I’ve been pondering this issue myself.

I think the wildcard categories are the Enemies and the Angry Replies. I think those both seem (at first glance) like easy targets to hit, so lots of new submitters throw their dice at those walls. Then when their submissions get -5’ed, they get mad and downvote everything else in those categories. (Hey, I did it at first too.)

Looking over my submissions from a few days ago, I can objectively scan them and think, ‘No, that’s too much of an in joke.” For instance — since it’s already been deep-sixed — “Beware the Happy Squirrel.” Yes, an extremely arcane Tarot joke reference. This week’s forum, Wiccapedia, happens to fall into a category I know something about. As a result, I’m watching a lot of submissions from others that I think are hilarious get pummeled by voters who just aren’t hip to the joke. And you have to know the scene to be hip to the joke. That’s all — no h8ers.

I think the best way to get feedback is to have an ex post facto thread here in this forum. If you’re curious why a submission failed, after voting has closed, post it here and ask people what they thought about it, if and when they came across it.

But I’m not a CZ, or even a TS for that matter.*

KK

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*Obscure joke — pay no attention.