What does targeted, sweep-evading, story vandalism look like?

[MillieDynamite]

@Jorunn, you have a nice body of work. Don't remember seeing you around much.

View attachment 2599923
I joined to improve my ESL writing skills. I feel my objective has been achieved.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Have you AIed any AI lately? Here's an AI, there's an AI, everywhere's an AI!

No, the site is doing that all on their own.

 

[EmilyMiller]

@Jorunn, you have a nice body of work. Don't remember seeing you around much.

She was 3rd in Winter Holidays

https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/winter-holidays-2025

 

[MillieDynamite]

I hate the cold.

She was 3rd in Winter Holidays

https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/winter-holidays-2025

 

[EmilyMiller]

I hate the cold.

We’re seeing grass for the first time in like six weeks (maybe it’s longer IDK)

 

[SkyBubble]

We’re seeing grass for the first time in like six weeks (maybe it’s longer IDK)

We had a big snow last month. it almost immediately got into the 40s & 50s. Mostly stayed there with occasional visits to the 60s. Today, it's 33 and snowing. By next week, we're expected to hit the 70s.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Mine's brown with green clover and other invasive weeds. Just my luck, no idea where they came from.

We’re seeing grass for the first time in like six weeks (maybe it’s longer IDK)

 

[EmilyMiller]

We had a big snow last month. it almost immediately got into the 40s & 50s. Mostly stayed there with occasional visits to the 60s. Today, it's 33 and snowing. By next week, we're expected to hit the 70s.

32 right now and we are meant to have more snow - but a dusting as opposed to the 16” a while back.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Mine's brown with green clover and other invasive weeds. Just my luck, no idea where they came from.

In slightly positive news, the ‘heavy’ snow we had broke lots of branches off of a couple of invasive Bradford Pears in our yard (the natives fared much better), so we have an excuse to replace them.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I agree. But it does appear to be an identical mechanism behind the suppression of top list story ratings. A script that can target me (and it’s not just me, try reading around on AH a bit) is easy to adapt to do other things.

Which for me, doesn't necessarily imply malice, more so some fuck up behind the scenes, done for whatever reason but across the board. I've got my own 4.84 scores with > 100 votes, so I agree that's a thing because I'm sure those story scores used to be higher.

I have a rule of thumb, based on decades of project management experience in several industries: never assume malice when a fuck-up is a perfectly good explanation. It's worked for me 99/100 times - but yes, that one time, that could be malice. But it's not my default assumption. Most clowns aren't bright enough to do bad.

My point is that they seem to have moved on from me to other people, which is entirely predictable (I predicted it). Once this technology is in circulation, it will be used, and who can tell how?

Again, that suggests to me the site is doing something strange, rather than a cohort of trolls. What no-one ever answers, is, "Why would they (en masse) bother?" - but then, I've got a life so maybe there's the difference.

It’s already not just me, and it could be you tomorrow. Especially if you are so unwise as to engage reasonably with the devil incarnate .

My post count might suggest I would already have a target on my back, but apparently not. I see patterns of behaviour, but no existential crisis.

 

[MillieDynamite]

When Jo realizes we have weeds, she'll get busy getting rid of them.

In slightly positive news, the ‘heavy’ snow we had broke lots of branches off of a couple of invasive Bradford Pears in our yard (the natives fared much better), so we have an excuse to replace them.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Well, oddly, there are stories that constantly jump in and out of the 4.5 range, and sometimes I see no difference in the vote totals.

The ones above, but below the one with the red H, constantly flip order and scores, sometimes having 4.5, sometimes 4.49 to 4.47.

 

[lovecraft68]

The same place the poster got their's that authors leaving will drag the site down.

Comshaw

Some people staying don't help the site either.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I'm also miffed by the category-Number rather than the category name.

 

[MillieDynamite]

@lovecraft68, that's not nice of you saying that about me!

Some people staying don't help the site either.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Which for me, doesn't necessarily imply malice, more so some fuck up behind the scenes, done for whatever reason but across the board. I've got my own 4.84 scores with > 100 votes, so I agree that's a thing because I'm sure those story scores used to be higher.

I fail to see how even Lit could have that happen

 

[EmilyMiller]

but then, I've got a life so maybe there's the difference.

You answered your own question, hun

 

[Voboy]

It's a choice.

No dog in this fight, but I've got a neurodivergent daughter. It's NOT always a choice. It is for me, and presumably for you, but it's not for some people.

There is truth to this. I was lucky enough to get a blue W on one of my stories. I put a link to it in my signature, noting the blue W, and it dropped from a 4.93(It had been there for 18 months with over 1K votes) to a 4.63 in less than a week.

This happens whether or not you mention the Blue W here on AH, however; W stories have always gotten heavily downbombed within seconds of the announcement, regardless of any further "publicity" here.

That said, I believe the OP is correct that mentioning or linking specific stories in the threads here most certainly draws negative attention. I've noticed the same apparent thing. When you think about the implications of that, it's a very unfortunate state of affairs...

 

[lovecraft68]

@lovecraft68, that's not nice of you saying that about me!

Come on, you love Stoker, how could I not like you?

 

[EmilyMiller]

I so hate the flame
Said the moth circling it tight
Yet he drew nearer

 

[KittyOfSteele]

This thread is a perfect example of the toxicity of AH.
Someone makes a statement. People get really angry at the poster and insults follow. Nothing positive or creative is made.
This kind of thread disgusts me.
I thought AH was a place were "authors" supported other authors. Instead we insult each other or treat them like they are simpleton.
Some people care about ratings and some don't. If you don't, can you see why 1-bombing would upset someone who cares? If you care about ratings, can you learn from the ones who don't care about them?
How about we help each other instead of hitting each other with a flame thrower?

You know, my thread about asking whether Lit was the right place for me or not keeps aging like fine wine when things devolves like this.

I already gave my opinion, just like the ironically novel-sized posts I wrote in that thread, and people tried to use that irony to defuse me, which to me I just read as didn't read, so joined in on the joke because it's a funny joke... but as I was saying at the end of my post here, if I wasn't clear, I was not talking to AH, but to a mirror.

If you want to nerd about numbers, fine. If you don't also fine. I already chose not to because it's simply out of my control, the system is broken, and the rules of playing the Literotica game are still not clear, and everyone is bashing everyone... Nothing has changed, yet I still think this is the perfect place to me.

I do disagree that you should care about those numbers if your intent is build an audience to make money. I don't remember who posted, I was on a rush when I wrote my message, but simply put: if you want gold, you don't go mine it at a quarry where you'll find marble. Like I said, Lit is not a place where you'll get 0.01$ a word, and followers that are real fans of you, like people who will consume everything, bombard you with comments, e-mails, join your Patron, blah blah blah... these are unicorns in here. If you want to build a following for that, you either start selling immediately, or begin by spreading outward and go into other sites rather than sticking to Lit only, which was a suggestion that AH gave me on my thread.

Lit is just a platform that has its quirks, and every platform is the same. It's up to you to choose. Ultimately everyone posts here for their own purpose, and as I said it, and I'll keep saying it:

Your motherfucking writing is fucking valid, you fucking write whatever the fuck you want.

If you're writing for views, valid.

If you're writing for praise, valid.

If you're writing for dough, valid.

If you're writing to show that bully you had in middle school who still watches your Instagram story and likes your random posts about your marriage or your travels, and is always on check with you... also valid, and what's up with that?

The crucial part is we need more art than ever now. One-bombs is part of the process, and I understand how discouraging can they be. I just chose to not care about them, and instead just do whatever. Like I said, a penny speaks louder than a comment. That's my metric. It isn't supposed to be yours. It's just mine. Some may also have that in common with me. So everybody chill in this thread. You're even scaring the polar bears

 

[MillieDynamite]

Well, it felt like an attack! I get that a lot, the feeling of being hated...

Come on, you love Stoker, how could I not like you?

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Well, it felt like an attack! I get that a lot, the feeling of being hated...

But we love you! Everyone needs a little dynamite in their lives!

 

[lovecraft68]

Well, it felt like an attack! I get that a lot, the feeling of being hated...

Val Kilmer in Tombstone "He reminds me of me, now I really hate him."

 

[EmilyMiller]

the feeling of being hated...

One of the problems with hate is it starts out being selective. I hate him, I hate them. And it just becomes a way of being where you hate everyone and yourself most of all. It spreads like a brain cancer through your mind until your life consists of raging meaninglessly at clouds for reasons you can’t even remember, let alone articulate.

The other problem is the damage the hater does to the hated. I’ve not had a lot of IRL hate in my life, it’s mostly on-line BS. But I know many people are far less lucky than me. And I know the history of our country.