PLEASE EXPLAIN

PLEASE EXPLAIN: What is a daily ABC? I don't recieve one. I think it's an intertextual link or an allusion to some old, dead Irish bird (or is it bard?), as quotes are usually embedded in some sort of wrap. ......and no i'm not a pedant. Thom.

It's the daily newsletter containing story and poem of the day delivered direct to your inbox - have receieved this almost since the start of ABC and it's great! J

I know what you mean. I've been one starred as well under opinions with a piece I wrote about the U.S. attack. I couldn't understand it and actually reviewed it to see if It should be revised. On other writing sites I'm on, I get critiques a lot, but at least they are by people who know or at least seem to know what they are talking about. I didn't think this applied in this case and left it. then again, everybody is entiltled to their opinion and that is why I put writing "out there" to get opinions. That has happened with a funny poem about cats which was cherry picked to my surprise, and yet a couple of people gave one star. It could be because someone thought you wrote better than they, or simply didn't like the subject matter and I must wonder at some of the one star's that nobody wants to tell you why, which is my definition of a coward IMO. I wouldn't let it bother you. My email is visiable to receive comments, not someone who is going to hit and run without telling you why. They either don't know anything about critique or have nothing constructive to say and are not worth bothering about.

Just look on the bright side! If you get a lot of one stars, that must mean that a lot of people (or one really sick person) must really care about your work! (You're funny, Thom)

I've mentioned before that I would never one-star anybody. I think it's pretty low when a writer's obviously worked hard and may be seeking encouragement, but we'll never stop them. I have a couple of buddies who from time-to-time whizz through my work giving me one-stars just for a laugh. It's our sense of humour, but I wouldn't like to think they're doing it to anyone else - which they're not, I hasten to add.

wanted dead or alive the starry one-eyed writing snake i will not now dare go snubbily into that bleak blight i will never star again we all work so well all poetry is good everything is nice i'm so sick, so stop and start another thread please

Here's my stance, for what it's worth. Of course the one-star option is open to be used. If nobody used it, then two stars would be the lowest rating and anyone who gets two stars would be gutted. I don't tend to use the one star myself - but people have rightly pointed out that knowing that a piece is awful can sometimes be as helpful as knowing its good. What is, in my view, wrong is repeatedly one-starring one piece of work, which is I think what Jennifer is complaining about. One reader - one vote per piece.

i..i...i..just tried to give a 4 star to R.W. ..did...honest..but..christ..wasn't...logged in... i'll unzip them here then for 1 and all: * *** ***** THIS ******* ONE ********** IS **************** FOR ********************* ALL ************************* OF ********************* US ***************** IN *********** NEED ********* ******* **** ** * May it lead us on to that heavenly place, we call the Charing Cross Road.

Hi Jennifer As Shaggy once said 'it wasn't me'!! :-) But I would just like to say that maybe the person who is doing this can't find your email address and therefore won't be able to mail you with comments. Wouldn't worry about a couple of one star ratings, I am sure everyone will agree that you are very talented. Your poem Easy(slow like honey) was an excellent piece, as are the rest. Keep up the good work! Toodles! Sarah.

Jennifer, settle down! It's not as if you have been nuked or anything is it? Why is everyone here at abc so damn sensitive? As Bin Ladin(sic) has not yet said "It was me!" I have however given some of your other pieces a 3 or a 5 so at least I was balancing the stars out. I may have clicked a one star too many, I forget. I'm new to the voting thing. Thought I'd try it out for size, but obviously not in your case as it's so upsetting. I did read a lot of your work today and if you had a published email I could send you a few comments. Have I broken the 'I Contributor' contract by doing this? Will I be banished with all the other heretics to Afghanistan? I throw my hands up in surrender. Thom

Dear all, Strike the "everyone" from the last posting. I know some of you are as tough as old boots and can take a one star rating now and then. I know I can without going cap in hand crying to the Forum. And there is nothing wrong with being sensitive either, in the right vehicle. I await the missiles, the reprisals, the Bush inspired onslaught for calling a spade a spade. Thom.

Thank you, Sarah. Well it was a rather emotional few hours spent by this young writer here at ABC today! Having spent ages correcting old work and adding a few new poems, I received three cherry-picks in quick succession. Then a few minutes later when I came to 'view my cherries' I was accosted by one-star ratings all over the place! I decided to demand why. No cap was in hand and I look nothing like a spade, thank you! My email is jennifer@abctales.com - please feel free to send comments there - and DO SO when you decide to give bad ratings. I personally have never and will never give anyone a one or two-star rating - as Diana (I think) says, you tread on fragile dreams. Yours, Still slightly miffed, Jennifer

p.s. Thank you, thom, for your balancing - and for reading a lot of my work.

You're welcome to rate my pieces i don't care if they are ones at all in fact i think that'll make me even happier than 3's as they seem so non-commitical. I'd rather have a good or bad rating than a mediocre rating. As for being offended no problems here quite gladly accept anything you can throw at me! (saying that was it really neccessary to have all the references to the still very recent terrorism?)

Jennifer, sorry again about the cap in hand reference I meant for it to be reflexive and the spade thing relates to the writing not youself. About the name dropping game, who is Diana? Is it the same as Princess Diana? The rating spectrum is there for us all to freely use if we wish, surely so why the catch in this case. Are you saying that no site user should ever use the 1 or 2 rating? If so then this is a matter for the Editor surely? Meremortal, Where are your pieces. Apparently if you are Jewish you cannot be buried without all your pieces in one piece as it were, complete. The references to the Twin Tower incident may have been in poor taste, for this I apologise. It is as they say though a changed world. All the ones from here to the Big Issue sales person in Bradford cannot shift the enormous weight of sadness felt throughout the globe. I just wanted to pitch that against the phrase "rather upsetting" which has now been changed to "slightly miffed". I was wrong! There is a shifting of emotional baggage now as we work in the limelight to lift the dreams of the poetic wreckage. Thom.

i too have suffered from the one star treatment, it's usually a forom of spite unless you are really *unpalatable* for someone else, in which case - ignore, it's only a minority opinion.

Diana Bird is the lady who sends you your daily ABCs sometimes - she is one of the editors - it wasn't name-dropping it was a quote. JJ

I'm alright then as i'm not jewish and i plan to be cremated and leaving things unfinished is merely a way to combat societies willingness to be complete. It's my own personal attack on all the systems we currently live in......and no i'm not an anarchist.