Unfortunately, for a lot of us there is this horrible hellish place we are forced to spend significant amounts of our time: Real Life.

That in turn means less time to read the wonderful tales that people offer here. And even less time for those of us who have a muse battering us with tales that need to be written, as well.

We are trying, we really are. When we read something exceptional, we comment positively. When we read something we don't like, well, we either don't finish it or we often don't comment. If you read through the forums there are topics about commenting positively so as not to put people off. If there's something specific I want to tell an author about, I'll PM them, it doesn't make public waves that way.

But, very often, I'll have to drop a story because I simply don't have sufficient time at the moment. Personally, I'm looking after a partner who is recovering from heart surgery, and I have Fibromyalgia, so my life has been very exhausting for the last three months. I'm sure there are others here who have just as good reasons for only spending the barest minimum time they can possibly get away with - and I mean that in a good way. Better a quick skim over not logging on at all. Unfortunately, comments tend to be the first casualty of that process.

Now, because I wrote this, which story am I not going to have time to read before I go off and peel yet more vegetables?

Penny

but for stories that totally rubs me the wrong way, I pass over and don't comment on it. My view is that for a lot of readers there is an abundance of stories that one does like and for me it takes enough time to read those. Now if there is a dearth of stories that may change but you are right, for a lot of stories there seems to be only a small core of readers who take time to think about the story and provide feedback. There are some duds out there imho but a suggestion is to also offer a poll as to maybe why a user is passing over the story. This is the negative version of the Kudos thing but should not be a mere up and down yeah or nay but should have like 5 options as to why a browsing reader has passed you over.

Just a thought.

Kim

I can’t believe anyone was ever more moved by comments than am I. I savor each,
and respond to every one. When I read these discussions though, I can only see
a startling disconnect. It’s a schism between two very different populations,
with very diverse goals.

Any writer who publishes his work anywhere, is looking for one thing – response.
The needs for this are as diverse as the egos involved; but, to deny the need to
incite some feedback or reaction is an absurdity, cause it just ain’t so. If a
writer does not want feedback they write a diary, and keeps it private.

Readers come here to be entertained. They come here for information. They come
here to ratify and confirm feelings, and to assuage needs that are, likewise, as
diverse as the egos involved. Very few, if any who are not actually writers
themselves, will ever come here with the intention of making us better writers.

For the first group to look for vindication, ratification or sanction from the
second is a strategy lacking in promise. To require it is one doomed to failure,
or at the very least, virtually certain to fall short of the needs and desires of
both groups.

The best a writer can hope for is to reach enough readers as to incite a few of
the very nicest, who are self motivated and generous, and who want to respond. And
Still, even the greatest number of comments on any story, the most we have ever seen,
will always be but a small percentage of people who read it.

If I read a story, I comment. I just don’t have the time or mental faculty to be
able to devote much time to fiction. However, failing a story so vulgar that I dare
not broach the subject in writing – I comment. If the story is good, I reread, and
I comment or PM again. If someone comments to me, I always send a word of thanks.
Always, because not to do so, isn’t nice either.

What also amazes me, is that this need for feedback, is almost always conjoined to a
need for self ratification regarding the quality of writing.

I have friends here, people I like and greatly admire, who continually tout through
whispers and bombast, that the ‘quality’ of writing is in no way indicated by the response
it receives. Naturally, I do not disassociate myself from them in this, for two reasons:
First, because the Quality of Writing is not a universal constant, and there are as many
measures of it as there are… diverse egos involved. Second, the premise should be axiomatic
to any adult of even mean intellectual capacity.

Yet, It is still a spurious argument. This is why.

If it is an author’s intent to write the penultimate literary work, skilled and schooled,
steeped in wisdom and rich with turn of phrase, perfection in grammatical construction and
pure artistry in communicating it’s message… all praise to them. Also,to the five or six
people who will always be the ardent admirers of such seminal literary greatness.

If, on the other hand and author seeks to craft a popular work, to incite emotion, or
indict a popular attitude; if they wish to fabricate a story in prose, the construction of
which is invisible in it’s simplicity, and it’s easy readability, then a just praise to
them as well. What more worthy aim, and unless the comparisons are monetary, how can anyone
say that one is more worthy than the other provided they reach their intended audience?

It is spurious argument, a specious premise, and a spendthrift waste of time to compare
one work to another, when the only meaningful comparisons are between the author’s intent
and their achievements, a thing that few besides the writer can ever really know.

The greatest literary works are those that reach, and inspire, and move others. That is
why 'The Foot Book' by Dr. SUSE wins awards.

For all the rest of us, the only meaningful measures are emotional. Enjoyment.

This I have taken in full measure for myself, both from the countless unique and highly
talented authors here, and from those precious and rare respondents to my own works. I don’t
worry what the story counters actually indicate, because every story is counted just the same,
and that’s the only real requirement for any such system. I couldn't care less if an author
comments more than anyone else on their own stories, or suffers carpel tunnel syndrome from
drumming their callused finger on the refresh key over their own stories in the depths of the
night. My only discontent is in reading a phrase in my story, and realizing how easily I
might have done so much better... If only I’d paid more attention to English class, or written
a little more carefully. But then, this too inspires me.

My greatest contentments come from the few, a very few, who wrote and said “ this moved me
too.” Compared to that, the efforts were meaningless.

Sarah Lynn Morgan

http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/comment/reply/5379/29560

Personally, I used to read - or at least look at - those stories which got a lot of votes. God help me, I might be a bestsellers' list whore, but it WAS one of the reasons I looked at a new author's work, here or on any literature site.

Removal of the Voting feature and the Most Popular index removed this sorting feature. It also removed a little of the thrill of publishing - that little milestone of counting happy readers, of seeing actual numbers.

It was a loss I would not have anticipated, but I miss that small pleasure. And - truth - removing that small feedback loop reduced my overall participation as a reader/writer on this site.

There were other, outside events that influenced me, but really, truely - I miss that Most Popular list. A lot.

Now, I maybe look at a story with an intriguing title, or one that's long enough (I like more than a few minutes' entertainment)... but usually I just pop in to see if one of my old favorite authors has posted something new, or to see if a title will grab my attention.

It's not apathy, but the absence of some means of determining general interest by others means that I am less likely to notice a story. And comments are only going to be made by readers who notice - and then read - a story.

Many, many great books go unnoticed. Trashy novels are often read by millions.

Michelle

I only comment on stories that I have something good to say about. Some authors take a path that I am either not interested in, or I find distasteful. I am sure that they would not want me to tell them that they are a pervert, or that they sound like a broken record.

It is pretty clear to me that my stories have a pretty narrow audience, and believe me, having never really marched to the sound of the drummer, I can take it. In fact, fuck the drummer. You'd think that most T folks would like get that.

Often, when we write, our work is a catharsis for our pain; some of mine was. I just don't think that every author can expect to draw a large audience. I used to mainly just look at the "reads" counter.

Look folks, the site is free, FREE, and as far as I am concerned, FREE does not mean you get whining rights. Be thankful for what you get. I remember the world before the internet. Anyone want to go back to that?

You know, besides sitting in front of the computer all day long, you can do yoga, go for a walk, scrub the floor, do the dishes, take a hot bath ...

Gwendolyn

Don't know why one shouldn't comment?
If you read it, I think it's a nice thing to do?

Gives the author some boost, make her write some more, and generate responses to what you write too.
That is, if it's something you have an opinion on, that others have an opinion, that others ha ....

To expect the writer to tell you "Thnx !!!" every time you write a comment seems a little presumptuous, that they wrote it must be their way of sharing with you, don't you think?

As for being anonymous when writing this :)
I don't care. The question was a good one any which way.
And yeah, I find kudos boring, but if Erin had introduced negative too?

Now that would surely have generated comments :)

A comment can make an authors day if it's good.
Destroy it if its bad, so thread easy there.

Everyone is different, we don't all come out of one mold.
But all authors loves a comment.

Cheers
Yor