Conclusion to a Vocalite Manifesto

So I've come back from an unplanned hiatus and realise that this is the last piece in a whole series I should probably go back and read! Love the idea though DK. Mackenzie Davis' Creator Chat last year was aimed in a similar way, and this feels like a very in-depth look at what Vocal creators do and don't want. I just did the Google Form now! Interesting to see how the Leaderboard has recently changed, and I'm very on-board with most if not all, of those changes. I feel like there are a core 40-60 creators on here that I see come up often in Challenges, Top Stories, feed etc. They're regular contributors and invested in a platform that they believe is worth using. Obviously it's just a small circle in a much bigger one, but it's nice seeing so many of those names together here, all trying to make this a better place for writing. Big ups DK!

Now that the new leaderboard has been in effect for a few weeks I can honestly say that it is much worse than before. It is not an improvement. It looks like it’s going to be the same people over and over week after week. Also two weeks in a row I had Stories that had more qualifying comments during the qualifying time period for each leaderboard than some of the others that were on the leaderboard. I should’ve been on the leaderboard these past two weeks, but I wasn’t. So I messaged the vocal team last week but no response. I have messaged them again this week, I’m hoping to get a response because I want to know why, when I have more qualifying Comments than some of the people on the leaderboard, why I was not included. This week I have more qualifying comments than at least three people on the current leaderboard. This is not an improvement it’s worse. Give it a few more weeks and there’s going to be a lot more people than just me complaining about it.

This is impressive work 😲 and I'm ashamed to say I only just found it! I really hope Vocal take on board these amazing suggestions you're collating 🙏😃 I think Vocal has a lot of catching up to do, given the pace of change around AI, spam and cyber attacks. Couple of adds: – expand 'Report' button to user profiles – not just stories – so we can flag entire accounts which regularly post AI, spam and plagiarism. – more restrictions on non-Vocal+ users, especially new accounts. Maybe max 1 story per day is restrictive enough, but also max 10 comments per day, and zero tolerance of AI text. – Perhaps a 'community standing' concept. Users earn 'credits' for getting Top Stories, placing in challenges, paying for Vocal+, posting unique comments (longer than 20 characters, not copy n pasted), etc. They LOSE credits for posting AI, spam, etc, or having multiple reports made against them. People with 'low standing' face restrictions like above. Anyway huge respect for the work you're doing, I'm sure every single 'human' on Vocal appreciates it 🙏😁

Wow! You've really done your homework and then some. Thank you so much for advocating for change in a space some like to call a virtual home.

DJ - First I wanted to ask you how you become a vocal investor. Interestingly enough a lot of the spammers are not vocal plus members but are vocal investors. What's up with that?? Then I didn't know that people were Grandfathered in as free earning members. I think they should do away with that. I do not believe they should have free members at all - Grandfathered in or not. And second of all please vote for me - Take away the leaderboard all together, let them put that money towards the contests. I told you that on the other platform I block the free members. I don't think free members should be able to earn in any capacity. And I don't think that free members should be allowed to participate on the platform in any way. Pay the vocal plus fee or pack your bags. I know this is a turn around for me, but please cast my vote to do away with the leaderboard all together. And please let me know how to become a vocal investor.

Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊 But I think you'd appreciate it more if Vocal implemented these changes rather than giving you a spot on the Leaderboard, lol

Great way to finish this series up with an honourable mention on the leaderboard!! Congrats DK!!

I do have one thing to say however. I have always thought that if you want to write on a platform you should be a paying member and support the platform. On the other platform I block the free members. I guess it just is how I feel about it. Pay the freight or sit on the sidelines. So I do not feel the free members should be able to earn in any way, not the leaderboard and not in the challenges and not even from reads. I just wrote an article about someone's Top Story and it had spam all over it, many from free members and a couple from paid members. Such a shame- it's sad isn't it? You can place my vote for me on this issue.

Ah wow, you've put tons of work into this. This is so great, this means we can create some sort of personal revolution of the people actually doing the work against AI in a formative and unified way. Thanks for this mate!

JUst added my form response and including this in my Kings of Oblivion piece

Fabulous work! 🙌🤩

Well-wrought! You put a lot of work into this, D.K.! Highly appreciated! Though I wondered if non-vocal+ membership should be rejected altogether to weed out the marketeers, I ended up voting for it to be restricted, but I take a hard line across the board, and not just on Vocal, about any use of AI to write... Anything. Ever. AI should never be used for anything other than spell or grammar check, and even then I think we should always do in the final draft what our best educators and literary artists would always bid us do: "Use your own words."

I voted! You're amazing for dedicating your time and putting all of this together, D.K. There are a lot of really good recommendations here and hopefully there will be some positive changes to come!

Voted. You've put so much thought and effort into this. It's so appreciated.

I've made my choices and I like many of the ideas you've shared. In particular, let's get rid of all AI. It sickens me to think that a Top Story or Challenge winner can be a computer algorithm. And we should be nominating winners! And is anyone listening...? 👂🏾

I applaud you, my friend, for all the effort you've put into this and the movements you are suggesting with it for June. Excited and interested to see what comes of it all. I hope something at least. Even if just a few changes were made off the back of this, for the better, it'd not have been a waste of your time and energy. Thank you for doing this all - I filled out the form, For some obviously, I clicked a few different options, because it was an either/or situation, but yeah, this went even deeper than I imagined!

I will absolutely be reading this over carefully and make my selections. Change is never easy but I believe necessary. Thank you for your hard work and dedication for all of us who enjoy this platform and the creators who make it what it is.

Hey DK, I have a suggestion. How about creating a Google Form for us to vote and for you to keep track? I'm not sure if this would make things easier for you. But if it doesn't, feel free to ignore this hehehe Anyway, here's what I vote for: LEADERBOARD 1. Discontinue the Leaderboard Entirely 2. Remove Most Supportive Commenters Category 3. Remove Most Subscribed to Creators Category 4. Remove Popular Stories with the Most Likes Category 5. Make the comments for Most Discussed Stories be Vocal+ to count 6. Extend the Most Discussed Stories Category if others are removed 7. Make the Leaderboard a Once Every Two Weeks Occurence 8. Make the Leaderboard a Once a Month Occurence

Thanks for all the hard work you have put in, and I hope Vocal will take some notice