A letter from "anymouse"

[NEMouse]

Why hello there, authors of Literotica! My name is N.E. Mouse and many of you seem familiar with my work! I am the person who can both make your day or piss you off with a simple comment on your story.

I have been a reader on this fine site since 2008 and have penned a good number stories of my own here since 2010. Not under this name of course, but hey, I am anymouse after all. But end of the day, one of you as well.

I mention my stories only to make the point that I have been on both sides of the coin so to speak, but seeing I read about 40 or so stories a week I am first, and foremost, a reader.

Now before I go ahead and most likely piss a few of you off, let me say that having ghosted these forums for the last few months, I am the type of reader you truly desire because I have voted and remarked on every story I have read, which sadly seems to make me in the great minority amongst readers here.

Now onto the point of my post. Apparently anymouse is a source of great angst and wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth here. We are blamed for your low scores, we are called out as cowards, we have no right to comment on grammar because it seems we must all be illiterate (only authors know grammar according to what I read here.) And we also have no right to render an opinion unless.....

We are telling you that you are the greatest author that not just this site, but the world of erotica itself, has ever seen!

Because, well, as several authors here have mentioned in one way or another in various threads no one ever hates "me" When I am proclaiming your greatness and stroking what seems amongst many here to be a very fragile ego.

Anymouse is only a jerk when he says your story is not up to snuff and they did not enjoy it. Now comments like "You're the worst fucking writer to ever write" are not what I am speaking of, but let me say if you let those over the top remarks get to you, then you my friend, have the problem and its called thin skin.

But let me address some things here in no real order, but as I recall them.

1) Again, anymouse is only wrong if they do not like your work.

Guess what? You cannot please everyone and I love how people here say they know that, but whine and piss and moan and start "Can you believe this?' threads so other authors will come in and make you feel all better about yourselves.

Sorry, but people have something called an opinion and we have the right to express it whether you approve or not.

2) Anymouse is a troll, they one bombed me! They gave me a Two! There are authors here who monitor their scores like I would monitor my daughter's temperature when she's sick. Well after dividing number of votes by total and factoring in.... That troll gave me a three! Obsess much? many here claim they do not, but wow are they all aware of their scores at any given moment (and I watch mine as well, but never claim not to) I want a dollar for every "I don't care about the score but...." remarks here.

Okay, so Literotica provides the reader with a 1-5 star rating. The owner designed this because if authors did the options would be 5-5.

4 is a great score, but people whine at anything but a five. To hear this is to feel as if I should be here passing out gold stars for all of you and everybody is a winner.

fact is, hold on now, there are people who may feel your Pulitzer prize winning 2k stroke piece may not really be that good! -pauses while the fainters can get back to their feet

That's right, not everyone agrees with you and your spouse and mom that you're the best ever. Some of us feel maybe a 3 is what your tale is worth. And keep in mind that is subjective as the next voter may indeed feel it is a 5. But the "5 guy" is right and Mr. 3? what does he know?

3) asking for feedback, then bitching about it.

Many writers ask for us to let them know what they think. Again "you suck" is not what I am speaking of, but from a readers point of view, when you ask for my comment and I remark(as I did today on a story and this is what set me off) "It was pretty good, but I feel the earlier chapters were better." and I go back and my comment has been deleted.

I have zero respect for an author who cannot handle a constructive remark and leaves only "You fucking rock" comments up there. Want to delete stupid insulting remarks? Sure, I get that, but when someone says, "hey there and their" are 2 different words, you may want to watch that, other than that, a great effort, 4 stars" and it gets deleted because I called out an error and had the nerve to only give a 4. That makes me not want to comment.

Again, allow me to pass out more gold stars.

This now segues into my next point.

4) readers know nothing.

According to some here(I am being nice and not calling out names because there is one very arrogant sort here who is famous for that one) a reader knows nothing about writing, grammar, or anything unless he has a gold star for you.

Look at my above example Their/there. Am I wrong? Is it not 2 different words? Do I need to have a degree in writing or have editorial experience to know that? A reader is every bit as intelligent(okay there are exceptions, but I hate to tell you, Mensa does not meet here either) as the authors. Being an author does not elevate you above the reader especially when many authors are the ones commenting. As Brad Pitt says in Se7en "Just because he has a library card, it doesn't make him Yoda"

Get off your horses. People make mistakes and no one is perfect and you are asking for feedback/comments and allegedly constructive criticism. Also everyone here is anonymous to each other and you have no clue who is reading/writing/commenting.

This brings me to my last point.

5) anymouse is a coward. "Let's see you say that as a registered user!" "Only registered users should comment or vote in contests."

Okay, so let me ask you this in all seriousness.

Anymouse is a coward, but IMhot4U is not?

Unless that is your real name and you are posting your face in your av and providing your address all you registered users are just as anonymous. You authors have pen names, they are not your real names so guess what? You are anonymous, so....

cowards? Really? Post your real info and we'll post ours, how is that?

I am not out to piss anyone off, but I think "anymouse" has become a boogeyman, a crutch and a built in excuse for a low score or unsuccessful story.

I have tremendous respect for anyone who has the creative ability to pen a story whether I think its good or not. Personally I am never crude in my comments and feel I vote fairly based on all I can go by, which is my opinion. I'm sure many just run around and spew nastiness and drop bombs, but again there are many here who will drop a 5 just because they like the author, regardless of whether it was good or not.

My point here is that if some people worried more about just having fun and writing and not worrying about what someone you'll never meet thinks of your FREE story on a FREE site, you might have a better time here.

And again, I feel its worth pointing out, no one gripes about the positive anymouse, which honestly makes the authors who complain look like nothing short of Divas

anymouse has as much right to comment as they see fit as you do to write whatever story you wish to. So stop blaming us for your low scores and writers block and "frustration" and suck it up.

And to not be completely negative there are authors here who get that. The ones who laugh at the over the top remarks or call them "rites of passage or battle scars" and who ignore them rather than delete the remarks and give them credence or best of all, never speak of it at all. Those are the authors who "get it" they also don't seem to be the ones whining about scores and from what I've seen in general seem to be the authors with the higher "marks"

They know how to handle "anymouse" and it shows.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Oh, come on, you really think I'm putting a name?

 

[sr71plt]

Ah, I see you're still pissed that I erased two of your recent "look at me" rants in a row on one of my stories.

Fact is, anymouse, you don't post critiques to help an author (most of whom, in contrast to what you claim, aren't asking for a critique from someone whose credentials to critique are a complete unknown). You post them to divert attention to yourself and to claim a superior position you haven't documented or earned (the registered posters on Literotica have a traceable background to qualify for critiquing along some continuum of demonstrated expertise; you don't). Having taken the time to write and post a story for free, I have no obligation to supply a platform for you to seek attention by piggy backing on and detracting from my story.

If you don't like what or how I write, just walk on by. I've offered it for free (and in my case, I wrote it about a year ago and have no intention of messing with it further on a free-use site.) If you can't just walk on by, it's not because of me or my story, it's because of your inability not to puff yourself up and whine for attention.

 

[BonnevilleFlats]

My rebuttal:

1) You are not wrong if you do not like my work. In fact, some constructive comments have come from people who did not like specific stories of mine. But a comment is constructive when it shows evidence that a) the reader read the story, b) understands what the author was attempting, and c) provides good comments as to why the author did not reach his or her goals.

2) One bombing only occurs if the voter clears his or her cache and repeatedly gives a single story a "one". It is not "one bombing" if you dislike a story and give it one star only once. In the long run "one bombing" accomplishes nothing more than rendering scores useless.

Given the way scoring seems to work around here, stories that score below a four tend to have major gramatical/structural problems or the author is deliberately trying to piss readers off with "boner killers". (i.e. like inserting a description of gay male sex in a story that readers are led to believe is a hetero tale.) A writer who pens a well written story that during its first few days on the board has trouble staying above a four DESPITE the fact that a dozen or more readers favorited the story does have the right to question the relatively low score, especially if a poorly written story -- shitty grammar, wooden prose and cliche scenarios -- posted the same day is getting a 4.3.

Generally, good stories that are one bombed tend to recover somewhat during their second or third week after being posted. However, they will not get the coveted red "H" which is what the one bombers are seeking to accomplish.

3) Feedback -- see my first point. Feedback concerning characterization,, point of view, scenes which could have been deleted are very helpful even if the reader did not like the story. However, things like "That bitch should have been raped" or "write another chapter, this time have them do anal" aren't helpful at all.

4) Readers do know a lot. They know what they like and what they don't. That information is very helpful for an author. But when they make comments solely on the basis of whether or not a story turned them on it is not necessarily helpful. Some people like fat women with large breasts. Others like petite women with tiny butts. Complaining because the physical description of a character is not your ideal is not helpful.

5) I don't think it is cowardly to post anonymous comments. However, comments are much more helpful if the user is registered because a writer can see what sort of stories that reader likes. If I get a negative comment from a registered user I can go to his or her page of favorites and find stories which succeeded where I failed. Plus, by registering it fosters a sense of community among the writers and reader here.

I don't bitch about low scores. But I do have a right to complain when a single individual clears his cache five times to vote. It renders the scores meaningless. I don't blame readers for writers block or things like my own failures in editing or characterization. I do get upset when I get a note from an anonymous commenter in my personal email box. I don't care if it is a positive or negative note. If you are going to send me a personal message that goes into my own email box, for god's sake provide a return address so I can respond to it.

 

[Derroreaper]

So what's your point NEMouse?

You don't actually represent anyone but yourself, so why are you acting like you're the leader of the pack? You know perfectly well that if you posted the user name your stories are link to, you'd be one bombed to hell and back, so yes, you're a coward alright, just like the rest of us.

Its easy to run your mouth when you have nothing to lose, isn't it?

 

[observer7]

<quote>There are authors here who monitor their scores like I would monitor my daughter's temperature when she's sick.</quote>

So chances are you're female. Way to give women a bad name.

....Really. Your rant has no grounds, no balls, no back-up, and no point.

Therefore: No Respect.

You comment and think you're special and/or better for it.
You slap broad assigned motives for deletions here as if you are personally wronged somehow.
You assume everyone will see your words the same way you do.
You assume a lot of things.

If you're commenting expecting something specific in return back, then you're commenting for the wrong reasons, and you are no altruistic, community-minded "somebody" at all. The Pilot is right for once: you are trying to make yourself sound superior.

Sometimes your comments aren't welcome. Sometimes you're wasting your time. Surprise!

Accept it and do what you care to do: read and comment. So what if what happens afterwards isn't up to your imagined standards?

This "letter" you should have kept in a private rant to a willing ear.

All I'm going to do is laugh and show it around.

 

[observer7]

There we go, copied and pasted, Notepad because it's not worth Word. Title: "anyidiottwat"

Has a nice ring to it, don'tcha think?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The whole scoring system is a waste. With enough alts anyone can rise to the top or fuck-over a buddy. LIT is Dodge City, Laurel created it, and that's how it is.

 

[NEMouse]

<quote>There are authors here who monitor their scores like I would monitor my daughter's temperature when she's sick.</quote>

So chances are you're female. Way to give women a bad name.

....Really. Your rant has no grounds, no balls, no back-up, and no point.

Therefore: No Respect.

You comment and think you're special and/or better for it.
You slap broad assigned motives for deletions here as if you are personally wronged somehow.
You assume everyone will see your words the same way you do.
You assume a lot of things.

If you're commenting expecting something specific in return back, then you're commenting for the wrong reasons, and you are no altruistic, community-minded "somebody" at all. The Pilot is right for once: you are trying to make yourself sound superior.

Sometimes your comments aren't welcome. Sometimes you're wasting your time. Surprise!

Accept it and do what you care to do: read and comment. So what if what happens afterwards isn't up to your imagined standards?

This "letter" you should have kept in a private rant to a willing ear.

All I'm going to do is laugh and show it around.

My rant has as much balls as anyone's does who post all their bile here with no chance of repercussions. The entire internet has become a haven for many types of "anymouse"

As far as assuming and generalizing?

I must be a woman because I take care of my daughter when she's sick? Are you kidding?

That tells me you're either a man who thinks its "woman's work' to tend to your children or a woman who has an ass for a husband who thinks the same thing.

Is that general enough for you?

As for "The Pilot" I ghosted these boards for months. That experience led me to place Pilot, Loquere, Payday, safebet, and scouries on ignore the minute I created this ID.

I have no idea what he said and despite what he thinks is not relevant enough for me to care. He is a pariah to these boards and the biggest example of a taunting, bullying anymouse as there is.

But credit where it is due after reading many of his posts he has some big ones to say anyone here is trying to sound superior. Every one of his posts reeks of his own self importance and he is one of the biggest whiners on this site who blame trolls for whatever his story scores are.

I have no doubt he did not like my post.

As for the post its no different the the endless bitching many here do about the trolls and comments they do not like

If I spent ten minutes on a post declaring the all around greatness of the authors here I would be getting very different results.

And what will be frustrating to certain types here is my post can't be deleted like a comment so you sensitive types will have to use ignore now.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

My rant has as much balls as anyone's does who post all their bile here with no chance of repercussions. The entire internet has become a haven for many types of "anymouse"

As far as assuming and generalizing?

I must be a woman because I take care of my daughter when she's sick? Are you kidding?

That tells me you're either a man who thinks its "woman's work' to tend to your children or a woman who has an ass for a husband who thinks the same thing.

Is that general enough for you?

As for "The Pilot" I ghosted these boards for months. That experience led me to place Pilot, Loquere, Payday, safebet, and scouries on ignore the minute I created this ID.

I have no idea what he said and despite what he thinks is not relevant enough for me to care. He is a pariah to these boards and the biggest example of a taunting, bullying anymouse as there is.

But credit where it is due after reading many of his posts he has some big ones to say anyone here is trying to sound superior. Every one of his posts reeks of his own self importance and he is one of the biggest whiners on this site who blame trolls for whatever his story scores are.

I have no doubt he did not like my post.

As for the post its no different the the endless bitching many here do about the trolls and comments they do not like

If I spent ten minutes on a post declaring the all around greatness of the authors here I would be getting very different results.

And what will be frustrating to certain types here is my post can't be deleted like a comment so you sensitive types will have to use ignore now.

Well said.

 

[NEMouse]

The whole scoring system is a waste. With enough alts anyone can rise to the top or fuck-over a buddy. LIT is Dodge City, Laurel created it, and that's how it is.

Yes and know.

See most writers and readers here have no idea about these boards. I only discovered them when an author I have on my favorites page posted they were in Lits annual awards and posted a link for people to vote.

I found them and quickly left. There is a lot of good info here, but more BS then needed. But a few months ago I was trying to figure some things out and started coming around. Never posting just reading. My reason for finally posting here is I read one too many stories begging me for feedback then deleting my less than fawning remark. That and reading one to many "stupid comments" thread here.

It should be obvious the boards are the source of most of the sniping and games with scores. That and the contests.

My scores are fairly good. I had never had undo amounts of nasty remarks or bad scores or hassles until I entered four contests in the last year or so. Those 4 stories are the only ones I had a lot of crappy scores and remarks on and my gut is many are from authors not readers.

It seems $75-$150 means an awful lot to some people

If you want to enjoy the lit experience it seems this is the place to avoid. At least any author populated boards. The personals and playground are a riot and the fetish boards are intriguing and full of actual discussions, But here there is way too much self importance and seriousness.

Most authors never come here and the ones I have corresponded with seem much happier with lit than the people here because all they do is write and interact with their readers not get into pissing contests.

We write porn for people to get off to, how serious should we take ourselves? lighten up and stop worrying about what some people think and playing "big dog" and acting like your better than the next guy writing the same stories in the same venue.

Sticks and stones.

BTW Mr Johnson, instead of gold star, I was tempted to use your plastic trophy remark, but did not want to copy you. You are one of the ones who "gets it"

 

[Derroreaper]

I'm gonna go out on a limb Lovecra . . . I mean NEMouse, and say I think you're full of shit. You've been ghosting the forums? Yeah, sure you have

Most readers don't know about the forum? Its the first link on the story page, give me a break. These are the same idiots you defend, the ones that found the new story link, but missed all the rest?

Just another alt talking shit, onto the iggy list you go.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

NEMOUSE is correct.

 

[LazyAssReader]

Oh please

Why hello there, authors of Literotica! My name is N.E. Mouse and many of you seem familiar with my work! I am the person who can both make your day or piss you off with a simple comment on your story.

I have been a reader on this fine site since 2008 and have penned a good number stories of my own here since 2010. Not under this name of course, but hey, I am anymouse after all. But end of the day, one of you as well.

I mention my stories only to make the point that I have been on both sides of the coin so to speak, but seeing I read about 40 or so stories a week I am first, and foremost, a reader.

Now before I go ahead and most likely piss a few of you off, let me say that having ghosted these forums for the last few months, I am the type of reader you truly desire because I have voted and remarked on every story I have read, which sadly seems to make me in the great minority amongst readers here.

Now onto the point of my post. Apparently anymouse is a source of great angst and wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth here. We are blamed for your low scores, we are called out as cowards, we have no right to comment on grammar because it seems we must all be illiterate (only authors know grammar according to what I read here.) And we also have no right to render an opinion unless.....

We are telling you that you are the greatest author that not just this site, but the world of erotica itself, has ever seen!

Because, well, as several authors here have mentioned in one way or another in various threads no one ever hates "me" When I am proclaiming your greatness and stroking what seems amongst many here to be a very fragile ego.

Anymouse is only a jerk when he says your story is not up to snuff and they did not enjoy it. Now comments like "You're the worst fucking writer to ever write" are not what I am speaking of, but let me say if you let those over the top remarks get to you, then you my friend, have the problem and its called thin skin.

But let me address some things here in no real order, but as I recall them.

1) Again, anymouse is only wrong if they do not like your work.

Guess what? You cannot please everyone and I love how people here say they know that, but whine and piss and moan and start "Can you believe this?' threads so other authors will come in and make you feel all better about yourselves.

Sorry, but people have something called an opinion and we have the right to express it whether you approve or not.

2) Anymouse is a troll, they one bombed me! They gave me a Two! There are authors here who monitor their scores like I would monitor my daughter's temperature when she's sick. Well after dividing number of votes by total and factoring in.... That troll gave me a three! Obsess much? many here claim they do not, but wow are they all aware of their scores at any given moment (and I watch mine as well, but never claim not to) I want a dollar for every "I don't care about the score but...." remarks here.

Okay, so Literotica provides the reader with a 1-5 star rating. The owner designed this because if authors did the options would be 5-5.

4 is a great score, but people whine at anything but a five. To hear this is to feel as if I should be here passing out gold stars for all of you and everybody is a winner.

fact is, hold on now, there are people who may feel your Pulitzer prize winning 2k stroke piece may not really be that good! -pauses while the fainters can get back to their feet

That's right, not everyone agrees with you and your spouse and mom that you're the best ever. Some of us feel maybe a 3 is what your tale is worth. And keep in mind that is subjective as the next voter may indeed feel it is a 5. But the "5 guy" is right and Mr. 3? what does he know?

3) asking for feedback, then bitching about it.

Many writers ask for us to let them know what they think. Again "you suck" is not what I am speaking of, but from a readers point of view, when you ask for my comment and I remark(as I did today on a story and this is what set me off) "It was pretty good, but I feel the earlier chapters were better." and I go back and my comment has been deleted.

I have zero respect for an author who cannot handle a constructive remark and leaves only "You fucking rock" comments up there. Want to delete stupid insulting remarks? Sure, I get that, but when someone says, "hey there and their" are 2 different words, you may want to watch that, other than that, a great effort, 4 stars" and it gets deleted because I called out an error and had the nerve to only give a 4. That makes me not want to comment.

Again, allow me to pass out more gold stars.

This now segues into my next point.

4) readers know nothing.

According to some here(I am being nice and not calling out names because there is one very arrogant sort here who is famous for that one) a reader knows nothing about writing, grammar, or anything unless he has a gold star for you.

Look at my above example Their/there. Am I wrong? Is it not 2 different words? Do I need to have a degree in writing or have editorial experience to know that? A reader is every bit as intelligent(okay there are exceptions, but I hate to tell you, Mensa does not meet here either) as the authors. Being an author does not elevate you above the reader especially when many authors are the ones commenting. As Brad Pitt says in Se7en "Just because he has a library card, it doesn't make him Yoda"

Get off your horses. People make mistakes and no one is perfect and you are asking for feedback/comments and allegedly constructive criticism. Also everyone here is anonymous to each other and you have no clue who is reading/writing/commenting.

This brings me to my last point.

5) anymouse is a coward. "Let's see you say that as a registered user!" "Only registered users should comment or vote in contests."

Okay, so let me ask you this in all seriousness.

Anymouse is a coward, but IMhot4U is not?

Unless that is your real name and you are posting your face in your av and providing your address all you registered users are just as anonymous. You authors have pen names, they are not your real names so guess what? You are anonymous, so....

cowards? Really? Post your real info and we'll post ours, how is that?

I am not out to piss anyone off, but I think "anymouse" has become a boogeyman, a crutch and a built in excuse for a low score or unsuccessful story.

I have tremendous respect for anyone who has the creative ability to pen a story whether I think its good or not. Personally I am never crude in my comments and feel I vote fairly based on all I can go by, which is my opinion. I'm sure many just run around and spew nastiness and drop bombs, but again there are many here who will drop a 5 just because they like the author, regardless of whether it was good or not.

My point here is that if some people worried more about just having fun and writing and not worrying about what someone you'll never meet thinks of your FREE story on a FREE site, you might have a better time here.

And again, I feel its worth pointing out, no one gripes about the positive anymouse, which honestly makes the authors who complain look like nothing short of Divas

anymouse has as much right to comment as they see fit as you do to write whatever story you wish to. So stop blaming us for your low scores and writers block and "frustration" and suck it up.

And to not be completely negative there are authors here who get that. The ones who laugh at the over the top remarks or call them "rites of passage or battle scars" and who ignore them rather than delete the remarks and give them credence or best of all, never speak of it at all. Those are the authors who "get it" they also don't seem to be the ones whining about scores and from what I've seen in general seem to be the authors with the higher "marks"

They know how to handle "anymouse" and it shows.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Oh, come on, you really think I'm putting a name?

I LURK and read all the forums here. There is only one person who use the word ghost or ghosting. It's so apparent who this is. He says the same shit as himself. Maybe he got his wife to help with this post considering she ghost threads also. LMAO at this shit. You know the person has a Master's and doesn't use it in one post and admits to not being good at grammar. But on another forum he doesn't have much education.
Most of his ALTS slip up and use the word ghost or ghosting.
I think he's a cunt. He probably just came back from vacation that that his book sales ("Those sickos bought my wife's new car and are paying for my upcoming vacation. [/QUOTE])

So fucking obvious
Anyone that truly lurks here, like myself see shit that others do not. I also have an almost perfect memory of things I read. HA HA HA @ ghosting.

 

[autoplot]

I don't mind negative comments if they're constructive. I can even take someone bagging on a story if it wasn't what they wanted. I might remark on it in passing, but I don't let it ruin my day.

That said, Literotica really does seem like a magnet for completely out-of-control egos. It's kind of fascinating, really.

 

[TheTask]

So much drama...

I just grazed through this thread and found the general gist of what was going on. tl:dr
The problem isn't with the rating system, you find them everywhere more often than you find guys playing girls on MMOs.
Really, with any rating system on the Internet, you can create multiple accounts to pad scores. It's not a thing that is exclusive to this website.
For me, whenever I upload something, I give it the single 5 star vote for my account and then I'm done with it and let the viewers decide its fate. If a story is teetering around 4.50 or 4.49, I let nature take its course.
Really, my point is... If you don't bloody like the damn system, then go somewhere else, simple as that.

 

[sr71plt]

Yeah, I think NEMouse is the new Lovecraft68 too. But it doesn't bother me. He's exhibiting as so crazy and hate-filled that he doesn't really require any notice by anyone with a lick of common sense. It's the Internet. Shit like this rises to the top.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Naaah it aint LOVEBOAT. I'm thinking an infrequent poster like AMICUS. AMICUS only makes cameo appearances these days.

 

[sr71plt]

Naaah it aint LOVEBOAT. I'm thinking an infrequent poster like AMICUS. AMICUS only makes cameo appearances these days.

Amicus never read stories here. His interests were exclusively reactionary politics and recruitment for same.

But why even speculate? I said what I believed, but it didn't take any energy to have a belief. It's not worth any energy beyond that. It's just whining hatred.

 

[RileyGirl]

New Author, First Story 4/28 circa

Being I’m new here, I’m not sure if you’re supposed to be a regular poster who riles writers up or a genuine anonymous poster, in regards to some of the feedback posted here. I did think that you had some valid points. A person can easily turn off public comments if they so choose, if they ask for public comments, well... you think everyone is going to say nice things in an anonymous forum?

The main thing I noticed, if it's true, is that you are a very prolific reader, but also a contributor as well as a commentator. I've been saddened seeing that checking comments across stories there doesn't seem to be very many writers commenting on other writers. There is a dichotomy: you have favorite stories/authors, or you have submitted stories/poems. I can’t think of one user who had both. Maybe I'm wrong, I'm new I haven't really looked around that much considering the plethora of submitted content (considering the amount of content, I've restrained myself to my genre), but you're rant kind of seemed to speak to that. The writers only want their ego stroked, not to share stories with other writers and tell them what was sexy and what might made it sexier, but to have everyone tell them how great their story is. Do the writers have any time for anyone else?

Again, I haven’t been around very long, but that is my initial impression. My votes be damned.

RileyGIrl

 

[autoplot]

Do the writers have any time for anyone else?

You make a good point. I don't have nearly as much time as I'd like for submitting to this site, much less reading everything I'd like to, so I don't read a lot and I don't leave a lot of comments. I also tend to be horribly picky about the erotica I read.

 

[Bramblethorn]

There is a dichotomy: you have favorite stories/authors, or you have submitted stories/poems. I can’t think of one user who had both. Maybe I'm wrong, I'm new I haven't really looked around that much considering the plethora of submitted content (considering the amount of content, I've restrained myself to my genre), but you're rant kind of seemed to speak to that. The writers only want their ego stroked, not to share stories with other writers and tell them what was sexy and what might made it sexier, but to have everyone tell them how great their story is. Do the writers have any time for anyone else?

Not much. I have a full-time job, an occasional second job, housework, a partner who's travelling for work, a long-distance girlfriend who I haven't seen for two years, and kids to feed.

When I have free time left over from that, I have a 99k-word story of my own to edit. I'm also committed to editing/kibitzing for a couple of authors who specifically asked me for it. I'll also provide feedback on this forum to authors who've asked for it, if I think I have something useful to say.

After that (and, let's be honest, after a little bit of a GW2 habit), if there's any time left over, I read other stories by people who didn't ask for feedback. I'll vote and maybe comment, but I don't remember to favourite much because it's just not how I interact with the web. (I don't use bookmarks on my browser, either; if I want something I'll remember the name or search on it.)

 

[sr71plt]

Lest we let this concept take on a life of its own, there's no requirement or obligation in any way for writers here to make time for anyone else.

 

[SecondCircle]

Well, I could sympathize with both sides of this debate. While I don't remember bitching about the readers too awful much, it does happen. But I don't think anyone who complains is entirely in the wrong.

I don't think that many of the authors here whine because they don't get wonderful feedback, we complain because we don't get constructive feedback. Pretty much all of my feedback (what little there may be) is constructive, whether they tell me they hated it and for what reason, or what they liked about it and what they'd like to see more of.

But there are fucking idiots out there. I mean fucking idiots. Dumb people exist, and it is very true that when given anonymity, anyone will say anything, no holds barred. Perhaps that's a good thing, because at least you know its honest, but some of the comments and actions are ridiculous. The "1 bombing" thing is about as childish as it gets, as well as "5 bombing." Yes writers whine a lot here, but wait till you spend time writing and crafting something to have one of the illiterate dumb fuck variety send you the dumbest dumb fuck response there is.

Yes thick skin does wonders against that. Doesn't mean we can't come here and talk shit about those dumbasses. That's our right to vent. And authors? Yep, we're divas a lot of the time. But i'd say no more diva than the any mouse who got his feelings hurt about that ending or that incest bit, or that they spent half an hour of their lives reading something they hated just so they could tell someone they hated it so much.

There would be no art without the artists, nor the joes who consider it such. All we can hope is that there ain't such a big deal made out of it all.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Well, I could sympathize with both sides of this debate. While I don't remember bitching about the readers too awful much, it does happen. But I don't think anyone who complains is entirely in the wrong.

I don't think that many of the authors here whine because they don't get wonderful feedback, we complain because we don't get constructive feedback. Pretty much all of my feedback (what little there may be) is constructive, whether they tell me they hated it and for what reason, or what they liked about it and what they'd like to see more of.

But there are fucking idiots out there. I mean fucking idiots. Dumb people exist, and it is very true that when given anonymity, anyone will say anything, no holds barred. Perhaps that's a good thing, because at least you know its honest, but some of the comments and actions are ridiculous. The "1 bombing" thing is about as childish as it gets, as well as "5 bombing." Yes writers whine a lot here, but wait till you spend time writing and crafting something to have one of the illiterate dumb fuck variety send you the dumbest dumb fuck response there is.

Yes thick skin does wonders against that. Doesn't mean we can't come here and talk shit about those dumbasses. That's our right to vent. And authors? Yep, we're divas a lot of the time. But i'd say no more diva than the any mouse who got his feelings hurt about that ending or that incest bit, or that they spent half an hour of their lives reading something they hated just so they could tell someone they hated it so much.

There would be no art without the artists, nor the joes who consider it such. All we can hope is that there ain't such a big deal made out of it all.

There are too many vowels in your post.

 

[SecondCircle]

Damn it! I thought I used the correct amount of vowels! Now you're probably gonna give my post two stars, when clearly it deserves nothing but five! Five I tell you!