disabling comments...

[laptopwriter]

Just a rant.

I will also send a PM to the powers to be but twice now, in the last couple of days, I've taken my time and written what I considered to be a well thought out and lengthy comment on a story, only to find out after all was said and done, that the author had turned off comments.

I'm wondering if it would be that difficult to show that the author has done that up front so we don't sit there typing away for nothing.

 

[RejectReality]

That's weird. Maybe you ran into some kind of glitch?

I say that because when an author disables voting or commenting completely, those forms don't even show up.

http://www.literotica.com/s/susans-secret?page=2

That's one of Zeb's LW stories where both are turned off, and there's no form at all for either.

http://www.literotica.com/s/will-you-be-my-valetine-day-date?page=3

And that's one of Freddie's stories, because he's the first person I could think of and quickly find a story from who has disabled anonymous comments only. When you try to leave a comment, the option to leave it as anonymous isn't available. Only the option to leave a comment as a signed-in user appears.

Let me try it with a browser where I don't and have never had a Lit ID logged in and see what it looks like...

Same thing. The anonymous option isn't even available.

Do you mean that you overlooked that indicator and didn't notice until after you had written the comment, perhaps?

 

[laptopwriter]

If the story posts with the options turned off, yes...

those options do not show up, but if the story originally posts with them turned on, then is turned off, the option does not disappear. It remains and allows comments to be typed in the comment box. Only when the comment is submitted does a box pop up saying the comments have been turned off.

Try this one. http://www.literotica.com/s/chatting-leads-to-cheating?page=2

 

[lovecraft68]

those options do not show up, but if the story originally posts with them turned on, then is turned off, the option does not disappear. It remains and allows comments to be typed in the comment box. Only when the comment is submitted does a box pop up saying the comments have been turned off.

Try this one. http://www.literotica.com/s/chatting-leads-to-cheating?page=2

You can't comment anonymously on the link you provided, but you can with your ID

Are you commenting as anon? Because that might be the reason.

 

[RejectReality]

Ahhhh... okay.

My best guess is that the author originally allowed signed-in comments only. Very recently ( as in the last 24 hours ) the author has changed his or her mind.

Lit is behind a cache wall. What you see on the public side of the site is usually behind by about 24 hours from the reality of the database.

I would expect that some time in the next day or so, the comment form will vanish completely from that page, reflecting the author's decision. In the meantime, the php code processed when you click the "Submit" button is checking the database and finding the current variable, which doesn't allow comments at all, and is blocking you because of that.

Another indicator that this is the likely scenario is when you click the "recent comments" tab. That comes up completely blank. In a case where there are no comments, it generates a "Be the first to comment" thing there.

However, there probably are comments. They're still in the database, so that's not triggering the "first" screen. Instead, it goes on to the next "else if", but runs into the variable saying all comments are blocked, generating the blank screen.

Unfortunately, this probably isn't a problem that can be "fixed". I would imagine that the cache is a near necessity in order to manage the amount of traffic this site gets on a reasonable budget.

 

[laptopwriter]

No, I wasn't trying to comment as a anon....

You can't comment anonymously on the link you provided, but you can with your ID

Are you commenting as anon? Because that might be the reason.

lovercraft68, as I said, everything appears to be okay when you type in your comment. It's not until you try to submit it when it says comments have been turned off.

 

[laptopwriter]

I think you are probably correct...

about the 24hrs. I guess it has just been my misfortune to pick two stories under the same circumstances.

Ahhhh... okay.

My best guess is that the author originally allowed signed-in comments only. Very recently ( as in the last 24 hours ) the author has changed his or her mind.

Lit is behind a cache wall. What you see on the public side of the site is usually behind by about 24 hours from the reality of the database.

I would expect that some time in the next day or so, the comment form will vanish completely from that page, reflecting the author's decision. In the meantime, the php code processed when you click the "Submit" button is checking the database and finding the current variable, which doesn't allow comments at all, and is blocking you because of that.

Another indicator that this is the likely scenario is when you click the "recent comments" tab. That comes up completely blank. In a case where there are no comments, it generates a "Be the first to comment" thing there.

However, there probably are comments. They're still in the database, so that's not triggering the "first" screen. Instead, it goes on to the next "else if", but runs into the variable saying all comments are blocked, generating the blank screen.

Unfortunately, this probably isn't a problem that can be "fixed". I would imagine that the cache is a near necessity in order to manage the amount of traffic this site gets on a reasonable budget.

 

[RejectReality]

Your preferred genre is LW if I remember correctly, so you're likely to run into a lot of this -- especially with authors new to the genre.

I would suggest typing in a brief placeholder comment, then using the "preview" button. That also generates the "comments not allowed" message in this situation. ( Already tested ) If it doesn't, and allows you to preview, you can then go to "edit", type in your actual comment, and submit it.

Just don't screw up and hit the "submit" button the first time instead of edit

 

[lovecraft68]

lovercraft68, as I said, everything appears to be okay when you type in your comment. It's not until you try to submit it when it says comments have been turned off.

FWIW I wasn't saying that in a derogatory way. I post as anon for the simple reason if my trolls see me commenting I liked a story that story will get trolled because that's what those idiots do. Especially for contest stories.

In the link I saw it was an LW entry. My feeling is that you will be finding more and more disabling comments.

The trolls are not the exception to the rule there, they are the rule. Many authors are getting tired of it and disabling their comments or posting in EC.

People joke about it being a shark pit there, but it has gone far past the point of being funny.

I also have heard the same rumor from a few different places that LW is getting Lit some very unwanted attention.

 

[laptopwriter]

I don't think I've ever made a comment anonymously.

Actually, I don't make that many comments. I don't care for a segment of the LW stories that appear, plus there are several authors I don't like so I avoid them. Most of the time I read stories I'm pretty sure will interest me, by authors with whom I am familiar, and make comments on them.

I wasn't familiar with this author but the brief synopsis sounded intriguing so I thought I'd give it a try. Unfortunately, the story was supposed to have a twist but he telegraphed so badly, I don't think anyone didn't see it coming for miles.

I wanted to write and say he needed to find a better way to hide what was supposed to be a surprise ending. I thought of how to write it so I wouldn't discourage him or make him think I was insulting him. I also offered a couple suggestions. I got it all written and went to post it, only to find out he had turned the comments off. It was discouraging for me because I had carefully worded my comment.

I pissed me off; hence, the rant. I am sure RejectReality is correct though. It probably takes a day for the action to disappear.

 

[lovecraft68]

My Halloween story had a twist ending multiple ones. So I "let" the reader see one of them and think they knew where it was going and they were right, but then I slipped the other once in and caught some people.

But I got a lot more criticism for showing the one, than keeping the other close to the vest.

What are you going to do? Learn and move on.

 

[sr71plt]

Laying enough clues and doing enough foreshadowing for the reader (well, most readers) to figure out the major "whys/hows" of a story before the protagonist does is a standard technique. It can invest the reader in the story and make them feel satisfied with the reading experience.

 

[laptopwriter]

I have one story like that as well...

I thought it was a great little piece of inventive writing...unfortunately most of the readers didn't agree. It's strange because the comments are probably the best of all my stories, yet the story itself is scored the lowest of all.

I kept my secret well until it was time to unleash. Only one comment said he saw it coming, the rest had no idea. I guess a lot of readers just don't like to be fooled.

In this story I was talking about; however, the twist was actually revealed in the 3rd paragraph and if you missed it there, you couldn't possibly miss it in the 5th paragraph. It was a 2 page story and 1/3 of the way through the first page was when the surprise ending was revealed.

Anyway, I'm sure he'll do better the next time.

 

[sr71plt]

This goes back to not all readers reading at the same depth or for the same reading experience.

Although I happily write smut, I try not to write it to the lowest common denominator of reader. (Connecting to a comment on another thread about readers who have to like the main character to appreciate a story.)

 

[Zeb_Carter]

those options do not show up, but if the story originally posts with them turned on, then is turned off, the option does not disappear. It remains and allows comments to be typed in the comment box. Only when the comment is submitted does a box pop up saying the comments have been turned off.

Try this one. http://www.literotica.com/s/chatting-leads-to-cheating?page=2

Not true.

http://www.literotica.com/s/god-mother?page=2

The above link, story, had comments on, then I turned them off. The comment form no longer displays.

ETA: I did turn off comments over three years ago.

 

[redzinger]

This goes back to not all readers reading at the same depth or for the same reading experience.

Although I happily write smut, I try not to write it to the lowest common denominator of reader. (Connecting to a comment on another thread about readers who have to like the main character to appreciate a story.)

Hah! Where did I say that?

 

[sr71plt]

Hah! Where did I say that?

Say what? Criticizing the quality of a story because you didn't like the main character? Maybe you just want to forget.

You didn't say that having to please that criterion would be writing to the lowest-common-denominator reader. That was/is my opinion.

We can disagree. That doesn't bother me.

 

[redzinger]

Say what? Criticizing the quality of a story because you didn't like the main character? Maybe you just want to forget.

You didn't say that having to please that criterion would be writing to the lowest-common-denominator reader. That was/is my opinion.

We can disagree. That doesn't bother me.

I call straw man.

Have you actually read the story to which I originally referred yet? No?

 

[sr71plt]

I call straw man.

Have you actually read the story to which I originally referred yet? No?

No, I haven't. That's irrelevant to the general issue of assessment I was discussing. (Why does everyone run that red herring by?) If you read back, I asked you if your reading of the story could have justified your comment (although pointing out that you didn't evidence that comment even if you had a reason to say the story was weak because you didn't "like the main character.")