Voters ambush!!!!!!

[Laurel]

Lit gets 70,000 to 75,000 unique hits a day, or so it did in August.

Actually, not to toot our horn, but according to our stats we're averaging between 300,000-350,000 uniques a day to our front page - 4-6 million pages viewed every 24 hours. Alexa ranks us as the #473 biggest site on the Internet, which isn't too shabby.

And I thought chad was some yuppie asshole with a girlfriend named buffy eh.

hehehe

 

[Killswitch]

Laurel,
Right On! Congratulations...That is pretty kickass!

And QQN.....I went and read the "What you did last summer" stuff.

I dug the hell out of the stories. I saw a few typos, and would have written them down to bring to your attention but my right hand was kinda busy!

The only thing I might change is all the Brad stuff.....Fuck Brad....heh.....unless your building him up cuz he is going to poke Mrs Graph too.

Anyways.....couple of great stories on ONE great web site!

Killswitch

 

[Diane Marie]

Wow, Laurel, you have all the right in the world to toot your own horn.

I have to say ratings are not the primary reason I post stories here, although I’ll admit I’d rather have my stories all be rated a five. Not really that would mean my stories have not served their intended propose. At times a one with comments can be very satisfactory, at least I know I’ve made that person think.

Perhaps Killswitch what you just said about QQN’s story just proves how a story can jump up or down in rating so quickly. You evidently liked it, at least the plot and sex scenes. Aside from your comment on spelling, along with your questioning of the Brad stuff, you really didn’t comment on it’s literary merit.

I didn’t find the story poorly written, but then again it isn’t Hemingway. If I was rating his story on literary merit, I don’t see myself giving him more then a three. In a way that is generous, if we look at published literary works, set three as average, I think few of the stories here would rate a three, including my own. To be fair his story is at least average for what is written here. I’ll temper that by saying I’ve found some excellent literature here.

If we based the rating on his story, I’d rate it a one, I just didn’t like it, of course I never like stories with very weak female characters. Perhaps she isn’t weak, but we don’t really know that, absolutely no character development. Speaking of Hemingway, he wrote, "a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature." I’d rate the teacher in his story as a cardboard caricature, one with a hole or two cut into it.

The I of his story was at least partly developed, if I rated the story based on my opinion of that character again I’d rate the story a one.

I most likely wouldn’t bother to vote at all, it really wouldn’t be fair since I would not normally read that story venue, if I did I’d tend to a rating of three. I do think a large number of readers would be less generous or more generous, if they hated the content of his story he’d get a one, if they really liked it he’d get a five, that vote would be the same regardless of how well or poorly it was written.

That QQN isn’t a conspiracy, it the way life actually works, some like what you write, some don’t. I didn’t, don’t worry hun I didn’t vote.

 

[Killswitch]

Diane,
First let me say that I learned a few things from you about characters. What you said is interesting to me.
However........Let me point out that different people come here to read for different reasons. Out of the 3 to 400,000 hits this site gets a day...I would hazard to guess that a very small percentage are coming here to get "Hemingway Quality" stories and written word, or to have their spirits nourished.

Thats not to say we all cant shoot for the stars here. There are also those out there who dont even like Hemingway, and cant see the reedeeming value of his work because they dont like the subject matter, or take issue with a character or two.

So my point is, that some people like chocolate and some like vanilla. Some like Hemingway, and some like QQN.
Some people like both, and some dont like either one.

I suppose...no, I admit that excellant literary, and technical quality combined with a great plot, good character developement, and scenes would be "ideal", but it's a rare find. Furthermore it is subjective to the readers interpratation of a given story, and skill level in being able to differentiate those attributes.

Liking or not liking certain characters, and or actors also has a great deal to do with "rating" a story, or visual.

Example: (Dont hate me... I like a good movie every now and then) I can not stand Bruce Willis and or Julia Robert's. I am sure they have both made good movies, but I would be critical of the flick, just because I dislike the actor's. I also see the irony here because Willis and or Roberts are not a lot more than window dressing with basic acting skills ( very questionable) and its probably illegal in some countries to even mention them in a post or article where Hemingway is mentioned.

QQN's stories may not be perfect, but they were titallating.(sp?)

I also admit to being very new to the writing and reading scene, so my expertise is limited at best, and perhaps non existent. I do know that sometimes, literary merit, can be overshadowed, and overlooked; because the story and the scenery is good.

 

[Rodrigo Santeria]

voter ambush

There's an old song that goes something like this, "any love is good love, so I took what I could get, then she looked at me with big brown eyes and said you aint seen nuthin' yet."

In 1998 or 1999 I posted a story that I thought was pretty hot and it did really well, then it got bombed by 1s and 2s on a scale of 1 through 10. Shortly after it was posted by the webmaster that multiple voting was a sin and he would catch the perps and severely reprimand the bad guys/gals.

My curiosity was peaked. I spent the whole morning logging in and out of my different servers and voting my score and the worst stories score up and down. Essentially, I figured out how to manipulate the system. As of earlier today, I was feeling pretty damn smug about being at the top of the exhibitionist list, then someone voted me down so I was in a 4.6 vs the former 4.86. Needless to say, it was a little brusing, but this post reminded me that votes are reflective of your readers and some people know I have no talent, gift or luck whereas others tell me how many times it makes them cum. I used to subscribe to Rolling Stone and it was always funny how some group or artist was included in both the best and worst categories in the same year.

In summary, I'll take what I can get, and when the votes slow down, I'll pull the stories and look elsewhere, I might even finish another story, who knows maybe I'll finish the one on catfishing I want to submit ot Outdoor Life or Field and Stream.

Voting is a rush when you're number one.

 

[Diane Marie]

However........Let me point out that different people come here to read for different reasons. Out of the 3 to 400,000 hits this site gets a day...I would hazard to guess that a very small percentage are coming here to get "Hemingway Quality" stories and written word, or to have their spirits nourished.

Perhaps my post was not clearly written, isn’t that what I said? Most don’t come here to read good literature, most come to get aroused, some even to masturbate!

That said, erotic literature is becoming more main stream everyday, there is a demand for quality erotica.

 

[Killswitch]

Some even to masterbate????

I would say if the site gets say 300,000 hits a day. 275,000 of those hits are people looking to relieve themselves.

Which I think is great.

I have to admit though. Im really new at this and still am writing basic (pardon the term) "fuckfests", but I am working on character issues, plot, and erotica.

I dont know if I will ever be able to write the....She walked into the candlelit room, the flames reflecting off her breasts; casting shadows on the walls as if they were heaven sent.....stuff.

We shall see.

Killswitch

 

[Un-registered]

Re: Some even to masterbate????

....She walked into the candlelit room, the flames reflecting off her breasts; casting shadows on the walls as if they were heaven sent.....

Silver plated breasts ... classy!

 

[Killswitch]

You get the point I hope.

It was, and is that there is Erotica, and then there is Pornography.

They are not the same. That being said, I understand that a nice blend of the two works well.

Heh

K.S.

 

[its Leslie]

I have to disagree Killswitch.

I think the term pornography denotes only that the person has attached stigma to it.

I can say that there will be people that will call the best most beautiful erotica porn, simply because to them, its porn.

It extends to imagery just as easily.

A Playboy Centerfold to me is erotica.
Is Hustler porn? or just erotica that has no interest in subtle.

I can assure you that there will be plenty that say both are porn.

Is a film that has a love scene in it where the actor and actress have visible sexual relations erotica?
The films that feature the more in your face (or actually in her face I guess heeh) cum splattering scenes are plenty bold.

Both will just be porn to most out there. Show a man sliding his cock into a woman, and let it be visible and it becomes porn in most peoples thinking.

I think erotica is both material that has grace style and excellence in the execution, as well as the more basic no fooling around with technique material.

But some call it porn.

 

[Killswitch]

It's symantics and ones own personal interpretation of what is A ,and what is B.

I guess we can agree to disagree and this may make for a good thread of its own.

Pornography to me is not a negative word. It has a negative sterotype because of the climate we live in....again....symantics and perception.

It does denote to me a certain level of a Graphic visual, or created Graphic visual thru written word.

I look at it more in the light of.....see if I can describe this....for example....Fast and Slow, Left and Right, That kind of thing. They are just different unto themselves but can be combined somewhere in the middle....I.E Medium speed, or Straight ahead.

I know that a lot of writers of sexualy themed works would certainly take offense at being told that some of, if not all of the stuff they write is Pornographic.....but frankly it is.

John entered Kellys soft velvet like womanhood, and stroked her to the ultimate orgasm........Thats Erotica

John slammed his cock into Kellys cunt violently, until she spurtred cum......is pornographic.

It is symantics, subjective to ones own interpratation, but there is a very clear difference.

Im very curious as to what the other authors think about this.


K.S.

I like both!!!!!

 

[ronde]

I think you're both saying much the same thing in different words. I'll lend my thoughts to further confuse the situation.

Yes, some people have a very narrow filter when it comes to anything hinting of intimacy between two people. In my youth, the dividing line was drawn with twin beds in the TV bedroom and movies where passionate kisses faded to crashing waves on a sandy beach. Any publication involving anything sexual was either a "how-to" furnished by a doctor, or a "dirty" magazine or book. "Erotic" was a word seldom used. "Pornography" was used to describe any depiction of intimacy or the human body. Parents were known to cut the women's underwear pages from mail order catalogues in order to prevent corruption of children's minds. It is interesting that those minds usually belonged to boys.

Today, a similar mentality exists with some individuals. Picasso is just as pornographic as "Hustler". "Lady Chatterly's Lover", and "Fanny Hill" are just as pornographic as the plain cover "novels" sold in adult book stores. Fortunately, I still have the right to decide for myself which is which, and to partake of either or both as I see fit.

For me, the difference is artistic content, and I think that's what both of you are saying. Erotic fiction, written or video, explores sexual relationships via a good story with believable characters doing believable things. Porn doesn't explore sex. Porn stories exploit the sex act(s) with a weak plot and characitures. Erotic images explore the human body in all its wonder and beauty. Porn images exploit only the sexual aspects of the human body.

 

[Un-registered]

For me, the difference is artistic content, and I think that's what both of you are saying. Erotic fiction, written or video, explores sexual relationships via a good story with believable characters doing believable things. Porn doesn't explore sex. Porn stories exploit the sex act(s) with a weak plot and characitures.

I write pornography for money. The sex scenes are the important ones to my readership - the feedback tells me that.

However, as a writer I try to write good pornography. I like a meaningful plot with the principal characters clearly delineated and well defined.

The difference, IMHO, is intention. I do not write these novels (6 so far and another out later this month) because I have to (inspiration) nor to send a message to the world (vocation) but to add to the quality of the wine we habitually drink.

There are some writers who write because they can do no other, and some to proclaim a message to the world. I respect them and salute them. I write pornographic novels for the same reason that I do the "day job" of writing technical literature, for the money. That does not mean I have to do it badly, plotless and with cardboard cutouts instead of characters.

 

[Chicklet]

Alexa ranks us as the #473 biggest site on the Internet, which isn't too shabby.

my goodness

that's impressive

 

[its Leslie]

Almost as impressive as yout AV Chicklet, now if you can just rotate a bit and spread those legs a bit more

 

[Quasimodem]

Pendantic Interruption.

It amazes me how much freight one can load into the connotation of one word, to differentiate it from another word of a nearly similar denotation.

What exactly is the difference between the two words?

Both words are derived from Greek roots.

Erotica : (plural) erotic literature or art.
In the original - ‘sexual love.'

Pornography : (plural) printed or visual material intended to stimulate sexual excitement.
In the original - (pornographos) ‘writing about prostitutes.'

From the original definitions, erotica appears to be more concerned with a particular abstract concept, pornography more to do with a graphic depiction.

Neither term seems inherently judgmental, yet the term ‘pornography' is invariably the derogative word, and erotica the flattering term employed, when differing judgements are discussed. And, it appears that this argument has been going on, since the days when English first swiped the two contrasting viewpoints from the Greek.

Thus ends the colour commentary, I return you, now, to ringside . . .

 

[Guest]

. . . On the same theme, how can the "top reads" story have 600,000+ reads from about 150,000 members? Does that indicate that there are a million or more readers who are not members?. . .

I must confess I read stories on this site as a non-member for about 8 months before I "belonged." Sometimes I would reread certain stories, as I would search in specific categories for my favorites. I think there are many non-members who peruse the site for a nice hot read.

Then I decided I wanted to post some of my own stories. That is when I officially became a Lit member.

Terrific site!

 

[SlickTony]

still am writing basic (pardon the term) "fuckfests", but I am working on character issues, plot, and erotica.

No reason why they should be mutually exclusive...

 

[Vincent E]

A recent submission of mine had a very high rating with only nine votes for a few weeks (over 4.8). This week I checked out my submissions and noticed a tenth vote and the average was still very high. Naturally I was pleased. I checked my submissions page later in the week and lo and behold the average fell like a brick to around a 4.3.

A story needs ten votes to be listed on the top lists page. When I had nine honest votes all was well. Then the tenth vote got me put on the top lists page. So, some douche bag comes along and skunks my story with a 1 and a 2. Yes, I am so anally retentive that I ran numbers on a spread sheet because I was so royally pissed off.

I always like to get feedback, even if it is someone telling me that I suck at least he took the time to tell me I suck. But the douche bag who skunked me didn't even have the common courtesy to send an anonymous feedback.

Some day I'll stop being concerned about the voting. I'll probably leave the voting option on for the hell of it. I just wish that the voting was restricted to registered users who also send feedback, even if it is anonymnous.

 

[PaulX35]

I think I now had my share...

I posted a story for the Holiday Story Contest. I had around 25 personal feedbacks on it, invariably very positive. Meanwhile, the story is running the worst score I ever obtained for any of my stories, including my very first attempt that I meanwhile consider not really worth the read.

So I think I've had it with allowing my stories to be scored. I've never considered it extremely important, but I now find it affects my motivation to see actual feedback and actual scores differ so unrealistically.
I'm getting the suspicion that scoring is used for other purposes than what it was intended for. Everyone's right of course, but no longer with my stories.

Paul

 

[Guest]

For what it's worth........

Laurel WILL go back and check/double check the scores/votes on ANY and ALL contests. She'll make the corrections when its so obvious what's happened on folks who (for whatever reason) feel its important to down-vote another author's stories. So hang in there.....if the feedback you're getting is reflective of how good the story is you've written, then once Laurel as removed those stupid hurtful votes, it will fall in where it it probably should rank when everything is said and done.

Just an FYI..........

I remain,

 

[PaulX35]

That's a relief

Laurel WILL go back and check/double check the scores/votes on ANY and ALL contests. She'll make the corrections when its so obvious what's happened on folks who (for whatever reason) feel its important to down-vote another author's stories. So hang in there.....if the feedback you're getting is reflective of how good the story is you've written, then once Laurel as removed those stupid hurtful votes, it will fall in where it it probably should rank when everything is said and done.

Just an FYI..........

I remain,

Sandman,

Didn't know that, and it's a relief. Thanks for the reply; I might consider leaving the vote-buttons on

Paul

 

[Master_Vassago]

Just My own feelings on the issue at hand. I have had a few stories sit up top for nearly the whole month. Then that voting time comes around and BOOM. I get a one bomb. Or everytime for that instance I get a top ranked story it get's oned.

We all know that happens and I have just come to live with it. I do apologise now though, My wife has voted for a few of My stories from our computer and the other day told Me about it. I guess she didn't realize that I try and either not vote for My stories or I do every so often bump one up if I feel it got an unjust one or is hanging on that needs one vote to get on the list scale.

I detest that one voter person, but this is a free site and I doubt seriously that it is an author that wants to see his or her story climb to the top. If it is I think that is pitiful. I do take into consideration that someone may just not like My stories and vote it down. But I do get those votes of one often enough or at least one per story and a friendly little anonymous feedback that says "Gotcha again".

So I say ignore the votes, I write because I love it and will continue to do so. Too all of you that have written here and have a really great story that got voted down I sympathize. Keep up the good work and eventually that one vote won't matter in the least.

I went back and re-read a few of My first stories and hell I would have given them a one also. LOL. Happy Holidays Everyone. MV

 

[Un-registered]

Feedbackback

I detest stories where the author cannot even be bothered to run a spell checker on the text before posting it, let alone use coherent grammar.

I gave one such a 2 some while ago, and feedback explaining why, and my email address. The response I received was worse than much of the anonymous feedback I have had over the years. Leaving out (or translating) the obscenities it amounted to the author saying that style was the decision of the author and a moron like I should be grateful that anyone writes stories for me to read.

Now I don't vote at all. I do send occasional commendatory feedback to stories I would have awarded a 5, but as for any sort of honest feedback to any other story - no chance.

I am an author, but I don't post here. I like feedback from my readers, but I always respect the fact that they honestly hold the opinions they state. I am convinced that some of the harshest criticism has been useful in improving my writing.

 

[Master_Vassago]

I also got one really funny feedback. It was about a series of stories based on a girl named Kasey. The email I got said, "It's Kacey you twit."

Now I ask since when can't I name My own characters and spell their names anyway I please. Just a thought. I felt much better after getting that off My chest last night.