Oi,

Hope all is well in Litmock land. Time for an update I spose, or Dave wants one anyway. Many things in limbo. Many in motion. But I spose that’s life. You get to spin your wheels to go nowhere, eh?

Well, watcha gonna’ do? I guess I spin some wheels here. The last newsletter I asked for personal stories in relation to Litmock. Someone you met. The first time you won money here for your writing. Something that got published because of edits here. Whatever. So I’m starting a $10 contest for the personalized Litmock story that gets the most votes. Most or all of the stories posted there will be going into the forthcoming book that chronicles Litmocracy’s early years, though I will likely edit them. I know you have stories. I have tons. I have maybe the best story of my life in fact, something I recently discovered ultimately through this site, though I’m not getting into it right now, it’s quite wonderful, and I have many damned fine stories besides that. I’ve physically met and gotten to know or have known lots of people through this site. I’ll share a recent story that relates to this site to give you an idea. I just went to Canada because of someone I know through here.

Why go to the land of square wheels, bitter cold, aboots and french speak you say, when you live in the cradle of joy and freedom right there in the good ol’ US of A?

Pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff....

I love french. Is probably the most gorgeous language of all. Is partially why I’m a Kerouac freak, he played with and combined English and French. My best friend told me it was the gourmet food of languages and I tend to agree. Anyway, I went North to visit our very own StarLizard. To pick another beautiful mind. I have encountered many beautiful minds here. That’s why we’ve put so much effort into this site, why we’ve worked at it so long. We want to identify beautiful minds, help open them up, help them learn they can make this hell hole a better place by being inquisitive, learning and working together. And sometimes, because of this site, I learn and gain that very insight myself. I did on this trip.

When I went there we drew and we wrote and kicked around ideas about this site and the book, which all of us are working on whether you know it or not. I met 3 very cool cats and a large Raccoon named Bandit. Saw a black squirrel which was wicked cool because I didn’t know they existed. I found Canada to be a wonderful place. It broke all preconceived notions I had, which, by the way, I should know better than to have, but I did have them. I guess I believed Canada to be a very socialist place compared to the freedom that America offers.

HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAMUAHAHAHAHAHBAHHHHHH… Oh… Gawd… Sorry.

So, I find myself wandering around Ottawa of all places, the Capitol of Canada. And I’m looking at all these free spirited relaxed people walking around in this clean city, and I’m learning that Canadian laws and police are far more lax and less militant and intrusive than here, they tend to treat you like adults there. And I look up and see all these beautiful buildings, really gorgeous, but for this one monstrosity surrounded by concrete bunkers that stick out in the street and block traffic, and it’s the US embassy, and I realize why I have these preconceived notions. None of the other embassies are blocked, they’re beautiful and open. The US embassy is obnoxious and military and oppressive looking, a bunker built to guard a freedom that no longer exists, to keep it away from people who ignore it and have no desire to attack or invade because they don’t want it. Now I know why we’re viewed the way we are, and why I had preconceived notions. Because I’ve been fed the pablum that we’re so free here and no one else is for so long, I subconsciously bought into it. Now I want to move to Canada. But I’m trapped in this place by so many things, starting with retarded green paper that I despise and loathe anyway, but many other reasons as well.

Though some day, mark my words, I’ll become a Canadian Citizen! That place rules. Will take some work getting used to the square wheels. Or maybe I just splain to them round ones work better. I do so like to rock the boat.

Anyway. That is my recent story and my insight gained because, in a a roundabout way, of Litmocracy. Now I know a lot of you people and can even tell some of your stories. Mikael Covey, what of your trip to my house on your way to New York. Ernest Dempsey and I are slowly working on a book. Dave has come to my house, seen 99 Burning, I’ve stayed at his. We’ve built this site. Julia Anyway worked on the Alien book. Dean and I drank beer in bars in Baltimore when we were 22 and we met at a gig. We corresponded as writers BEFORE the Internet. I could do this for quite some time but I’m sure you all get the idea. Let’s hear your story.

Until next time,

Hmmm, How about a gourmet good bye,

Au Revoir

I’m very happy to have received an update. It’s nice to know that progress continues and that the jetsam is being sorted from the flotsam in this lingiustic amalgamation that cruises through Ocean to the unknown frontiers beyond. However, I had some questions that unfortunately were not addressed in the update we’re discussing, eh:

When does the next issue go out? [I feel stupid now for asking. March, June, September, and… December!!!]

What is going on with the archives? When I click on a month, rather than being presented with a list of submissions for that month in order of their respective popularity (or even just a list of all submissions), I am instead shown a single selection from that month.

Is there an available mean of the popularity of all active submissions and/or tickets? If not, why? The placement can be found on the pieces and tickets.

Do all entries have a default placement in order on the tickets? (e.g. Currently in first, Currently in nineteenth, etc.)

I have a cornucopia of other questions that have nothing to to do with this update, and unfortunately I’m afraid you will find them to be less than delectable. However, for now I will let you digest the hors devours keeping my hands full so they will be ready for the next tidbits to be handled: is 3:14 too early for a drink? How about pie? These I will answer on my own, but if you could help with the more pertinent Litmocracy related issues I would be indebted to you.

Thank You,
-B.

I will leave Dave to answer your technical questions. While he is quite good with them, I tend to curl up in a little ball in the corner convulsing until drivel forms at the corner of my mouth, all the while moaning “ooooooggggoddddd whhhhhhyyyyyy?”

As to the more important questions, you have dove head first into my exact area of expertise. I shall assist.

Is 3:14 too early for a drink? MUAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA...HAHA… Hmmm. Short answer: no, Long answer: Hell no.

How about pie? Pie should be eaten at the proper time of post dinner or approximately 7:14 P.M.

However, as I am allergic to rules, you may have pie whenever you please, so long as you are running with scissors, taking movies back late and leaving the television and all the lights on.

B. Lucid - 02 November 2009 05:24 PM

What is going on with the archives? When I click on a month, rather than being presented with a list of submissions for that month in order of their respective popularity (or even just a list of all submissions), I am instead shown a single selection from that month.

Great question!  Unfortunately, it’s a mystery to me too.  I will have to dive into the code to figure out why that is broken…

Ok, that was an easy fix!  Yay!  Thanks for pointing out that it was not working.

B. Lucid - 02 November 2009 05:24 PM

Is there an available mean of the popularity of all active submissions and/or tickets? If not, why? The placement can be found on the pieces and tickets.

DOH!!! Sorry for the soapboxy answer to a question you might not have asked!  It’s in the next two paragraphs, because I think I answered the possibly-un-asked question well.  The answer to the question I think you asked is YES!  If you visit a category (from the Table Of Contents) or a piece that is still in the running in some election category, you’ll see a trophy cup at the top.  Click that, and I think it will show you what you want to see.  note that many of the recent submissions have been voted on by only a few people, so there are some tools you can play with.  On to the questionable question:

Dave’s Soapbox

There is not.  The site doesn’t actually measure popularity.  One of the reasons I liked the voting method we use here is that a new piece that only two people know about can be at the top.  In order to knock it down, a majority of people must indicate that they like something else better than that new one.  They must actually compare that new one to the same “other” to get the other to rise to the top.  Anyway…

You might imagine that it’s difficult to compare a news report to a poem.  This is why they are in different election categories.  When we started, I wanted people to compare news stories to poems (and photos to short stories, etc.), but someone pointed out that those of us who can make sense of such comparisons are rare, and asking others to do it isn’t very nice.  So they are separated now.

B. Lucid - 02 November 2009 05:24 PM

Do all entries have a default placement in order on the tickets? (e.g. Currently in first, Currently in nineteenth, etc.)

When you submit an entry, you automatically vote it as better than all the other entries that you have added to your ticket.  The code also favors newer entries over older ones.  This means that a new submission will be in first place until (A)at least two people add it to their own ticket below some other piece that both of them agree is better or (B) another new post is submitted.

Thanks, Don, for handling those other queries.  Pie and beer always muddle my mind.

Dave, Thank You so much!

You have given me a much clearer picture of how this works and answered my questions in a clear, systematic manner once again. On that note, I’m sorry I never got around to thanking you the first time. Duty called and my manners were neglected. If I may make a suggestion, however, since you have nothing better to do and everyone’s a critic , an automated ticket for the branches of the site would be helpful. I’ve noticed that people have posted queries about how to check the ranking of their pieces (myself included) and I think that an ordered ranking that was readily available would not only be helpful, but might inspire a greater sense of competition among Litmocracy’s participants. It could be followed with an explanation about the newer works starting out on top and would eliminate some of the confusion about the ranking results, which while I personally enjoy, are perplexing, and in a very loose chronological order.

On another note, Thank You Don for the advice on my drink and pie. Your responses were very helpful, and I suppose pies should only be eaten at approximately 3:14 when they are squared;)

With Gratitude and High Hopes for December,
Brian M. Cox

I think that’s a great idea!  However, I’d like to describe it before I go and code up something that won’t be up to snuff.

I am imagining a page that lists each election category along with all the pieces that are in it, in the order that the voting has produced.  This means all the submissions currently in elections will be listed on that page.  Each title will be a link to the submission itself.  There will be no authors listed so as to protect any of us who want to be protected from knowing who wrote what before we vote them onto our ticket, just in case we haven’t yet.

This was the original intent behind the “Results” page, which is for only one category at a time.  But I really like the idea of showing the “current best” in all categories on the same page.

If that’s what you meant, validate my description and I’ll forge ahead.  Otherwise, clarify, improve, mix, and synergize and we’ll come up with something even better.

Thanks!
Dave.

Well yes, that is what I meant about the categories and the current standing of the pieces therein. I must admit that I am a little confused about showing the rankings for pieces in all categories. You wrote on an earlier post that “When we started, I wanted people to compare news stories to poems (and photos to short stories, etc.), but someone pointed out that those of us who can make sense of such comparisons are rare, and asking others to do it isn’t very nice.  So they are separated now.” I must admit that I must be one of those people who cannot, because asking which I like better between some of the categories you mentioned is (to me) a lot like asking a person whether they prefer a species of palm trees versus a particular make of refrigerators. But if it makes sense to you than I say go for it. Just retain the categorized parts for those of us who may not understand, please! That’s really all I can think of right now, but if anything else occurs to me I will definitely let you know, and thank you for the compliment. Your site is unique and has the potential to make a pivotal difference in the world of publication. Letting readers express their opinions about what they want to read has the power to bypass editors whose textbook learning may have blunted their capacity for the understanding of simplicity and “good” art. I am happy to be a part of it.

Sincerely,
Brian M. Cox

[Now that I’ve meditated on it the comparisons you referred to do make more sense than I originally thought, and are not quite as abstract as the analogy I used. It would make for quite a few ties on the tickets though, and overall I think categorization will keep things much simpler. I like the modifications you proposed and think they would be an excellent addition to Litmocracy.]

I think I’d pick the palm tree because they only require sunlight and water, whereas refrigerators need electricity, which is harder to come by.  Especially if it produced some kind of edible fruit.  I wonder if that’s what you meant when you wrote that they make more sense upon reflection.  Ultimately, a magazine editor has to sometimes decide between a poem and a news item, so I’m glad you’re catching on .

But anyway, I meant that the categories would each be presented separately with their own lists of submissions, but all of them would show up on the same page - you’d be able to scroll down to whatever category interests you.

By the way, the Results page does this already, but it presents a lot more information.  It lists the first place piece several times, to show how the votes compare it to each of the other pieces.  Then it lists the second place piece the same way.  It also skips any item that doesn’t pass the filter (so usually the 1st place piece doesn’t show up because it hasn’t been voted onto enough tickets).  But it is too much info, so I will condense it onto the new page as described above, and also show the same condensed version on the Results page for each category.

Thanks for your encouragement!

Dave Scotese - 05 November 2009 07:34 PM

I think I’d pick the palm tree because they only require sunlight and water, whereas refrigerators need electricity, which is harder to come by.  Especially if it produced some kind of edible fruit.  I wonder if that’s what you meant when you wrote that they make more sense upon reflection.  Ultimately, a magazine editor has to sometimes decide between a poem and a news item, so I’m glad you’re catching on .

But anyway, I meant that the categories would each be presented separately with their own lists of submissions, but all of them would show up on the same page - you’d be able to scroll down to whatever category interests you.

By the way, the Results page does this already, but it presents a lot more information.  It lists the first place piece several times, to show how the votes compare it to each of the other pieces.  Then it lists the second place piece the same way.  It also skips any item that doesn’t pass the filter (so usually the 1st place piece doesn’t show up because it hasn’t been voted onto enough tickets).  But it is too much info, so I will condense it onto the new page as described above, and also show the same condensed version on the Results page for each category.

Thanks for your encouragement!

I agree..palm tree is the best. It is even considered as a TREE OF LIFE. Hope to see feedbacks soon from the thread starter. Thanks!

Regards,
michellefins
Pret voiture