Top Chapters: Determination of Top Chapters based on recent popularity

Currently, Top Chapters are determined by all-time popularity.
This leads to a sort of static list of Top Chapters.

The Top Chapters could be determined by the likes and maybe views of the last 2-4 weeks.

 

it would prob be best to have a "All Time Top" list and one for the last month

 

This could be done like suggested here

 

I think going to top 50 kinda going too far. I think it is more useful to have a Top 10 that will prob be pretty static but then also have other lists that change more so you don't just have stuff that sits at the top all the time.

 

Well, it was meant to be 10 dynamic (most recent) Top Chapters on the front page and a complete static (total) list when clicking on "Top Chapters".

 

I Think there should be a all time top chapter list (with a link at the bottom sending to the total list, which is just a search with the sort by rating)

Gene.sis idea is nice, but it should be called trending chapters (not sold on the name) or something else. Top let's people believe it is the highest liked(/viewed) chapters and having a top list that is just what was posted last month is confusing.

Or we could display both lists,
Top 10 (recent)
Top 10 (all time)

Note that it could also apply to stories, replacing/increasing on the story of the week by making it the top trending stories (maybe counting on one month to give people more opportunities to be showcased).

 

What about "Recent Top Chapters"?

 

The thing is that the list would be based on recent activity, so a 12 year old chapter suddenly getting a lot of views/likes because the story has been updated would show up, but wouldn't be recent. And it wouldn't be a really accurate name. But that's me always finding troubles with the name of things.

 

Well, probably a native speaker can find an appropriate name for it.

 

Personally I would rather have top stories of the week/past month than top chapters.

 

WHy not both?

 

I really have never seen the point to top chapters. You're going to dump someone in the middle of a story? I would rather have a rotating stories of the week/month. Seems like it would be more helpful to see which stories are getting the most traction instead of a chapter currently. I like the all time stories but some of those are dormant. Also, if you're on the all time list you should be ineligible for the week/month to give the most exposure possible.

 

Well, they can be really useful if someone added a great chapter/branch to a story which some readers wouldn't read because of not liking the first chapters.

I think, for Top Stories, a static list is more useful than for Top Chapters.
But I also agree on more variation on Top Stories. For them, it would also be easier to come back to the list later.

 

If everything else is rotating nearly daily/weekly on the front page why can't we have a top weekly chapters and stories.
Then again why not have personalized front pages for everyone so everyone gets what they are seeking and not what they don't.

 

Personalized front pages are a stretch goal of the Patreon campaign.

I'm just against top chapters as a whole because I find them to be useless. I'm not going to start on chapter 77 of any story no matter how good it is. But I would like to see what stories are currently hot. I might have missed them during the times they hit the front page.

 

The top chapter designation isn't as much for leisure reading as it is for improving one's writing ability. Since these additions garnered so many votes, it's likely well written and would be a good example of what to strive towards. That said, we have many people who like chapters for call-outs to certain mediums or specific kinks, voting itself is dictated most heavily by popularity and activity of a story, and people around here have been a bit harsh on certain kinks as well as non-erotic additions that are meant to develop the plot, so this list isn't perfect and should be taken with a grain of salt. And even the spot-on chapters of the list can receive high ratings for how well it plays off of prior additions, which is about the only perpetually valid argument against top chapters. However, if anyone finds jumping into the middle of a story to gain a sense of quality is foolish, I can safely say they've never opened a single book or taken a single class that teaches one to improve its own ability since excerpts are constantly taken as examples in both mediums.

This is one of those moments people need to remember the site is designed to appease readers and simultaneously foster the growth of writers. I'm not saying there's no value in it for a reader, but the main purpose of top chapters is for the writers.

 

I highly disagree that there is a much of a correlation between quality of work and up votes. While a well written chapter does certainly help ones chances it in no wise guarantees people will thumbs up your work. I have seen extremely well written chapters that were great examples narrative literature receive few if any votes. While I have seen chapters that were no more than two paragraphs long of incomprehensible English receive many because they were about a particular kink.

If you're looking to be a better writer read a chapter in a good book. If your looking to see what gets up votes look through the top chapters section.

I just think that space could be better used to give a shine to the best stories of the previous month or week than a single chapter that appears in the middle of a story.

 

I'm not sure if I should applaud your ability to read or question if you read more than one sentence. All you did was repeat one specific part of my own post as if I had no knowledge this even existed, and completely omitted every other element that comments on why Top Chapters have their flaws while ultimately ignoring what Top Chapters are supposed to represent. And knowing this is opening an old wound and giving fair warning to everyone right now, this is part of the reason I wasn't thrilled people were demanding we disable the dislike button - the means of ensuring simple things like that didn't come before quality.

Same levels of subjectivity. What constitutes a "good book"? Professional critics let prejudice dictate their reviews far too often. Best Sellers appeal to the same level as Top Chapters. People will recommend high literature they've never read and scoff at well-written simple stories simply because that's what other people tell them to think. Each different manual of style dictates different rules we must conform to, and the masses don't care either way. High rated stories just means high rated threads, leaving us with exactly the same problem spread over a larger area.

There's no hard facts, only interpretations. We've set up every way possible to accommodate each distinct means of interpretation. Demanding it be removed in the interest of "I personally don't like it" is getting annoyingly commonplace around here.

 

I think the main problem with having a list of Top Chapters that is very static is that you end up with a situation where there is really no reason to look at them more than once.

Once a story or chapter is in the top ten it is unlikely to be knocked off that perch anytime soon since the boost in views/likes is pretty much impossible to match. Especially with chapters since there is no way to promote a single chapter from a story. The story of the week is worthwhile since that changes. Maybe having it be themed, so the list cycles through the major categories on the site, one week showing the top ten "Erotic Coupling" stories/chapters then the top Gay stories/chapters and so on.

That way it would bring some more focus on to things that people might not see otherwise or seek out. It would make the Top Ten list something more than simply being something you look at once or twice and then forget about.

 

Having one category per week would mean that it would take a very long time to get around. Another way could be to have a list with the top one of each category each week, the overall top one would be story of the week, but other would be advertised.