Turning off comments?

I recently discovered that a writer whose work I have enjoyed has turned off reader comments. Why?

I can understand someone with poor ratings would do this but I can’t understand it in this case. He’s had 9 stories published all of them with a 4+ rating. 4 stories are in the 4.5+ H rating.

He had comments switched on when I last read one of his stories which was about 2 weeks ago. Comments were generally good but a few readers, including myself, were disappointed with the ending of one particular story which has a 4.61. I can see the point if a story is getting abusive comments but to stop comments on all stories? Perhaps things have changed in the last two weeks?

Emirus said:

I recently discovered that a writer whose work I have enjoyed has turned off reader comments. Why?

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Because he can.

Some writers just don't care what readers think about their work, others turn off comments because they're tired of being trolled.

It's one of the tools the site gives writers, along with the ability to delete any comment the writer doesn't want. An analogy I used a while back - being able to block and delete comments is a way of keeping a tidy garden.

Contrary to what you might have expected, I will not leave unasked for "your writing sucks" comments directly against a story - I'm all sweetness and light. It's only here, where writers come begging, that I'm occasionally less kind. It does no-one any good to only receive flim-flam flattery when writing has its bad moments.

There are also those who wonder why they constantly receive negative comments - the clue is in the constancy. Some folk do need to pay attention, let's face it.

Whereas you, for example, walked through your baptism of fire with your head held high and I suspect you're a fast learner. Your next piece will be immeasurably better. Also, in the correct category, that's important .

I get what you’re both saying. I was just surprised by this particular writer doing it. Readers, who said that this one particular story has a poor ending, liked the story as a whole. It’s a 4.61 H.

Emirus said:

I get what you’re both saying. I was just surprised by this particular writer doing it. Readers, who said that this one particular story has a poor ending, liked the story as a whole. It’s a 4.61 H.

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Some folk don't want unsolicited critique - which can be a lot of the commentary - by self appointed experts.

Those that actively seek feedback by coming to this forum and asking for it are rare. But I suspect they learn very quickly and improve because of it, and thus grow thicker skins.

You come to the alligator pit expecting to get bitten, then get pleasantly surprised by all the butterflies .

One of my favourite authors on this site disables comments and feedback because she gets self-conscious about posting stories here, and the only way she can deal with it is by switching them off.

Comments are sometimes quite aggressive and unhelpful. I deleted some silly comments on my story. Even if a story is a 4.6 it will often get stupid comments.

Under your story, for example, someone has said your story is full of errors, without naming a single one.

hadruprider said:

Comments are sometimes quite aggressive and unhelpful. I deleted some silly comments on my story. Even if a story is a 4.6 it will often get stupid comments.

Under your story, for example, someone has said your story is full of errors, without naming a single one.

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I didn’t realise you can delete individual comments.

Yes you can. Don't ask me how! I did it a while ago and I recall it was not at all obvious how to do it.

hadruprider said:

Yes you can. Don't ask me how! I did it a while ago and I recall it was not at all obvious how to do it.

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In your control panel, click on the Comment icon (the little speech bubble) - that will show you all comments against that story. You can permanently delete each one, at your complete discretion. You set your own criteria - there are NO conventions, no rules. You delete what you want, keep what you want.

I, for example, will delete any blatant trolling, any "oh I don't like your story because it's not my kink" comment unless it's intelligently written or so spectacularly foolish that others can laugh too, and inane grammar police stupidity - which for me is extremely rare because a) I can spell but not in American, and b) I know the difference between a comma and an apostrophe. I kid you not, some fool who didn't know the difference tried to make a point...