Anonymous comments?

[Codlingsby]

What about favouriting and unfavouriting?

I've just posted my first story (4 parts) and I'm puzzled by one aspect of the feedback. Not the comments, but an odd pattern where one day you gather that someone has favourited your story, or even you as an author, and you think "That's very nice of them", and then a day or so later you get a broken heart symbol and you learn that they've unfavourited either the story or you. And I'm left wondering "Was it something I said?" I put thanks on the comments board after people said nice things about the story; should I have contacted everyone who favourited me and thanked them? (I've favourited various stories and authors, but never had them contacted me to say thanks and I wasn't expecting them to either). Or maybe this is just something some people do? I'm not quite as heartbroken as the symbol suggests, but I'm a bit puzzled, I admit.

 

[Darkniciad]

A lot of people use the favorites listing as a bookmark. Then, once they've read the story or stories that prompted them to bookmark you, they remove you from the list.

It happens all the time. No need to fret

 

[Codlingsby]

Fair enough! Thanks.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

A few of my readers do it all the time. Same people.

 

[joelafayette]

.....

 

[Tx Tall Tales]

I allow all comments. Even most anonymous ones (outside of Loving Wives) are pretty fair. There are exceptions.

I only remove threats, usually from one commenter to another. Probably less than one a year. (Maybe a dozen all-time). That and spam. Not many of those either.

Yes, there are some very effusive fans. I've had many say my stuff was the best they ever read, or the only time they've ever commented. Sounds great, until I see some of the other writing that gets the same comments. Ouch. You learn to take it with a grain of salt.

Some stories bring out the worst, some bring out the best. Whenever I get some particularly virulent comments, I go back and read the ones on my romance, Charity Begins Next Door. 330 comments that always make me smile. I think there's may 2-3 bad ones in the lot.

Enjoy the good ones. If you keep writing, you're going to get the other ones too.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

No comments may be worse than hostile comments, and flattery may be the worst of all.

Raymond Chandler had a low opinion of critics, calling them pansies who measure with politically correct rules and scales.

 

[GorgeousGeekGirl]

I do allow anonymous comments for the reason why I leave anonymous comments; I don't want a forum war for negative feedback.

When I read a bad story, I will leave an anonymous comment as to why I gave it a one or two star rating. I do it anonymously because the author or their fan may retaliate even though I have concrete reasons.

Reasons for one or two stars:

Not using spellcheck and grammar check. There's no excuse. If your device doesn't have these functions, which even Smartphones do, then you need to proofread a couple different times when you aren't tired and in a hurry to submit. This offense rates one star.

Not proof reading. Came accross one story that had 3 repeated paragraphs. While spellcheck and grammar check were used, but if the story had been proofed, the repeat wouldn't have happened. This is one or two stars, depending.

Underage characters. One star and reported for content.

Improper use or lack of story tags. I find certain stories very disgusting, but they are allowed here. The authors know that the subject matter in question is very dodgy, so tags should be used. Before reading a story I scroll to the end and look at the tags. If it has a category I refuse to read, I skip it without rating or commenting. But if I don't see a warning tag and wind up in a gay male incestuous pooh/skat hardcore rape and bondage party, you will get one star and a very angry review.

Bad mechanics, bad story, or just pretty weird. Bad mechanics is a Summer Loving story where they walked in a room and were instantly half naked and his tongue was halfway up her uterus. Bad story: oh look, a blonde DD cheerleader in college loses a bet... how original. Just pretty weird: I expect a fair amount of strange in scifi and non-human, but please give a warning if tentacles are going to be involved. As long as these stories have been spellchecked and proofed, I'll give a 3 star.

 

[DeYaKen]

I do allow anonymous comments for the reason why I leave anonymous comments; I don't want a forum war for negative feedback.

When I read a bad story, I will leave an anonymous comment as to why I gave it a one or two star rating. I do it anonymously because the author or their fan may retaliate even though I have concrete reasons.

I never leave anonymous comments. The reason is simple. I was brought up to believe that you never say anything you are not prepared to stand up and defend.

If I read a story that involves things I don't like I just stop reading it. Not doing so is a bit like watching a tasteless TV program then writing to complain about how tasteless it was. The TV has an off switch.

It makes you sound like a coward to say " I don't want a forum war for negative feedback. " In effect you are saying I give negative feedback anonymously because I don't want them doing the same to me.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I don't do anonymous, either. I don't allow anonymous comments. And soon I wont allow voting. It forces cowards to put up or go the fuck away without a consolation prize.

 

[Darkniciad]

It makes you sound like a coward to say " I don't want a forum war for negative feedback. " In effect you are saying I give negative feedback anonymously because I don't want them doing the same to me.

No, not really.

History has shown time and time again that even a mild comment suggesting that someone could have done something a little better has resulted in forum stalking, 1-bombing runs, and other hate campaigns.

That's a far different animal from "they might leave a negative comment on one of my stories."

Whenever I have something beyond a mild complaint amidst a sea of otherwise pleased reaction, I send it privately, rather than anonymously. That typically goes over better than a public comment.

Only happens when I more or less enjoyed the story but found something yanked me out of the zone for a moment or ruined it for me entirely, though. If I just plain don't like it, I don't comment at all ( or vote )

 

[StrangeLife]

Improper use or lack of story tags. I find certain stories very disgusting, but they are allowed here. The authors know that the subject matter in question is very dodgy, so tags should be used. Before reading a story I scroll to the end and look at the tags. If it has a category I refuse to read, I skip it without rating or commenting. But if I don't see a warning tag and wind up in a gay male incestuous pooh/skat hardcore rape and bondage party, you will get one star and a very angry review.

This one is a little tricky for those of us who like to write stories with unexpected twists or surprise reveals.

I have actually had comments along the line of: "After I saw the blahblahblah-tag I just knew you were going there..." and that tells me that the reader in question was cheated out of the intended experience of the story. I'd much prefer to incur the commenters wrath rather than having my plots revealed by the tags.

But then again I'm not writing incestuous gay rape scatology, so apart from the occasional well hung black man my stories don't really sail too far off from the main stream. Your point about making a judgement call as to whether or not the subject is "dodgy" and if yes tag accordingly is well taken.

 

[DeYaKen]

No, not really.

History has shown time and time again that even a mild comment suggesting that someone could have done something a little better has resulted in forum stalking, 1-bombing runs, and other hate campaigns.

That's a far different animal from "they might leave a negative comment on one of my stories."

Whenever I have something beyond a mild complaint amidst a sea of otherwise pleased reaction, I send it privately, rather than anonymously. That typically goes over better than a public comment.

Only happens when I more or less enjoyed the story but found something yanked me out of the zone for a moment or ruined it for me entirely, though. If I just plain don't like it, I don't comment at all ( or vote )

You don't consider it cowardly to publicly humiliate someone by listing all their shortcomings, while hiding behind your shield of anonymity?

What ever happened to "If you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all"?

There is a huge difference between, sending a p.m telling the author what you think they should have done, and delivering a lecture via a comment open for all to see.

The first is a well intentioned piece of advice. the second is an attempt to humiliate the author for not being as smart as the poster.

I don't think I've ever left a negative comment, but rest assured that if I did, I'd have the guts to put my name to it.

I get a number of anonymous comments, some of them lovely and some of them really hateful. I'd always assumed they were from people who had not got an account.

To find an author saying that they do it because they want to slag off a writer but they don't want that writer to return the abuse, is little short of disgusting.

Of course, I could have just PMd the author and pointed out the error of her ways. If she had not posted on a public forum, justifying anonymously posting negative comments, that would have been my preferred approach.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The whole scoring/comment process is shit.

 

[Darkniciad]

We have the ability to delete any comment that we're displeased with for any reason. We also have the ability to disable anonymous comments and prevent any such "cowardice".

If you choose to leave your comment board open, without restriction, then you should be prepared to accept the good with the bad, regardless of origin.

The power is in the hands of authors, not readers.

 

[DeYaKen]

We have the ability to delete any comment that we're displeased with for any reason. We also have the ability to disable anonymous comments and prevent any such "cowardice".

If you choose to leave your comment board open, without restriction, then you should be prepared to accept the good with the bad, regardless of origin.

The power is in the hands of authors, not readers.

Perfectly true. I've got a thick enough skin to take it so it's no problem to me. However, the most likely target would be a new author who would not be familiar with the system and would be more affected by it.

The fact that another author is encouraging that sort of behaviour, is to say the least surprising.

As I said sending private comments, even anonymously is a different matter altogether.

 

[redzinger]

No, not really.

History has shown time and time again that even a mild comment suggesting that someone could have done something a little better has resulted in forum stalking, 1-bombing runs, and other hate campaigns.

That's a far different animal from "they might leave a negative comment on one of my stories."

Yep.

As someone that keeps a low profile but reads a lot of the stories from authors who appear to have massive fanbases, if I have a comment to make, and if critical it's always constructive (e.g. good-try improving this-good), I usually make it anonymous.

What really annoys me, is when an author is sanitising the comments to such an extent that 'U R so brill!!!' is the only thing left. There's one writing a NH series rated H, I left a comment the other day with a note about the txtspk being used, another person left something similarly constructive about a different issue, both comments were gone an hour later. If someone has already commented on the issue I was going to raise, I won't repeat it. Wastes people's time if all the constructive stuff is being wiped off when people are crying out for feedback. That really annoys me, and I'll happily one-star her stories from now on. (What also really, really p*ssed me off is afterwards I realised I'd said the same thing on an earlier chapter, and she had deleted that too.)

 

[Darkniciad]

1-bombing an author over deleting comments is probably just going to get you flagged as a problem voter and end up wiping out your votes across the board.

It's a choice people are allowed to make. Some leave their board open, and some choose to only have it represent positive reviews, much like those on a published book.

If there's legitimate criticism deleted, the issues still exist, and they're going to bother other readers. No amount of deleting comments can force readers to overlook something once they open it.

Yep.

As someone that keeps a low profile but reads a lot of the stories from authors who appear to have massive fanbases, if I have a comment to make, and if critical it's always constructive (e.g. good-try improving this-good), I usually make it anonymous.

What really annoys me, is when an author is sanitising the comments to such an extent that 'U R so brill!!!' is the only thing left. There's one writing a NH series rated H, I left a comment the other day with a note about the txtspk being used, another person left something similarly constructive about a different issue, both comments were gone an hour later. If someone has already commented on the issue I was going to raise, I won't repeat it. Wastes people's time if all the constructive stuff is being wiped off when people are crying out for feedback. That really annoys me, and I'll happily one-star her stories from now on. (What also really, really p*ssed me off is afterwards I realised I'd said the same thing on an earlier chapter, and she had deleted that too.)

 

[WifeWatchman]

How can one prevent anonymous comments while allowing comments from logged in people?

 

[Darkniciad]

http://www.literotica.com/members/main_options.php

That section of your member page has a radial button for "accept anonymous feedback" that will affect all of your existing and future stories. It also applies to email feedback, but it only requires them to enter something that's a properly formatted email address. It could be fake as hell

 

[DeYaKen]

Yep.

As someone that keeps a low profile but reads a lot of the stories from authors who appear to have massive fanbases, if I have a comment to make, and if critical it's always constructive (e.g. good-try improving this-good), I usually make it anonymous.

What really annoys me, is when an author is sanitising the comments to such an extent that 'U R so brill!!!' is the only thing left. There's one writing a NH series rated H, I left a comment the other day with a note about the txtspk being used, another person left something similarly constructive about a different issue, both comments were gone an hour later. If someone has already commented on the issue I was going to raise, I won't repeat it. Wastes people's time if all the constructive stuff is being wiped off when people are crying out for feedback. That really annoys me, and I'll happily one-star her stories from now on. (What also really, really p*ssed me off is afterwards I realised I'd said the same thing on an earlier chapter, and she had deleted that too.)

You don't have to leave negative comments to trigger 1 bombing runs. I know I've had them. All you have to do to trigger it on LW category is to write something that isn't misogynistic.

I once had an anonymous poster who accused me of deleting all negative comments. I simply posted a comment which said. "If you can post a comment without including a racist rant I will leave it up. If you can't then I'll continue to delete them. Judging by the language used I think he/she did post again without the racism and I did leave it.

I don't know how legal the disclaimer is but Lit does make it clear that the author is responsible for moderating comments on their stories. This means that if a comment that contains threatening language or incitements to racial hatred etc is left up the author could (in theory) be held to account. (in the UK inciting racial hatred and issuing threats to kill are illegal)

 

[Jounar]

How can one prevent anonymous comments while allowing comments from logged in people?

The same way this forum and most others do by requiring people to register a username on the site.

 

[Jounar]

I think you're probably right as far as getting it started. But it's in a new phase now, and they have the golden egg already, which is what likely is the biggest collection of stories available. Beyond that, they quite obviously are on overload and can't keep up with/haven't kept up with the functions of the site. There are all sorts of broken bits around here that the forum users have to spend much of their time explaining to folks who have a right to expect functions to work here that don't. Even the clearing of stories has moved to seven days.

I don't see why it could be anything but good to ratchet the site back, clean it up, and take advantage of the collection it has.

I think that leaving the collection accessible to anyone who wants to read but making them sign in to comment or vote is where the site should have evolved to by now.

+1

Being able to leave anonymous comments and hide behind an anon tag while attacking authors and other posters is just bullshit in this day and age. These cowards never even comment on the story itself most of the time but just post insults.

Not to mention the amount of times you see loads of anon comments praising the hell out of a really bad story yet its score is miniscule.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

1-bombing an author over deleting comments is probably just going to get you flagged as a problem voter and end up wiping out your votes across the board.

It's a choice people are allowed to make. Some leave their board open, and some choose to only have it represent positive reviews, much like those on a published book.

If there's legitimate criticism deleted, the issues still exist, and they're going to bother other readers. No amount of deleting comments can force readers to overlook something once they open it.

I recently opted to terminate anonymous comments. And now I'm getting a few toxic comments from bonafide accounts. I leave them up. Next I plan to delete voting, to further frustrate my anonymous AH friends. But theyre welcome to post comments.

 

[WifeWatchman]

Thanks for the info. I think my issue is not so much with comments but the voting... anonymous voters travel in packs and "1-bomb" stories and authors they've decided they don't like. This ticks me off because I have several stories that are right on that line for an "H" designation, and these 1-bombers (intentionally, I believe) try to keep it below the 4.50 line.
So I wish there was a way that anonymous voting could be disallowed.