The Official Authors' Hangout Winter Holidays 2025 Support Thread

[SamanthaBehgs]

Same. I had 28 parts of a story posted and I could set my watch to when the 1-bomb would come in after each part was released. So at least I know someone cared enough to be very consistent about their hatred. Thanks, buddy!

Is it weird that I kinda wish it was individually targeted instead of seeming to be a set of stories with the same tag just because....yea, it would kinda be nice to have hit someone's radar so hard that they'd take the time out to clockwork bomb, lol

 

[YmaOHyd]

Is it weird that I kinda wish it was individually targeted instead of seeming to be a set of stories with the same tag just because....yea, it would kinda be nice to have hit someone's radar so hard that they'd take the time out to clockwork bomb, lol

Argue with enough people and it'll happen!

 

[WittyUserName]

Well, I did it. Less than eight hours left, but I managed to submit an entry in time. I don't expect to do well, but it was fun to write.

 

[Off_base]

No way!!

What is alts?

 

[Voboy]

What is alts?

Separate accounts under a different username.

There are many legitimate reasons to have one, and "because I want to cast multiple votes" is not one of them.

 

[Off_base]

Separate accounts under a different username.

There are many legitimate reasons to have one, and "because I want to cast multiple votes" is not one of them.

That's kinda creepy.
Now I'm looking around wondering if everyone is also someone else?

 

[TheLobster]

That's kinda creepy.
Now I'm looking around wondering if everyone is also someone else?

We're all just in your head anyway

 

[cw5523729]

That's kinda creepy.
Now I'm looking around wondering if everyone is also someone else?

One of me is already too much, so no worries there

 

[Off_base]

We're all just in your head anyway

I mean, who wants to get yelled at under multiple names?

Or are people arguing with themselves?

Yikes!

 

[TheLobster]

Or are people arguing with themselves?

Nah.

 

[TheLobster]

Nah.

What do you mean? Of course they do!

 

[Voboy]

That's kinda creepy.
Now I'm looking around wondering if everyone is also someone else?

Yeah, like I said, there are illegitimate uses sometimes.

Lots of writers use them as a way to post "experimental" or unusual work without it reflecting on what they see as the norm for their fanbase. Like, say I wanted to start delving into BDSM pieces without the usual BDSM audience being aware of who I am, or having the baggage of my more "vanilla" offerings to make them unsure I'm taking their kink seriously? I might set up a separate account for those stories.

 

[Off_base]

Yeah, like I said, there are illegitimate uses sometimes.

Lots of writers use them as a way to post "experimental" or unusual work without it reflecting on what they see as the norm for their fanbase. Like, say I wanted to start delving into BDSM pieces without the usual BDSM audience being aware of who I am, or having the baggage of my more "vanilla" offerings to make them unsure I'm taking their kink seriously? I might set up a separate account for those stories.

Understood.
It's a bit of a plot twist for me.
I think I'm pretty naive about lit and AH.

 

[YmaOHyd]

Understood.
It's a bit of a plot twist for me.
I think I'm pretty naive about lit and AH.

An alt is a different thing from a sockpuppet. Someone sockpuppeting has created an alt to hide their identity for basically negative reasons. They're gonna rate stories multiple times (downrating people they don't like, maybe) or jump into threads to support themselves from a fake ID. People have done it before, it's a common problem online, but it's pretty rare in the AH.

Alts generally aren't that different from a writer writing under a pen name. @EmilyMiller has an essay about why she created an alt account that's worth reading. Other people write in categories that don't overlap -- @Voboy's example of BDSM is a good one. I personally mostly write romance; if I were to start doing heavy fetish content, I don't think the people who follow me because they like my style would enjoy it. I don't want the romance people getting mad because there's giantess-versus-tentacle-monster stuff being shoved into their feed or vice versa. So I might create an alt to keep those audiences separate.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Alts generally aren't that different from a writer writing under a pen name. @EmilyMiller has an essay about why she created an alt account that's worth reading. Other people write in categories that don't overlap -- @Voboy's example of BDSM is a good one. I personally mostly write romance; if I were to start doing heavy fetish content, I don't think the people who follow me because they like my style would enjoy it. I don't want the romance people getting mad because there's giantess-versus-tentacle-monster stuff being shoved into their feed or vice versa. So I might create an alt to keep those audiences separate.

People get confused by the nomenclature. You laid it out pretty clearly. The late KeithD had writing alts for gay male and non-gay male stories. It’s a common thing to do. We’ve even had alt X posting here that their alt Y won a comp. There is no malign intent. I’d mention altissimus (get it?) at this point, who I first interacted with under another name.

Sockpuppets are different as you say, they are either fluffing your own work, or attacking other people’s. Then you can create a lot of mayhem - if you know what you are doing and have a bad enough psychological problem - without any account and just a basic understanding of how this place works (which doesn’t take long to formulate).

It’s the internet, let he who among us is using their full real life name cast the first stone.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

Or are people arguing with themselves?

Would this mean I could get more than one hit out of Wanda?

 

[EmilyMillerSub]

People get confused by the nomenclature. You laid it out pretty clearly. The late KeithD had writing alts for gay male and non-gay male stories. It’s a common thing to do. We’ve even had alt X posting here that their alt Y won a comp. There is no malign intent. I’d mention altissimus (get it?) at this point, who I first interacted with under another name.

Sockpuppets are different as you say, they are either fluffing your own work, or attacking other people’s. Then you can create a lot of mayhem - if you know what you are doing and have a bad enough psychological problem - without any account and just a basic understanding of how this place works (which doesn’t take long to formulate).

It’s the internet, let he who among us is using their full real life name cast the first stone.

Ignore this fake bitch . She has no fucking clue what she is talking about.

Love and kisses

The Real Emily Miller

 

[EmilyMiller]

Ignore this fake bitch . She has no fucking clue what she is talking about.

Love and kisses

The Real Emily Miller

Listen, moron, everyone knows the good Emily is in the Lodge and can’t come out, m’kay?

Get back in your cage, won’t you!

Submissives, hmph!

 

[ElectricBlue]

Submisisves, hmph!

That's the best cross-over tag for BDSM and sibcest I've ever seen. Don't you dare get a spellcheck!

 

[EmilyMiller]

That's the best cross-over tag for BDSM and sibcest I've ever seen. Don't you dare get a spellcheck!

Scarily think that was autocorrect

 

[EmilyMiller]

Listen, moron, everyone knows the good Emily is in the Lodge and can’t come out, m’kay?

Get back in your cage, won’t you!

Submissives, hmph!

I found this post from 2023 which still makes me :

—

So my old account has a Roy Batty quote on it. I log in and what do I get? A PM saying…

“What questionable things have you done?”

Really

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Likewise, they come in like clockwork. I...didn't think I was any sort of anything enough to be on someone's radar in this way.


This is a fascinating solution to the problem. Is there a delay between when you create an account and when you can start rating or would this just result in people creating fake email addresses and accounts to give malicious votes? I don't actually know how this mechanic works, but I'm interesting in thinking of ways that it could just no longer even be a potential issue like you suggest.

You would still be able to get around it by creating a ton of accounts.
That would raise the cost of entry though. Also, it would make it easier for the site to see patterns.

If some account is dropping 1s on everything in site, that would be suspicious...

 

[Kelliezgirl]

That's kinda creepy.
Now I'm looking around wondering if everyone is also someone else?

The only legitimate reason I know to have one is if you are posting with someone else writing collaborations.

Some people here seem to use them to create a false sense of consensus on an issue.

 

[TexasLark]

Can yu send me link and name of story and I will flag to Laurel - it had the winter holidays text in the Notes to Admin? right?

Were you able to contact Laurel? It's still in pending...

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

You would still be able to get around it by creating a ton of accounts.
That would raise the cost of entry though. Also, it would make it easier for the site to see patterns.

If some account is dropping 1s on everything in site, that would be suspicious...

Good point. It would absolutely add another laying of "programming" (assuming you are making a bot) to create the account(s) but then it would definitely look suspicious if that's all this account did. No idea if it's actually looked for, but the moment it becomes apparent, I'm sure it would be.