A wish ...

[MelissaBaby]

I’ve been here six years and published 65 stories and 2 poems.I don’t think I have received more than a dozen nasty anonymous comments.

Now, I’d be happy to attribute that to my extraordinary talent, but we would all get a good laugh out of that.

I’m guessing a more realistic explanation is that this isn’t a site wide problem. It’s, for the most part, category specific. I’ve mostly published in Romance and Novels and Novellas. I get a lot of very lovely anonymous comments. I don’t see any reason why commenting policy should change for my readers because there is a problem in a category most for them probably don’t read in.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I'm the commenter in question. My experience can be summarised like this.

I've read stories here for years and left the vast majority of my comments anonymously. In the instances where I offered constructive criticism, too many authors would push back with:

"What kind of coward leaves feedback anonymously? They're too afraid to sign up for an account."

When that happened again in June, I logged in to my account and tore the author to shreds. Eventually, they apologised and it was big of them to do so.

But now that I'm commenting under my profile, the goalposts keep moving. Gone is the talk of cowardice, replaced by:

"What stories have they written?"

"How many books have they sold?"

"What qualifications do they have as a reviewer?"

"How many followers do they have here?"

"They must be an idiot if they liked her but not him."

"What expertise do they have to critique my work?"

While there are outliers here who are mature and act with class, too many writers here have demonstrated that they'll always move the goalposts when criticised. I know that for a fact and I'm almost uniquely placed to tell you that.

It comes down to what kind of mentality you have as a creator. You all spend hours creating stories for readers like me to enjoy, and I appreciate that.

But when I invest my time to consume your content, why would any author acting in good faith dismiss extended feedback as if it were offered by the scum of the earth? By all means read it and delete it, as is your right, but to delude yourself into believing that you don't even have to read it is an affront.

Two of the most popular topics in the AH are “Why don‘t I get more comments?” and ”These comments suck.”

it’s like the old joke about the restaurant: “The food is terrible and they don’t give you big enough portions”

 

[RejectReality]

Part of a discussion that predates me from 2005 suggesting that the category be split up.

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/feedback-for-laurel-re-loving-wives.385499/post-14940619

The Loving Wives readers seem to me to be of three basic types:

Type1: "If you, author, don't subject the wife to a gang bang I will kill you!"

Type2: "If you, author, subject the wife to a gang bang I will kill you!"

Type3: "Die author scum!"

Not a new phenomenon.

 

[ronde]

People use the "anonymous" handle for the same reason we us user names instead of our actual name. In today's world of computer hackers and people who scour social media for post that disagree with their opinions, it's just prudent.

I don't mind the anonymous comments at all. Most that I get are at least helpful if not complimentary. The few that are derogatory usually leave me wondering if the reader actually read the story or was just triggered by something in the first couple paragraphs. I have gotten some derogatory comments that are accurate, but usually they don't have anything to do with the story. They're about what one of the character did that trips their trigger.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I’m guessing a more realistic explanation is that this isn’t a site wide problem. It’s, for the most part, category specific. I’ve mostly published in Romance and Novels and Novellas. I get a lot of very lovely anonymous comments. I don’t see any reason why commenting policy should change for my readers because there is a problem in a category most for them probably don’t read in.

This is the key. When someone wanders into the AH with a diatribe about anon comments and how horrible they are, it's a pretty safe bet as to which category they favour. There are occasional exceptions, but not many - the OP would be an odd one out in this regard, publishing in only Mature and Romance. Both those categories, in my experience, are very responsive, and mature enough not to broadcast any bleats they might have - if they don't like a story, they know how to back-click.

It's also safe to say there are bunch of writers who go on about comments, who probably should be paying attention to what's being said. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - write really badly, or write really well, and readers will tell you. Write competently, you're in the middle of the bell-curve, but Lit can be a silent place. My rule of thumb is one comment per thousand views - a higher ratio, that story's doing well.

 

[ElectricBlue]

"What qualifications do they have as a reviewer?"

That remains a fair question, I think, given that your xx/100 methodology implies some kind of a fairly complex, multi-faceted approach. The data fraternity here (which is a large one) would like to know something about that, at least. What gets what weighting? That's fundamental curiosity, I reckon.

Being on your list, I'm also curious about your story selection criteria. My reason for that is simple. Several years ago, I enquired what one needed to do to get a story into one of the invitationals, since I had a recent story that I thought fitted the topic very well. The organiser said, "Well, let me read some of your stories, and let's see." She came back a day or two later, and said, "Sorry, I don't like Gay Male." Seriously, what the fuck? Even now, I have 130 something stories, of which only two are GM, so her ability to "over select" the one category she didn't like went above and beyond. Needless to say, I didn't join that invitational.

So I'd hate to think you've chosen a story, and your review's opening line is, "Well, I don't really like xxx, but here's what I think of your story..."

You've still not provided any background. Are you going to?

 

[lovecraft68]

As you continue to echo your tired mantras, I will reiterate mine: Those who obsessively rant against the LW's crowd are at the bottom of the human food chain. Their intense need to point fingers at others stems from their desperation to avoid facing their own ugly reflection in the mirror. They are worse than the bottom-of-the-barrel LW commenters.

But the people in your beloved category-in which every one of your stories spews a hate filled agenda against women and paint men as perfect noble beings-who post pure hate and encourage violence...they're the crowd who should be defended?

You're judged by the company you keep, its obvious the kind of person you prefer to be and be with.

And all these posts are cute little veiled shots at me, meanwhile anything I need to lower myself to say to you, I do.

Very telling in and of itself.

Meanwhile, here's a mantra I'm going to start repeating. People with tiny story files who write the same story over and over have little credence when it comes to discussing pretty much anything writing wise here.

Stick to the quote thread because when only when you're regurgitating someone else's wisdom do you appear to have any

 

[Throwaway256897q6r72]

I had two anonymous comments on my latest story. The first saying that I have some really good content. It made me smile.

The second comment said that the story was overpriced and not worth reading, even at that price, along with some other comments. It just made me laugh and wonder why the person even bother to read the story. If it doesn't bring you joy, go find a story that does.

 

[lovecraft68]

You obviously haven't read any of my stories, and even if you did, you wouldn't be able to comprehend even a single atom of them. We both perceive each other as insects, but the only difference is that you have to look up to see me.

Go read five randomly selected stories that were recently published in LW, something you haven't done in a decade. Read the comments as well, and then we'll talk.


Don't flatter yourself. You're just one of dozens of miserable souls around here who obsessively speak out against a category they never visit, and those who do post extremely lousy stories there.

To me, you are nothing more than a collection of pixels that I toy with. You've missed your chance. You're not the only one with the "dead to me" switch.

First off, what I talk about is a faction of LW, the incels, the BTB pricks and I use the word faction. The worst of the lot and several times I've talked about how the decent authors and readers there are being driven off...in case you can't make the connection that means I'm not saying the whole category is bad, but its been getting worse over the years and will continue to do so, because anyone coming to enjoy posting or reading is going to stop reading there.

Your stories are cookie cutters that all have the same angle. And being short, they're not hard to read other than the rolling of my eyes at your insecurities as a man that show up there.

And, let's make something clear, I am very much in your head and you proved that when you deleted your very flattering post in my radio interview thread where you gushed over my voice. Between that and your obvious fascination with me, it dawned on me you have yourself a little man crush on me. You attack me because it pisses you off you like me.

I don't blame you, the posers often develop a fixation for the real deal.

As for flattering oneself, you don't bat anyone around here. You're the forum gnat everyone swats at when they get tired of the incessant buzzing.

 

[Victoria14xs]

The problem is, you may well be right, but if you're wrong, it would be disastrous. Since this is basically a solution looking for a problem, I can't see why it would be worth the risk.

I wonder…
I imagine that writers write for a multitude of reasons, but I suspect what they all have in common is that they like to hear themselves talk. And I think the same might credibly be said for commenters.
While requiring a handle would result in fewer comments overall, I don’t think we’d lose the passionate commenters - the ones that matter in terms of thoughtfulness, helpfulness, incisiveness etc. I think they’d eventually cave and begrudgingly make an account because, like writers, they’ve something to say (and they’re passionate about the saying of it ).
I too, enjoy getting a nice comment from “anonymous.” Lol, I’m as needy as the next bitch. But I’d be fine without it. I’d still write my occasional story.
So I’m struggling with the notion that disaster could ensue, that there’s great risk.
The upside would be that identifying and reacting to honest-to-God troll behavior would be vastly simpler from a technical standpoint.

 

[Victoria14xs]

Banning anonymous comments and votes site-wide would hinder a hundred casual readers for every troll it inconvenienced. The site can survive trolls but it dies without casual readers.

Many websites allow folks to read their content (e.g., news site) but ask you to make an account to comment. I should think that requiring that you have a “handle” to submit a comment wouldn’t dramatically effect the number of casual readers.
I get that the truly passionate troll would make a handle (or handles?) just to make writers miserable. But at least in that scenario, you‘d see that it’s Troll-x (over and over). And it would give the site owners options I’d imagine.

 

[Stacnash]

While requiring a handle would result in fewer comments overall, I don’t think we’d lose the passionate commenters - the ones that matter in terms of thoughtfulness, helpfulness, incisiveness etc. I think they’d eventually cave and begrudgingly make an account because, like writers, they’ve something to say (and they’re passionate about the saying of it ).

The upside would be that identifying and reacting to honest-to-God troll behavior would be vastly simpler from a technical standpoint.

I see what you're saying, but your argument falls down when you attempt to gatekeep what actually constitutes thoughtfulness, helpfulness and incisiveness in a piece of feedback. The same goes for what qualifies as troll behaviour.

Even more so when you consider that every comment is solicited by an author, unless they decide to switch them off.

Anon

Well written, good plot, and in the beginning, the story sounded somewhat believable. However, I stopped reading at, "No panties, and also no hair at all." When I started reading this story, I thought it was going to be about a nephew who was going to fuck or be fucked by a MATURE AUNT. Did you guys get that, an AUNT, meaning this SHOULD have been an AGE APPROPRIATE story, evidenced by (a generous amount of thick pussy hair. Because AUNTS like MOM'S, like Mother's-in-Law, Older sisters, and other (over 40) ladies should always be depicted as hairy / full bush. These ladies are at minimum usually 38-40 years old - Aunts are usually not 19.) However, this aunt was for some reason depicted as a teen girl seemingly about to model swimwear!!! Yes, she is described as if she was an 18 or 19 year old, evidenced by a "dam silly" shaved pussy -- on an aunt story, as if the plot was about bikini's and beaches. Well it was not about that either. Its a story by an author having 20 works listed on this site, who OUGHT to by now, know better than to try that. But obviously, does not knoew better because it's another attempt to "DUMP" a shaved pussy story, about a mature lady (ALWAYS HAIRY IF MATURE / OVER 40, shit if over 32-34!!!!) on readers. Not only is it not realistic (AT ALL), it may explain why this author ONLY has 481 listed followers. A SHAVED CUNT ON A MATURE AUNT! so tomorrow morning when they want to fuck again, this author destroyed that possibility because tomorrow morning, it will be a disgusting mess of razor burn, pimples, and stubble, on what could have been described as a "hairy aunt story." So, a whole 481 followers. Oh Well. djrip, I guess just continue to "BE BOLD,!!!," and keep on writing those shaved pussy (razor burn - infected hairs, pimples oozing pus) stories. Seriously, keep at it, I mean really, what author needs followers, or even ratings above 1 or 2. Go on, tell readers about how to get rid of the orange tinge from the mix of pimple blood and pus on a 3 day old - just refreshed with a razor mound of stubble. Readers love stories like that.

The quote above is from my favourite Literotica commenter. They do it anonymously, but they're prolific and completely psychotic. But it's clear that they're deeply passionate about their kinks and favourite genres here. My favourite one was about a housewife not having time to shave because she had to take the kids to the school play. I wish I had it to hand, I hurt myself laughing at it.

However, by flipping a switch and removing that person's voice, you restrict their ability to engage with the creators. They took the time to search through thousands of stories to find something to read before choosing your work.

Is it really such a huge price to pay to let someone who took the time to read your work have their say? Especially when you've got the power to delete it?

 

[Victoria14xs]

I see what you're saying, but your argument falls down when you attempt to gatekeep what actually constitutes thoughtfulness, helpfulness and incisiveness in a piece of feedback. The same goes for what qualifies as troll behaviour.

Even more so when you consider that every comment is solicited by an author, unless they decide to switch them off.





The quote above is from my favourite Literotica commenter. They do it anonymously, but they're prolific and completely psychotic. But it's clear that they're deeply passionate about their kinks and favourite genres here. My favourite one was about a housewife not having time to shave because she had to take the kids to the school play. I wish I had it to hand, I hurt myself laughing at it.

However, by flipping a switch and removing that person's voice, you restrict their ability to engage with the creators. They took the time to search through thousands of stories to find something to read before choosing your work.

Is it really such a huge price to pay to let someone who took the time to read your work have their say? Especially when you've got the power to delete it?

I take your points. I’m a newbie, and I do recognize that the folks in this thread are speaking wisdom, earned through experience.
I do wish there was a way to track and counter 1-bombers. I get it, someone might truly hate chapter one of my story. But why shit on the subsequent chapters too? I kinda suspect this sort of person isn’t “taking the time to read [my] story.” Would question that premise.

 

[Stacnash]

I take your points. I’m a newbie, and I do recognize that the folks in this thread are speaking wisdom, earned through experience.
I do wish there was a way to track and counter 1-bombers. I get it, someone might truly hate chapter one of my story. But why shit on the subsequent chapters too? I kinda suspect this sort of person isn’t “taking the time to read [my] story.” Would question that premise.

I wouldn't worry about it. I had a look at your profile and you're doing really well. All of your stories have a hot tag and your longest series has a really impressive rating.

 

[Victoria14xs]

I wouldn't worry about it. I had a look at your profile and you're doing really well. All of your stories have a hot tag and your longest series has a really impressive rating.

Appreciate that. I‘ve let my one 1-bomber get to me, enough to pop up in this discussion where I’ve really got no standing.
Also - failed to react to the comment you offered up. Priceless. Wow.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Appreciate that. I‘ve let my one 1-bomber get to me, enough to pop up in this discussion where I’ve really got no standing.
Also - failed to react to the comment you offered up. Priceless. Wow.

Don't fret about one bombs. Over time, the site runs "sweeps" that take out a lot of the garbage. Don't ask how they work though, just know that they do.

 

[LexxRuthless]

I had a recent discussion via e-mail about comments, and figured this would be a good place to share my current take on the topic:

Fri, Jul 7 at 5:33 AM

I'm going to disagree with you a little bit. Not that you're wrong, in general. Given any anonymous forum, the worst elements of any group tend to find an outlet for their venom. Those comments simply don't represent the majority of readers. Likewise, Americans aren't fairly represented by the vacuous people we see on television. It is like judging all French people by the left-wing sentiments coming out of Paris. Most French people have a tremendous appreciation of history, and feel a sense of camaraderie with Americans -- particularly American servicemen and the descendants of those brave souls who stormed the beaches at Normandy. The "Parisites" are a different breed, and are an embarrassment to most of their countrymen, just as New York journalists and the knuckleheads in Hollywood are an embarrassment to most of us here in the States. And politicians...

You know, I'll just stop there.

With Literotica, roughly one percent of readers bother to vote. Given large enough numbers, like a thousand votes on a story, the score tends to be representative of what most readers thought of the story. Comments are far fewer, and tend to be skewed away from the consensus. If I have a story with 100,000 views and a thousand votes, it might have a dozen comments. The anonymous comments will likely have a few turd-blossoms. If I feel like they actively detract from the experience of reading my story, I delete them. That may be a relatively new feature, but authors can simply click a little garbage can icon next to any comment on their story and delete it. Usually I leave them alone, even if it's a negative comment.

I've had a few scathing reviews of my writing posted as comments. Because I have a fairly thick skin and don't take it personally, I will reach out to those Lit members if they put their name to it. At least twice, I've done so, sending feedback to their account and thanking them for taking the time to provide me with feedback on my story. Then I'll hit them with, "So, how would you suggest I fix this story?"

That led to a lengthy, and very useful, exchange of e-mails with the person I credited as "Cassie." She wasn't some troll. She was merely a frustrated reader. However, when I put the question to her that way, and she had to consider how she would have written it instead, she wound up admitting I'd done a pretty good job writing what I had.

Your preceding e-mail reminded me of a Tommy Lee Jones quote from Men in Black. "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow." Just because a handful of morons love to open their mouths or post comments every chance they get doesn't mean those ignorant thoughts represent what most people, as individuals, really believe.

Unfortunately, there are some fairly stupid things that most people really do believe, even though they shouldn't.

 

[RejectReality]

Many websites allow folks to read their content (e.g., news site) but ask you to make an account to comment. I should think that requiring that you have a “handle” to submit a comment wouldn’t dramatically effect the number of casual readers.
I get that the truly passionate troll would make a handle (or handles?) just to make writers miserable. But at least in that scenario, you‘d see that it’s Troll-x (over and over). And it would give the site owners options I’d imagine.

You already have the power to block anonymous comments on your own work. All forcing it on everyone is going to accomplish is to dramatically reduce the number of comments across the board.

It's a ( erroneous ) solution looking for a problem.

 

[madelinemasoch]

Your stories are cookie cutters that all have the same angle

I like you, lovecraft, but I will defend Tilan. This is simply not true. "Scream" isn't anything like "Incel". Plus, "Incel" is half his current catalogue. Kinda unfair to call it all cookie-cutter when you're literally dealing with a sequel situation there.

You're the forum gnat everyone swats at when they get tired of the incessant buzzing.

This is also untrue. I appreciate him.

 

[Stacnash]

This is also untrue. I appreciate him.

I appreciate him too. He gets it and he's got talent to spare.

 

[Bamagan]

I see what you're saying, but your argument falls down when you attempt to gatekeep what actually constitutes thoughtfulness, helpfulness and incisiveness in a piece of feedback. The same goes for what qualifies as troll behaviour.

Even more so when you consider that every comment is solicited by an author, unless they decide to switch them off.

Is it really such a huge price to pay to let someone who took the time to read your work have their say? Especially when you've got the power to delete it?

I know a lot of authors do in fact solicit comments, but choosing not to completely prohibit commentary is not the same thing as solicitation. Toleration might be closer to the mark, or providing the public with an attractive nuisance perhaps. I myself don't prohibit them, at least so far, but I also haven't asked for them or said anything to encourage them (other than responding to some). I might be unique, but I rather doubt it.

I certainly feel like it is my prerogative as an author to decide if any given commentary is 'thoughtful, helpful, incisive,' or otherwise worth keeping around. I can either be my own gatekeeper, or not have a gate at all. I also can't admit to feeling any sense of obligation to read or respond to commentary simply because someone (possibly) read my story, also under no obligation of their own. I probably would not read a lengthy and public critique, nor keep it around. That seems to me to be the kind of thing where the critiquing party should probably privately message the author, or limit their comment to an invitation for suggestions of improvement, to see if that kind of feedback is actually wanted before devoting their time to spelling it all out.

All of that may be completely irrelevant to whatever situation pertains regarding you and this other author, of course, who might very well have been actively soliciting comments. But there's also the possibility that you didn't tell them anything they hadn't already considered. No way for me to know!

 

[djrip]

I see what you're saying, but your argument falls down when you attempt to gatekeep what actually constitutes thoughtfulness, helpfulness and incisiveness in a piece of feedback. The same goes for what qualifies as troll behaviour.

Even more so when you consider that every comment is solicited by an author, unless they decide to switch them off.





The quote above is from my favourite Literotica commenter. They do it anonymously, but they're prolific and completely psychotic. But it's clear that they're deeply passionate about their kinks and favourite genres here. My favourite one was about a housewife not having time to shave because she had to take the kids to the school play. I wish I had it to hand, I hurt myself laughing at it.

However, by flipping a switch and removing that person's voice, you restrict their ability to engage with the creators. They took the time to search through thousands of stories to find something to read before choosing your work.

Is it really such a huge price to pay to let someone who took the time to read your work have their say? Especially when you've got the power to delete it?

Good old Anonybush! I love their comments. They disappeared from that story, oddly; I don't know if an anon user can remove their comments, or perhaps they were reported and removed. But I still have this treasure...

No choice, no choice at all, but to give you a 5 dude. The only thing that would have made this story better. at least for me would have been if both twins were supporting identical super hairy blond pussies. Pubic hair so thick it had to be raked back with both hands to get to their somewhat oversize huge clits. I seriously hope there is another chapter to follow. Surly they have a hot and sexy brother. Possibly your best friend at work that you want to get involved in incest group sex. And yes, very closeted, you have wanted him to suck your long, thick, and wide pulsating cock for a while. So, one week before you rented the condo for the next weekend threesome, you trustingly show their brother most of pictures you took of his sexy twin sisters completely and totally lost in their intense and lustful ecstasy while eating each other’s delicious pussies, over and over that weekend to multiple girl cum squirting orgasms. You even ask him is his wife might consider a five-some in the future. Speechless with an obvious erection at the urinal in the men’s room right beside of you, as you show him the phone pics and moaning orgasmic vid’s, You tell him point blank, “____, between us (a closeted statement), I usually eat my own cum from ____ after sex if that tells him anything about what I seriously want to do next weekend if you will please, fuck please join us. All he could do was hoarsely, in a moderately shaking voice said, “same, me too ___, I, I, fuck, I eat my cum from ____, his wife's pussy, almost every time we fuck. It’s fucking delicious but you already know that,” he whispered still shaking. Then, he smiled anxiously and looks over at my thick erect cock that I was deliberately displaying some at the urinal right beside him. As he took one step back to display his cock to me, I saw that he was just as long, just as thick, and wide as i was. He was also circumcised just like me. Again in a even more shaky voice, he said “How about we go someplace at lunch, no, Fuck, let’s take an early lunch and practice sucking each other off. Seriously, I have never done oral that on a guy. Look, I have, fuck, OMG, I cant believe I am saying this, I have wanted to see yours, shit, wanted to suck you off ever since I saw you that first time when you came over. It was those dam flip flops you were wearing showing off those secy tan man feet of yours that turned me on. I can’t really explain that, but I would love to lick your feet and suck your toes as foreplay for an hour or so. Lets take a long lunch or even go home sick for the day.” All I could say in just as shaky of a whispering voice was, can I, can I, I will rent a room, can i please do you, your fucking secy toes that I stole glances at at the pool a few months ago first, you know foreplay, then when you get ready to cum, don't way a word, I want you to cum inside my mouth until you have finished then please kiss me? “Same dude, I will split you on the hotel.”

 

[Bramblethorn]

Many websites allow folks to read their content (e.g., news site) but ask you to make an account to comment.

I'd be interested to see how what % of commenters they lost once they added that requirement.

But in any case - Literotica is not a news site. Many people are more sensitive about their porn-reading habits than their news-reading habits, and I have more faith in a major newspaper's ability to protect that kind of account info than I do for Literotica.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I certainly feel like it is my prerogative as an author to decide if any given commentary is 'thoughtful, helpful, incisive,' or otherwise worth keeping around. I can either be my own gatekeeper, or not have a gate at all. I also can't admit to feeling any sense of obligation to read or respond to commentary simply because someone (possibly) read my story, also under no obligation of their own. I probably would not read a lengthy and public critique, nor keep it around. That seems to me to be the kind of thing where the critiquing party should probably privately message the author, or limit their comment to an invitation for suggestions of improvement, to see if that kind of feedback is actually wanted before devoting their time to spelling it all out.

It's also worth thinking about who the intended audience is for a comment on a story. Some comments are primarily left as feedback for the author, others are really more about soapboxing to everybody else who's read down that far.

If the comment is meant to be feedback for the author, then it should [edit: SHOULDN'T] be a problem if they delete it after reading it, any more than it's a problem if I delete email feedback from my mail folder.

OTOH, if the comment is mostly left for the attention of other readers, I'm not convinced that this is something the story's author is obliged to support, any more than they're required to host comments by people who are plugging their penis enlargement solutions or whatever. If the "comment" is less about that story in particular and more an exposition of the reader's political philosophy/etc., it probably ought to be submitted in Reviews/Essays, or as a blog post, than piggybacking off somebody else's story.

 

[Bamagan]

OTOH, if the comment is mostly left for the attention of other readers, I'm not convinced that this is something the story's author is obliged to support, any more than they're required to host comments by people who are plugging their penis enlargement solutions or whatever. If the "comment" is less about that story in particular and more an exposition of the reader's political philosophy/etc., it probably ought to be submitted in Reviews/Essays, or as a blog post, than piggybacking off somebody else's story.

I'd add to that comments that are pretty clearly intended to provoke arguments with the author and/or fans of the story or of the category. I've deleted a couple that seemed like that: more like critiques of the genre, with little evidence of having read the story at all, and broad enough in the criticisms that they almost read like a horoscope. (Presumably so that the commentator doesn't have to do the hard work of writing their complaints out multiple times.)