[ SECRET POST #4545 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #4545 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 33 secrets from Secret Submission Post #651.
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

Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

So I know we've had a lot of discussion here in the past about commenting, if there's such a thing as a bad comment that's not actually rude, comments vs kudos, etc.
But I wanted to ask for the comm's feelings on creator responses. How much does it matter to you if a creator responds to your comment? Are you happy to engage a little more, or do you suspect they're just inflating their comment numbers? Have you ever had a bad reaction to a comment? Or one that made you particularly happy?

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

I don't even expect anyone to answer me anymore these days, let alone an author. Actually, my social awkwardness is so bad that even when they answer I won't dare check it out. I'm... just happy to have read the fic, enjoyed it, and squeed on it?

Re: Fanwork commenting

[philstar22]

I think it is nice when an author responds. I always try to respond to reviews on my works just so the reviewers know I appreciate that they took the time to review.

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

When an author responds to every comment, of every length, with "Thanks for reading!", there's a bitchy part of me that thinks they're just inflating the comment count, but in all probability they're just doing what they think is polite.
I usually don't comment unless I've got something to say, so it sort of annoys me when I feel like the author didn't even read my comment? Like, come on! It's only 100-150 words, can't you spare the time? :c

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

It's been a while, but we've also had a lot of discussion here about ungrateful creators who don't deserve comments because they don't respond. And that's fair.

I respond to all comments on newer fics because I'm so damn happy to be sharing what I'm feeling at that moment in time. I'm just as thrilled to get comments on older fics, and sometimes they inspire me to revisit ideas or spark new ideas, but I am admittedly slack in responding to those comments. Usually I've moved on and don't have much enthusiasm for the piece anymore or maybe even feel a little too embarrassed by it to respond. And I get that people don't comment to older fics for that reason, and that's fine. But FWIW, I cherish them just as much as comments to newer fic. Maybe even more because of how rare they are, and how they tend to come out of the blue.

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

It makes me anxious when I've put time and thought into a comment and I don't get a response. I start wondering if I somehow offended them.

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

I would feel anxious if an author was responding to everyone but me.

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

DA, but that happened to me once. The author replied to every comment except mine, and I actually went back and deleted it because I was scared I'd offended her & she just didn't want to say anything.

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

I'm fine whether a creator responds to my comment or not. It's nice, but not required. But I could also see the argument that it's better to be gracious and respond to as many folks who took the time to read/view/listen to/experience your work. I'm okay with engaging more if they like, and it never occurred to me that a creator responding is only doing so because they want to inflate their comment numbers. No on those last two questions.

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

I once commented to ask a writer to stop marking things as updated when they, in fact, were not, and they got *real* fuckin' huffy. It was basically all the self-important fanficcer clichés at once - how dare you, sweat of my brow, I slave all day over a hot keyboard, no appreciation, blah blah blah.

So I deleted their comment from my inbox, unfollowed their fic, and moved on.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If a writer wants to make out like writing fic is a huge burden and imposition, then I'm probably gonna avoid their work.

Re: Fanwork commenting

[type_wild]

Is the fic old? I'll comment on years-old fic, and I don't expect replies to those, at least not if the author hasn't posted in ages. If the fic is recent or ongoing, it depends on popularity - I really don't expect the author to reply to each of the fifty comments to the last chapter. If I can't be arsed to write paragraph-long comments but only have the time to shoot a quick sentence, I'm not really expecting a reply either.

If I DO write a paragraph-long comment to a fic that usually only gets things like "omg they were so super cute in this chapter", then I guess I expect the author to somehow acknowledge that they read it. I still don't take it personally if they don't.

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

It matters a lot to me.

To be clear, I understand that some creators might not have the spoons/be shy/be snowed under by the responses to their very popular fic.

But if I've written multiple complimentary comments on their fic, and all they do is ignore it, then I start to wonder if maybe they just want comment stats as some kind of tribute or scorekeeping. Which makes me feel used.

And even the most positive interpretation of "Author never replies" will gradually have me stop commenting, because shouting into the void is lonely and tiring, and I, also, am short of spoons.

I would advise, if a writer does have a policy of not replying to comments, to put a note in the story along the lines of, "I read and appreciate all your comments, but [some polite explanation]." It takes some of the chill away.

**

Yes, I've had bad reactions to comments that I thought were friendly, if informal. It was really upsetting.

I try to remember that tone doesn't always convey well in text, plus some people use English as a second language which also mutes tone, and some people just have bad days when everything strikes them as raw.

But I tend not to comment to that author again, because who wants to risk giving someone another bad day, I might upset them again, and I was sure upset, so why risk it?

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject

Is something I wish more people knew about!

Re: Fanwork commenting

[(Anonymous)]

I love when I spot a reference and the author confirms it for me. My favourite was a reference to the mutiny on the Bounty, which was pretty easy for me to get (as an Australian with a love of history) but still made me really pleased with myself.