What's up with the downvoting?

[MafiaNoble]

What's up with people 1-starring your work because they don't like something while not commenting on what it is, they dislike? The way I see it there are a total of 5 stars, so if my work isn't enjoyable but is readable and makes sense, then 2 stars would make more sense right?

Does anyone else get annoyed by people just pissing over the work you've put time and effort in, downvoting without feedback?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Personally, I think it should be mandatory to leave comments with 1 or 5 star reviews. 2-4 can go silently but not the extremes. I don't care (much) THAT they hate it (or love it) just want to know WHY... Or if they're rating ME and not my work...

 

[Corty]

Its the same everywhere.

That's why I will always say that the only type of rating that works is thumbs up and thumbs down.

People mostly either vote 5 or 1 star anyway.

 

[MafiaNoble]

Personally, I think it should be mandatory to leave comments with 1 or 5 star reviews. 2-4 can go silently but not the extremes. I don't care (much) THAT they hate it (or love it) just want to know WHY... Or if they're rating ME and not my work...

Generally speaking I don't leave any ratings myself or 5 star something due to the simple fact i'm reading free stuff on scribblehub. I only actively lower a books rating if i've paid for it.

Example would be if I spent $5/7 on a amazon kindle and the book is filled with plot holes, or things I just get annoyed by. Then i'll probably 2-3 star it.

I get this isn't logical, but that's just my way of thinking ,-.

Its the same everywhere.

That's why I will always say that the only type of rating that works is thumbs up and thumbs down.

People mostly either vote 5 or 1 star anyway.

It makes zero sense to me, if the grammar is good and the book is readable then that should count for something right? Even if the plot and characters aren't up to your taste.

 

[Makimaam]

Jealousy? Plagued with a terminal illness called self-entitled asshole? Idk. I never take a one star rating seriously. To me, three stars hurt more because they signal mediocrity. I don’t think any work that a writer has painstakingly crafted should receive less than three stars. Unless the subject matter is downright gross.

 

[MafiaNoble]

Jealousy? Plagued with a terminal illness called self-entitled asshole? Idk. I never take a one star rating seriously. To me, three stars hurt more because they signal mediocrity. I don’t think any work that a writer has painstakingly crafted should receive less than three stars. Unless the subject matter is downright gross.

i'm just salty because they fucked with my rating when I just uploaded the story.

 

[KennyCelican]

I get this isn't logical, but that's just my way of thinking ,-.

No, that really kind of makes sense. You're basically using five star as a 'like' on free stuff, where you've invested nothing other than the time reading. Meanwhile with something you paid for, you're expecting a higher quality product, so letting others know not to spend their money is useful.

I definitely think for sites where authors are putting stuff up for free a 'thumbs up / thumbs down' makes a lot of sense, because when some people are rating based on serious 'this has potential, but is imperfect, three point five stars' and the vast majority are rating on 'love it! five stars / hate it! one star', the three point fives wind up having all kinds of disproportionate effects.

"Oh, I liked your story, but it wasn't professional quality perfect, so I gave it four stars instead of five"
"Thank you, I know you meant well, but you just dropped my overall Ranking by three hundred points because my average Rating was four point eight five before that."

 

[MafiaNoble]

No, that really kind of makes sense. You're basically using five star as a 'like' on free stuff, where you've invested nothing other than the time reading. Meanwhile with something you paid for, you're expecting a higher quality product, so letting others know not to spend their money is useful.

I definitely think for sites where authors are putting stuff up for free a 'thumbs up / thumbs down' makes a lot of sense, because when some people are rating based on serious 'this has potential, but is imperfect, three point five stars' and the vast majority are rating on 'love it! five stars / hate it! one star', the three point fives wind up having all kinds of disproportionate effects.

"Oh, I liked your story, but it wasn't professional quality perfect, so I gave it four stars instead of five"
"Thank you, I know you meant well, but you just dropped my overall Ranking by three hundred points because my average Rating was four point eight five before that."

Reading that reaction I can see your writing (or have written) something yourself. I'm pretty sure the 1 stars come from people that only read, without putting effort into anything themselves.

I'm salty

anyway, happy i'm not the only one thinking that way. Figured that since it's a free to read site, everyone would think that not voting or rating 5 stars would be weird since there's no point in having a rating system then.

I personally just can't bring myself to read something of decent quality for free and then be like, well, my opinion is different so i'm going to lower your rating.

 

[Makimaam]

i'm just salty because they fucked with my rating when I just uploaded the story.

You can contest and have that removed especially since you’ve only uploaded a few chapters. What I’ve noticed recently is that some new writers have been downvoting books released on the same date as theirs on SH. Surely a work with only a few uploaded chapters shouldn’t receive a negative rating yet unless it’s just petty.

 

[Th3Breadnought]

That sucks, sorry you're going through that.

Doesn't help but at the end of the day, human nature is that someome you make happy smiles, feels good, keeps reading and comes back. Maybe leaves a comment, review, or like.

Someone who got upset by something or was already in a disagreeable disposition feels the need to express it, lash out, and make the world their audience (and a nasty or 1 star review is conveniently easier than actually producing anything).

But silent, consistent, present readers matter more and I think most people intuit enough about people and online culture to be aware of review bombing and not let bad reviews make decisions for them about whether to read or not unless they're substantive and overwhelming in volume.

 

[MafiaNoble]

You can contest and have that removed especially since you’ve only uploaded a few chapters. What I’ve noticed recently is that some new writers have been downvoting books released on the same date as theirs on SH. Surely a work with only a few uploaded chapters shouldn’t receive a negative rating yet unless it’s just petty.

Ehhh, can also be because I made a warning of the fact there'll likely be yuri in the book at some point. Some people just think that's gross and deserves a downvote? No idea honestly.

How do I appeal for a rating removal?

 

[L1aei]

Rating in general is shit; it is a broken system. Has been even before Scribblehub took off.

 

[Th3Breadnought]

Personally, I think it should be mandatory to leave comments with 1 or 5 star reviews. 2-4 can go silently but not the extremes. I don't care (much) THAT they hate it (or love it) just want to know WHY... Or if they're rating ME and not my work...

I actually think this is a really interesting idea. An effort barrier and genuine feedback mechanism.

I do feel my high functioning autism systems thinking activating:

Does the ever so slight effort barrier mean that a lot of people who would genuinely give 5 stars now do 4 stars because there's no work attached? How would you feel about only putting the burden of effort on 1 star reviews?

 

[Envylope]

Ratings would be good if people weren't humans. I agree with Corty. Thumbs up and thumbs down would be better.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I actually think this is a really interesting idea. An effort barrier and genuine feedback mechanism.

I do feel my high functioning autism systems thinking activating:

Does the ever so slight effort barrier mean that a lot of people who would genuinely give 5 stars now do 4 stars because there's no work attached? How would you feel about only putting the burden of effort on 1 star reviews?

I suspect it would be like when a former employer required all managers to "justify any ratings of 1 or 5 stars" and 90% of the managers would suddenly give out ONE five star per employee, even if they'd been giving them five in all, IIRC, 12 categories they rated (this was in place for about half the time I spent at a company I left in 2008, so don't remember the exact numbers), and everything else was 3 or 4.
Never saw anyone get a one-star review - most who might have were gone before the review period came up.

 

[Our_Lady_in_Twilight]

Yeah theres issue with grade inflation as well. Most people are going to click a 5* as a way of saying 'nice job', so anything below that feels a bit disheartening or mean.

So typically you end up with 90% 5* ratings anyway, and the overall score of your story is defined mostly by how many random 1* and 2* trolls found their way in.

 

[Envylope]

Yeah theres issue with grade inflation as well. Most people are going to click a 5* as a way of saying 'nice job', so anything below that feels a bit disheartening or mean.

So typically you end up with 90% 5* ratings anyway, and the overall score of your story is defined mostly by how many random 1* and 2* trolls found their way in.

Yep, most stories shouldn't be rated a 5, but they get so many of those. And as you said, the 1s kinda balance out. Which is why I think thumb up and thumb down. People have proven they don't know how to rate stories with a 5 star grading system.

 

[Puji-Maki]

They were not hugged by their parents when they were young.

 

[Th3Breadnought]

I suspect it would be like when a former employer required all managers to "justify any ratings of 1 or 5 stars" and 90% of the managers would suddenly give out ONE five star per employee, even if they'd been giving them five in all, IIRC, 12 categories they rated (this in place for about half the time I spent at a company I left in 2008 ago so don't remember the exact numbers), and everything else was 3 or 4.
Never saw anyone get a one-star review - most who might have were gone before the review period came up.

Oh, okay. That's definitely data. And frankly sounds much better than status quo. I consider myself persuaded.

 

[Eldoria]

Ratings reflect taste algorithm, not the quality of fiction.