Triptych turns 100 (upvotes) · 9:07pm Sep 23rd, 2013
And now, a confession.
I'm still kind of a newbie around here. There are menu options I have yet to explore, groups I haven't investigated (e.g. pretty much all of them), and so on down the line. But I used to be a lot worse. To wit:
The megalith was young. I'd just posted the first bit of it. And in had come the first few favorites, upvotes -- and the initial downvote to go with them. Naturally, I was curious about what was going on. I was site-new, still with that distinct Recent Arrival aura. I had no delusions of the Feature box for that story -- I still don't. But it was important to me that the first few people had looked at it and of those, someone had indicated a little curiosity about what was coming next, the willingness to check back later for more -- and there had been those first upvotes. Keep going: this doesn't deeply suck yet.
I was naturally interested in who those people were.
So I hit the Stats button. It gave me the list of those who'd gone Favorite. But it didn't show who'd upvoted, and the numbers didn't quite match.
At that point, I made a mistake. I used Logic.
Hitting Stats gave me the IDs of those who'd gone Favorite. (I didn't know if that worked just for the writer or for anyone.) So naturally, hitting the Upvote button should provide the very short iist of those who'd cast those ballots. Because after all, there was no possible way the system could be set up to allow a writer distortion of their own numbers, right?
*wince*
I upvoted my own story. I can't take it back. (I would if I could.) I think I can switch it to a downvote, but that hardly seems to help, although I do expect it would bring at least a brief round of applause from a few people. It's the only story I've done it on and it truly was unintentional. It's a source of continuing light embarrassment. And it seemed as if this was the time to finally admit it.
You'd think this sort of confession would make the speaker feel cleaner. I mostly just feel like a mobile facehoof.
So... for those who came in first, later on in the process, all the way through the most recent, and have stuck around to see what the bloody @#$% is going on around here -- thank you for coming this far.
We're not done yet.
(In theory. You know, I could get banned tomorrow.)
I always upvote my own stories. It's like I'm giving them a little pat on the head and a cheerful note in their lunchbox before I put them into the submit queue and they're thrown out into the world.
Also, some people use Favorites to track stories that are incomplete rather than making up their mind about how to rate it.
Uhhh... Do you really think anyone gives a shit about upvoting your own story?
If you weren't supposed to be able to do it, it wouldn't be possible.
I'll be honest, I up vote my own stories.
I like what I write, if I didn't I wouldn't post it.
That being said, I'm never the first (or even the tenth) I wait to see if it's being received positively. I don't think this makes it better, but it's the way I do things. I don't favorite them, however, that seems rather redundant.
I thought everyone upvoted their own stories. I was told by everyone to do so.
1370685
What sort of lunch? Just a sandwich and a juice box, or something more substantial?
I also avoid upvoting my stories. I find it rather gauche. I may like what I wrote, but I'm hardly a neutral party.
It is a shame that that thumb can't be withdrawn, but I admire your honesty in confessing your mistake.
And yeah, thumbs should definitely not be non-anonymous and retractable. Oh well.
Oh, and if you have any questions, you've got 279 (as of this comment) folks who see your every blog post. Some, if not most of us (including me) are even willing to help you out.
Halt Miscreant! We at the Department of Minor Crimes Investigation Department have detected your unauthorized upvoting of your own story, and are deeply upset. We are sending two of our best agents, Mattress Tag and Parking Violation over to your house to immediatly examine the premise for other such unauthorized minor crimes such as Overly Long Grass, Parking More Than Six Inches From The Curb, Excess Gutter Fill, and the dreaded Insufficiently Illuminated House Numbers violation. Please have your FimFiction license inscribed on a plate of brownies (double-chocolate chip) for inspection and sampling, as well as 29 grams of M&M candies that have had the W's removed, in order to minimize any possible fine.
Picky Fussbudget
Head Agent of DMCID
1370687
I never said it was a rational embarrassment.
Honestly, I felt stupid when I did it and now I feel --
-- more publicly stupid.
ETA: Besides, it's a premature judgment on my part. I have many words left for descending into deepest suck.
"What were the last words heard before the explosion?"
1370708
Bah! If my stories think they're too good to eat PB&J and a little ziplock bag full of veggies for lunch every day then they are dead to me.
Also Yodels. God, I f#@king loved Yodels. Do they still make them?
... I usually only upvote if I get a significant percentage of ups. Because by that point, why not? Another drop in the bucket ... actually, no wait. I've downvoted a story or two of mine. Huh.
Randomly click the page, why not - here we go, I just upvoted some self-insert clop garbage! Go me. Numbers that fluctuate indeed.
1370730
You'd think a pony named Mattress Tag would have a much more interesting job. Or at least an active series of entertaining hobbies. And just for the record, if I wind up writing about anything even faintly resembling that scenario, ever, I'm blaming you.
Then again, if you do it, you're probably blaming me.
Oh, let's just blame me. It's more fun!
Incidentally, you forgot Alternate Side Of The Street Parking Except On Holidays Which Have All Been Locally Abolished Because Ticket Revenue Is The Perfect Gift For The City On Christmas. Also, We're Doubling All The Fines. Because We Can.
1370768 I *am* blaming you. Right after clicking "Add comment" I went straight into my ideas folder and sketched out a 2-3k word quickie about Bon Bon opening up a cookies and candy shop.
1370790
You're welcome. I take cash and Amazon gift codes.
So what's the DMCID going to be investigating? Insufficient Chips Per Bite? Failure To Label Every Last Calorie In Very Tiny Writing? Toffee Wrapping Under The Chocolate Influence? Or that most dreaded of candy crimes, This One's Nougat?
1370739
I don't think so. Hostess made them, and they went out of business.
EDIT
Correction: All the assets were sold to other companies. Currently, Drakes Cakes holds and manufactures Yodels.
1370768
Do you live in Philadelphia?
1370804>>1370790
Actually, you could go with "the white chocolate isn't real chocolate" thing.
Until somewhat recently, the agency in charge of such things did not classify white chocolate as chocolate. This is due to the lack of cocoa solids. All chocolate types are measured by the required percentage of cocoa solids (semi-sweet, bittersweet, etc).
Only in recent years has white chocolate been legally allowed to be sold as chocolate. Technically.
Yes, I know too much about this subject. I was in pastry school for a bit. Leave me alone.
Anyway, you could have Bon Bon get harassed about that. "These aren't TECHNICALLY chocolate chip cookies."
I have not upvoted my own stories. I don't know why. Possible reasons include "that would mess with the symmetry", messing up the stats over time rather than the absolute stats, sheer self-loathing, and "THEN THEY'LL KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME".
Triptych is now near the top of my to read-list. I'm hoping to get started on it soon.
Ain't nothing wrong with upvoting your own story. The President gets to cast his own single vote during a reelection bid. Why shouldn't you?
This is all presuming you liked your story. One hopes that you did.
1370850
...and here's where we learn the political affiliation of everyone on the site.
*hides*
I'm with Eakin. I've upvoted all of my stories except one. Back when EqD still used the star system, I upvoted there, too.
I have loose morals :(
I always upvote my own stories. Generally before they're posted. :V It gives people a little kick to say, "Oh look, this is brand new but someone already likes it!" It's called marketing!
I don't think Applejack would like some of you very much
Estee, you godless, unethical heathen!
But regarding the upvote thing... I would upvote my own story in a heartbeat the first time I saw that inevitable, unexplained downvote on it. Even with that, a dollar in the tip jar really does help get things rolling, and it hurts no one at all.
I don't have any of my own stories but I've certainly accidently hit one of the thumbs on a story and it can cause a bit dilemma sometimes. For a bland story not worthy of an upvote but not bad enough to get a downvote which one do I leave it on?
Also, Triptych most definitely deserves the featured box. I think pretty much all of your stories are far better than the average quality that ends up in that silly little box.
1370870
Celestia/Luna '16!
1373502
I had enough trouble with vice-principal.
1373629
So I'll put you down for Nightmare/Sombra?
1373702
Nah, I didn't vote the (insert party here) ticket the last time.
1373708
Fair enough. The Evil Overlord Party does have a bit of a disappointing record when it comes to (insert issue of the day).