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When to score a story?

PotomacBob ๐Ÿšซ

You're reading a multi-chapter story. When should you give it a score? I've seen some say they never score a story until the story is complete. Others have said they score a story with the very first chapter and then, if they change their mind as the story progress, they change the score.
Is there a "best" time to score a story?

Replies:   Switch Blayde  Gauthier
Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ

@PotomacBob

I used to never score a story until I finished it. If I quit the story, I wouldn't score it. But I've changed depending on why I quit reading so I sometimes do score a story I don't finish.

I don't score by chapter, though. It's the whole story I'm rating.

Replies:   helmut_meukel
helmut_meukel ๐Ÿšซ

@Switch Blayde

I don't score by chapter, though. It's the whole story I'm rating.

What do you mean with 'scoring by chapter'?
Any story (concluded or not) can only be scored at the end of the latest posted chapter.
If it's a story in progress and you started reading with the first posted chapter, you can score after each chapter,
but the score replaces your earlier score, therefore is always for the whole story.
So if you score an ongoing serial always after the latest posted chapter but stop reading after some chapters, your score given after e.g. chapter 17, stays there for the hole story after the author concludes the story with chapter 63.
Why you stopped reading (bored, ill, dead) doesn't matter, your score as of chapter 17 stands for the whole story.

There is something to say for scoring ongoing serials: if all readers would hold back with scoring until the story is finally concluded, Arlene and Jeff by RoustWriter (started November 2006) would still have no score and the author might have got frustrated and stopped posting.

BTW, I'm well aware of the ambiguity of the last sentence.

HM.

Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ

@helmut_meukel

What do you mean with 'scoring by chapter'?

I was replying to P-Bob's description of voting on each chapter. I wouldn't do that. But since I don't read unfinished stories, it doesn't apply to me. I guess I should have said "I wouldn't" rather than "I don't."

Why you stopped reading (bored, ill, dead) doesn't matter, your score as of chapter 17 stands for the whole story.

But it could matter. If a person is rating the most current chapter, the score after Chapter 17, like you say, is for the whole story even if he meant it for only that chapter. I think it was Vincent Berg a long time ago (when he was Crumbly) who claimed he knew what chapters were liked and which weren't because of the voting after that chapter was posted. He claimed the readers were scoring the chapter โ€” giving him feedback on the chapter.

awnlee jawking ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

@helmut_meukel

You're reading a multi-chapter story.

I read the first chapter of an ongoing serial. It was dire. The technical quality was fine but it had no appeal, all the characters were so unlikeable. The second chapter was better, with some of the characters turning out to have previously hidden sides. The story is progressing nicely in the subsequent chapters.

I think the story's rating would have benefitted from the author delaying switching on scoring.

ETA: Sorry HM, I meant to reply to topic :-(

AJ

Replies:   Switch Blayde
Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ

@awnlee jawking

The story is progressing nicely in the subsequent chapters.

That's why I never used to score a story I didn't finish.

Replies:   awnlee jawking
awnlee jawking ๐Ÿšซ

@Switch Blayde

That's why I never used to score a story I didn't finish.

That was a shame. That you couldn't finish it speaks volumes about its appeal.

AJ

Replies:   Switch Blayde
Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ

@awnlee jawking

That you couldn't finish it speaks volumes about its appeal.

That's why I said I changed and it "depends" on why I quit reading it to determine whether or not I score it.

Gauthier ๐Ÿšซ

@PotomacBob

The Score mechanism is a public information service.

Unfortunately my opinion on a story is more than likely irrelevant to most of the others site visitors.

The fact that The top download list has scores all over the place, is a real indication that the votes and score is a meaningless absurdity on sex stories.

Thus, the only effect of a vote bellow 10 is to discourage the author affected by the vote. That's never a good outcome.

I follow a few rules:

If I like the story as far as it is published, then I score it a 10, even if it is not completed yet.

If I dislike the story because of theme, codes, or could not continue to the vote button: Then I do not vote.
The lack of vote is in itself another sanction.

If quality or continuity issues plague the story, and the author is unwilling to make correction, Then I vote 8 or 9 depending on the issues severity.

Ideally, I would want my vote hidden from the authors and have a real recommendation list based on a solid algorithm based on:
* My votes.
* The fact that I started reading or read multiple time a story.
* The fact that I stopped reading a story.
* The votes of all other readers.

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