Feedback by anonymous posters

[sparktj]

I'm always happy to receive feedback, whether positive or constructive criticism. But am I alone in wondering why Literotica gives people the right to remain anonymous when they post nasty or negative comment? I know we're all in effect anonymous on here for good reason, but I feel anyone who doesn't want to declare their username should forfeit the chance to make negative or unkind comment. After all, authors don't have the option to remain anonymous when posting their stories.

I'm fed up with seeing unwelcome comments from people who hide behind a cloak of anonymity and I know it puts some authors off. Come on Lit, please restore some balance!

 

[PennLady]

You're not anonymous, per se, when posting stories, but I'd think most people here are using made up account names and don't have their real names attached to it. A lot of people even have separate email accounts for Lit. I do. Authors are anonymous in that sense.

As for the anonymous comments, you're free to delete them. Nothing says you have to let any comment remain on your story's page. You can delete them for any reason you want.

I've received both nice and not-so-nice anonymous comments. I've let most remain, and have deleted a few that I felt were beyond the pale -- that got into personal attacks or something like that. Many authors would leave such comments, but I didn't want to, and so I didn't.

A lot of people want to remain anonymous on sites like this for various reasons, and it's not my job to judge whether that's okay. They can leave their comments, and I can delete them. It works out.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm always happy to receive feedback, whether positive or constructive criticism. But am I alone in wondering why Literotica gives people the right to remain anonymous when they post nasty or negative comment?

Because that's the price of allowing anonymous (or more precisely, non-logged-in) positive comment.

There are plenty of readers who want to give feedback and encouragement but would prefer not to log in; people are shy about reading porn, for obvious reasons, and more so about having to register that interest on a database of unknown security (remember the Ashley Madison hack?). Forcing login would probably discourage a lot of the positive commenters, and I doubt it'd do much to stop the abusive ones.

If you read comments for a while you'll notice that the anon haters sound awfully familiar, as if it was a small handful of obsessive people. That type won't be deterred by required log-in; they'll just set up whack-a-mole accounts and spam until they get blocked, then move on to the next.

It also makes it easier for harassers to go after good-faith commenters: not only can they target an author they dislike, but they can pester anybody who gave that author a positive comment.

I know we're all in effect anonymous on here for good reason, but I feel anyone who doesn't want to declare their username should forfeit the chance to make negative or unkind comment. After all, authors don't have the option to remain anonymous when posting their stories.

"Bramblethorn" is not my real name - and if I wanted to post something different to my usual fare, and didn't want other people knowing it was by "Bramblethorn", I could set up another author account under a different name. I know of several authors who do that.

Like you say, this isn't really about anonymity. It's just about how difficult the site makes it for people to comment, and I think required log-in will do far more to deter the nice commenters than the nasty ones.

 

[MagicFingers]

Anon's negative feedback

I got a surprising amount of negative posted comments on my last story. Yes, I did make a couple of mistakes of which I left my own message about the errors. I have done that a couple of time, like when I want to clarify something that might not be clear in the story.

The negative posters on that story were mostly ANONs but not all. And some seemed to be targeting some of the other posters as was mentioned above. I left all comments until it was no longer "New", then deleted some of the nasty comments, especially since I've got a part 2 coming, which will be better than the first.

Yes, I was a little miffed by the negative stuff but after a while, I read all the positive comments and relished in the 4.40 rating, which is not bad for a story so many people seemed to hate! And the comments WILL make part 2 better.

 

[sr71plt]

I do think there should be the ability for an author to turn off all anonymous comment (now, I think, it's either accept all comment or accept none) and then it would be the author's choice to take anonymous comment or not. I think nearly all would opt for taking anonymous comment, though, because I think most anonymous comment is favorable, not negative, and the author already has the ability to zap any individual comment the author doesn't want to remain on the story.

 

[NotWise]

I do think there should be the ability for an author to turn off all anonymous comment...

I agree with this.

On the other hand, in the still small body of work I've posted I can only remember one negative anonymous comment. I've had complimentary comments from Anonymous, some "signed" with a personal name. That's a nice touch, but they're still anonymous.

I hate to be unsympathetic, but at some point I have to suspect that the authors who are receiving a lot of negative comments are inviting them (maybe just by posting to LW). My brief experience here gives me no reason to hate Mr./Ms. Anonymous.

 

[sr71plt]

I hate to be unsympathetic, but at some point I have to suspect that the authors who are receiving a lot of negative comments are inviting them (maybe just by posting to LW). My brief experience here gives me no reason to hate Mr./Ms. Anonymous.

I agree. I (somewhat surprisingly) get very little negative comment on stories, and I post what and where the mood strikes me.

 

[SaddleRider]

I have only gotten a couple

of negative anons. I deleted them both, but I would have left them had they been constructive. One complained that I didn't categorize a story as "lesbian" even though, while it involved one woman mentally enslaving another they never had sex and the enslaver didn't even want the woman for herself.

So...sort of nonsense like that. You have the choice to delete anyone you want for any reason, so, as long as I can kill comments that that add nothing and help not at all I don't really care if anons post.

 

[Ldy_Sea]

Personally I leave all comments positive or negative that are directed at my story. Any personal attacks directed at me or other readers is deleted as soon as I see them.

I haven't had this happen, but other authors have been 1 bombed after deleting anonymous comments from a story. So delete at your own risk.

I myself read stories here for years before submitting one. I didn't have an account until I made my first submission, I didn't even know about the forums until I submitted my first story. Just one of many reasons why people comment anonymously.

 

[MonsoonMicky]

The Loving Wives category is currently being ravaged by trolls posting as anonymous. They don't even read the stories, just throw around sick insults and derogatory names. It's disgusting, and probably deterring authors with potential to be great writers.

I read a great story over there called Countryphile. The author writes well and has great potential, yet the trolls are sabotaging the average score and leaving repugnant comments. The guys deleted the trolling messages once, and now they're back reposting them.

Something has to be done about these half-witted cretins. Surely.

 

[lovecraft68]

The guys deleted the trolling messages once, and now they're back reposting them.

This is why my belief is to leave them. If you leave them then that's pretty much the end-unless you're dealing with the type that goes through the hassle of hitting you from various IP addresses- If you remove them it gives the troll the satisfaction that he got to you and he will come back and remind you of it.

They see deleting a comment as a response. Leave it and you've shown them you're ignoring them. That's my take anyway, every author has to do what they are comfortable with.

 

[lovecraft68]

Like you say, this isn't really about anonymity. It's just about how difficult the site makes it for people to comment, and I think required log-in will do far more to deter the nice commenters than the nasty ones.

I for one would still like to see that proven. That Lit would lose readers and we would lose decent anonymous feedback.

I'm sorry, but it makes me roll my eyes when I hear about how these people are so frightened to be on a porn site and that's why they stay anon.

When you sign up for lit they ask you for no personal info whatsoever. You create a handle, you provide an e-mail address and there you go. The only time LIt will ask for your real name is if you win a contest and even then you could ask for a generic gift certificate to be sent to your toss away e-mail account.

And as for the e-mail?Again, you can start an e-mail account with no personal info, you can make up a fake name/ gender and that's it.

I believe anon encourages and enables the abusers and would be willing to see a few less positive comments on my stories if it meant we lost a lot of site wide trolls.

Someone made the remark they get nice anon comments and the person will sign a real name to it "Great Job, keep it up, Tim" well if "Tim" is willing to put his name, "Tim" should be willing to sign up as "Litreader100" or whatever.

I'll leave it off that I have seen more than enough in my years here that the site seems to very much enjoy trolls and what they do. They're good for business. Otherwise Scouries would have been erased long ago and the GB would be a ghost town.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

I do think there should be the ability for an author to turn off all anonymous comment (now, I think, it's either accept all comment or accept none) and then it would be the author's choice to take anonymous comment or not. I think nearly all would opt for taking anonymous comment, though, because I think most anonymous comment is favorable, not negative, and the author already has the ability to zap any individual comment the author doesn't want to remain on the story.

there's an option in the Main Options page of your member page to turn off anon feedback.

 

[sr71plt]

This is why my belief is to leave them. If you leave them then that's pretty much the end-unless you're dealing with the type that goes through the hassle of hitting you from various IP addresses- If you remove them it gives the troll the satisfaction that he got to you and he will come back and remind you of it.

They see deleting a comment as a response. Leave it and you've shown them you're ignoring them. That's my take anyway, every author has to do what they are comfortable with.

If you continually delete the comments, the troll eventually will give up because all his/her air is gone and the comment will be gone. That's as pretty much the end as giving in to having comments that bother you there--with the plus that the comment isn't there anymore. The author's choice, of course, but I don't buy the argument that it's better to leave the comment if it bothers you. If you leave the comment, you're giving the troll the satisfaction of knowing they control you, so I don't see that as an argument one way or the other either.

 

[MarkoAaron]

The anonymity gives them protection to criticize your work (whether or not it's honest criticism or trolling) they feel safe. So you can't reply, "Well, let's take a look at your stories and see how good they are." They fear you will go to their stories and leave some cruel comments and one bomb them in the voting.

I noticed the other night when I posted a link to my newest story in the Story Feedback, my other stories went down in ratings. Was it a troll or a sincere judgement, who knows? It's no secret that there are authors here on Lit with pretty big egos (that shall remain nameless, but obvious to others) and insist that their stories are top quality and any who disagree, get bashed and their stories stand defenseless and suffer negative feedback and voting in retaliation.

Literotica is a site for adults only, but in reality, there are many here who can't stop acting like children. Don't take anonymous feedback too seriously.

 

[lovecraft68]

If you continually delete the comments, the troll eventually will give up because all his/her air is gone and the comment will be gone. That's as pretty much the end as giving in to having comments that bother you there--with the plus that the comment isn't there anymore. The author's choice, of course, but I don't buy the argument that it's better to leave the comment if it bothers you. If you leave the comment, you're giving the troll the satisfaction of knowing they control you, so I don't see that as an argument one way or the other either.

You'd think they'd get tired of it, and in come cases you may very well be right. But some of these people, they are pretty much rabid, its like they live for it.

I think the key words are "bothers you"-generic you- no comment bothers me. Can't say I haven't rolled my eyes at a few, but I figure they make themselves look bad with their remarks so another reason I let them stand.

But if it actually bothers the author then that's a different story.

 

[sr71plt]

But if it actually bothers the author then that's a different story.

That's the point. The author determines why the story was posted here--what their goal was in posting it--so if the author gets a comment that the author doesn't think serves the author's goal for posting here--and the comment bothers her/him--he/she should not be guilted by anyone for deleting it--and the next one and the next one, and any more that are necessary before the self-righteous harassment ends. The one thing that is clear is that a "gone" comment is gone and the content is no longer a bother.

 

[lovecraft68]

The anonymity gives them protection to criticize your work (whether or not it's honest criticism or trolling) they feel safe. So you can't reply, "Well, let's take a look at your stories and see how good they are." They fear you will go to their stories and leave some cruel comments and one bomb them in the voting.

I noticed the other night when I posted a link to my newest story in the Story Feedback, my other stories went down in ratings. Was it a troll or a sincere judgement, who knows? It's no secret that there are authors here on Lit with pretty big egos (that shall remain nameless, but obvious to others) and insist that their stories are top quality and any who disagree, get bashed and their stories stand defenseless and suffer negative feedback and voting in retaliation.

Literotica is a site for adults only, but in reality, there are many here who can't stop acting like children. Don't take anonymous feedback too seriously.

From experience and I figure others here will say the same, links to your stories on the boards unfortunately act as bulls eyes.

In your case your niche is not one enjoyed by everyone and they most likely bombed you because of it.

All you have to do to get bombed here-other than dare to write in someone's squick zone-is to argue with certain people here or have the nerve to express a diffeeing opinion.

I-and a couple others here learned last year, calling bullshit when what there is is bullshit will get you trolled as well.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

From experience and I figure others here will say the same, links to your stories on the boards unfortunately act as bulls eyes.

In your case your niche is not one enjoyed by everyone and they most likely bombed you because of it.

All you have to do to get bombed here-other than dare to write in someone's squick zone-is to argue with certain people here or have the nerve to express a diffeeing opinion.

I-and a couple others here learned last year, calling bullshit when what there is is bullshit will get you trolled as well.

i love the trolls. they get so ... angry.

 

[tomlitilia]

I deleted a death threat comment once, that's about it. (Yes, it was in LW)
But I don't even do that anymore. Literotica have some way of finding them and deleting them anyway. So I leave it up to the site to take care of removing things they don't want on their site.

 

[Kantarii]

I am not opposed to someone leaving an anonymous comment. Now, people that vote silently yet leave no comment, the site could do away with that. I feel like if you read a story, you should have to leave a comment as well as the vote. That's just me.


I'm old enough to accept the negative criticism along with the praise on my written work. Honestly, if all you received was praise for your written work, how and why would you ever have the motivation to strive to do better and grow as a writer? Sure, everyone loves praise, but if you see the negative criticism as a building block so that you strive to do better, you will eventually see more praise for your written work.

Kant

 

[sr71plt]

I am not opposed to someone leaving an anonymous comment. Now, people that vote silently yet leave no comment, the site could do away with that. I feel like if you read a story, you should have to leave a comment as well as the vote. That's just me.

You're not alone, but I don't agree with you. This isn't a forced critique site. A reader doesn't owe an author a vote or comment--or even a read, for that matter.

 

[lovecraft68]

You're not alone, but I don't agree with you. This isn't a forced critique site. A reader doesn't owe an author a vote or comment--or even a read, for that matter.

You're right, vote/commenting is not mandatory.

But it is a shame that people will read something someone spent hours/days perhaps weeks writing, and can't take literally 2-3 seconds to click a star and vote.

The real shame is it does not surprise me. More so now than ever there is a sense of entitlement and lack of appreciation for anyone's hard work. Everything is expected to be provided. I am sure if there was a 'voting app' that could do it for you, people would take the time to get that

 

[sr71plt]

A shame, yes. But part of survival and thriving here is not to expect more than the Web site is designed to demand. Readers are here to get something for free, so you're only setting yourself up for grief to demand more of them.

 

[Kantarii]

You're right, vote/commenting is not mandatory.

But it is a shame that people will read something someone spent hours/days perhaps weeks writing, and can't take literally 2-3 seconds to click a star and vote.

The real shame is it does not surprise me. More so now than ever there is a sense of entitlement and lack of appreciation for anyone's hard work. Everything is expected to be provided. I am sure if there was a 'voting app' that could do it for you, people would take the time to get that

I know the voting and commenting aren't mandatory. I'm being misunderstood. But, I still feel like if someone voted, they should have at least took the time to comment on the work. I mean, really, they took the time to read the written work; drop in the bucket to leave a comment as to why they voted the way they did. I could care less about the votes. The comments carry more weight and value to me. I already know my skill level as a writer is elementary, but it's something I enjoy doing. Oh, well, water under the bridge.