Yesterday someone voted for thirty-eight of my stories. The person had (1) vote so it wasn't an author. That person didn't leave a comment on any of them so I don't know how to say thanks except in an open blog.
If this mass voting was meant to be some sort of lifetime achievement award, I accept the honor under the protest that I'm not that old.
On some of the older stories it was the first vote the story received other than sympathy votes from me. I hate to have my stories feel completely unloved so I vote for them so they don't think they were totally scorned.
Jill
Comments
You too?
I had nearly everyone of mine too receive one vote. I put it down to someone who liked my stuff but now I wonder. Not that I'm complaining! Is this some kind of system hiccup or whatever?
Hugs!
Grover
Perhaps it's a new user...
...who, having found a great story, or author, conscientiously went down the list of available titles voting for the entire story or ‘backlist.’ Heck, I've done it, as I'm fairly new to the list and regularly discover "brand new" stories or authors — for me at least — that have been around for years and years.
Cheers,
Puddin'
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Spam Voting?
I've been going through the serial story list but not that many at once...
Huggles,
Winnie
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=12...
Huggles,
Winnie
Wow, me too!
I thought it was a friend trying to cheer me up, or even my sister who had found the site and was voicing her approval of my efforts without actually having to talk to me. Not to offend whoever did (DO IT AGAIN! DO IT AGAIN!) but I did kind of wonder if they actually did read and like all those stories, since some were quite sentimental, and others were creepy and wierd; and my entry to the now defunct PEN PALS collaboration project earned a vote, when it was just a paragraph or two unrelated to anything that made sense. Kind of reminds me of that character in Berkely (or was it Santa Cruz?) who ran along in front of the meter maids in a Robin Hood outfit some years back putting quarters into expired parking meters until he was arrested for having a sense of humor. A good samaratin, voting for us, our efforts, our charming personalities, if not the actual stories. Now if they'd just COMMENT (I like it when people talk to me) I'd be a happy puppy indeed!
~~~hugs, Laika
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
Laika -- Watch Me Wiggle My Ears
There -- did that cheer you up. Perhaps you should read some of your own writing. Several of your stories have helped me on bad days. You should stay the hell away from Berkely or Santa Cruz; with your sense of humor they would probably draw and quarter you.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Me three
Most of my stories got a vote too.
Einstein described insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the result to change. Was Albert a reader of TG fiction then?
Daniel, author of maid, whore, bimbo, and sissy free TG fiction since 2000
What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.- Oscar Levant
I would also like to thank...
these mystery voters. (I say voters, because one or two of mine got more than one vote.
Thank you oh, mystery voters!
Annette
Me too! I thought it was my
Me too! I thought it was my friend who I know is now reading VC, at the least. Now I'm wondering! I've gone through and voted for all the chapters in a story before, but that was because I'd already read it, but never voted (I never voted or commented until I set up an account shortly before I started writing here). Either someone's being very generous, or they're actually reading all of this and are very busy! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
>> being very generous, or they're actually reading
Or, they've been reading for weeks and wanted to see a certain consistency before making a hasty judgement.
Or, they've been reading for years but were recently cured of total paralysis through the initiation of cellular regeneration by means of experimental drugs. Although overjoyed, they've taken a moment to thank the authors for many happy hours of distraction from an unending diet of hospital food.
Or, they're machine intelligences who read all the stories in a few instants and commented at what would be a leisurely pace for a brain limited only by the speed of light as opposed to chemical transmissions.
Or, Big Closet has been targeted by a large force of benevolent extraterrestrials who are working in parallel to decide who is sufficiently "spacy" to endure the voyage to the third moon of the fifth planet of Procyon. in which case, the lucky recipients of many votes might want to keep a bag packed and near the door.
The *only* thing that can be inferred from any vote, or any series of votes, is that somebody liked either the story, stories, or author.
Perhaps Angela and Grover have secret admirers and the large bouquets from Teleflorist are delayed pending the delivery of sufficient roses to meet the specified numbers for the respective orders. Most local florists carry a relatively small number of stems, so would of course be overwhelmed by an appropriate tribute.
What do you think, a full pallet? Or two?
Cheers,
Puddin'
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
More Extraneous Votes
Several of my stories have received more votes today, so either the system has a gremlin or there is more than one ardent fan who suddenly decided to award belated votes.
I'm thinking someone with a sense of humor is messing with the right people . . . people like me . . . who will notice.
If this keeps up I'm going to have to re-evaluate my stand on the number of votes and comments being a poor indicator of story quality.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
And Another Thing
Yesterday I was looking for somthing to read and checked the Latest Most Popular chart. I noticed that a story that was posted way back in August received about 180 hits (yesterday). That story was a standalone -- not part of a serial. There was no discernible reason for a story off the front page to receive that amount of attention other than it being a good story written by a very good author.
Still, for 180 people to somehow stumble across a story posted two months prior is quite improbable.
I think someone has been feeding gremlins after midnight.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Either that
Or someone kept hitting the reload button.
Einstein described insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the result to change. Was Albert a reader of TG fiction then?
Daniel, author of maid, whore, bimbo, and sissy free TG fiction since 2000
What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.- Oscar Levant
>> Still, for 180 people to somehow stumble across...
There are many ways to "stumble across" stories. Most of our authors have story pages that let one link to any story an author has posted once one finds any individual story.
Many users have Favourites organiser pages that at least some people pay attention to, including me. If I see an author I quite like, knowing who that author likes might reveal other authors I might also like.
If one reads a comment one likes, one might be tempted to see who's talking by going to their account page, where many things may be revealed. The same principle applies.
Although it's possible to discover stories by tediously scanning down the posting order list, it's probably not the most efficient use of one's time. I see there are forty-four pages of them, with roughly sixty stories (or chapters) per page. Dang!
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Pudd Never Happens
One would think there would be a stimulus reaction chain, but that hasn't been my experience. I've often thought, this story is getting a strong positive reaction, that will move people to read my other stories -- and then waited in vain for that to happen.
Nope . . . I stand by my theory that something strange is happening with the inner workings of the site.
You have an inquisitive mind that would more than likely make the causal jumps you mentioned, but you ain't average.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
For some odd reason...perhaps related
I haven't noticed any new votes for my fiction, but I just got elected Junior Class Vice President!
She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Tutto il mio apprezzamento, cari, Andrea
Love, Andrea Lena
That's How It Starts
Fisrt a few votes are tossed around. Then an election is rigged. It's like Stalin said, "Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything."
In this case it is a computer deciding the votes. A computer is creating a false reality in which we are only minor characters. The next thing you know I'll be walking with a limp trying to steal a bit of light, and emoting all over the place.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
The Big Closet Conspiracy Theory
It's alive! It's alive!
Oh, wait. That was Dr Frankenstein in the 1931 movie...
Well, and in Young Frankenstein, 1974, but that was homage.
Wrong cultural referent...
Cheers,
Puddin'
-----------
Victor: You're crazy!
Frankenstein: Crazy, am I? We'll see whether I'm crazy or not.
Frankenstein: Look! It's moving. It's alive. It's alive... It's alive, it's moving, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIVE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xos2MnVxe-c
Better days are in the cards, I can feel it
Feel it in the changing winds, feel it when I fly
So talk to me. I will listen to your story
Been around enough to see there's more than meets the eye
--- Jimmy Buffett, Love and Luck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2POA7cbPFg
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Same story here!
Although the distribution is a little odd, like skipping multiple chapters. Hmmmm!
It's not completely wonky yet
Only three of my short stories have gotten a vote in the last week, so it's not a total system meltdown. OTOH, I don't see the Favorites option on stories anymore, so the few I have ticked now may be the only ones I'll be able to "promote" by referral.
Edit/add: Nevermind, I just found the Favorites option again. Now, if I can just find my a . . . uh, nevermind. ;-)
KJT
"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way." College Girl - poetheather
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
New votes
Yesterday afternoon I Posted a page to a GLBT yahoo group that I belong to. It is a support group in my area called the Watchfire Alliance. On that page I listed several TG friction sights but I listed this one as the best. I do not think that It could have gotten this kind of action so fast but you never know. At the group I'm always talking about the stories that I read and Catherine Linda Michel recently joined the group and at the last meeting we told everyone about her book "Headlights Girl". We told them that they could find it here. I really hope that it generates more traffic and membership for this site.
Jessica Marie
Vote Fairy
It happened to me too, except two of my oldies didn't get a vote, and this morning half a dozen have picked up an extra couple of votes but not all.
Strange, but as long as it's not a glitch, welcome! In the words of a highly esteemed US President "Bring It On!"
Joanne
copycat
Honeybunny-
Those half dozen stories picking up 2 votes a piece today might have been by
someone (an author probably) who actually reread them and voted on them :)
~~~just a wild guess. Laika
.
(and who you callin' a fairy?)
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
Add me to the list of
Add me to the list of author's that have gotten a votes on every story over the last couple of days. Some multiples. Fascinating...
Hugs,
Kristy
I noticed single votes
I noticed single votes popping up on my stories last night. No comments though. Hopefully, it's new readers who've found something they enjoy. Maybe even enough to be inspired to write something of their own...
- vessica b
Mystery Voter Solved
It seems Erin's server is located in Florida.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
The Sunshine State
TG Fiction authors who hail from there include- Steve Zink, Paula Jutras, Caleb Jones, me and others. Actually Caleb and I both live in the same county.(but have never met)
"Florida folks, land of perpetual sunshine. Let's get the auction started before we have a tornado."- Groucho Marx in The Coconuts.
Daniel, author of maid, whore, bimbo, and sissy free TG fiction since 2000
What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.- Oscar Levant
Curious voting
I thought today was my lucky day, finding almost two thirds of my stories with a vote and a hit against them.
Was I imagining it?
Obviously not.
I seriously doubt it's a reader as the number of people here that it's happened to suggests that either this person is a voracious reader and can read War and Peace in one sitting over breakfast or there's a glitch in the system.
Sadly, more likely than a phantom reader/voter.
I don't just look it, I'm totally evil
Don't Give Mo Gwai Water
That was the advice in "Gremlins". Has somebody been leaving saucers of milk out for the vote fairies?
No, Laika! You're "Lovely Laika, Meter Maid". They will write songs about you, I promise!
I'm with Jill. There's a cockroach in the system, and its got hanging chads (ugh!) and resides in Florida,
Joanne
Dodgy Votes
I, too noticed that someone had been through all my story entries and given them each one vote. Now, as someone else above noted, that person would have to be a somewhat prodigious reader to get through all my stuff (not to mention everyone else's), read them and like them enough to vote for them all.
I wonder whether this is a web crawler which isn't obeying robots.txt, but instead tripping code when it hits each page. We've all heard of crawlers which have been through sites and run Javascript snippets which have caused pages or database entries to be deleted... just be thankful the BCTS system apparently is immune to that.
Penny
I've got 'em too
Though interestingly enough (at the time of writing this) the votes skipped all my Drabble Theatre entries, as well as my story "The Tree." Not only that, but "Echoes" has actually received TWO votes all the way through.
Maybe we're just lucky? I hope so, I'd love to know that people are still enjoying my stories!!
Melanie E.
Another Victim of the Mystery Voter
I finally noticed this blog. It took me long enough.
The mystery voter voted for every one of my stories except Gentle New World. Dang. I really like that story.
I don't see how the mystery is solved. A server in Florida is mentioned but what does that have to do with it? Hmmmm.
Okay. Back to buzzin'.
- Terry
I recommend...
Making a single organiser page as the root of all your stories. I quite like your stories, but never knew that Gentle New World existed, which tells you something either about the difficulty of easily finding stories on the site without help or my own tendency to avoid anything that looks like heavy labour.
Cheers,
Puddin'
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style