The Vocal Leaderboard

So you're here for Part 2! Welcome! If you missed the short introduction to my Vocalite manifesto and you'd like to check it out, it's linked below.

This installment is all about the Vocal Leaderboard. Some love it. Some hate it. My perspective tends to be on a bit of a roller coaster on a week by week basis. When I look at a Leaderboard and I see names of the Creators I love to read from and even ones I recognize by reputation through other Creators, I smile. When I see the names of AI commenters and publishers of AI content, my eye starts to twitch.

Up until the February 19th Leaderboard $190 was being awarded each week. That was reduced to $155 with the removal of the Emerging Creators category due to a surge in AI generated content by new creators. I applaud Vocal for realizing the category was being gamed by AI users and that they took action to stop the outflow of Vocal prize money to AI users.

Unfortunately I think there are other categories of the Vocal Leaderboard that have been exploited by AI users. On top of the vulnerability to AI sabotage I think some of the categories celebrate achievements that don't intrinsically add value to the platform.

I'm going to individually address each remaining category of the Leaderboard and express my views on whether or not it should be something Vocal endorses with monetary awards.

Let's start from the bottom shall we?

Most Supportive Commenters

I think this one has got to go. There have certainly been users who generate AI comments and don't actually read anything who've won prizes in this category many times. It might not be the annoying "Good job! Subscribe me!" commenters, but they're the ones who leave empty generic praises or AI summaries with a little personal quirk added at the end.

Personally I don't think commenting on pieces is something that needs to be incentivized by Vocal. The people who are actually reading pieces comment on them. And in turn people then read their pieces and comment on them. It's an organic process and if someone needs a carrot dangling in front of them to comment, they're probably not the people who should be recognized for comments in the first place. Authentic and meaningful comments add value and depth to the community, not necessarily the person who's commenting the most.

And I know that some times the winners of those categories are wonderful members of the community, but too many times they aren't. I think there are better things to award monetary prizes for and this is one area that is way too enticing for AI users.

Most Subscribed To Creators

This one has to go too. So often I see the same AI commenters bouncing back and forth between this category and Most Supportive Commenters for weeks at a time. They leave their AI comments that sound so nice on anyone and everyone's stories and they amass tons of subscribers. This one is already being gamed and definitely has the potential to be gamed even more.

Once again this is another category that does very little to really recognize those who are adding value to the platform. Does getting the most people to hit that subscribe button in a week have anything to do with generating quality content or building actual community? Not really.

Sometimes awesome creators win it but a lot of times they don't. For some users this is a way to artificially create the appearance of connection and I think more and more AI commenters will try to take advantage of it.

Recently I contacted Vocal after noticing that a user who I know uses AI for their comments and stories had seven weeks straight of winning the top spot in either the Most Supportive Commenters or Most Subscribed To Creators categories. That's $140 in under two months! Unless you've won 1st or 2nd place in a Challenge recently, you probably can't say the same.

Here they are if you want to take a glance:

Vocal Bonus Leaderboard: 04/16/2025

Vocal Bonus Leaderboard: 04/09/2025

Vocal Bonus Leaderboard: 04/02/2025

Vocal Bonus Leaderboard: 03/26/2025

Vocal Bonus Leaderboard: 03/19/2025

Vocal Bonus Leaderboard: 03/12/2025

Vocal Bonus Leaderboard: 03/05/2025

Popular Stories with the Most Likes

Some people might not like this, but I think this is a bad category too. The hearts have always seemed a little redundant to me. Sometimes I think the only reason I click them is because I don't want someone thinking I'm trying to keep them from placing on the Leaderboard.

I could be completely mistaken but unless you happen to really be on top of your notifications all the time you don't always know who even liked your story. You just see the last person to like it and the number of others who liked it in the notification text.

And I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but this one can be gamed too. A bunch of AI users all collectively throwing likes to the same stories to sweep the Leaderboard? No thank you! With the removal of the other categories I think this one would be the prime candidate for those who want to use the Leaderboard to their advantage.

I know what you're thinking, if all these categories are gone! What's left? Well, I'd say the one category that has the best measure of value and one that I think could be protected from AI users.

Most Discussed Stories

In my humble opinion this is where the Leaderboard has its potential. I say potential because I think right now it's still open to manipulation by AI. What if, like with the hearts, a piece gets flooded with comments from AI users? If it's the only category left standing they'll find a way to make it happen.

But what if comments only count if they're made by Vocal+ members? If there's a way to make that the metric then I think there's hope for this category. If a story is prompting lots of discussion by Vocal+ members I think its a good candidate for recognition even if it isn't published by a Vocal+ member.

Yes, there are Vocal+ users who use AI but I think it's a trickle compared to the flood. If it comes to a point where there's a host of Vocal+ AI users, I think we're already doomed.

If Vocal can take such steps to ensure the integrity of comments being made on a piece by limiting it to Vocal+ comments on a piece I suggest the following for Most Discussed Story Prizes:

1st Place - $20

2nd Place - $15

3rd Place $10

4th Place $8

5th Place $5

And keep the 5 Honorable Mentions at $3.

This would be a total of $85 in Leaderboard prizes. Quite a bit less than the $190 awarded each week before the Emerging Creators category was removed. What should be done with a little more than $100 in prize money that would be cut from the Leaderboard? I'll address that in Part 3.

I'd add the 4th and 5th place slots so it's not just a list of three people every week, that way you'd have close to the same number of winners as Most Discussed and Most Likes without having to deal with the redundant hearts that can be more easily gamed.

And I actually have some ideas of how I would reduce the Leaderboard even more if some changes I have in mind for Top Stories were put in place. So I’ll save those until Part 4.

I know tons of change all at once isn’t realistic. But steps can begin now.

Step 1: Get rid of of Most Supportive Commenters & Most Subscribed to Creators ASAP

Step 2: Get rid of Most Liked and extend the Most Discussed Category

Step 3: Change the criteria for comments on a piece to only count if they’re made by Vocal+ members

If the Leaderboard is to exist I think AI manipulation needs to be prevented and I think it should recognize the creation of work that has generated authentic community discussion. I don't think Vocal should prioritize and award comment quantity, new subscriptions, and getting people to click a heart button.

If a Leaderboard that truly recognizes real Creators and their work can't be guaranteed in some way then I think I'm going to have to join those who call for it to be totally done away with.

A fellow creator, Luna Jordan, has recently published thoughts on the Leaderboard too and I've linked her story below. She definitely did her homework and put a lot of work into the piece. She brings up a lot of valid points and we align on a lot of our thinking.

After reading an element of her piece that I hadn't considered, the list of most frequent Leaderboard winners, it sparked some additional thoughts for me too. Some of the people who are most frequently on the Leaderboard are the same ones calling for it to be changed or removed. I think the fact that the people who are big recipients of the Leaderboard awards see the flaws with it and want to see change happen is very telling.

I'd like to try redeeming it before pulling the plug completely but that might just be the romantic in me. I do think several of the people who win the awards deserve them. A lot of the frequent winners put a lot of time into reading the work of others, supporting new creators, and fostering the community that exists on Vocal.

So I'd like to see what things look like when the only factor determining someone's spot on the Leaderboard is Vocal+ comments.

I have designated any winnings I receive from the Leaderboard to go toward Challenges that I host. I don't place on it very often but I still had $100 to give out in prizes for my Keep It 100 Challenge back in the fall and I've got $18 going toward the next one.

Of course if you win Leaderboard prizes you are entitled to do whatever you want with them! I'm not advising everyone to do the same! Many of you frequent winners put a lot of time and effort into the Vocal Community and I think your prize is a well deserved reward. There's a reason so many people comment on your pieces!

But I do encourage those who receive an abundance to consider creatively how you can even in some small ways support creators who are very far away from having the following that you do. Those you come across, who despite publishing really good work won't have a shot at the Leaderboard for quite some time. Maybe it's a $1 tip for a story that really resonates with you.

And Luna's list did actually bring me a source of cheer regarding the Leaderboard. At least for now the most frequent winners are real people who write all their own work. And they're all Creators that welcomed me into the Vocal Community with open arms. That's the human integrity of the Leaderboard that must be preserved if it's going to continue to be a feature of the platform!

I really appreciate Luna Jordan and other creators who are also writing on these issues. I think change is going to take a lot of collective effort. If you have written on the Leaderboard or know of other pieces others have written please share the links in the comments. I'd love to include them here for others to see!

I said in my introduction that I want feedback and pushback. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Leaderboard, so please feel free to voice your concerns. I hope to include a lot of the input I receive in the conclusion of this manifesto!

Part 3: Vocal Challenges

Part 4: Vocal Top Stories

Part 5: Vocal AI Policy

Part 6: Conclusion