Public Comments Question

[thebullet]

I'd like to hear opinions about a public comment that appeared under one of my stories.

The story in question is chapter 18 of a long, long, thing I've been posting for a couple of months called Death by Fucking. I had three very complimentary comments, thank you. But the 4th comment posted came at me from an angle I was totally unprepared for.

I suppose in the public comment section I expected criticism of the quality of writing, or the believability of the plot of the story, or the characterizations.

If I were writing some extreme porn I might look for criticism about violence or some perversion that one person or another might find offensive. (However my story is one of the tamest on the site, sex-wise. Just straight, one on one, marital sex and absolutely no violence, sexual or otherwise.)

But this comment wasn't about any of those things.
This poster attacked my politics, which to me is strange since there is very little politics in the story.

I'm writing a mild little comedy and the poster acted like I had written
1984 or Brave New World - something dangerous and subversive.

I'm trying to understand where the poster is coming from. Is he an extremist, a neo-conservative or perhaps a left winger? I frankly have made every effort to sublimate my political beliefs in this story, so I am shocked!, yes shocked!, that a reader would be offended by what I wrote.

And I challange anyone to determine the political views of the protagonists, other than to say that they don't respect national level politicians. What the hell is wrong with that? Anyone that does respect national level politicians must be an idiot!

Come on guys. Tell me my style sucks. Say that I can't write my way out of a paper bag. Something like that I can understand. But this one is over my head.

I would welcome comments from other writers about how I should deal with this. Should I leave the comment on the public posting section or cut it out like a cancer?

I might also add that my score for the story dropped from 9.84 to 9.74 with the single vote of this particular person, a neat trick since the story already had 50 votes. - not that I'm counting or anything.

Maybe I'm overreacting. I probably am, but to me this is just a weird thing. Oh well, I suppose everyone has a stick up their ass about something.


I'd appreciate your thoughts.






Check out the comments for Death by Fucking - the first one is what this post is about

 

[KillerMuffin]

From what I read, the guy was being honest and assertive, rather than aggressive. He didn't actually attack you so much as he expressed his dislike of your storyline and your politics. Your story does get into the realm of the political simply because you do mention political things, even if in passing. If he's uncomfortable with such things, that's his perogative. It's also his perogative to speak out over it.

You can delete the comment if you so desire, but you cannot remove his vote. It's up to you whether or not you censor your comments, I believe. Other than a few rules to follow, Literotica doesn't seem to have an opinion on what you should allow as acceptable. You may not censor the votes, however. Sorry, you are stuck with it.

Personally, if that were mine, I would leave it up there. It's an articulate and thought-out comment that's not aggressive.

 

[thebullet]

You're quite right. I'm just a whiner. I'll leave the comment as is.

The more I thought about it the more I realized I was being too thin skinned.

It just wasn't the kind of criticism I was expecting. Am I really that political? This story was supposed to be Leave it to Beaver.

Oh well, we live and learn.

But to the guy who posted the comment: Chill out!

 

[wishfulthinking]

I guess it is one up on "you suck". At least they take the time to tell you why they think you suck. The fact that you are onto ch 18 and still getting the readers and the votes tells me that you don't. But yeah, dropping all those points cuts. Someone just did it to mine, and the timing of it (last day on the new stories list), just seemed really calculated. But seeing your post made me realise it happens to all of us. I know I won't win anything, but having my two stories in the top 30 of my category is where I get my satisfaction, so still don't like it all the same.

So, I think you are allowed your whinge.

 

[MagicFingers]

Me too

I guess it is one up on "you suck". At least they take the time to tell you why they think you suck. The fact that you are onto ch 18 and still getting the readers and the votes tells me that you don't. But yeah, dropping all those points cuts. Someone just did it to mine, and the timing of it (last day on the new stories list), just seemed really calculated. But seeing your post made me realise it happens to all of us. I know I won't win anything, but having my two stories in the top 30 of my category is where I get my satisfaction, so still don't like it all the same.

So, I think you are allowed your whinge.

I had a strong 4.60 to 4.70 going for the first 4 days also, then suddenly someone voted it down to 4.47, where it is doomed forever after it leaves the NEW listings. I wish people could just be nice.
TheBullit, how do you get 9.84's? I can only get a 5.0 max? Was that a typo? I WISH we could get 10.0! Sometimes a Bminus is too low (4.0), and an A+ is way too much (5.0)

 

[thebullet]

Did I say 9.84? I wish