[ SECRET POST #3774 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3774 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 13 secrets from Secret Submission Post #540.
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.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

You and every single other writer on this site who apparently thinks a kudos is a goddamn slap in the face or something

[(Anonymous)]

It's not that kudos are a slap in the face, they just don't tell writers much of anything other than the reader liked the story enough to press a button. There's no feedback as to what part of the story made the reader laugh, cry or groan with secondhand embarrassment. There's no specific impetus to write more, because there's no way to tell what story elements resonate enough to need continuation.

[(Anonymous)]

Some comments do that. But I don't see how someone leaving a comment that just says "Loved the fic! thanks so much for writing" really gives you that information.

[(Anonymous)]

Not all comments are created equal. But the ones that have actual content are gold.

[(Anonymous)]

I get why people like good comments. But if you're specifically comparing comments and kudos, if you make people who leave kudos leave comments instead, they're probably going to be more along the lines of "Loved the fic!" than they are going to be really in-depth engaging feedback.

[(Anonymous)]

NAYRT
I think someone being willing to actually type words about something, even if they're not very detailed is a bigger sign of positivity toward the writing, at least. People talk all the time about how they kudos anything they get to the end of. And "I finished this" is not as encouraging as "I liked this."

[diet_poison]

People talk all the time about how they kudos anything they get to the end of.

Wait...what?? But why?

[(Anonymous)]

because even though it's not a comment it's still an acknowledgement and a thank you for writing a fic?

[diet_poison]

I always thought "kudos" meant a positive response, not just an acknowledgement?

I feel like people who leave kudos just because they read something are missing the point of kudos and making them less useful :|

[(Anonymous)]

Wow, if they really kudos anything they get to the end of or not just things they like... then my fic is even worse than I thought. I am happy if I get 1-2 kudos on most fics, and I had hoped it meant that a couple people at least liked it. Maybe not, then :(

I do realize I write rarepairs and unpopular characters of a closed canon, but still :(

[(Anonymous)]

Im in a small fandom. Seeing WHO comments, even those "I loved this" comments that aren't in depth feedback, tells me something that kudos do not. Like, there are fans that like things really neat and simple and sweet, and ones who are drawn specifically to complexity, and people I disagree with on characterisation and others I agree with, etc.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, that ship sailed when people started writing essays about how rude commenters were and getting all hurt about comments not saying the right thing, or going on about the wrong thing, or whatever. I've seen so many authors complaining about how insulting some commenters are when all I see is a general comment that I've stopped bothering all together unless I already know the author. And then I generally email them or private message them or something.

[(Anonymous)]

Did they do that? That's ungrateful. Granted there are the comments that start out 'I love your story, but it would be so much better if you wrote some other pairing/outcome/plot twist.' that make writers grind their teeth, but I think that's a reasonable reaction.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes. Comments that are too long or too specific cause anxiety. Question about a plot-point? How dare you question the author? "I love it!" is generic and patronizing. Talking about the plot is spoilery for people who want to check the comments before they read. Hell, there have been multiple tumblr essay-posts about how "I love it! Can't wait for the next chapter!" is Satan's comment itself for being both generic and demanding.

[cat_i_th_adage]

Seriously?

Oh dear...

[(Anonymous)]

Yep this.

[(Anonymous)]

... but some commenters ARE rude.

for one, most think they are leaving constructive criticism but it's not constructive? it's more 'I didn't like this so it's bad'.

and for me, I do have get mildly stressed when I get negative comments, but I've also gotten death threats, and had some very... disturbing wishes of violence sent my way.

I honestly don't understand what readers have against just 'thanks! enjoyed it' if they dont' want to say more.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, I think people don't comment much anymore. There are one or two people who will sometimes pm me about a fic, but never comment.
I usually only get comments on my fic if someone wants to tell me that

-I made a typo
-I write a pairing they don't like
-they feel the story should go in a different direction
-they give suggestions for what I should do instead/next
-they point out canonical errors (which usually aren't)
-they point out scientific/historic "errors" which almost never are errors

*sigh*

[diet_poison]

lol haha you have to reach pretty far to get "kudos are a slap in the face" from "I love kudos"

It seems to me all they were saying was: kudos are good, comments are better. Which to be honest seems extremely typical. Like I'm not even sure why it's a secret. I almost never post fic but I have enjoyed getting comments for the few that I have. It's, well, just a lot more than a kudos. It makes sense to like them more.

[(Anonymous)]

Well, I'm exaggerating for effect a little bit. But it just feels like people on this comm feel almost contemptuous towards kudos and feel like they're owed comments and it bugs me sometimes. Kudos is still positive feedback.

[(Anonymous)]

Kudos is generally accepted to be positive feedback, but it's very impersonal, and I've seen people state that they use it in a variety of ways. Some people claim they only kudos fic that they liked a lot, and some claim that they kudos every fic that they don't backbutton out of... which some might consider damning with faint praise.

Knowing that everyone leaves kudos for different reasons, I would much rather prefer a generic "Loved the fic!" comment. At least then it is clear that the commenter did indeed love the fic.

[diet_poison]

But it just feels like people on this comm feel almost contemptuous towards kudos

Maybe that's true and maybe it's an issue, but again: there really is no way to get that from this secret. Again, OP specifically said they LOVED kudos. They were not complaining about them. They were just saying they liked comments more.

You're trying really hard to pull this secret into a bone you have with the comm when this secret does not apply.

[(Anonymous)]

in terms of positive feedback, it requires no effort whatsoever on the part of the consumer. it's not unreasonable for authors to want to know why you liked something. if you're too lazy to actually thank the people providing you with free entertainment instead of hitting an easy button, don't get upset when they do.

[dancing_serpent]

Kudos is still positive feedback.

It stopped being positive feedback for me back in 1998, when my circle of fannish friends started using it for everything. They said Kudos! instead of Thanks! or Good Morning! - it turned into some kind of popular slang, a favourite expression of a clique of people thinking themselves very clever. And at first that was kinda funny, then it became really annoying, and then it lost any meaning altogether.

But that's my personal beef with the word Kudos. Maybe I should ask someone to write me a little bit of code that replaced every Kudos with the word Applepie, or something. I'd totally love it if people gave me applepie!

[(Anonymous)]

"I love kudos but" = kudos are a slap in the face


Uh, okay...