Forum: Bug Report and Feature Requests

Didn't Lazeez mention in another thread that there weren't enough votes on Sci-Fi to do the usual adjustment and that they would be applied once there were?

That's likely, but again, it's a surprise getting slapped in the face with it. Then again, I don't typically visit the main SciFi page, so even if he did post a notice there, I wouldn't be likely to see it.

I at least understand what's happening, but I worry about readers who see all their favorite stories scores tumble, and how they might interpret the results.

All that said, I mainly want to know what the difference between the various sites is, just so I can evaluate my posts to each site. For example, I've been considering no longer posting to FS because my scores are so much lower there than they are on SOL. I interpret those scores to mean that readers don't value my stories as much on that site, so I wonder why I'm wasting my efforts.

However, if the difference in scores is purely a matter of the individual site's adjustments, if I knew that upfront, I wouldn't be as likely (or more likely) to yank my stories from the still struggling site (it's nowhere near as popular as SOL).

So yes, score will definitely differ between sites.

So, to answer my questions, there's basically no way for an author to determine whether their stories are simply 'not accepted by readers of a particular site' (hence lower scores than other sites), or whether those lower scores are simply a random adjustment?

there's basically no way for an author to determine whether their stories are simply 'not accepted by readers of a particular site'

I'd say that's true, due to there being way too many variables involved in the matter. However, if you had a consistent score of 1 out of 10, I'd say you'd have a fair reason to support the hypothesis.

However, if you had a consistent score of 1 out of 10, I'd say you'd have a fair reason to support the hypothesis.

No, instead I'm getting scores (on FS) in the 6s while my scores on SOL are in the high 7s and mid 8s. Also, given the across the board adjustments, I'm not sure how to interpret how one story doing better on one site (relative to my other stories) than on another. Again, is that due to reader dislike, or simply another random scoring adjustment?

As usual, the problem is exacerbated by low reader response rates. While I get more feedback from SOL than anywhere else, the response ration is still pitifully low (at least for any statistical basis). Some of my best responses (and feedback on the book sites) has accompanied my lowest scoring story, so how do I parse those conflicting clues. I suspect, but can't be sure, that it's partially the scoring adjustments, or at the very least, the effect on readers of seeing the scores in the 6s (many will only select stories in the 7s, so a story scored in the 6s may never be examined by enough readers to give it a fair shot).

I'm just trying to parse the difference between the reception my stories get on each site. But as it stands, I'm still siding with 'If it gets low scores on XX site, pull future stories from that site'.

I got a couple of messages saying it wasn't doing well because it was in the 7's. I thought it was doing good because it was in the 7's.

Now you know why I don't look at the scores of my stories, except when these sort of discussions come up - it's a measure I don't care about.

I'm getting scores (on FS) in the 6s while my scores on SOL are in the high 7s and mid 8s.

I covered most of this on another thread about scores. FS has a lot of younger readers with less experience at scoring and different tastes, thus they have different criteria, despite it also having a fair sized cross-site readership. There's enough variation in the readership pools to see a difference in the scoring.

With a new story I'm pretty sure the weighing system on all three sites is the same algorithm being applied, but the final results will vary because a huge factor in the algorithm is all the scores on all the stories during the current scoring period. But the original raw scores, and their number is going to be the major difference, no matter what system is in place.

When the story count is low and vote count is low like on a new site with 24 stories now, the votes are a little shaky as each additional vote affects everything. That's why I designed the system to only kick in after there are over 350 votes in the database.

Suggestion: If the scores on a new site are shaky, why not use the average of the raw scores until an adequate number of votes are obtained.

Alternatively, use SOL's recent scores for comparison until an adequate number of votes is obtained. CW's story would then have very similar ratings on SOL and its sister site.

AJ

Among the things that I'm doing is building a common story server for all the sites.

If the story stat information was being fed into the single database, it should simplify the amount of code and give single answers on all sites it's listed for.

Among the things that I'm doing is building a common story server for all the sites. That would make the scores more homogenous across the network of sites.

One sticking point: often, the clean versions on FS are often quite different than the adult ones on SOL. Would using the same score for both be fair?

Though, to be fair, most stories posted to both sites are generally pretty non-sexual to begin with. Most of mind only have a few minor references or short romantic episodes. I'm guessing that any story posted to all three sites is primarily plot-based, and the various action scenes aren't absolutely essential to the plot.

I'm asking just to see if it's an issue for anyone.

One sticking point: often, the clean versions on FS are often quite different than the adult ones on SOL. Would using the same score for both be fair?

A simple way to handle that is to mark the stories to differentiate. Thus where the stories differ they get different scores, where they're the same, they have a unified score.

In such a case, it's up to the author to submit separate versions for separate sites. Otherwise, stories will appear on whichever site is appropriate.

Ha-ha. I was raising possible issues, but this raises yet another. Most of mine have minor subtractions, like a few minor sex scenes or the removal of certain curse words (I sometimes substitute a few 'clean' oaths), but otherwise the FS version is pretty close. What you're suggesting here is: if you want both stories to be identified the same, leave the code clean-up to the automated submission process?

I ask, because my next story has an pseudo-incest subplot, so there are three minor scenes and a few phrases which were removed, but the rest of the story is identical (including references to the relationship, although no descriptions of it are included, as it fits into the overall plot).

Otherwise, stories will appear on whichever site is appropriate.

I would hope I can still mark stories to appear on all the sites it's appropriate for. I like have all of them on SoL to have a single repository, I also like having the no sex stories on FS for people to read at work and for younger readers. The SF site is good for those who what the specific genre.

edit to add: I like the idea a no sex SF story can go on all three to hit the wider audience, because their are people who go to only one site or the other.

I like the idea a no sex SF story can go on all three to hit the wider audience, because their are people who go to only one site or the other.

Sci-Fi has each story coded for age-appropriateness. When someone joins, assuming they're honest, it limits what they see or can access. I think that's a decent compromise--especially if there's some way to not base it exclusively on trust.

Sci-Fi has each story coded for age-appropriateness. When someone joins, assuming they're honest, it limits what they see or can access. I think that's a decent compromise--especially if there's some way to not base it exclusively on trust.

CW, FS is the same, and I have no issues with that, however, if a story is appropriate to place on all three sites, then I'd like it available on all three, if suitable for two, then I want it on two. I don't want the SF stories on SF only, and the no sex on FS only. a Non sex SF story should be on all three, and that's what I have at the moment, and what I'd like to continue, simply because some people will go to one site and not the others, while some will got to two or all three. I want to get the widest coverage, is all.

Ernest, what we currently do is post to all three sites. In my case, I post a separate (FS) version to Fine Stories, with select chapters coded differently (select explicit scenes removed or terms rephrased). That approach will continue.

What Lazeez has long championed, but has yet to implement, is where you post once, but specify where you want it to post.

What I was asking about is where the thrice-posted stories receive the same score (since there's little variance, except in the FS version). However, since I'm posting separate versions of the story, I can hardly complain if they receive different scores.

What Lazeez has long championed, but has yet to implement, is where you post once, but specify where you want it to post.

He's still designing and writing the database and code to do that, it's one of his major aims, Before he can do it he has to get a unified code set for the auxiliary functions, which is what he's doing now. The unified log on is part of the overall project.

As to the stories, I write the story, if it fits only one site, that's where it goes, if it fits two, it goes on two, if it fits all three, then it goes on all three. However, I don't do a version for one site and another version for another site.

As to the stories, I write the story, if it fits only one site, that's where it goes, if it fits two, it goes on two, if it fits all three, then it goes on all three. However, I don't do a version for one site and another version for another site.

Typically, I'll post the identical story (with the proper age-appropriate coding) to both SOL and Sci-Fi, but I'll typically rewrite select chapters (ex: "Chapter 5 (FS).html") for FineStories, as I'll remove any explicit sex and will sometimes rephrase curse words (though I generally like the way the system takes out dirty words while still preserving what was actually intended). Thus I don't write two separate versions, as I modify certain passages to fit the site. However, for Lazeez's sake, I'm happy posting to FS separately with a separate version that keeps separate scores. If it gets lower scores, it's probably deserved since it's missing content I felt was important to the main story.