Thank you for downrating my poems

And Yaki.I am not forcing people to give me a comment.If I were, you would be the first one.
I am so sorry for your misunderstanding of my point of view.Besides I started this thread just to leave some words to this specific someone(s) who keeps downrating me and thats all.

Yaki said:"Dust it off your shoulder because a number ain't worth all that time..and all that typing."

Dust off yours too and dont waste your time coming here to say what I was expecting you to say.You are so predictable.

Wow......toooo funny....Go check out all your poems, on many you have received more 5's than you have comments, So it's ok to up vote a poem without leaving comment is it?

Oh and Interpretation has nothing to do with taste....

" I expect people to understand what I write" what, are you serious? Do you write for yourself or for the reader??? Sounds like the reader to me..! Yaki said it right, poetry is a personal thing, an out pouring of emotion, a record of an emotional snapshot of a given point in time, well it is for me. If somebody else doesn't get it, or gives me a 1 or 2 and says " I don't like your poem" I would respect that, but at the end of the day it's not why I'm on this site.

Nicko - I havent asked for your opinion and I write for the reader,Whether Yaki is right or not is not of my concern.I stated what I thought about downvoters and whether you or anybody agrees matters not to me.

I think if you vote you should comment also. Not just sneak in and vote a lower score just to knock them of the top rated in each category, which has happened to me more than once. If there are 4 poems there with a 5.0, the downvoter sneaks in and zaps your poem with a lower score just to knock yours down or get theirs there instead.
Karla you are a fantastic poetess and I believe down voting is done out of jealousy- why else would they not comment as to a reason why.

I am with Connie on this, I was so excited (probably sad) that I had made the front page that I showed my wife..only to find I had a '1' which removed me.

However after starting the last one of these threads and receiving a whack on the arse from silvershoes, I no longer take any notice of the ratings, I just enjoy reading the comments.

The funny thing is, since I had my whinging sesh somebody now gives me a 2 on almost all of my new poems sometimes within ten mins of posting.

good luck to them

As for giving Karla a 5, she is my inspiration on this site, I don't think anybody could accuse anybody of upvoting if you give her a 5.

I understand Karla's idea. She is just sending a message to the ones who downvote her. No one likes being downvoted, or even upvoted without a small comment even. This voting system should be removed. It's useless. People hide behind a vote in fear of facing the writer and telling him One- Two- Three; this is why I disliked your piece.

And regarding writing to the readers or to one's self,,, Poetry is not just writing about one's emotions. I have written tons of pieces for others, just to deliver a certain idea. Alongside, many pieces from the heart sprouts, too.

"The funny thing is, since I had my whinging sesh somebody now gives me a 2 on almost all of my new poems sometimes within ten mins of posting."

I have an idea. PM me please.

"The funny thing is, since I had my whinging sesh somebody now gives me a 2 on almost all of my new poems sometimes within ten mins of posting."

Seems like someone has decided to go out of their way to target you if this is true. Kinda sad. Congrats on not letting it get to you too much. That's what I like to see.

Leaving 1s and 2s on other people's poetry without a comment explaining why certainly implies a petty, selfish, or sniveling character. Many poems DO deserve less than a 5, and we shouldn't have to walk on eggshells to appease everyone's fragile egos. However, on a site like this where almost all poems get 5s if they're anything above average, a 1 or 2 can only be justified if a comment goes along with it. I suppose people are afraid to put their names to such low votes for fear of being disliked, or for fear of being the reciprocate of vengeance. When the low votes are given for malignant reasons, of course a name isn't going to be attached, especially after a thread like this is made to label anonymous individuals as wrong doers...

I understand the point intended, but ultimately, this thread is pointless. People can't be held accountable, so they won't be.

We need Janis.

Well considering the fact if you vote a poem once....but forget that you already voted and try to vote again- it will say YOU ALREADY VOTED FOR THIS POEM....so the site keeps track for sure...it also keeps a record of visited poems so a really good detective type person could easily figure it out if they had access to this information. (a mod perhaps?)

I personally don't think you can make a keystroke around here without SOMEONE knowing.

We don't have access to that sort of information at the moment, but I'm sure there is a way for Janis to give us that authority. It couldn't hurt.

Thaks Connie, Darren, Abed and Silvershoes. Thanks Naughtymouse and Luce too.You understood me.All I wanted was to express my indignation.

If you write poems for the reader it seems you are looking for approval, you are then setting yourself up for disappointment when somebody doesn't like it and gives it a low vote.
No you didn't ask for my opinion yet you didn't ask for anybody else's either, seems others opinions are ok only if they agree with you....as per your list of thank you

I still maintain whoever voted your poem lower than a 5 may not have liked it. It may not have been done for malicious reasons, you can't assume that just because they didn't comment...

We write poems for different reasons. Sometimes as a challenge from others, sometimes it comes from the pit of our stomach like vomit...it just has to come out.

But no matter what the reason is that we write if someone is purposely voting anyones poem down they should be poet enough to state why.

I would think a low vote without a comment as to why is a cowardly act, why even vote at all? Just pass it over....

If you write poems for the reader it seems you are looking for approval, you are then setting yourself up for disappointment when somebody doesn't like it and gives it a low vote.

^ This is generalization, Nicko.

Everybody has different tastes and styles. I don't expect everyone to like what I write. I like what I write, and tha-ts that. Down-votes don't mean your a bad writer, your work sucks, or anything like that. Keep in mind difference in opinion is always a factor and being stingy about it makes no sense. Is nice to see good ratings when people read your work but the only opinion that matters is yours bottom line. Enjoy your work, appreciate it, but also appreciate and understand not everyone likes the same things or has the same tastes. Now lets just all enjoy our scribblings and have happy times. :)

Well said FireRed

Lp as much as saying every low vote is down voting...

and Lostlove do you say giving a poem 5 without a comment is a waste of time as well ?

You know Nicko you hardly ever comment people so I still think that your opinion means nothing to me.When I say readers I mean those who come here and are not poets. As I said before matters not to me your point of view and I also would like to reinforce that I have never said that a low vote implies in a bad poem/writer. It also bothers me when people give me 5 and dont leave me a comment as well as when they give me a 2 without a comment.
At least, my dear Nicko those who agreed with me understood that I was here to show my indignation. Besides Im too old to look for something that I have never looked for in my life: approval. You don't know me, never pmed and what you think about me is so subjective. It seems to me you cant understand my thread and to tell you the truth, Im not interested in writing what I wrote a dozen times here before.

Fire red - I don't know you and as I said before in my opinion poetry has nothing to do with tastes. Poetry is not supposed to be pleasant.It is much more than that.It is not a release of emotions either.

Karla I appreciate how you might be angry about downvoting or whatever but you can't start a thread on the main boards and not expect people to express their opinion, or just disregard them when they do. Everyone has their own view of what poetry is or what it means to them, to some people it is a release of emotions, who is to say they are more right or wrong than anybody else?

The voting system is stupid, as much for the amount of 5's given as for the downvotes (1s and 2s given without just reason or with malicious intent). I haven't voted on here much in years, only a handful of poems I would consider deserve a 5, but to give somebody a 3 or even 4 (which should be very good) is seen as downvoting almost. A voting system on a site like this will never work, but as has been said repeatedly, nothing can be done without Janis here.

* Sorry, double post *

So it's become personal now has it, just because I don't agree with you..! LOL and you say you're a teacher? When you disagree with a student does their opinion then become worthless as well..??? That's a really bad attitude and rather sad...

From the start I disagreed with you, it wasn't personal I don't know you from a bar of salt. You say you have been here since 2009 if that's true you would have seen many of these threads about down voting and they always end the same... Seems you attack everybody that doesn't agree to your narrow minded view...

You have 142 poems, 124 of them are rated as 5, the other 18 are 4.7 to 4.9. if anything it looks like your last poem scored a low vote, that is all, and that may have been a 3. For somebody who says they don't care about the voting system you're making one hellva fuss about it...

And as for me leaving comments, how the hell would you know? I've been here longer than you... Or is that just because I haven't commented on yours?

Nicko, you tire me and yes, I am a teacher.I teach Brazilian Literature.My profession or what I do in class is none of your business. I didnt start this thread to be judged by you. I started this thread to show my indignation as I said many times before.I didnt start it to complain about the system either but you are blind: you only see what you want.I didnt insult you but you accused me of having a narrow view.What you think about me means nothing to me.Besides I dont need your comment or your understanding. Nah it is not personal because I have always ignored your presence here and I will go on doing the same thing. You are making a hell of a fuss as you always do with anyone who comes to the main boards to complain.You should write more instead of attacking people who come here to express their opinion. You said youve been here longer than me and so what?Do you think you are more prepared to judge just because of that?You aren't and never will be.I am so sorry for you. Your ego will eat you some day.

Well, this got extra dumb really fast. Guys, if you make a thread on a public forum, you are opening it up for discussion and argument. You can disagree with each other while keeping it civil. People do it every day.

Karla, if you feel this thread has run its course, I can close it (and maybe prevent subsequent bickering).

Close it, please.Im exhausted.I keep saying the same thing over and over again and some people don't understand I came here to leave a message to the one who keeps downrating me and thats all.

As silly as this thread has become, it's nice to see people get passionate about something. We don't have nearly enough drama these days ;)

I'll be closing this thread per the request of the initial poster