I don't even know why I still have hope...

Every week I anticipate the featured story, just to see what it is, and maybe get a story worth reading. Yeah, I feel a lot of stories that get featured aren't worth reading and that some authors have cheated the system to get featured, which isn't alright in my book. But I've put up with the stories that got featured unfairly or the stories that got featured because they switched ratings or even the stories that got featured because they switched users to get featured twice. I know there is a system and algorithm to the featured system, but seriously, i just seems like so many fics are either being featured twice, authors are being featured more than once in the allowed six month period, or people are being featured because they trick their readers into upvoting their story.

I don't care if people ask people for upvotes (kindly, not forced, because it seems a lot of RPs or non-fics are forcing their subscribers to upvote and that's not cool), but I do care if people cheat the system. I can understand if stories are picked based on an algorithm, because then it seems somewhat fair, even if a lot of stories that get featured on AFF aren't that great or have the same plot over and over again. But really, this time I was expecting something... maybe another OT12 that was similar to all the other OT12 fics or an OC/You fic that may range from awesome to mediocre (Yes, there was a great OC fic like two-three weeks ago that was featured), but you know what got featured this week?

A foreword.

A foreword to a story that hadn't been updated since June 28. A story that has no chapters, not one freaking one, and yet, this story has over 300 upvotes. Like seriously, I just think that's unfair.

I can get that people cheat the system, because some people aren't the most honorable people out there, but for a story to not have one chapter, barely even a foreword to be featured is beyond me. Like seriously, I get there is an algorithm, but when this algorithm keeps getting cheated or stuff like this happens, it seriously makes me wonder why there isn't one last test before they can be featured.

Like seriously, all someone needs to do is A) Make sure people haven't cheated to feature the fic, B) Make sure the person hasn't switched accounts or has been featured within 6 months, and C) At least have more than a foreword.

It's a simple fix and it doesn't take long to do and if it doesn't match that criteria, then have the algorithm pick the next best one or until it finds a fic that meets all those requirements.

Ugh, I'm just so dissappointed and I know it's something I should just ignore, but for some odd reason, I always have this hope that a fic worthy of being featured will be featured and it'll be a story that I'll want to read. You know how many stories I've wanted to read that have been featured since I've been on this site?

Like 2.

Seriously, it's such a low number, and yet, I still hope.

But really, I just feel that something else needs to be put in place to make sure the featured system is fair and that things like this don't constantly happen. Some of you may think I'm being overdramatic or dumb here, but within the last month and a half, I think there have been three fics that have cheated the system some how. One by tricking people into upvoting, one by changing the rating, and one by switching users to get featured again. That's about a 50% ratio where a story was featured that shouldn't have been featured, and you know how easy it would be able to change that is by setting in a few more requirements so stuff like that doesn't keep happening.

Like seriously, I just can't believe that a story with only a foreword was featured when there are tons of other fic that actually have a couple of chapters or are completed that have a similar amount of upvotes haven't been featured yet, and the one that doesn't have anything written is featured.

I don't even freaking know why I still have hope, it's literally a lost cause now.

And yet, you know next week I'll still have that hope and I'll probably be dissapointed again. Just ugh, something needs to be done.

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Quicksand #1 Jul 30, 2013 03:54:36

Actually ... I almost feel like stories that are featured are just chosen at random. It kind of stuns me that stories like those are featured, but I think I've gotten over it.
I used to be really hopeless too, not just about the featured stories but the whole freaking site--when I first came here, pretty much every I stumbled across were terrible; bad writing, improper spelling/grammar, Mary-sues. I was on the verge of quitting and pretending I had never seen this place when I came across this one XiuChen story that blew my mind. Like, seriously, it was one of the best things I had ever read--not only on AFF, in general--and that was the only thing that made me want to look for more literacy and man, I'm glad I stayed or else I would never have met awesome writers like you or Pirate_Tinman or others ;;.
So yeah, my point it, things will change ... hopefully =/.

TheChuglyOne #2 Jul 29, 2013 12:56:15

I don't know why I never saw this until now, but I really agree with this.
There was a Daehyun story that I was subscribed to and was on my bucket list to read. It had around 500+ subs, but not a lot of upvotes. I got a PM from the author once and it was to say thanks for subscribing (even though I had subbed some 20 chapters ago) and then links. I went onto the story and I seen that she had a lot more upvotes.
I went on AFF in the morning and it said she was featured, but then it was taken down and another story was posted. I don't know if my computer was playing up or not, though.
However, when I finally did decide to read it, there was an apology in it :/
But I hate it when graphics or Roleplays or a non-fic is featured. You know the AFF uni? I was curious because loads of people seemed to be doing it. You need to upvote to be a part of it. It's terrible :/
I think those readers are almost selfish. Upvotes should be for stories that everyone would enjoy :/
Before I knew about popular authors, one of them had a new fic out and I was in the latest updated, so I clicked on it. Just the forward and description. Over 100 votes :/
I only read two stories that were featured, as well. I stopped halfway through, because they used my number one pet peeve cliché :/
The other one I really enjoyed.

dreamyflower #3 Jul 20, 2013 13:06:48

*slow claps* Can I just put everything you wrote in bold and scream it out?
I was thinking of exactly the same methods to avoid things like this happening. Someone who checks that the author hasn't cheated (tricking users into upvoting, switching rating, switching account, etc.) and has more than at least 5 chapters (even that is too little in my opinion; but we cannot get all we want). The fact that a story with only a foreword was featured blew me away. I mean, I don't mean to bash the author - in fact I can't even say something about the quality because it's only a foreword - but I just feel sad for the hardworking authors out there who update frequently and put a lot effort into their stories and don't even surpass 50 subscribers or something and then a story with only a foreword gets featured.
I was expecting the typical (either a fact fic or a cliched one or one from a popular author). Okay, admittedly I'm not one to talk big because my story Touch of Fear, which is also EXO member + OC) has been featured a few weeks ago (but my story had 60 chapters when it happened). However, I don't have anything against OC stories since I myself only write those, but I do care about the execution of the plot and characters. I'm getting off the point ... anyways, thank you for writing this post! I do wish someone will check the system to make things fair.

dream_keeper88 #4 Jul 20, 2013 02:15:50

At least you got two, I will celebrate my third year on September and only one fic that I subscribed to got featured. This time, I do believe that the author didn't cheat. It's a sequel of a story that had been featured in the past. It's the subscribers fault this time for upvoting a foreword.

cathy4reals #5 Jul 20, 2013 01:22:48

I was quite surprised too when I saw the story. I mean sure that it's a sequel so people already know about it but seriously? One day, one foreword, and thousands of subscribers is beyond me. And around 90% of the most upvoted stories are EXO tags. I would probally even bet that next week would be an EXO memberxOc tag.