stuffing the ballot box

[Alex Bragi]

Well, I don’t really see it as a ‘scam’. I think that's too harsh a word to use.

No one has been harmed here, and no one has been coerced into giving a high rating. Like Curtis says, “Ingenious. And an in-your-face response to all those authors who post here lamenting how few reviews they get, or how bad their review-to-click-through rate is.”

I think ultimately a lot readers hone in on what they want to read, and their favourite authors, regardless of the reviews of others. In fairness to mickni2000, and I have no idea why everyone on this thread is avoiding using his name, has had a phenomenal response in terms of viewing to his story, and can't see how that could be manipulate.

Alex.

[Curtis]

I avoided his name because, first, I couldn't remember it, and second, he uses a slightly different name as an author than as a poster (I think he's mick_knight or something similar as an author). If I can't get it right, I'd rather not use it.

[Morrighan]

The reviews aren't only there for the readers, though--it's also unbiased feedback, which is very hard to get. A serious writer needs something more than, "I liked it, it was good." That doesn't help you develop as a writer. And "cheating" that way--well, I suppose there are always those with no code of honor. I personally am very serious about my writing, and plan to make a career of it. As of now, the only person in my life who knows enough about writing to critique my work honestly is my mother. And one, she's 1500 miles away, and two, I wouldn't show her these stories. So while I enjoy the compliments, there's rarely much to build from--and that's not just those who review here, that's my friends, too. It's kind of frustrating.

Thus, my question--if serious writers, not only myself, started attaching their stories to posts in the Author's circle, would anyone review them? Not proofread, not edit, but provide honest response to the strengths and weaknesses of the piece? I've done it for others, but I could be just wierd like that. That sort of review is how I learned to truly write in the first place, and I've yet to find a system that tops it.

Morrighan

[Curtis]

I think the size limit on posts would prohibit it, but at least you're thinking outside the box. Down in "the lower half" of the Forum there are some stories posted (mostly in the Fantasies sub-forum, I think), but they just got the same "I love it! Please write more!" that the stories in the Library do.

I guess I didn't make my own opinion of what mickni2000 did clear enough. I think it was brilliant. He put an enormous amount of effort into "getting out the vote" and it paid off, both in terms of increasing his average rating from 7 to 8.5 (which is big!) and in setting the record for most reviews. Granted, he put all this extra effort into marketing when most of us feel it would've more profitably been spent in writing lessons, but, hey! it worked for Bill Gates, and it worked for mick. And don't underestimate the effort he did put into it. Running a fan club takes time and patience, and did you check out the length of his responses to the reviews posted? Most authors can't be bothered to reply at all to a review, and some others just say "Thank you for reviewing", but mick replied to the overwhelming majority of the people who reviewed his story, and nearly always wrote more than the reviewer did. This is obviously a guy who cares about his project and doesn't believe in half-measures. I'll grant you that his record should probably have an asterisk next to it but, like Roger Maris's 61, it's still an amazing accomplishment.

I'm kind of wondering why the second, third and fourth most reviewed stories were all from before the site changed over two years ago. Why did so many more people review then than do now? Was registration not required? Were there many more site visitors then than now? Probably only Jinn could answer that one. Depending on the answer, it might be that the fifth place "Taking Carol" deserves the honorific of "modern-era champion".

[Morrighan]

Not putting the stories into the posts themselves, but attaching them. What's the limit on file size for attachments? or could we just hyperlink to the page within the library itself?

Back on topic--I'm glad that whomever devoted so much time and effort into publicizing his stories, but still...that degrades the efforts of everyone else, in my opinion. No, I don't write for the reviews, but I do look on them as a reward, of sorts, for my effort. If my stories stir someone enough to take the time to review, then I have done my job, and their reviews--not the compliments, but that they bothered at all--tell me I have done it well. But hey, good on him.

Morrighan

[Curtis]

Not putting the stories into the posts themselves, but attaching them. What's the limit on file size for attachments? or could we just hyperlink to the page within the library itself?

Ahh! Now for THAT, you'll need to speak with one of our resident technical wizards. I'm hopeless.