[ SECRET POST #4693 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #4693 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 28 secrets from Secret Submission Post #672.
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

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

The only time I've flamed a fic in the last ten years was at an author that I genuinely liked. (as a person and a writer) It was an older work, and I felt so bad about it that I left them an apology comment a day or two later.
I still feel really bad about it.

S!B: I still hate with a bloody passion certain characterizations of theirs, most of my guilt (part of it anyways) is at myself for not being able to keep my mouth shut.

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

I understand this. There have been many times I've had an extremely strong urge to leave a critical comment on someone's fic, like, "Your bias against [character x] is honestly out of control at this point and it's making your fics so much weaker than they'd otherwise be," or, "It's really misleading to tag this as A/B when it's clear you hate them together and were only writing it so that A could self-righteously dump B and find real love with C."

But so far I've always been able to keep my ire to myself.

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

Exactly! I can usually keep it under control, look past it, or delude myself into liking it, but I just couldn't... In the past I've typed my rage out into a note, I half just can't believe I sent it.

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

that's not a flame dude
that's just a negative review
you don't have to wrap a criticism in fourteen layers of cotton wool before you give it to a writer
and if the writer disagrees with that then they have way bigger problems than their characterisation or the way they write that one pairing

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

Depending on how you phrase it yes it can be. As the one who made the original comment, I can very well say that, while still falling within those lines, the way I said it was both belittling and insulting. Once you get fed up enough it's hard to reel it back to the point that it can be considered constructive.

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

It may not be a "flame" per se, but when you do that you're still being a douche. They didn't ask for constructive criticism. They didn't ask how you feel about their negative opinion on [character x]. They obviously know their opinion is negative. It's not like they're just doing it by accident and are going to change their ways once you alert them to it.

If you're very friendly about it, I can see the comment about misleading tags being appropriate. If you phrase it as, like, "I'm sincerely not trying to start wank, but I found the tags kind of misleading for reasons and was wondering if you'd consider changing the way this is tagged?"

But if you come in and phrase it how you're actually feeling ("Wow dude, those tags are super misleading. I really wish I'd known where this was going when I started reading and saved myself the unpleasant surprise and the wasted time.") you have to know you're looking for a fight.

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

you don't have to wrap a criticism in fourteen layers of cotton wool before you give it to a writer

I mean, if the writer hasn't invited criticism then you shouldn't really be giving it, regardless of how gently you're doing so. But if you're being snarky while giving it, that's worse.

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

Technically, if the author hasn't outright said they don't want to hear anything constructive, then there's no reason why you shouldn't offer helpful criticism. It doesn't hurt anyone to offer well meant advice, and it's not as if the author has to pay any mind to it.

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

Technically, if you haven't outright said you don't want soggy cornflakes thrown at you, then there's no reason why people shouldn't toss some bits of balanced breakfast your way. Soggy cornflakes won't hurt you and you don't have to eat them. Sure, it's a rude and unwelcome "gift," but you didn't technically tell them to keep their wet cereals to themselves.

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

Not at all actually. Sharing a fic online in a system where comments and reviews are the norm, to the point where people beg and plead for them, it is not at all like getting 'soggy cornflakes' thrown you.
Constructive criticism is not in any way bashings someone's writing or opinion. It can be as simple as 'you mistakenly wrote character A's name when I believe you meant to write character B's'. A lot of people want to improve, or are embarrassed by small mistakes such as theses. Most people do not cry themselves to sleep at night because someone said their work could be improved and was given pointers on how. Don't be so sensitive.

Re: Secrets you WANT to be made

[(Anonymous)]

Oops, you sound upset. You are right. Everyone wants your very special opinions about spelling mistakes tacked onto the end of their hobby, otherwise they would have told you so, specifically, by name. You're very, very smart and definitely know better than all the people who have told you that they actually don't find your "help" useful or wanted. You are not a pedantic killjoy and you should get many cookies. Yay, you!