So, I came and saw my rank had dropped about 800 places and I was like, 'wut?'. Then I looked at my analytics and saw some coward left a 0.5 review without comment or consideration. Really, really bummed me out.

Though it also kind of made me wonder if someone is bothering to tank my rating, does that mean in some weird way I've 'made it' enough to attract trolls?

Congrats...

I only give positive reviews (only star ratings so far) but I recognize that this is cowardice, although it's a different kind of cowardice than the one you mention. 

I want to encourage stories I like but I'm dishonest with the bad ones by walking away as I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I doubt I'm the only one. Because I don't give the ones I dislike (including those I dislike immensely, such as the one that involved the methodical torture and dismemberment of a child -- I forget the name but it was about a kid sold to a witch and she lies and emotionally and physically abuses him) the same honesty as the ones that I do, I'm probably implicitly endorsing the story. What it leads to here is that I end up reading a lot of fics that I really don't enjoy because, like me, others won't fairly rate things they dislike. 


There's also the problem of "Do you rate your enjoyment or the quality"? For example, consider The Runesmith. It isn't well written. There are lots of flaws in the characterization. But I love it and I can't wait for each chapter. For me it's a 5 star.  Am I providing a disservice to those who care about those things by not filling out the full review? If I did, I would necessarily cause a fic I love to go lower in the ratings.


I'm embracing my cowardice even if it goes in the other direction from your complaint, it still falls under the same umbrella.

I'm with you on the bad rating. They should at least give you a chance to address why they disliked the story. I mean, isn't this place about growth? If you don't know what you did wrong, how are you supposed to consider the rating properly? Without some context, a low star rating feels more like undue spite, even when it might not be.

I do agree with gloompage, though. Most people probably only give positive ratings and stop reading the ones they dislike. Maybe they are annoyed that you came up with the exact thing they had been working on. I'm not sure how I'd handle that situation, but I doubt I would be a hater.

There are some people who will give 0.5 just because they don't like the story. It has nothing to do with the quality of the story. The 0.5 rating is a dislike button to them. So expect somewhat around 5-10% of your ratings to be 0.5-star.

Half Wrote: Yep, welcome to ranks of the elites. Though you still have some work to do until you reach my status (I've got three .5 star ratings).

I'm just behind you with a two of those badges of honor...

Half Wrote: Yep, welcome to ranks of the elites. Though you still have some work to do until you reach my status (I've got three .5 star ratings).

LOL! Teach me master, I must learn how to anger the trolls!

Ankur_93 Wrote: There are some people who will give 0.5 just because they don't like the story. It has nothing to do with the quality of the story. The 0.5 rating is a dislike button to them. So expect somewhat around 5-10% of your ratings to be 0.5-star.

I think I disagree with the system that allows anonymous ratings. I can see the argument for not requiring a full review for every rating, but I think names should be attached to any rating you give. Stand by it or don't do it. 

Damn, this has me dreading getting popular now lmao. I like seeing the full five stars next to my fiction, it motivates me to write

Strif3 Wrote: Damn, this has me dreading getting popular now lmao. I like seeing the full five stars next to my fiction, it motivates me to write

Really? I'm at a point where they don't matter much anymore. Hardly anything can motivate me to write...


Cause I love to procrastinate...

I got mine a few days ago and my rank dropped almost 1000 but I’m not discouraged because my goal is to be in the top 5000 by chapter 30.

Localforeigner Wrote:

Half Wrote: Yep, welcome to ranks of the elites. Though you still have some work to do until you reach my status (I've got three .5 star ratings).

LOL! Teach me master, I must learn how to anger the trolls!

I have 7 of them. What does that make me?


Don't take them too hard, guys. Yeah, the first one hurt - they still hurt. But as long as they drastically lower your rating, ironically, they say nothing about the actual quality of your writing. 

Currently sitting at 11 :p

I've got 6, but I have way more 4 and 4.5 stars while you have all those extra 5 stars, Zat. We've been over this before....

But as someone said before, don't feel targeted, don't say it's a troll right away. Most likely it was someone who, for one reason or another, didn't like your story. It will happen again. There is no story that everyone loves.

[Account Deleted]

I've got 10 0.5 ratings. Dropped me really far.

Some were from trolls. And some came when I put in a chapter which is very dark.

It hurts, but I learn to live with it. And you should too.

Like Terry Pratchett, my favorite writer. He's so good at writing that he got a Sir from the Queen herself. Worldwide bestseller for years. but there are still those who don't like his work. It's all about taste sometimes.

Some people like it light, some people like it bloody. Yoou just have to focus on your core audience.

Sure, of course, it might not be a troll, but with anonymous, non-commented ratings, there is no way to know either way. :(

And sure, someone might not like something enough to give it that rating...but how much did they read? WEre they turned off by the fact that you (insert type of character here) and never finished the first chapter? Did you forget a comma and they went full Grammar Nazi? Who knows?

It just seems like a crappy way of communicating your dislike.

Localforeigner Wrote: So, I came and saw my rank had dropped about 800 places and I was like, 'wut?'. Then I looked at my analytics and saw some coward left a 0.5 review without comment or consideration. Really, really bummed me out.

Though it also kind of made me wonder if someone is bothering to tank my rating, does that mean in some weird way I've 'made it' enough to attract trolls?

Hey yeah, I got mine a little bit back and it was rough too. Really sucked they didn't leave any comments, advice or how I could improve. I don't even know if it was their genre or just a troll

52 :/

Don't be discouraged! You can never please everyone, and haters gonna hate.

...I'd better go before I start ranting about ratings again.

Haha yeah, I guess that's just part of the spiel. 

One of my favorite things to say when this happens is that even Bob Ross videos have dislikes, so why wouldn't my content?