On Bumping Stories -- (Author) kerry
On Bumping Stories -- (Author) kerry
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Author: kerry
Timestamp: Jan 2, 2018 at 2:57 PM
Content: "Bumping," which can be a violation of story forum etiquette: what is it?
Well, there are several varieties, actually. Here are three:
The first is the old fashioned "I'm going to comment on this in the hope that the author will see that there is still interest."
Then there is "I'm going to ask the author directly to continue it."
Finally, there is what we've been seeing a lot of lately: "I'm going to leave a very brief, non-specific compliment for the author about how much I like the story."
Why is this last one "bumping": Because it achieves the same thing: it BUMPS the story to the top of the cue.
Now this is where things get complicated:
Note that I said above that bumping can be a violation of etiquette on a story forum. Clearly it is not in all cases. Sometimes bumping is a sincere inquiry into the state of a specific story that you happen to enjoy and haven't heard from in a while, a public notice to the author that, yes, you do have readers. But what we have been getting lately does not fit into that category.
We've been seeing a series of one-line compliment bumps (as in "I really liked this story!) of stories completed years ago. Or we've been seeing sequential bumps, piled onto each other: one person bumps a story, perhaps sincerely, and then three or four others add bumps. Sequential bumps are not cool, etiquette-wise. The authors already will have seen the first one if they are paying attention. And all the subsequent ones do is keep returning the story to the top of the cue and making readers think maybe there is actually a new installment.
So what should you do with an older, complete story if you just want to compliment the author?
Send him or her a personal message. It's a far better way of doing things and there is a much greater guarantee that it will be seen.
Thus endeth today's lesson in story forum etiquette.
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Author: kerry
Timestamp: Jan 3, 2018 at 8:14 AM
Content: On dialogues...
Oh my goodness! An honest-to-God dialogue with a spark of disagreement here in the Stories Forum! I can't even recall the last time that happened. And after all, isn't that what a "forum" is all about? A place to air ideas, to debate them, to engage in sincere and responsive dialogues? It was in Plato's day; I think it still is. When we call this a Forum, we indicate that one expectation is that stories posted here may foster real dialogue. Speaking as an author myself, I love it when people provide thoughtful feedback; it makes my day to log in and discover that one of my current stories has been bumped with real, meaningful commentary.
On the other hand, like blablafreckenlover, I'd be annoyed to have one of my older stories bumped to the top of the cue by someone who just wanted to tell me how much he liked it. Don't get me wrong: that is always great to hear. It's just that, as blabla said, there are costs to such bumping. Our current work drops down the list. Readers mistakenly believe we are continuing things we are through with. Etc. And when someone does it several times in a row, as we've seen recently, well, it might be a random feel-good for an author (like ABAlex2) if he sees it, but there is a better than even chance that he won't. PM's are far better. And if you don't have the required posts for them yet...why not consider posting meaningful commentary on current stories until the point when you can PM someone about an older one?
As to my last post—and I've only done two on this subject, not really a "few" at all—I apologize if my tone felt too harsh. I assure you that the smiley face at the end was on my real face as I wrote it; there was nothing insincere about it. Sometimes I forget that writing online doesn't convey the emotion I feel while composing it. The post was not intended to be a "rant" but rather, as I called it, an "etiquette lesson." I think it is well within my purview as Stories Mod to try to maintain the board's integrity if I see it slipping, and this represented a slip. Nothing earth-shattering, mind you, but a slip. The kind of thing that a reasonable person might not understand to be a problem because it simply had never been pointed out. So...I pointed it out.
You do make a valid point about the board's silence of late. I hope that changes. I'll have a couple of new one-offs in a week or so, and I intend to get back to "Carly Lannigan" shortly and maybe even "Internet Star." But I hope other authors too take the plunge and reactivate the board. It goes through waves and we are definitely in a trough right now.
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Author: kerry
Timestamp: Jan 3, 2018 at 8:32 AM
Content: On another forum, I just read a great bump post.
It was for a story that was begun in 2011 but had not had an update in four years. It consisted of three brief ¶s. In the first, the reader comments that they and their partner had just come across the story and loved it for very specific reasons (which were enumerated). In the second, they reflect on how long it has been and offer suggestions for picking it up again (Patreon sponsorship). Finally, in the third, they simply thank the author for writing the piece and reiterate their willingness to contribute to any Patreon the author begins.
It was a great bump. Even though it was very surprising to see that old story in the cue again (and I did a double-take), the reader bumped for all the right reasons and did so very effectively. Now it's all in the author's hands...)
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Author: kerry
Timestamp: Jan 6, 2018 at 3:22 AM
Content: This response to your post is so you can post again and get to ten. There has to be at least one other in between.
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Author: kerry
Timestamp: Jan 6, 2018 at 6:35 PM
Content: Cody,
Just look at what the message says. For older, finished stories the best thing to do is to PM the author. For older, unfinished stories, go ahead and bump them if you want, but don't pile bumps on bumps.
And if you want to write a passionate, far-reaching, and/or provocative discussion of anything at all, go ahead and do it at any time. The point of all of this is that posts that merely say "I liked this" about stories that were written five years ago, whose authors may or may not even still be here, are bumping current authors down the front page cue. It's just how the code is written; there is not much we can do about it.
EVERYONE:
The "bumping" message is now listed in the "Rules of the Story Forum" Thread. No one is trying to shut down discussion, merely to help to direct it where it will do the most good and the least harm.
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Author: kerry
Timestamp: Jan 15, 2018 at 11:31 PM
Content:
WriteAndLeft said:
I don't mind bumping at all. I can't get to my stories a lot and I really got to hunt for them to post a followup chapter if no one has bumped it.
[End of quote]
Ah, but you could just check in the index.
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Author: kerry
Timestamp: Jan 16, 2018 at 7:16 AM
Content:
dogboy said:
I want to add: thanks to kerry for making the story forum much better and usable. She deserves a lot of credit for her hard work.
[End of quote]
You are most welcome.
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Author: kerry
Timestamp: Jan 17, 2018 at 8:52 AM
Content: As an author, I would like to say that one purpose of a story forum is to garner feedback for the pieces we post. It's actually disheartening to spend all sorts of time creating a piece or a chapter and then have no one comment on it. But comments are not the same as bumps. A good comment, which might be a suggestion or a reaction or a question or what-have-you, is an honest communication with the author that in many cases begs a response from the author. A bump is simply a post saying "I like this" or some such thing that pulls an older piece to the front of the cue.
Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid that, BTW. It's in the site's code: nothing to be done. :shrug: