fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2877 ]

[ SECRET POST #2877 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2877 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 040 secrets from Secret Submission Post #411.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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I think people might be "fussed" because insincere hollow praise isn't much of an encouragement.

If a pat on the back from someone who hasn't even read the thing you works on is enough for you then maybe you should look at why you're bothering to write and post in the first place.

oh, it's a great encouragement.

do you post fic yourself?

Yes.

And I'd be pretty fucking disillusioned to know someone was doing this to me. Frankly the very idea that someone WOULD do this is pretty disillusioning, because now I'll wonder whether the next person to write me a "vaguely nice" comment is someone like the OP or someone who actually gave a shit about the fic.

not everyone's like you.
I don't think many people comment like the OP.

Perhaps not, but most writers in this thread don't like what OP's doing.

so?

Wow. Great argument.

i didn't notice any point in your comment besides "everyone do so and so".

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(Anonymous) - 2014-11-19 05:35 (UTC) - Expand

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solticisekf - 2014-11-19 05:49 (UTC) - Expand

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(Anonymous) - 2014-11-19 22:54 (UTC) - Expand

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solticisekf - 2014-11-20 00:25 (UTC) - Expand

nayrt - I do. Looks like most of the writers on this thread said they wouldn't really care for compliments that weren't sincere. I know I'd be very disappointed (and a little insulted) if I found out someone didn't want to read my work, yet thought I'd want a hollow pat on my ego, anyway.

Fair enough.
all the same, it seems to be a sweet idea. I post fic and I don't think I'd notice insincere comments. It's sincere after a fashion - "you wrote a fic? And published it? Awesome." ;)

*shrug* Different strokes. To me, being congratulated for writing and posting a fic feels a bit like getting a certificate for participation.... a bit patronizing.

DA

Please, tell me how phony praise from someone who thinks you need pity-comments boosts your ego and encourages you.

I'm one of the writers who posted upthread, and the fact is that if comments and reviews are important to you as a writer then there's a tacit understanding that at the very least the person making that value judgement on your work either way has actually read the damn thing. Equally there's no value whatsoever to a comment that's made in the way OP makes them, and that in turn devalues all comments.

I don't think it devalues other comments. Most people wouldn't bother replying to fics the didn't read, so the probability of encountering it are pretty low. If many people'd do this, than it'd be another story. As such, I don't think you'd even know if an "I liked it" comment is sincere or not. Even if the user mass-comments everywhere - they could be a fast reader, after all.

I myself sometimes leave Kudos to the fics I didn't finish. I do it for a good start, for the fact that it's my small-small otp, to cheer up an author so they'll write more and improve.

I know for a fact that some nice comments under my fics are there because of the friendship or because the fandom is small and everybody else've left a comment already.

NAYRT

It devalues other comments for the exact reason you yourself pointed out: "As such, I don't think you'd even know if an "I liked it" comment is sincere or not."

Writers in this thread, the ones who possibly have the most to benefit from true encouragement, have already said that knowing this happens makes them question their other comments.

Leaving false praise doesn't encourage anyone to improve, it encourages them to keep on doing whatever it is they're currently doing, which might be writing dreck that a lot of their friends are dropping empty praise onto. Except you have no idea whether that's something worth praising yet, or whether it needs more polish, because you have no idea what you're commenting on.

I have reviews on my work from friends too. Frankly they make me cringe every time I look at them, and every time I imagine someone who's checking to see the reaction to my work reading them, because they're fake and no actual reflection on me or my work.

But no one really has the time to leave these comments, so I think a suspicion towards ALL the comments is baseless.

But do you want people to improve or do you want them to continue as they are or maybe, like OP, you don't care about the fic at all and just want to improve their mood? (Imo, OP really wants to singlehandenly right the wrongs of the lack of comments. It's a Revolution!)

I admit I didn't wholly grasp your last point. Do you think praise from your friends under your fics will create a false impression for other readers? oO

"Do you think praise from your friends under your fics will create a false impression for other readers?"

Seriously? You REALLY don't see how that works?

No, I was really right the first time in my comment below.

You're just deliberately obtuse, and there's really no point even talking to someone like you.

now I feel like I wasted my time replying.

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othellia - 2014-11-20 01:38 (UTC) - Expand

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solticisekf - 2014-11-20 12:58 (UTC) - Expand

Well, if you don't know that they haven't read the thing, then it sounds like they did read and like it, which is rather cheering to hear.

I'd literally prefer no comment at all, or even a hateful comment from someone who actually did read the story and despised it, than this.

You are building your writing-ego on artifice. On nothing. How is that encouraging, or helpful for a writer?

But that's the thing: they didn't read it and they didn't like it. They didn't have any interest in it at all, but now you have a false impression of the reception your work has.

Would you give a good review to a restaurant you hadn't ever eaten in, or a hotel you'd never stayed in just to make the owners feel better?

Comments and reviews are feedback for the writer to gauge how a work was received -- an opinion they assume comes from someone who actually read the fic, whether they enjoyed it or not.

I think comments exist to motivate people. (in non professional fic writing) Not the sole purpose but the main one.

And you're basing that motivation on bullshit.

Clearly you don't have an issue with that.

with what?

upd. "Oh, it's all based on lies, how can I?" do you mean it's a better reaction?

Edited 2014-11-19 06:03 (UTC)

With basing your motivation and ego on a fabrication that only happened because someone felt sorry for you.

Hmm, I like my motivation and I need all the m. I can get.
I see your point though, it's a valid opinion too.

upd. comments don't especialy motivate me, btw

Edited 2014-11-19 06:11 (UTC)

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