Okay, I'm admitted "late to the game" here, but oddly enough, I do indeed feel like I can actually contribute something semi-articulate and vaguely intelligent, haha! 🤣 I will surely say a few thing of stark disagreement with previously stated sentiments, but I can promise I am saying them in all respect and compassion -- a smile on my face, warmth in my heart, and sending a "telepathic hug" in your direction...
Stars and shields are of little value to readers. It may be a while before a story gets any sort of star rating. ... Readers do not need stars as they get to know who they want to read.
As a reader, I would honestly have to say it differs from person to person, and for example, a reader like me does like having stars and shield to consider for choosing stories, and I would miss them if they were to ever go away. Part of that, I'm sure, is largely on account me generally being a technical, analytical, quantitative, etc. kind of personality overall, and I'm really all about numbers, labels, categories, clear dividing lines, etc. So if I'm perusing the listings, granted the content icons themselves will be my first choice of information to act upon, but otherwise, my neurons just take a certain amount of
comfort in having something so concrete and, I guess, "tangible" in the form of those shields and stars...
I do not enjoy seeing my stories with nothing at all beside them. I do not enjoy seeing my stories with sad, hollow, four-pointed thingamajigs while someone else is enjoying a pair of solid six-pointers. It does feel like my nose is being rubbed in the fact that readers just aren't that into me.
...because they are disappointed with the lack of feedback of one sort or another, I suggest they should not be concerned and just get on and write if they like writing. I said that feedback was a mixed blessing and suggested that no one would be fretting if there were no statistics. ... I do though feel for those authors who agonise. I do my best to persuade them they have no need to agonise and suggest they just concentrate on writing what they want or feel they need to write.
Here, I would instead argue that it really depends on the specific writer, plus their personal reasons and hoped-for psychological rewards for submitting stories in the first place, either to MMSA or to other archive sites. In my case, for example, it is not solely about the stories -- but to the contrary, also as much (
if not more...?) about the connection and communication aspects of it!
On one hand, I feel like every human being out there, although to greater vs. lesser degrees, has at least some cursory desire -- or more likely, even a need -- for the occasional "external validation" in one form or another; in my case, I know that total or near-total absence of any reader engagement, and I would soon lose my reasons or desires for writing anything. Basically, it would more or less
cease to be rewarding or meaningful to me...
On the other hand, I also participate in the community for deeper personal reasons, beyond consuming "hot stories" about spanked boys!
Put it this way: Nobody in my physical, everyday life -- outside the Internet, here in the real world -- knows about
"HumbledBareBoy",
nor that he and I are one and the same -- not even my real-life friends and acquaintances from the kink/fetish and BDSM communities...
My ideal would be to do away with shields and stars and allowing authors to see the number of visitors. With that system authors would not be comparing themselves to other authors.
I'd happily get rid of the shields. There has been too much bitterness over them for them to bring me any satisfaction.
Based upon my readings of past discussions, in all fairness, I can indeed understand where people who feel this way are coming from, especially just considering even debating the topic at all has been cause for strife and acrimony. From my point of view, having only become earnestly active just 3 years ago back in September 2020 -- I can say that both stars and shields have sincerely been a genuine source of
benefit to me, psychologically and emotionally speaking!
Of course, I fully realize that's just my personal, individual experience -- plus also, respect the fact that it's different for others. Still yet, when I was that "new-ish" author still trying to build up my motivation, self-confidence, and "creative identity" within the wider body of authors -- seeing my story go live
with a shield next to it undeniably was an extra ray of light and "shining beacon" for me, but even when said shield is not forthcoming for any particular story...?
Just the fact that I have gotten shields and stars in the past, it gives me hope I can do so again, in the future! But more deeply, that I do in fact have the ability to write things that readers will enjoy and to reach them on some level -- emotional, erotic, and/or anything else! 💯
(Edited to clarify/dispel ambiguity, in light of Z's comments -- mea culpa!)
As for Mr. Flag. I have always been and always will be one of his staunch supporters. He encouraged me when I first started submitting stories...
=== 
Not-Zyngaru quotes ===
I'm glad you have had a positive experience with Flag, Zyngaru. <-snip-> You are fortunate that you've only met Dr. Jekyll. Numerous other people have had dealings with Mr. Hyde.
I wouldn't mind at all if he were to ban Bottom
Before going into computers and generally persuing the STEM (
i.e., "science + technology + engineering + mathematics") corner of the job market, I had previous life where I was working towards a PhD in the social science -- studying human beings themselves, in all their weirdness! And although I did leave the field professionally, there is regardless still a part of me that find such topics interesting. Here in MMSA, for example, I'm always curious about (and fascinated by) who does or does not get along with one another, plus who people
gravitate towards vs.
fleeing away from...
Very much
like so many other people here, I occasionally find dealing with Flag to be challenging or unpleasant, so I suppose that means have encountered a form of "Mr. Hyde" myself...
Even despite, mind you, all of my
best and
sincerest efforts to be warm, sweet, and agreeable,
FYI! At the very same time, just because I think so much of Zyngaru, even I have to be grateful to Flag for providing Z. with that aforementioned encouragement -- plus the other times, to my recollection, that Flag's really stepped up and did good for people! Which does not, to be fair, at all negate or invalidate other people's more negative experiences -- just merely illustrates the complex web of unique, dynamics flowing relationships amongst people...
However, and obviously very much
UNLIKE others here,
Bottom and I have always gotten along with one another quite easily and beautifully; I gather that various members have their own histories with him, and he with them in turn, but...he's always been nothing short of wonderful to me -- as friendly and respectful as anyone could ever hope for, even! Granted, part of that could simply be attributed to my sweet and amazing personality, just being the warm, radiant "shining beacon" of
infinite love and
pure light that I am --
LOL! 🤣🤣🤣 But also, so many other things, I would presume: The right year, the optimal season, Mercury
NOT being in retrograde, and so on and so forth...
I give Jack full credit for operating a forum where we can have frank discussions. Jack has been very generous, as he started Bransom to showcase his own material.
With THIS sentiment, I could not possibly agree more deeply or enthusiastically, than I already do! 
Three cheers, hip hip hooray! 
Wow, at the time it never would have occurred to me, but now that you pointed it out, I absolutely see what you mean -- my mistake, just fixed it accordingly! 
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