.54 and then back down to 4.52 within three votes. Probably won't stay above a 4.5 for long. Not a huge concern. I knew going in it was liable to get bashed around a bit by some readers.

Yeah, for some reason that red H is a huge 1 magnet.

I saw some pretty heavy 1 bombing (or at least low scores) over most of my non-Halloween stories during the contest, loosing that red H from 5 stories. However, one stand-alone story I had which had a lower score prior to the contest 4.1) didn't attract the same level of 1 bombing and that story increased in score.

The biggest bombing I noticed on my Halloween story was when it was hovering around that 4.5 mark. The sweeps have taken it up from 4.21 to 4.39. I doubt they'll take it back over that 4.5. Which is fine, I entered for more exposure (which I got) because I just so-happened to be writing a Halloween story* when I saw there was a Halloween contest on. I was not seeking high scores or anything. I don't mind the scores, if I did I'd probably edit my shit before wacking it up here or something, I just find the scores interesting to follow from a people-watching perspective.

*or not a Halloween story, according to some of my commentors, lol.

 

[Voboy]

I seem to have remained unswept so far.

I've noticed in previous contests that the sweeps never hit every story simultaneously. Well. Until the last one!