What to do?

[ILienBagby]

If I punch the wall, I might injure my hand. Instead, I post the exact feedback message I received this morning. Maybe I will write a new story about some character named Anonymous.
The message
: This message contains feedback for:
This feedback was sent by: Anonymous

Comments:

You are out of your fucking wimp ass mind!

 

[TxRad]

If I punch the wall, I might injure my hand. Instead, I post the exact feedback message I received this morning. Maybe I will write a new story about some character named Anonymous.
The message
: This message contains feedback for:
This feedback was sent by: Anonymous

Comments:

You are out of your fucking wimp ass mind!

Let me guess. Loving Wives. If so, standby for more.

 

[PennLady]

If I punch the wall, I might injure my hand. Instead, I post the exact feedback message I received this morning. Maybe I will write a new story about some character named Anonymous.
The message
: This message contains feedback for:
This feedback was sent by: Anonymous

Comments:

You are out of your fucking wimp ass mind!

Well there's an all-purpose comment for any type of story if ever I read one. Just ignore it, or delete it, whichever.

 

[ILienBagby]

Thank you

for the suggestion. (And to TexRad also). I guess I should have noted this in my original comment, but I haven't posted a story in two weeks now and have no, absolutely no idea of what little (reference to his weenie size) anonymous was referring to with his comment. I did not receive but a total of 1 comment on the last three stories I posted, and then get this one. I am working on a story I intend to post this weekend, but will, after i post it, write another one that will have Mr. Anonymous as a main character.

 

[PennLady]

So this was sent to you via your profile? Again, just ignore it. Write the story if you want, but realize that this particular "Anonymous" may never see it. But if it works for you, then cool.

 

[Darkniciad]

The comments will pick up in time. One tip is not to be afraid to ask for them in a closing note on your story/chapter. Something as simple as "please vote, and comments are most appreciated" will do the trick.

Just don't go on and on about how hard you worked on the story, or say that you deserve comments or something of that nature. Just remind people that you'd like to have feedback in a quick note. Believe it or not, it makes a pretty big difference.

As you build a reader base, you might also consider stressing that each reader should vote only once per story. Fans can be a little overzealous, and the multiple votes will just get swept. Some sweeps will take out legitimate votes in the process of removing the multiples as well, so it's best to tell your readers on a regular basis that 1 story = 1 vote.

That makes a big difference when Lit's vote sweeper comes around. Lots less heartache from vanishing votes and dropping scores caused by multiple 5 fan votes.

And in Loving Wives, expect some of the nastiest, vilest commentary you've ever encountered. If it bothers you, carefully consider whether a story will fit just as well in another category before defaulting to Loving Wives. Or, at the least, be prepared for nasty commentary. It's all but inevitable in LW. If you expect it, then it's a lot easier to ignore the simply vile and mine into the negative comments for something useful.

Even the nasty comments can sometimes contain useful nuggets of ( accidentally ) constructive criticism, once you scrape all the slime off them

 

[mynameisben]

The comment is hateful yet so generic, I doubt Anonymous even read your story. It looks to me like a random act of stupidity. Stupid people are everywhere, so it shouldn't really come as a shock or even a surprise when one of them surfaces from the ooze to cross your path.

There's a reason why hateful people remain anonymous, and why cockroaches scatter when you turn on a light.

Just shake it off and keep on writing.

And to answer your question of 'What to do?': give the comment the attention is deserves, which is none whatsoever. Delete it, and then stop thinking about it. It really isn't worth your time.

 

[ILienBagby]

sir:

Let me guess. Loving Wives. If so, standby for more.

It wasn't a loving wives story....One of the things that upset me about the comment was that I have absolutely no idea of what it was addressed at. By the way, I need thank Anonymous because his comment led to my complaint, led to your comment, led to my reading your submission (I have no idea as to why I had missed them before) and I read the story with some enjoyment. Must read more of your work.

 

[sr71plt]

You have let anonymous win. You have let the comment get to you to the extent of complaining on the forum about it. That will give anonymous an extra little jolt of pleasure. Just delete it and move it. It has no substantive connection to your story.

 

[ILienBagby]

The comments will pick up in time. One tip is not to be afraid to ask for them in a closing note on your story/chapter. Something as simple as "please vote, and comments are most appreciated" will do the trick.

Just don't go on and on about how hard you worked on the story, or say that you deserve comments or something of that nature. Just remind people that you'd like to have feedback in a quick note. Believe it or not, it makes a pretty big difference.

As you build a reader base, you might also consider stressing that each reader should vote only once per story. Fans can be a little overzealous, and the multiple votes will just get swept. Some sweeps will take out legitimate votes in the process of removing the multiples as well, so it's best to tell your readers on a regular basis that 1 story = 1 vote.

That makes a big difference when Lit's vote sweeper comes around. Lots less heartache from vanishing votes and dropping scores caused by multiple 5 fan votes.

And in Loving Wives, expect some of the nastiest, vilest commentary you've ever encountered. If it bothers you, carefully consider whether a story will fit just as well in another category before defaulting to Loving Wives. Or, at the least, be prepared for nasty commentary. It's all but inevitable in LW. If you expect it, then it's a lot easier to ignore the simply vile and mine into the negative comments for something useful.

Even the nasty comments can sometimes contain useful nuggets of ( accidentally ) constructive criticism, once you scrape all the slime off them

thanks for the comments. The worst (worstest) comment i ever received was from anonymous a few months ago and was for a story about a fictional radio talk show host named Swift Branchbaum. The story, by the way, was in the Loving Wives section and involved interracial sex. I wont quote the comment....but I'm sure you might guess what it said. I do appreciate your suggestions. I'll use your suggestion next time.

 

[ILienBagby]

thanks for the comment. You are right, I did let Anonymous win.....Your comment was appreciated.

 

[nakdsub]

When you get tired of it...

You can do like I did, simple stop submitting and remove all your stories.

I would ignore the comments, it's when these ass holes make it their business to vote your stories scores down to zip that really infuriates you. Be prepared.

 

[lovecraft68]

I agree with the first part of Pilot's post that you gave this asshat a victory by quoting his comment (many authors bitch out any-mouse, but quoting this one really made it look like it had power over you.)

But the second part about deleting the comment? That works for him and others, but also take into consideration my way of dealing with it and I'm not alone in my theory either.

Leave it there. What do whiny little jerks hate the most? When you ignore them. You delete negative comments and they see that you did they think they got to you. Just leave it up, it shows your apathy to what he thinks.

besides you have to take good with bad. No one has issues leaving over effusive "you're the best writer ever!" remarks. But personally when I see a story that has dozens of glowing remarks and not one negative I begin to wonder if the author is too thin skinned (or in some cases, arrogant) to leave a bad remark.

To me those stupid remarks are like the scars on your hands from old fights, they've been earned by not making everyone happy and not caring if you do.

Just my take you're the author handle it however you see fit.

 

[deehere]

The comment is hateful yet so generic, I doubt Anonymous even read your story. It looks to me like a random act of stupidity. Stupid people are everywhere, so it shouldn't really come as a shock or even a surprise when one of them surfaces from the ooze to cross your path.

There's a reason why hateful people remain anonymous, and why cockroaches scatter when you turn on a light.

Just shake it off and keep on writing.

And to answer your question of 'What to do?': give the comment the attention is deserves, which is none whatsoever. Delete it, and then stop thinking about it. It really isn't worth your time.

Touche', well said

 

[TxRad]

It wasn't a loving wives story....One of the things that upset me about the comment was that I have absolutely no idea of what it was addressed at. By the way, I need thank Anonymous because his comment led to my complaint, led to your comment, led to my reading your submission (I have no idea as to why I had missed them before) and I read the story with some enjoyment. Must read more of your work.

Loving Wives is usually the shark pit that gets new writers. It's not really Loving and neither are the three different camps of reads. They do pitch a bitch if your story isn't in their way of liking things.

Thank you for the story read. I have like a hundred and thirty something of them up so have fun and let me know what you think. Comments are appreciated, good, bad or indifferent.

 

[sr71plt]

If you don't want the comment there and you leave it there, you are letting the commenter control you still. My theory is that the worst thing they can have happen to them is to be nullified. (repeatedly, if necessary)

 

[estragon]

While I devoutly wish it were otherwise, nothing any author can do will defeat the trolls. Like the cockroach, which has survived, I am told, for 350 million years indistinguishable from its ancestors, untouched by evolution, the internet troll will persist regardless of any measure to eradicate it. And nothing will change it.

Run away, and it will follow. Stay and fight it, and it will scuttle away, only to return as soon as the lights are out. Ignore it, and it will continue. Step on one, and its friends and relatives will give it a grand funeral.

 

[njlauren]

Many of the commenters on the stories (especially loving wives) are trolls. Judging from the way they are written, many of them are the same screaming idiots who post inane comments on blog sites and are the staple of right wing talk radio. With Loving wives some of them are men who have been hurt in real life and lash out, others are men with some really twisted views of women being a bunch of sluts, who think any man willing to forgive a woman for cheating (or write a story about such a man) is a wimp, a 'fag' and do forth. Think about the stories the trolls like, and what do you have ?revenge stories, where the cheating wife is given AIDS and dies, etc, etc....(not that I don't enjoy a good revenge tale, but still). Because lit allows anonymous posts this is to be expected, since most of the posters relish being able to attack writers, this is how they get their jollies and can do so without facing retribution. Hell, I have gotten nasty responses to comments I have written....

What is sad to me is that writers take it to heart. Someone from Israel posted an interesting if flawed tale on LW that had potential to be an interesting wife becomes a slut, husband is a loser who I think they plan on having him redeem himself and in effect show the wife up, and they prob won't continue writing because of the shit they took in the comments, and that is sad. I try to send feedback to authors and even if the story rubs me the wrong way (which is about me, the humiliation ones or the "BD/SM" stories that are about degradation and abuse, not BD/SM) I try to encourage them to keep writing even if I found the story disturbing.

There is an old expression, consider the source. Consider someone who would get enraged over a story, tell you to die and so forth, what kind of low life they must be and tell yourself "consider the source". Put it this way, these are probably people who have autographed pictures of Dick Cheney as a prized possession...these posters are about as relevant as commenters as Rush Limbaugh is to social discourse, they both represent the bottom of the barrel.

 

[williamsmith518]

EMR Software

I posted, and then get this one. I am working on a story I intend to post this weekend, but will, after i post it, write another one that will have Mr. Anonymous as a main character.

---------------------
EMR Software

 

[sr71plt]

I posted, and then get this one. I am working on a story I intend to post this weekend, but will, after i post it, write another one that will have Mr. Anonymous as a main character.

---------------------
EMR Software

As so many have done before you. Which will do what other than assure "anonymous" that he/she has managed to rattle your cage, which will please him/her to no end? This "I'll show them" stuff just doesn't bother them a bit; it's what they feed on--the writer's exhibited frustration and impotence.

If you can't take the occasional jab, just turn comments and votes off, or stop posting stories.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm just going to sum it up this way.

Grow up.

These people don't know you, many times trolls don;t even read the stories. What do you care what they think?

Did you go home and cry anytime some kid at school called you a name?

Just write your stuff for yourself and take the good with the bad.

As I said no one ever posts here complaining of the anon commenter who says glowing things about their work, but one or a couple of negative remarks have people shaking their fists and whining. g

Get over it, many liked your work, a few didn't. What I will add is it is a shame the trolls take the time to comment and most people who liked it don't but oh well.

and the comment was stupid and not even all that bad. Here try this one

Such arrogance!
06/12/11 By: Anonymous
What appalling penmanship! I can only wonder what sort of deluded egotist believes people really want to wade through all that hyperbole, and then struggle through ten pages of stultifyingly pedestrian semi-literacy!

Perhaps most incredible of all... the chapters just go on and on - and on - and on.

Much like an over-flowing drain...

As you can see I got that almost a year ago and left it there. Unless this troll (who must have worn out his thesaurus trying to impress me with his big words) changed his posting style he has never returned. The fun thing was a couple of other readers commented against him. So I got more comments by leaving it there.

Either get a thicker skin or as Pilot suggested shut off the comments because you haven't seen anything yet from these people

 

[Mrtouf]

If you like you could print the comment out and do a little raindance for the commenter.

But then you would look silly.

 

[kuellar]

I'll echo Darkniciad's suggestion - a simple note from the author to the effect that "comments are much appreciated" does encourage me to leave a comment, especially when the note comes before the story itself. That gets me into the commenting mood even as I begin to read.

So if you covet genuine, constructive comments, I think that's an excellent idea for something you can do. It probably won't stop the occasional anonymous ass, but it might prompt those with something useful to say to go ahead and say it