A Vocal Top Story Phenomenon

Introduction

This might just be a series of coincidences or my imagination. I am not anyone who Vocal takes any real notice of but over the past six months, something has been happening. It may be some kind of AI algorithm picking up on words and may be other words combined with mine that causes it, but this is what I have noticed.

So What Is Going Down?

Whenever I remark that I believe that something is worthy of a Top Story in the Story comments then it almost always seems to be chosen as a Vocal Top Story. These are two lastest ones

One has a lot of reads and one has a few reads, so I don't know if my words influenced Vocal's choice.

This is Vocal's guide to how Top Stories are chosen.

However, I don't think this tells the whole story. Very often it is a case of the same people getting Top Stories. I wonder why some of mine are chosen.

It talks about Engagement and Vocal+ membership but I often see stories with zero engagement being chosen. This may be because they have been read by non-Vocal members, but when you see no hearts and no comments you have to wonder why this has been chosen by Vocal as a Top Story. Once it is a Top Story then usually people start to read it, though the standard comment is "Congratulations On Your Top Story" so you have to wonder if the commentator has read the piece and if the creator receives the relevant recompense for that comment on their creation.

There were a couple that I had commented on, and I was going to try this with but they have already been chosen as Top Stories.

Conclusion

People seldom suggest that my stories could be top Stories, but most Vocal Creators and Administrators do not see me as a writer, just as a name that they know. I think there are maybe ten people who see me as a serious creator. and I am fine with that because a lot of people read my work.

But I still wonder if commenting that something is worthy of being a Top Story has any effect on how Vocal chooses Top Stories.

By the way, I have had three Vocal Top STories this month so I am not stort of Vocal nominations, but I woulder if my comments do have an effect.

I'd love to know your thoughts.

The music is "Win" by Nasty Cherry.