Seriously? A Christmas contest story that requires a premiere readership to finish? really?
Seriously? A Christmas contest story that requires a premiere readership to finish? really?
If you look at the contest rules you may better understand why it is restricted. Because there is a prize, it is partly to restrict the options of people using multiple accounts to vote, which is a reasonable enough requirement.
If it also encourages people to pay for premier membership, then that is a bonus.
If I remember right, once the contest is over the stories are available to all. It's all about who can vote.
Can paid premier members vote on their own entries? I presume non-paid premier members can't.
AJ
Can paid premier members vote on their own entries?
I don't know.
I presume non-paid premier members can't.
What's a non-paid premier member?
What's a non-paid premier member?
Evidently an author who has crossed some sort of magic threshold on the number of readers they've had.
Evidently an author who has crossed some sort of magic threshold on the number of readers they've had.
Actually no, it's not based on number of readers.
An author with a free account can get free premium access if the author publishes a given quantity of story on SOL
On the author tools page there is a link to their story stats page which lists all of their stories, the size, number of votes and score.
There is also a totals line which has two numbers for size the main total and a smaller number in () which is tagged with a subscript.
Here is the text for the subscript note:
This number is the size of text qualifying for premier service. If it is over 500, then you should be getting premier service on the site, or you will after your next post. It's calculated from the regular size and the score. Better quality stories are worth more. Stories with multiple authors are divided among all the authors.
Evidently an author who has crossed some sort of magic threshold
Yes, they can vote. They're premier members.
Contest rule 5 states:
5.Only paying members will be able to read and vote on contest stories.
Free members and premier authors are ineligible due to the fact that any person can open multiple free accounts and we have many authors with multiple premier accounts each.
Contest rule 5 states:
5.Only paying members will be able to read and vote on contest stories.
Free members and premier authors are ineligible due to the fact that any person can open multiple free accounts and we have many authors with multiple premier accounts each.
I think this answers the question completely.
Contest rule 5 states:
5.Only paying members will be able to read and vote on contest stories.
Free members and premier authors are ineligible due to the fact that any person can open multiple free accounts and we have many authors with multiple premier accounts each.
Quoted from a ustourist post say up towards the top of all this.
What's a non-paid premier member?
A blooper on my behalf. I meant an entrant to the competition who hasn't paid for premier membership.
It's seems a smidgen unfair if paid premier members can vote on their own stories but other authors can't.
AJ
It's seems a smidgen unfair if paid premier members can vote on their own stories but other authors can't.
If they pay for multiple accounts then they can vote multiple times. Seems fair. If they don't pay, they can't vote. But, and this is important, NO ONE should vote for their own story. That's just bad form. Instead, let your story stand on its own. If you want to vote, vote for another deserving story that you admire. After all, it doesn't hurt having more quality stories, even if they're not all yours!
That's just bad form.
Aren't there prizes for competitions? A paid member could vote up their own story and vote down the competition and possibly receive a tangible benefit as a consequence.
AJ
Aren't there prizes for competitions? A paid member could vote up their own story and vote down the competition and possibly receive a tangible benefit as a consequence.
They only get one vote per paid account. Thus they'd have to purchase multiple accounts, using different names and emails, to make any difference. In which case, it would be such a boost to the site to SOL's finances, I'd call it a wash. But I can't see it happening, at least not enough to affect a competition.
Aren't there prizes for competitions? A paid member could vote up their own story and vote down the competition and possibly receive a tangible benefit as a consequence.
Aren't you reading the other posts? Contest authors are not allowed to vote at all in the contest.
No, but the only paying member who could vote for their own story would be its author, and they are not allowed to vote in the contest they are participating in. Granted, they could get friends who are paid members to vote for their story, but I don't think it would make that much difference.
the only paying member who could vote for their own story would be its author, and they are not allowed to vote in the contest they are participating in
That's something I didn't know. Is it stated in the rules?
AJ
The rules don't state that authors can't vote on their own stories if they are paying members (if not paying, they can't vote), though they can't admit what they voted for as that may be perceived as identifying the author.
However, morally some could consider it cheating and excluded under rule 12:
We reserve the right to ban anyone from the contest who we suspect is cheating in any way, including but not limited to vote tampering and copyright infringement.
Since I didn't submit a story, am not a paying member, and have selective morals, I can't speak for people who have any of those I lack. :)
Since I didn't submit a story, am not a paying member, and have selective morals, I can't speak for people who have any of those I lack. :)
"selective morals" I'm defiantly stealing that one.
they could get friends who are paid members to vote for their story
...I thought we were all a bunch of Billy No-mates here...
Aren't you reading the other posts? Contest authors are not allowed to vote at all in the contest.
Contest authors aren't guaranteed a vote, because there's no way to guarantee they won't vote multiple times. However, if they have a paid membership, which several do, then they can vote however they want. That seems fair to me, as I question authors unwilling to vote for anyone else. Voting for oneself seems gauche, and with only a single vote, they can't effect the outcome anyway.
Aren't there prizes for competitions? A paid member could vote up their own story and vote down the competition and possibly receive a tangible benefit as a consequence.
Somehow, I suspect the amount of money they'd have to spend in order to "buy the win" would cost more than any prize they'd be likely to obtain is worth. As such, if they wanted to go that route, more power to them. Laz can use the cash. :)
Somehow, I suspect the amount of money they'd have to spend in order to "buy the win" would cost more than any prize
My guess is there is no way that would be practical. Then again I think most of the prize is the bragging rights not the financial.
A verbose writer. :)
That was actually something I didn't even know about when I started posting my story. I think it's a nice benefit and thank you that doesn't have to be given out, but I appreciate it immensely.
What's a non-paid premier member?
Me, me - that's me!
I only found out about it when I qualified and my account access changed. I never bothered looking at all the details on the FAQ when I started posting stories. I already had a few to post so I had a lot go up in the first year.
Personally, I see nothing wrong with only being able to vote once. If you aren't eligible to vote, then pony up a Premiere membership. But I don't understand winging about an author's inability to cheat their way into winning by voting for themselves multiple times.
Its probably the point of view: Some think the only way for them to lose at anything is for the other person to cheat.
I however believe its a combination of many factors. 1: on any given day any writer can tell a good story.
2: the votes will vary from one day to the next depending on the individual moods and quirks of the readers.
3: the skill levels and abilities of writers vary so on any given day any of them can have stories ranging from good to great depending in reader's reactions to the stories.
In other words whoever is declared the winner is a matter of both luck and skill with luck being a huge factor.
In other words whoever is declared the winner is a matter of both luck and skill with luck being a huge factor.
Damn it, all my fans were in Tunisia, visiting their families for the holidays during the voting! No wonder I lost. If we'd only had the Christmas contest in May, I'd surely have won!
Damn it, all my fans were in Tunisia, visiting their families for the holidays during the voting! No wonder I lost. If we'd only had the Christmas contest in May, I'd surely have won!
Eid in Tunisia was somewhere around August and the Coptic/Greek Christmas is in January - Lazeez evidently chose the wrong religious festival for you.
But I don't understand winging about an author's inability to cheat their way into winning by voting for themselves multiple times.
Who is doing that?
AJ
Who is doing that?
It's the implied reductio ad absurdum insistence that authors should be free to vote as many times as they want. The idea being, if there's no controls over which Premiere accounts can vote, then you're arguing for cheating.
if there's no controls over which Premiere accounts can vote
I personally believe that authors who submit stories for a contest like this and others should be blocked from voting. That includes any additional accounts that they may have; although Lazeez may not be able to link an author to the additional accounts.
I personally believe that authors who submit stories for a contest like this and others should be blocked from voting. That includes any additional accounts that they may have; although Lazeez may not be able to link an author to the additional accounts.
That's actually fair, though it seems a mit unfair to ban them for voting for other authors they admire (though again, that falls into the 'quid pro quo', you vote for me and I'll vote for you' old-time vote rigging schemes.
Personally, like others, I'd say let whoever pays for their Premiere membership vote however they want, as it supports the entire site and keeps it running longer than all of us ranting about what we deserve!