what kind of small sad world

[ghost_girl]

OMG ~ Please don't!!!!!! At the very least, if you have some you're especially pleased with, submit only one or two a day. That way they'll have a chance of at least being read.

Now I'll be waiting in dread till Wednesday comes around to see if your promised load hits when I'm doing the reviews ... ... ... because I really do read 'em all!

never mind

 

[WickedEve]

this is interesting, does it include the threads where those who have an idea to low vote as a strategy? I can only recommend that you 'SNOW' write for the joy and not the ratings and yes, there are a few that are called 'TROLLS' because they vote down poems for what ever their reason. But do not allow that to distract you from enjoying this site or the poetry that grows here. Like all gardens this site has its weeds and 'RAIN' but all in all it grows a fairly good crop of poetry.

Art, I simply typed in "bomb" in advance search and listed some posts. Those posts weren't picked for any other reason. They just happened to show up in threads about 1 bombing.
I was showing cherries and others who are frustrated about votes that this has been going on for years.

 

[eagleyez]

Art, I simply typed in "bomb" in advance search and listed some posts. Those posts weren't picked for any other reason. They just happened to show up in threads about 1 bombing.
I was showing cherries and others who are frustrated about votes that this has been going on for years.

You do yeomans duty by pointing out that the back and forth of the voting "folly" is nothing new.

When I stumbled into this joint things seemed a bit less testy, but I was new and it took me a while to get a "feel" for the place.

My advice cherry, as you have mentioned the word sophomoric, regarding some of the work submitted, is to offer your own insights via comments, pay little or no attention to the numeric rubric used here, and, when inspired, write.

Dont sweat anything that falls on your lap round here.

 

[ghost_girl]

Art, I simply typed in "bomb" in advance search and listed some posts. Those posts weren't picked for any other reason. They just happened to show up in threads about 1 bombing.
I was showing cherries and others who are frustrated about votes that this has been going on for years.

OMG, Eve, lets hope that with all the government spying going on that Big Brother Dubya, doesnt get wind of all this bombing, it might cause him mental difficulty, or something.

 

[MyNecroticSnail]

well, there may be a small difference in those who vote with a system that his slightly harsh and those whom seek to damage a literary creation out of jealousy, ego or other emotional hang ups such as a teen would scratch the paint of a new sports car with their key, their purpose unclear but still damaging just the same.

As in cherries_on_snow's case, a new poet with very good poems displayed, why would some one give them a 1 vote? They must live... in a small sad world <grin This has been going on a lot longer than I have been here, 3 years, what does that say? You have been here longer than I, any ideas? Perhaps a strange cycle? Reguardless, I think the low voting system and harsh critics has kept this forum from growing.

You can catch more flys with honey, although bullshit works well too <grin

<bullshit
<bullshit
<bullshit, speaking of jealousy, ego or other emotional hang ups
I think it is someone named RJ
I say:
let it "RAIN" <winkz

BTW it is flies not flys

 

[My Erotic Trail]

OMG, Eve, lets hope that with all the government spying going on that Big Brother Dubya, doesnt get wind of all this bombing, it might cause him mental difficulty, or something.

chuckleboned~

I can see it now; millions of dollars spent investigating the Lit bomber for the security of our nation. <grin

 

[WickedEve]

OMG, Eve, lets hope that with all the government spying going on that Big Brother Dubya, doesnt get wind of all this bombing, it might cause him mental difficulty, or something.

My fellow Americans, there are terrorists on a porn forum. They are making plans and hiding the details in pornographic poetry! I think my code name is dick.

 

[ghost_girl]

chuckleboned~

I can see it now; millions of dollars spent investigating the Lit bomber for the security of our nation. <grin

ya know what Art? I used to get so dismayed with you, and your sometimes lack of spell checking, well, you have a sense of humor. lol..I like that, and you're ( almost always) nice to everyone. That is a supreme quality in any human being. I'm so tired of people who are mean and cruel and just plain insecure so they treat others like they dont matter.

Yeah, its sad to say, but the system the way it is, there just might be an insvestigation into the Lit bomber. I can see the headlines now


Bin Laden sighted on a porn site! 10 trillion dollar reward for his capture.


Bi Laden, Bin Laden, where for art thou
you cowardly fucker.
Could you be lured from your cave
for an all day sucker?

 

[ghost_girl]

My fellow Americans, there are terrorists on a porn forum. They are making plans and hiding the details in pornographic poetry! I think my code name is dick.

LMFAO!!!!

youre killing me, I love it. Such hilarity on here.

 

[WickedEve]

LMFAO!!!!

youre killing me, I love it. Such hilarity on here.

We need some laughs.

 

[My Erotic Trail]

ya know what Art? I used to get so dismayed with you, and your sometimes lack of spell checking, well, you have a sense of humor. lol..I like that, and you're ( almost always) nice to everyone. That is a supreme quality in any human being. I'm so tired of people who are mean and cruel and just plain insecure so they treat others like they dont matter.

Yeah, its sad to say, but the system the way it is, there just might be an insvestigation into the Lit bomber. I can see the headlines now


Bin Laden sighted on a porn site! 10 trillion dollar reward for his capture.


Bi Laden, Bin Laden, where for art thou
you cowardly fucker.
Could you be lured from your cave
for an all day sucker?

moi?

who for art thou invisible one? <grin

you know why men name their penis?
they do not want a stranger making decisions for them <grin

 

[cherries_on_snow]

Bombing

.....

 

[WickedEve]

Wow it is interesting that so many people shrug this off.

If we didn't, then we would constantly be worked up over it. Some of us have been here for as much as 5 or 6 years and voting has been a problem all that time. Just enjoy the constructive feedback you receive. You'll eventually realize how much more valuable feedback is than votes.

 

[duckiesmut]

The following isn't meant to devalue the current discussion. It's just a thought. I can't fight the eternal optimist in me.

It feels like we spend so much time focused on who said what that hurt who's feelings, or who left what comment/score/bomb/attack on who's work/thread/post that the actual reason we all wandered through here the first time around (i.e. poetry) hits the back burner (along with Aunt Elizabeth's goulash) in favor of gossip, debate, etc.

Would one of you do me a teensy favor and post the link for the best constructive feedback left on one of your poems, just to jumpstart a smile or two?


Thanks!

Trust me, the goulash is scary.

 

[cherries_on_snow]

ooh now that sounds like a great idea for a thread topic! most constructive feedback. Maybe it deserves its own thread, right?

 

[wildsweetone]

ooh now that sounds like a great idea for a thread topic! most constructive feedback. Maybe it deserves its own thread, right?

right! set it up!



i've found the most constructive feedback comes through a couple of the threads in the forum here and in the Poetry Discussion Circle. it's useful, usually well thought out and comes from people who generally are happy to share their skills with other poets.

i'll have to hunt out the most constructive feedback on a poem i've posted...

 

[My Erotic Trail]

The following isn't meant to devalue the current discussion. It's just a thought. I can't fight the eternal optimist in me.

It feels like we spend so much time focused on who said what that hurt who's feelings, or who left what comment/score/bomb/attack on who's work/thread/post that the actual reason we all wandered through here the first time around (i.e. poetry) hits the back burner (along with Aunt Elizabeth's goulash) in favor of gossip, debate, etc.

Would one of you do me a teensy favor and post the link for the best constructive feedback left on one of your poems, just to jumpstart a smile or two?


Thanks!

Trust me, the goulash is scary.

<retract comment>

I like Elizabeth's goulash, it has true ingredients and no artificial decayed flavor.

 

[My Erotic Trail]

Does anyone else see it as stealing the voices of others if someone votes to even out the score rather than just to vote for what that person believes the poem to be worth?

I believe most will tell, that I give high votes if I like the poem and if I do not finish the poem, I do not race down to the voting to give it a low vote when I do not finish a poem. Most will relay that they rarely read a poem that deserves a five, so I feel a five vote can only help counter the way others vote. It is my own little way but I feel good about what I do, give a high five when I can, rather than slide an under handed low blow.

 

[annaswirls]

........ Most will relay that they rarely read a poem that deserves a five, so I feel a five vote can only help counter the way others vote. It is my own little way but I feel good about what I do......

cherries-- I think that your question on whether we think it is fair for people to "steal votes" by trying to cancel out another vote (I am paraphrasing) definately goes both ways, as you see MET tries to counter other people's vote by voting his high 5's Such a sweetie!

Think of it this way. You are going to get probably as many people voting 5's on poems that are not of the highest standard than you will getting people voting lower than they really think it is worth. Does that make sense?

I have been bombed etc whatever people call it ever since I have been here but I have more often been given votes that are higher than what I deserved. It pretty much evens out. It is just when we get a bunch of 5's we start to believe that it really was a 5 so when someone give a poem a 3, we think they are the crazy one!

I wrote a poem once that was funny, but NOT really a poem. It got lots of praise and lots of 5's. Then someone came along and really ripped into it. It was upsetting at the time, but looking back, well, they were kind of right.

Not saying this is true of your poems, but really, overall, I think that people vote pretty fairly, and sometimes what seems like a one vote was really a couple of threes that can really bring down your average pretty fast! Not trying to insult people's mathmatical abilities, but one thread someone posted how their average went down, and had the numbers up there, and in fact, their estimation was off.

Some people have been known to keep track of votes when they come in, trying to see what every one is, but dang, I cannot keep up! I recently turned my voting back on my newer poems. I am not sure why. I guess just curious. I don't get the H's I used to, most average around 4, but I have no idea if that is a bunch of 5's and a couple of 2's or just a bunch of 4's, y'know?

not to mention the funky math of the lit machine.

okay I cannot believe I am writing about this!!! It is just crazy.

now go vote on my poem, Just. It is stuck at 8 votes and will surely die a slow death

(kidding on the last request )

 

[jthserra]

Thank you again Art.

cherries-- I think that your question on whether we think it is fair for people to "steal votes" by trying to cancel out another vote (I am paraphrasing) definately goes both ways, as you see MET tries to counter other people's vote by voting his high 5's Such a sweetie!

Yes a sweetie. Certainly nice to know that someone here feels the need to counter another reader's vote on a poem. Thank you Art, thank you, thank you.

 

[TheRainMan]

in my opinion, especially for an inexperienced poet, receiving a vote of "5" that is NOT deserved is far, far worse in the long run than receiving a vote of "1" that is not deserved.

if you get 1-bombed without explanation, you know it came from a person who has some sort of agenda of their own. therefore, it is easy to ignore it, knowing that it does not in any way reflect the quality of your poem.

if you get 5-bombed (which is much more common than getting 1-bombed), the natural tendency, particularly for a novice, is to actually believe the vote is warranted.

. . . it feels so good. you get all puffy and full of yourself.

is that helpful, or harmful, to have your ego inflated by being told over and over your poems are worthy of the highest vote possible? . . . THINK!

inflated ego destroys improvement. for what is there to improve FROM, if you are already perfect?

it does not seem complicated to me.

turn the voting mechanisms OFF . . . and it is no longer an issue at all,

and you can concentrate on the feedback and constructive criticism received, and work on improving your writing rather than stagnating in some incorrectly perceived state of perfection.

. . . i can not believe we are talking about this again . . .

voting mechanism -- off with its head!

 

[cherries_on_snow]

1/3 of the people are gonna love ya, 1/3 are gonna hate ya, and 1/3 won't give a fekk one way or the other.

 

[cherries_on_snow]

cherries-- I think that your question on whether we think it is fair for people to "steal votes" by trying to cancel out another vote (I am paraphrasing) definately goes both ways, as you see MET tries to counter other people's vote by voting his high 5's Such a sweetie!

Yeah, I'd like it if everyone voted what he or she really thought. Not so much stealing votes, I'd like to clarify, as speaking over other voices is what concerns me, Anna. I understand a 1-5 leaves out much chance for accuracy and is a rough measure, so it seems fair to think of it, in my understanding, as

5/A = Excellent effort: in the top 20% of the work here and showing signs of maturity (strong phrasing, lacking technical errors or possessing only those that could arguably be style).
4/B = The second to last draft of an excellent effort (original and interesting but lacking polish or polished but lacking original thought).
3/C= Possessing substantial flaws that weaken the effort as a whole.
2/D= So substantially flawed that the writer should rethink the piece.
1/F= Start again from scratch.

I'm sure people vision this differently, though. It would be interesting to hear what people think in terms of how they give merit to a poem, how they decide to read it in the first place, etc. I'll start searching the threads for it first though before starting one, this time. =D

now go vote on my poem, Just. It is stuck at 8 votes and will surely die a slow death

(kidding on the last request )

Got a link? I'd love to! I suck at looking people up though if they don't give me a link. Not sure how to search for a poet yet. =s Damn I hate being a newbie. (To here though. Not to writing.) I'll see if I can spot it in new poems.

Oh. So nobody answered my question on the whole voting schematic. I take it we can't see them, but just the average score? Wouldn't it be handy if one could see what the vote scores were individually? It would be useful, wouldn't it? Ok. I'm gonna quit obsessing now. I swear, I'm not gonna look at any more votes. I even put a romantic story in the interracial sex thread, knowing it will likely get bombed there. ;-D

RainMan, if you turn voting off, do as many people see the poem? *hmms*
Can someone explain that bit to me?

 

[annaswirls]

Cherries-- I do not know the poem you are referring to, but I would not guess that your first votes were from strangers.... from your comments, you already seem to have quite a following I am not saying that the votes coming from people who do know you from lit. are not valid, of course they are, just guessing that they were not from strangers.

Try posting one of your best poems under a name that has absolutely no history if you want to see how strangers treat you. I have done that and gotten 0 comments about about as many votes.

and whoever is telling you this

Clearly, another agenda is at work, there. Or so it seems. . . Also, maybe i'm hearing things but... *gets her Q-tips* I thought I heard that some people applaud the idea of "RAINing" down low votes on those who might appear too young or uppity maybe? Seems rather nasty--the bitter aftertaste to what was a genuinely warm welcome, not from friends, but from strangers.

is filling your head with propoganda. people do not have time for some secret agenda.


There are people here who throw false accusations around-- okay lies-- about other people that are completely unfounded, unprovoked, uncalledfor, unpatriotic (eh hem) and you know the rest. Remember, just like anywhere, do not trust what you hear. Sometimes the propoganda is very interesting, intriguing, sparkly and exciting, and the truth is kind of dull and hard to take.

If anyone is getting a raw deal bum rap it is people who are intelligent and well spoken-- people (like yourself) who have had their work accepted by editors outside lit, in the "real" world. No matter what they do, they are prejudged

What you are going through here is NORMAL and healthy. What I worry about is how you will come out the other end if you listen to people who try to convince you that there is some sort of conspiracy. It is why lit lost some of its best poets ever to come through these doors.... because certain others would grab up new poets and whisper "you are wonderful, and everyone is out to get you, " into their ears.

I really hope that you do not turn to the dark side and get caught up in the conspiracy theory. I swear to God, if I see another new poet going in that direction, I am out of here for good. I wanted to try to give this place another chance.

 

[TheRainMan]

*smiles patiently*

Ah, but Patrick, I am not a novice. . .

clearly, you are not a novice. your poetry says so.

i wasn't referring to you, but to all. my statements were generic.

i think it best not to vote at all, so i don't, haven't cast a vote in over a year. i leave feedback, when i have something to say...

that's what works for me.