GENERAL THOUGHTS ON READER RECOMMENDED STORIES...

24 May 2016

Quote by Verbal

Congrats on the RR. It's on my queue. Along with a million other stories I don't have time to read lately. But I will.

Thanks.

I know exactly what you mean about reading. However, the more I read here, and those on the blue site, the more impressed I am.

So many styles, so many people to learn from.

G

24 May 2016

Quote by ThisPing4U

You and Lush are true to your word.

First RR awarded for my piece o' crap story under the new guidelines.

Now I have to find a way to write differently so this does not happen again.

Who gave you the RR? I won't read it unless it was a good mod that gave it to you. If it was simply john or someone like that, I won't take the RR seriously at all.

24 May 2016

Quote by Magical_felix

Who gave you the RR? I won't read it unless it was a good mod that gave it to you. If it was simply john or someone like that, I won't take the RR seriously at all.

Hi,

I understand what you are saying. Please read the comments, and then decide if you want to read the story.

If you still chose not to, I can appreciate that. I don't want to waste your time.

I don't have a lot of RR's, but this story I truly felt deserved one. I was glad when it was awarded one.

G

24 May 2016

Quote by ThisPing4U

So many styles, so many people to learn from.

You could sum up the gist of this entire thread with that one sentence. Read closely and learn from it, bad and good. Use what works for you.

24 May 2016

Quote by overmykneenow

I wouldn't mind answering this. I hope your appreciation of honesty extends to me too.

Do I see them as a power hungry entity? No, but I certainly understand why many people do. I can also understand why people are too frightened to admit to that. Mods become mods for their own reasons - some good some bad. Some people join this site and the only thing they want to be is a mod. There are those as well who would struggle to survive on here if they didn't have the security of being part of the mod team. It explains why some people would want to bother still being a mod, when all we ever hear is how arduous and thankless it is (I love that one by the way).

Usually the bad mods are got rid of without much fuss - if you know gossipy mods you can usually find out what happened in PM. When mods get consumed by power they don't usually do it in full public gaze - MrNudiePants going postal in the forum being a notable exception. Power trips aren't the problem though. What is the problem is the slow creep towards institutional thinking. "I deserve this because I make sacrifices for this website", "us mods are so unappreciated by THEM - let's have a group hug".

The RR system was added as a perk for mods. Whenever you add a perk for the mods, by definition you make things relatively worse for those who aren't mods. We all need to remember who the most important people are on this: the Authors. All of them, good or bad. 97% of the traffic on this site is not concerned with this forum or the chat rooms or private messages - it's here to read stories supplied by dozens of authors every single day

It applies to everyone, Mr Knee - i really would like some transparency of what goes on in mod land if people are sincerely interested, so here goes me seeing if i can shed some light on some of your comments.

1. mod perks. we don't get paid. we put in a lot of hours. there is a mod of the month award that was implemented a while ago, but in the grand scheme of things, if you count of the hours mods put in, it's more of a token gesture and a nice way to say, hey, you're appreciated. at some point, some of the mods asked if we could implement a program that let them feel a little ownership over a good story - it's a rewards for the author, as well, obviously, but it's something the mods really enjoy being able to do, hence the 'perk'.

2. we never forget the importance of the author. one of the things i have always stressed is that we treat our authors with the utmost care and respect. and yes, i have not only dressed down mods who fail to remember that, but i have kicked some from the team and apologized profusely to the writer involved. there ARE times when a writer crosses the line and becomes abusive, in which case, i handle it a little differently, but mostly, i truly do try to treat our writers with the respect they deserve.

the VAST majority of mods on this site, btw, are story verifiers. some, like myself, double up a bit, but their first and foremost function is that of getting stories published. Often, they will take time out to work with writers on helping them edit works that aren't quite up to standard, or, like i often do, just dig in and clean up stories so they they turn from rejections to published works.

3. No, if a mod gets the ax, it IS done quietly. they deserve a little respect for all the work they've done and i'm not going to take that from them - it's usually a matter of burnout and/or something else going on in their lives that's causing stress. no matter what, they have done a lot of service for this site and i never forget that i'm often one step away from losing it myself, on occasion. smile

4. we're not vindictive. sure, it would be easy to mess with someone who annoyed me - i could easily mess with people's scores if they piss me off, or make their stories wait, or whatever. i don't. i ever catch anyone else doing it, it will be the last time it happens. period. if anyone is suspended or banned or whatever, it is because they went over the line, not because one of us took offense to something they've said or posted.

5. why i mod. this applies to most of us. it's not a power thing. i love this site. i've been doing this for 6 years. i love Nicky's vision - she's family in a way - most of the mods are. it's community for me, and i get to see some incredible talent, some that comes to us already in bloom and some that slowly blossoms. i love watching the progression of someone who is starting out and who, in time, finds their voice.

6. it's human nature - you get defensive when you perceive people taking shots at your hard work, questioning your ethics, so yeah, occasionally an 'us' against 'them' attitude pops up. it's almost always a response. should it be toned down? sometimes, sure. there are times when i'll tell the team to cool it a bit. there are times when someone should probably tell me to cool it a bit - thing is, we're a passionate bunch - what we do, we do out of love, and we are passionate about it, and sometimes those passions come out in public forums - we're members, too, don't forget, and sometimes we like to take off our mod hats and just relax.

i hope that helps shed some light on some of your questions? i'm perfectly willing to continue with this dialogue with anyone who can do so in a civil manner.

peace
rachel

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

24 May 2016

Quote by Liz

I actually did laugh when I read that particular suggestion, though. It's daft.

It's not daft; he's spot on with that claim. I was accused of being insulting for merely implying that this site rejects stories for the silliest of reasons. Forget the rules; certain mods will reject a story on the grounds that it might cause offensive to someone, somewhere, at some point in the future. And this is a fact that has become common knowledge amongst amateur writers submitting stories on competing sites.

I've been on the other site for many years, and I've lost count of how many people I've spoken to who now refuse to post stories to this site anymore, simply due to the fact that they cannot get their stories accepted -- and these are fucking good writers with huge potential.

Too many people place too much emphasis on votes of 5 and accolades, and forget what the main purpose of this site really is, mods as well. Other sites have serious writers who write because they love it, because they want to improve, and because people leave comments telling them how to improve. Over here the majority of people don't want to improve; they just want votes of 5, positive comments and accolades.

In my opinion, doing away with the RRs and EPS, and even the voting system, will make this place more desirable for serious writers and deter the vast majority of the glory hunters.

That's my two pence worth anyway.

24 May 2016

Quote by Tricky_Dicky

It's not daft; he's spot on with that claim. I was accused of being insulting for merely implying that this site rejects stories for the silliest of reasons. Forget the rules; certain mods will reject a story on the grounds that it might cause offensive to someone, somewhere, at some point in the future. And this is a fact that has become common knowledge amongst amateur writers submitting stories on competing sites.

I've been on the other site for many years, and I've lost count of how many people I've spoken to who now refuse to post stories to this site anymore, simply due to the fact that they cannot get their stories accepted -- and these are fucking good writers with huge potential.

Too many people place too much emphasis on votes of 5 and accolades, and forget what the main purpose of this site really is, mods as well. Other sites have serious writers who write because they love it, because they want to improve, and because people leave comments telling them how to improve. Over here the majority of people don't want to improve; they just want votes of 5, positive comments and accolades.

In my opinion, doing away with the RRs and EPS, and even the voting system, will make this place more desirable for serious writers and deter the vast majority of the glory hunters.

That's my two pence worth anyway.

It took me a long time to figure out, that mods were a writer's best tool. I agree, that many to much value on a score. I just write the best I can. My reward, is when a mod verifiers it. Then I smile, knowing I had accomplished my point.

24 May 2016

Quote by Tricky_Dicky

In my opinion, doing away with the RRs and EPS, and even the voting system, will make this place more desirable for serious writers and deter the vast majority of the glory hunters.

this site is FOR authors and, i my experience, the vast majority of them enjoy the RRs EPs and voting system. doing away with them would not be a step in the right direction - i think it encourages people and no, i am not about to turn this into an elitist site for serious writers - it's a site for writers who wish to have their voice heard - do we have high standards? yes. does that mean we're going to discourage amateurs from writing? no - the goal is to help them realize their potential and publish stories they can have pride in - comments, awards, votes, are all tools to help further that goal.

My 2 cents

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

24 May 2016

Quote by adagio_sabadicus

It took me a long time to figure out, that mods were a writer's best tool. I agree, that many to much value on a score. I just write the best I can. My reward, is when a mod verifiers it. Then I smile, knowing I had accomplished my point.

The mods may be your best tool, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't apply to everybody.

Some people write really well, and have a great imagination, but sometimes those people are shelved for silly reasons. The majority of good writers will not accept a story refusal because a certain word has been banned or a paragraph may or may not subtly refer to a banned subject. The best amateur writers want to go where their imaginations take them, and don't give a fuck about votes of 5 or RRs.

This site adds too much emphasis to 5-votes and awards, which has, all be it unintentionally, taken a lot away from the writing aspect.

Again, my 2 pence -- we don't do cents in England.

24 May 2016

Quote by ThisPing4U

Hi,

I understand what you are saying. Please read the comments, and then decide if you want to read the story.

If you still chose not to, I can appreciate that. I don't want to waste your time.

I don't have a lot of RR's, but this story I truly felt deserved one. I was glad when it was awarded one.

G

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume the RR wasn't from Simply John, but are the comments part of the recommended read too? Because if they aren't, I'm not reading that shit. I only read RR worthy material.

24 May 2016

Quote by Tricky_Dicky

The mods may be your best tool, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't apply to everybody.

Some people write really well, and have a great imagination, but sometimes those people are shelved for silly reasons. The majority of good writers will not accept a story refusal because a certain word has been banned or a paragraph may or may not subtly refer to a banned subject. The best amateur writers want to go where their imaginations take them, and don't give a fuck about votes of 5 or RRs.

This site adds too much emphasis to 5-votes and awards, which has, all be it unintentionally, taken a lot away from the writing aspect.

Again, my 2 pence -- we don't do cents in England.

If you abide the guideline and listen. Everything will fall into place. There are 'certain restriction om must adhere to. I let my imagination go where it takes me. I have more rejections then you would hazard to guess but I also have been able to be gifted with some RR's. One has to remember that the RR is a mod's personal view. All writers have been rejected at times, don't get caught up in a conspiracy crap. That would be a huge mistake.

24 May 2016

Quote by sprite

this site is FOR authors and, i my experience, the vast majority of them enjoy the RRs EPs and voting system. doing away with them would not be a step in the right direction - i think it encourages people and no, i am not about to turn this into an elitist site for serious writers - it's a site for writers who wish to have their voice heard - do we have high standards? yes. does that mean we're going to discourage amateurs from writing? no - the goal is to help them realize their potential and publish stories they can have pride in - comments, awards, votes, are all tools to help further that goal.

I appreciate your good nature, but people's intentions can sometimes be called into questions, for good reason. The best amateur writers, first and foremost, want to write and learn how to improve their writing. There are a fair number of people here that care only for votes of 5 and accolades, and, like it or not, that does lower the tone to a certain extant, given that this is a site for amateur writers, not glory hunters.

It's my opinion that accolades and the emphasis on high scores take a lot away from what this site was intended for. Good writers do not need incentive; there only incentive is their love for writing. Good writers want the means to improve -- nothing more.

24 May 2016

Quote by Tricky_Dicky

I appreciate your good nature, but people's intentions can sometimes be called into questions, for good reason. The best amateur writers, first and foremost, want to write and learn how to improve their writing. There are a fair number of people here that care only for votes of 5 and accolades, and, like it or not, that does lower the tone to a certain extant, given that this is a site for amateur writers, not glory hunters.

It's my opinion that accolades and the emphasis on high scores take a lot away from what this site was intended for. Good writers do not need incentive; there only incentive is their love for writing. Good writers want the means to improve -- nothing more.

All you have to do, is disable the scores.

24 May 2016

Quote by adagio_sabadicus

All you have to do, is disable the scores.

Cheers. I'll bear that in mind.

24 May 2016

Quote by Fugly
To the OP, the system will never change but thank you for the discussion. In my opinion, the only fair system would be that when someone submits their story, their name is not displayed to the mod.

this. it's so simple - it's almost stupid. i was having this conversation with a friend and he suggested the same thing. i couldn't believe i hadn't thought of it considering i've been in a situation quite similar to this, and this was the solution we used.

i am a former teacher, and this is how we graded standardized writing tests. the only thing i saw on each test was a student number. i found that this was THE most comfortable i ever felt while grading. i purely graded on what was in front of me. no preconceived notions. (please note: i am speaking for myself.)

when it came to grading my own class work, i can admit that a certain amount of bias came into play. if it was a student who had been slacking, i automatically prepped myself to be underwhelmed. if it was a student who had been putting in the effort, but still struggling, i had a gentler eye. a student who was on top of their game received the most critique. was it fair? not exactly. was it human? absolutely. luckily for me, getting a passing grade is a numbers game, and writing only made up a portion of what was considered. so my subjectivity in that regard couldn't keep a child from advancing to the next level.

it's quite clear that this is a highly sensitive subject. it's been rather interesting reading various points of view. i've learned a lot, and have developed new questions. all in all, i would hope to see this carried on in a respectful and productive manner.

My 2 cents

Say. Her. Name.

24 May 2016

Quote by overmykneenow
Well said. I think it's an excellent idea not to show the author's name when approving a story. The name of the author shouldn't have any bearing on whether a story gets approved or not (or Recommended, for that matter). The best writers surely wouldn't have a problem with that - their quality will shine through whatever, right? It would also help stop a lot of the unnecessary grumbling when it comes to competitions too.

Like Sprite mentioned, she, and perhaps other mods as well, sometimes gives a RR when a story may not be exceptionally good in absolute terms, but when it's a major improvement within the authors oeuvre. That would not be possible if the author is anonymous.

Quote by overmykneenow
97% of the traffic on this site is not concerned with this forum or the chat rooms or private messages - it's here to read stories supplied by dozens of authors every single day

May I ask where you got that number? I'm curious what the numbers are for the different sections of the site.

=== Not ALL LIVES MATTER until BLACK LIVES MATTER ===

24 May 2016

Quote by honeydipped

this. it's so simple - it's almost stupid. i was having this conversation with a friend and he suggested the same thing. i couldn't believe i hadn't thought of it considering i've been in a situation quite similar to this, and this was the solution we used.

i am a former teacher, and this is how we graded standardized writing tests. the only thing i saw on each test, was a student number. i found that this was THE most comfortable i ever felt while grading. i purely graded on what was in front of me. no preconceived notions. (please note: i am speaking for myself.)

when it came to grading my own class work, i can admit that a certain amount of bias came into play. if it was a student who had been slacking, i automatically prepped myself to be underwhelmed. if it was a student who had been putting in the effort, but still struggling, i had a gentler eye. a student who was on top of their game received the most critique. was it fair? not exactly. was it human? absolutely. luckily for me, getting a passing grade is a numbers game, and writing only made up a portion of what was considered. so my subjectivity in that regard couldn't keep a child from advancing to the next level.

it's quite clear that this is a highly sensitive subject. it's been a rather interesting reading various points of view. i've learned a lot, and have developed new questions. all in all, i would hope to see this carried on in a respectful and productive manner.

Yeah, whether it be intentional or not, bias will always come in to play; it's a subconscious reaction. People do it without even realising it more often than not. It's human nature. Mods have been guilty of it whether they realise it or not.

This will always cause conflict and divide loyalties, so why keep it? Why not remove it and place more emphasis on the writing-for-the-love-of-writing aspect of this site?

It'll solve a lot of speculation and make this a better site in my opinion.

24 May 2016

Quote by noll

May I ask where you got that number? I'm curious what the numbers are for the different sections of the site.

My guess is the majority are lurking behind the scenes, looking for a bit of cyber fun; preferably two guys posing as lesbians. They've just not heard of the a old watermelon-warmed-up-in-the-oven trick just yet -- they'll soon learn.

24 May 2016

Quote by Tricky_Dicky

Yeah, whether it be intentional or not, bias will always come in to play; it's a subconscious reaction. People do it without even realising it more often than not. It's human nature. Mods have been guilty of it whether they realise it or not.

This will always cause conflict and divide loyalties, so why keep it? Why not remove it and place more emphasis on the writing-for-the-love-of-writing aspect of this site?

It'll solve a lot of speculation and make this a better site in my opinion.

24 May 2016

So many people are speaking about how to improve the site. Many of them have fantastic suggestions.

To me, this speaks to the value they place on Lush Stories.

If the previous members to this post didn't care about this site, they wouldn't have commented.

They wouldn't even have joined Lush.

Regardless of opinion or position, it's great to hear all the different perspectives.

Those differing perspectives lead to the amazing variety of writing styles, stories, and poems.

I love it.

Thank you!

24 May 2016

Quote by sprite

yes, all i do all day is watch for your posts so i can reply asap. and yes, i do have opinions. i'm just a person who enjoys this site like everyone else. as for being power hungry? if you believe that about me, you really don't know me well, but that's your opinion, and you're certainly entitled to it.

lol... omg.... seems like you've taken it as a matter of life and death.... hey relax and enjoy your meal.... and yeah chew well, swallowing is not always good ;)

24 May 2016

Quote by Peri

lol... omg.... seems like you've taking it as a matter of life and death.... hey relax and enjoy your meal.... and yeah chew well, swallowing is not always good ;)

in the last 3 weeks my best friend, a man i've known since i was 4, has passed away and i've had to take a trip to the ER and spent 4 days hospitalized with a tube down my throat. believe me, this thread is pretty far down on the list of things that stress me out. that said, i' doing my best to work through people's concerns in a civil manner, because, believe it or not, i do care about people's opinions. if you'd rather i just ignored the issue altogether, trust me, it would make my day one hell of a lot easier.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

24 May 2016

Quote by Fugly
I have been watching this and just had to add my

In my opinion, the only fair system would be that when someone submits their story, their name is not displayed to the mod.

This is another great idea.... if adopted will stop all the bickering about the issue..... Nicola, please read this when you get out of hibernation :P

24 May 2016

Quote by sprite

in the last 3 weeks my best friend, a man i've known since i was 4, has passed away and i've had to take a trip to the ER and spent 4 days hospitalized with a tube down my throat. believe me, this thread is pretty far down on the list of things that stress me out. that said, i' doing my best to work through people's concerns in a civil manner, because, believe it or not, i do care about people's opinions. if you'd rather i just ignored the issue altogether, trust me, it would make my day one hell of a lot easier.

Everyone has issues in their personal lives. We learn to negotiate with them with personal resolve and with the help of friends and family, however, best are those who maintain dignity with their personal conduct and do not let their anger convert into denial smile

24 May 2016

Quote by Peri

Everyone has issues in their personal lives. We learn to negotiate with them with personal resolve and with the help of friends and family, however, best are those who maintain dignity with their personal conduct and do not let their anger convert into denial

Get well is the main concern.

24 May 2016

Quote by Peri

This is another great idea.... if adopted will stop all the bickering about the issue..... Nicola, please read this when you get out of hibernation :P

Actually no... The topic wouldn't have been brought up again to become an issue if the original topic starter (or his friends he's now pretending to have started the topic for) had a few RRs. That's the issue. If he would have been given RRs, I wouldn't be replying to this post right now. No system overhaul will change the fact that his writing is mediocre and fails to make an impression on whatever mods read it unless the system overhaul is to make the RRs a participation award and mandatory that every writer gets one. To tweak the criteria enough so that everyone has a few, yay. Only then will mediocre writers stop whining that they don't have any.

24 May 2016

Quote by Magical_felix

Actually no... The topic wouldn't have been brought up again to become an issue if the original topic starter (or his friends he's now pretending to have started the topic for) had a few RRs. That's the issue. If he would have been given RRs, I wouldn't be replying to this post right now. No system overhaul will change the fact that his writing is mediocre and fails to make an impression on whatever mods read it unless the system overhaul is to make the RRs a participation award and mandatory that every writer gets one. To tweak the criteria enough so that everyone has a few, yay. Only then will mediocre writers stop whining that they don't have any.

That pert said it all.

24 May 2016

Quote by Peri

Everyone has issues in their personal lives. We learn to negotiate with them with personal resolve and with the help of friends and family, however, best are those who maintain dignity with their personal conduct and do not let their anger convert into denial

like i said, if you think i'm angry, you're mistaken. i was simply pointing out that your observations about me needing to take a chill pill because of this topic are way off base. as for dignity, i've never claimed to be dignified. i am who i am, no apologies.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

24 May 2016

Quote by Magical_felix

Actually no... The topic wouldn't have been brought up again to become an issue if the original topic starter (or his friends he's now pretending to have started the topic for) had a few RRs. That's the issue. If he would have been given RRs, I wouldn't be replying to this post right now. No system overhaul will change the fact that his writing is mediocre and fails to make an impression on whatever mods read it unless the system overhaul is to make the RRs a participation award and mandatory that every writer gets one. To tweak the criteria enough so that everyone has a few, yay. Only then will mediocre writers stop whining that they don't have any.

Actually no.... those who are Wild At Heart aren't suppose to endorse their comments about mediocrity... they're far above that level :P

24 May 2016

Quote by Peri

lol... omg.... seems like you've taking it as a matter of life and death.... hey relax and enjoy your meal.... and yeah chew well, swallowing is not always good ;)

Sprite: I do care.... it's inbuilt so can't help. Therefore, I copy my earlier remarks for you smile