Politics Of WC

This is an older piece...but still valid- mostly ;)

I have been wondering what the cafe represents lately. Is this place for writers or for those that need their ego stroked? Do I need my ego stroked? Do you?

 

I LOVE to write. I write in my sleep, no lie! Sometimes I wake up, reach under my bed and grab my notebook. I atleast write a skeleton of an idea I conjured during slumber. It's that intense for me! Yet after I post things here lately, my excitement fizzles rather quickly. I start wondering what people will think of what I write...will they rate it accordingly or will someone with a personal vendetta come along and rate it to zero for their own ego. Hmmm...I think the fact that someone CAN do this is problem enough.

 

There has been many pieces about the politics of this site lately and I have responded generally the same on all that I have seen. The only thing I haven't said is this:

 

I think it is ridiculous that one has to come on here and entertain SOMEONE ELSE'S idea of a good poem or story. I think EVERYTHING that is written is sacred and valuable. I don't think there should be ANY ratings available at all. That's why I have decided to leave off that option from here on in regarding all of my works.

 

Originally I had this stupid idea that people were here to be read. Maybe because I saw this place as an oasis for serious writers and not another glorified myspace. Now before any of you myspacers get your britches in a bunch, please understand. There is a place for everything and there is nothing wrong in theory with myspace. However, when I think of a place to read good poetry, myspace is not the first place I think of. That being said, my point is basically that Writers Cafe is looking more like a "look at me" site than a place for artists.

 

Not for nothing, the top lists on both the writers and the writings page leave a lot to be desired. I have been up there many, many times. Now, I am not so eager to be there. Reason? There is no credibility there. If someone gets 5 reviews on 2 of their pieces and their overall score is over 95%, they will appear on the board....so? So what this means is that your writing isn't necessarily being rewarded, it's more like your friends are rewarding you for probably reading them earlier that day.

 

Now I know that is not true ALL of the time, as there are SO MANY genuinely talented writers on here...but seriously, how many of them are there. I used to think that others who felt this way were just being bitter for NOT being up there themselves. BUT, I have since changed my mind...I am up there a lot and I don't like it.

 

There's only one problem though. Like EVERY WRITER, I want to be read. Now how can new eyes see a new piece of poetry if I close off the ratings? They can't, only those on my friends lists will ever see anything...hmm...I love all my friends, but I like fresh perspectives too. You may be saying to yourself, "Yeah, but friends can send your work to others." THIS IS TRUE. BUT- This site took away the "send to all your friends" options. This means that someone would have to go down their entire list, picking, clicking and choosing who to send a work to. Do you think most would do that? I don't think so. I have come across some really great pieces and wanted to pass it along to everyone...but I always stop somewhere around "d," it gets tedious!

 

Anyway, my whole point of this vent is to express my displeasure at the inner works of this site. The badges, the ratings, the lists...but most certainly not the people. Let it be known, I like coming here and reading everyone, that is not the issue. The issue is simply the politics. I wish in this coming new year for a better, more peaceful environment to write. Where I can feel free to voice my opinions and still be respected...

Reviews

[H. A. M.]

This place is a far cry from what it used to be when I first got here. It was pleasant sure enough but there was still room open for sabatage as I saw from reviewing and having my review being slamed and messing up my stats. (That's when I really cared about that.) Fabian G was another guy on that same piece that got slammed and I couldn't figure what the problem was on that. He's no longer here and I wonder does this place chase away good writers for poor sports.

"I think it is ridiculous that one has to come on here and entertain SOMEONE ELSE'S idea of a good poem or story. I think EVERYTHING that is written is sacred and valuable. I don't think there should be ANY ratings available at all. That's why I have decided to leave off that option from here on in regarding all of my works.

With the ratings system as it is now I wonder is it too sensitive. I've rated three writers only to get a response like I just threw there score in the basement. Not my intent and never will be. None of the ratings were harsh or below what I thought was fair in 'my' eye. Yet it seemed to do a huge amount of damage. I do wonder how anybody can be knocked off the page by one rating not far below 95. Also if the ratings slide is open then it's fair game for a legitimate rating and not intended to be used to slam someone.


"Not for nothing, the top lists on both the writers and the writings page leave a lot to be desired. I have been up there many, many times. Now, I am not so eager to be there. Reason? There is no credibility there."

Until there is a foolproof system to rate without bias then it's hard to say. I've seen it said by one that the same people are always up there. My answer was it can be cliquish at times but then they put in the work. Anybody who puts in the work can get up there. It's hard to see your worth if people become to agreeable or harsh. So why are we really writing? The best reason I have because it's touching somebody. My greatest moments have been when someone tells me the printed out my work to hang up on their door or someone I don't know from off the site decided to leave a comment saying they liked what I wrote. Those are my little special moments that I won't get a star or any points for. It sticks with me better.
I wonder what's going to happen now.
Charles could find out who has more than one profile easily I think. He could look at the IPO number to the computer and see who's got more than one profile. I don't know what software he would use but then I think that may just ruin the site all together. I wish I could be on the show but second shift is ruining that idea. There's really a lot more I wanted to say.

[Robert Luna]

I read a lot on here and any time there is a rating scale on a piece I give them a 100. I don't feel it is my place to say that a piece of writing is bad. How can I judge the place that your writing comes from. I am like you I write in my sleep in the shower while I'm driving ( I know that dangerous but inspiration hit you at the weirdest times). I send request out to people because I love to be read. I love that others enjoy my work and are inclined to leave comments about how a piece makes them feel or that my words made them stop and think. I honestly think that is one of the greatest compliments we can receive as a writer. That our words mattered to someone just as your words here. You are great writer and I have enjoyed reading you in the past and any time I see something from you i stop to read it. The rating game on here leaves something to be desired. I agree it seems lately that it has become more of a popularity contest. I am one of those people that reads anything that is sent my way. I love to read others and to see the world through others eyes.

Jenny you have write something here that is truly something that needs to be talked about and for people to really think about. A majority of us find happiness here reading and being read. That is way I came here. I had posted my poetry on myspace and other site like that and just did not feel that I was being read or that my words were just not good enough I thought. But when I found this place and people welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to read their words and find inspiration in them. It was as if I had found a home that I had lost so long ago I had nearly forgotten it. So I am happy to be here and to be read. I play little mind to the top rated stuff. I am here to enjoy myself and enjoy the company of other writers and people that I have come to love and respect.

I applaud you and your piece.

[Gary H]

May I just say two things. First off, I know many writers from here who have decided to disappear to MySpace for the simple reason that there is a tremendous ego from some people on WC that rubbishes the 'writing' concept for everyone else. As you do state, MySpace is a chat site but without the status of a writers site. Some can relax there knowing that they have freedom and won't come under scrutiny, jealousy, vindiction, virus attacks and anything else that may be messaged through to them......I know the site changes here were designed to prevent any of this feeling and for everyone to live in harmony.
Secondly, when I was first on site I was told people enjoyed reading my work because I had obscurity. Recognition killed my enthusiasm for writing. Yes, I do still write but very little gets on this site or will. I never asked for points or top tens or best writer or writer of the week, writer of the day or top story of the last 10 minutes or reasonable review out of five or six on a site.
Always I give constructive critisism and want the same fed back. I am finding writing reviews, not being entertaining for others to read, and so slowly have to accept that if someone writes 'that was good' on my site I should return the compliment. To get over this anything I do decide to post I never send out and leave it up to the WC readers if they choose to read or not but I wonder if I should bother at all.
To be honest I don't find this ironic to be made a piece of Top Writing simply because the guys trying to control this site must be wondering about the monster they have unleashed and where the destiny of the writing site will lead to.

[JC Fox]

I agree the rating thingies should be gone and another thing that pisses me off about this site is the fact that people openly criticize a piece, that's fine but if they are going to rip it apart because of grammatical errors and because a friggin period isn't where it should be then that's why they make notes. I have had people b***h about my grammatical errors and some woman even had the audacity to tell me to use spell check for microsoft word. I told her that as far as my punctuation goes, that is where word tells me to put something and therefore if you have an issue take it up with the good people of microsoft. I came on here to be read, not have people b***h about little errors if you can learn to look past the errors good, if you're so friggin anal that you have to focus on the sentence and the structure then get the heck off the site. I'm actually starting to get tired of the people whining about structure when its the story being told that should actually be taken into consideration. I also am annoyed at the fact that someone told me that my book had the same story plot as any other typical story of its sort. The kicker is this person only read the epilogue so how the hell would they know? He is a Marine and my friend has a saying about Marines which I won't get into but if he can judge a piece by the ending then how could he truly judge.
Frankly you're right this site does seem to be turning into a big popularity contest and its actually quite sad to see that it could be just the writers version of myspace. Unless a piece has horrendous spelling in which I can't make the words out as to what they are supposed to be I'm not judging on sentence structure or stuff like that I'm here to read what has been written. And as for the idiot that told me my story plot is just like every other story out there like that. Well if he actually removed his head from his sphincter he would realize that great stories through history are based and like something else, now a days most novels and what not are actually going to have the same plot basis because it is what sells or what is popular at the time. Sorry I ranted, I just wanted to say I have been dealing with the stupidity and popularity game of the cafe recently, I have blocked three writers because they have reviewed pieces without having actually read them, their reviews were not helpful and well just plain all around is the fact that well that is why they make editors.

[Jayne Ann Saporito]

I absolutely agree with you about the option of sending a piece to all your friends. It should be easier to do, not having to click on each name on your list. There's no reason why there could not be a link to all. Kudos to you, and Happy New Year!

[Lydia Shutter]

Jenny, when I came to this site, it was to post my poetry and find other writers who would be willing to read my work and give me their genuine opinion of it. I do believe that happens here, but lately there is something more common...and that is people coming here from myspace and other such sites. They are generally younger than I am and I sometimes have difficulty identifying with the work they post. I also find a lot of writers want to accumulate as many friends as they possibly can...as if there is a contest to have the highest number. There are a lot of cliques here...and yet I am fortunate enough to be on the top writing and writers lists frequently. All in all, I enjoy this site, but I don't have the time to devote to it that others seem to have....your opinions are not unfounded, Jenny....I agree with a lot of them. Lydia

[Rain]

I've never felt I had total freedom of speech on here. I'm moderate and can be very conservative, as you know, :) But, we remained friends, which is how it should be. You can get caught up in this world. Let's say I was third from the top, and below me was a friend, who I knew was a good write, and I would rate her accordingly. If I did read her/him I'm automatically knocking myself back..so I ignore. It hit me the other night, and I reacted to it. I rated her a 100, but she didn't pass me.
I really don't understand the rating. I've had pieces that I was embarrassed to see go to one. I've had pieces I thought were good, go no where. I never flood the board, and I admit to being a high rater, not for any quid pro quo, just my style. There's also people who I know don't like my style, and I'm very aware of it. It kind of hurts, because I want to move people. That's my sole purpose of writing. BUT, I do not like pity votes, or emotional votes. I will read a piece I disagree with totally, and still give them a good rating, based on how they made their point,the sincerity, etc.
I had a goal whe I came here. I just reached it a few weeks ago. It was personal. The other day I realized the power this place can have on you, and I almost hurt a friendship. It will never happen ,again. I will leave if it does. I'm competitive, but when I see this place change who I am..I'm gone. Thanks for letting me get this out through your excellent piece. Rain..

[Pema Dorje]

Oh, I concur and yet with childlike glee I want others to see ...

The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram shows the relationship between absolute magnitude, luminosity, classification, and effective temperature of stars. We are 'all' stars here so using that as a gauge makes more sense than the subjective numerical spreadsheet thingy.

Unlike the slidy thingy which is defined with subjectivity, Brilliance in a Star depends upon where you are looking from. Solipsism gets in the way. A quantum aspect is that you affect the piece you are reading by where you are looking from.

As such, a piece is a Star in a firmament of Stars each brilliant in their own way. The alacriticality of the review is the important thing and not the 'spreadsheet' mentality which is just lazy! (Alacriticality is a portmanteau of alacrity and critic which infers a lively critique)

If you see where a writer can improve, 'prove it' within the writing of your review. The 'gauge' has become the 'kiss of death' here at WritersCafe. Some reviewers will say 'nice nice' things and then give a low number. The intent was and is to knock the writer off of the Top Writing rosters.

I am a heathen writer learning my 'chops' and still in kindergarten doing 'show and tell' ... that is why I am participating here.

According to some linguistic theory's, when Man had his first thought iteration, he grunted to the tribe that God had spoken to him. Reviewers are often treating us this way ... as ART-Official clarions of meaning; priests of forms and rituals. Politicians and Religious leaders just absorb these word painters and meaning makers into their Propaganda Wars against Us. Yet they fail as the Human dance usually outpaces their idee fixe ...

Meaning is like Truth, a neverending organic dance ... not carved in 'stone', otherwise we would have to be iconoclasts!

The cool ones (reviewers/writers) let us find out that God actually speaks to us all this way! Inside Out ... the heArt heathen heresy!

As such any and all reviews are suspect. We utilize them for garnering effect and spotting errors in the craft of writing. The like/dislike qualities of the vast majority of reviews are subjective and mostly irrelevant! A diversion at best! Applying a number to a piece is ignorance in action; a DarWINian artifact!

To write properly and clear,
Is in part, the goal.
To write simply, and with Heart,
The very Soul.

Not for charm of wit,
The Monkey mind, to impart.
Nay, 'tis Evolution and Change,
That is the real Art!

'These are my principles, and if you don't like these, I have more' - Groucho ... smiles gleefully

[Stacy A. Foster]

Good points. I tend not to sweat it because I have never used the ratings here and don't plan on using them. Rating the work of others like it's a movie to be run for profit isn't my idea of a good time. I still hate the fact that I can't subscribe to some, you included. That's currently my biggest complaint. For ego strokin' I think MySpace is the place to go. Honestly, sometimes it is nice to hear "good job!" But other times, you want some constructive suggestions, and in that case, I think that's where this place could shine.

I usually selfishly write for myself, and use this site more of a depository for my works. If they made some way of binding up our writings for us (for a fee) or backing them up, I'd pay for that service. I get worried sometimes though with the technical issues that one day I'll come here and my writings will be gone. For that reason I also post on MySpace and save on my PC.

There is a lot of talent here. Sometimes you have to dig for it, other times it's right in front of us. I come here regularly to read the work of my favorite writers, to learn from them, and to save some of my own writings for archival purposes. The contests are a fun means to participate in, but I worry about the ones that aren't open for user votes, and thus usually don't submit to those.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and write on!
Stacy :)

[Lionel Braud]

I want to keep my rant to a minimum here because I do use the site, but I agree with everything, it is a glorified
myspace.

[WildPigUK]

All I can say is Amen...