Does anyone else feel intuitively that a kudo under the new system has or should have a higher threshold than a vote did under the previous one?
If so, should we?
Somehow a vote gives me the feeling of "all in favor say aye" -- something one can provide without any real enthusiasm. A kudo, on the other hand, strikes me as a more independent affirmation, an announcement that there's something more than ordinary about a particular work.
As people know, I'm a reader and commenter here, not a writer; consequently I may only be looking at this from one side of the picture in comparison to many of you. So one way to look at this: do writers here generally value kudos more highly than they used to feel about votes?
Thanks for any comments, public or private.
Eric
Equal for Me
I basically see them in the same light and actually prefer that everybody who clicks results in 1 versus 1 or 2 like the vote system. And though I like them, they only have value if they don't mess up Erin's site :)
Hmm...
... honestly I see them the same, it's an easy way to show you read and thought it worthy in some way. But as most of my stories have been here for a while any 'Votes' I had were vanished when the system crashed so I have no idea. A few stories may have Kudos now but not many. The basic idea is much the same I think so either way as long as it causes no drama for Erin it's cool. So... everyone that ever voted for one of mine just go back if you would and Kudo now so I can feel all warm and fuzzy. Thanks. What'ya mean you don't remember...??!!!!
Kristina
Cold Heart / Warm Hands
I approach kudos the same way I approached votes. One of the primary goals of the writer is to get you to "turn the page". (Is that why I spin my Kindle?)
If the writer has gotten you into the story enough so that you read the whole thing, they deserve a kudos or vote. Of course, the exception would be the story that is an absolute train wreck. I sometimes read all the way through the really awful stories, hoping the writer will hit her stride. They often do come around after the introduction, which seems to be hard for many writers on BC. If I find myself reading the whole story, but having to force myself all the way through, which only happen 5 - 10% of the time, I don't leave a kudos.
Big Closet is different than a bookstore. The egos are fragile because most of the authors have suffered intense guilt or humiliation during their lives because of who they are. (Some day the world will change, but I'm beginning to believe it won't happen in my lifetime . . . especially in the U.S.) The writers are writing for a variety of reasons. in some cases they write to justify who they are. Most of the writers are taking a huge personal risk in exposing their souls. Many are telling "their" story. Unfortunately, and perversely, the personal "first time" accounts are many times the least interesting because we've read them so often -- and at the same time the most intense story for the author to write.
In my opinion, it takes a cold heart not to give a kudos if you read the entire story. Of course, if the reader came here looking for stroke fiction, one of their hands is probably to pre-occupied to applaud.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
What is the sound of one hand clapping?
... Wait, no, don't answer that.
Anyway, I agree with Jill; to me Kudos is just what it says. "If you liked the story, click the Good Story button".
Often I'll kudos without commenting, or I'll PM the author if it's of a private nature because I either don't have anything intelligent to add, or someone else already said it better than I could have.
Different strokes for different folks.
*pause*
Gaaaah.
Where are they?
I see the box at the bottom for "Good Story", but checking several stories at random that I would expect to have received a click by now, I don't see any totals box.
Standards? Either you like or dislike something. BC tried a 1-5 scale and that apparently got gamed by some people, so now we have a simple binary system. Like? - check box, dislike? - don't check box. The only "gaming" here is people who go through and check every story by an author, and they can only do that once. Seems simple enough. Not checking any is a null and has no effect. Like most American elections, only a small majority are going to vote no matter what.
BTW: is it just me or does the term "Kudos" seem really lame to anybody else?
. . . .
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until they speak.
I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.
Not to me, no
And as for total kudo count:
1)For an individual story, open it, then look in the right top corner, where the hatbox, who's online, account management menu are... There up on high above anything else you will see the story kudo count.
2)For an individual author, open the profile of said author and you will see the total kudo amount the author received.
For example, for the chapter 6 of The Center: Smells it is as follows at the time of post:
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
'Gratz'
To me 'Kudos' seems a short form of 'congratulations', appropriate for some victory or accomplishment, more acclaim than recognition (but, hey, anyone that has ever finished writing a story knows that approbation is deserved.). Vote always implied there was a choice being made, at least for or against, and how can you be against a story even if you hate it?
However, I think the words were picked by the module makers, not Erin, and I always translated them into 'Thank You'. (There are very few stories that don't deserve that, and I don't reach the end of those few.)
It would be nice if old stories got some, (especially since I haven't posted for a long time), but it doesn't seem to happen so, I guess, most people do see them as "Congratulations", due only something new.
The opposite view
I view it from the opposite direction to you, Eric.
To me, a vote is something of value; something not to be given away lightly; something you have to think carefully about before deciding to cast it. It indicates preference of one story over another.
There are, of course, different definitions of Kudos, depending upon which dictionary you use. I take is as "an expression of approval and commendation". So if I enjoy a story, I give it a Kudos, equivalent to me applauding a theatre performance. After all, unless you write a comment, what other way is there to say thank you? And authors do deserve that - or do you disagree that fundamental point?
I like the kudos!
I've never been in the voting system, the kudo's are all I've known (and of course, several wonderful comments!). I like to think of kudos as kind of a clap on the back, just to say someone liked the story (and finished it), even if they didn't comment. Some folks won't comment, but a kudo is a nice way to say they were there!
Wren
Thanks, Everyone...
...for responding. I'll give them more often from here on in.
Eric