The Only Ones That Despise My Work Are The Platform

Introduction

The music is "Perspective" by Peter Gabriel because this is my perspective on my Vocal situation. As far as Vocal is concerned, this is a work of pure fiction.

The Only Ones That Despise My Work Are The Platform

There is nothing wrong with the platform. Everyone can publish without problems, then receive their Top Stories and Challenge bonuses (If they are on The Platform's Approved List or get a random AI approval).

The platform has space for a flood of AI-generated stories (acknowledged and unacknowledged), and some of the unacknowledged ones even make Top Story.

They have the manpower to create new challenges, award Top Stories, and populate showcases for favourite authors.

So everything is running perfectly.

For most people.

Then there is me, the thorn in The Platform's side, the fly in the ointment, ignored and dismissed when I point out the faults in the system (usually with solutions or suggestions for improvement).

On the 23rd of November 2025, The Platform stopped me from publishing new stories. This one you are now reading is another repurposed one.

When we start on The Platform, we don't expect to be stopped from publishing. There are no limits mentioned in the terms and conditions (though who reads the terms and conditions? I have had to do so in this situation). I have a twenty-year-old blog that I have never had a problem with publishing on, and that is free to use.

So I spend my time looking for old stories to download, backup, and then reuse to publish new stories.

But the system is working perfectly for 99.9% of creators, so therefore there is nothing wrong, although there is, and people refuse to acknowledge problems if they are not affected. Stick to the rules, and you will be alright, Jack. Oh, and don't write so much.

This is a writing platform.

When I write in a notebook, eventually I fill it up and start on another notebook. I can always find new places to write if I need to, sometimes I am limited when my pen or pencil runs out, but I then just find a replacement writing implement.

While everyone sees The Platform working perfectly, I see the cracks and failures, and they are affecting my ability to support others and produce constructive and even experimental work. Because I have to reuse existing stories, I am loath to step into communities that are difficult for me, although I have published in forty-nine different Vocal communities.

If you were in a warm room and perfectly comfortable, how would you feel if the warmth was provided by burning the beds and toys of children from the local orphanage? Without that information, you would assume that the system was functioning perfectly, but the reality is far from that; it is actually convenient for you.

The Platform is running perfectly for 99% of people. The 1% are irrelevant.

The 1% will one day be 2%, and this reminds me of the Richard Thompson song "Time To Ring Some Changes", which tells us that if systems and things are not properly maintained, eventually they will fail for everyone, even those who think that they are not affected.

This is just a story about things that could not possibly happen. The Platform wants the best for everyone, and everyone knows that.

Everything is functioning perfectly. You can just ignore the cracks that are appearing. They will disappear, that is what The Platform tells us.

But I can see the cracks are getting bigger, and the plaster is falling from the walls.

Everything will be fine, that's what The Platform says, and everyone believes them.

I see it differently.