I find it incomprehensible that some people can't be decent when commenting or blogging. Remember, when you WRITE something, there is nothing that indicates anything but the WORDS you use. There are no other indicators that could soften the impact of words that appear unkind or severely critical. Normally, when people communicate, there are visual and verbal cues that can soften the impact of words that might otherwise seem unkind. When you write, all there is, is the words.

Someone who has been becoming a friend has decided to leave Top Shelf, due to exactly this kind of misunderstanding and it has me very angry. I INVITED this writer to post here because her talent is great, and she deserves to have her work shown at the place I consider to be the best forum on the internet for TG fiction, Top Shelf. By causing her to consider leaving, someone has lessened the overall caliber of stories written and posted here!

If someone MUST be critical, DO IT IN A PRIVATE MESSAGE TO THE WRITER! Do NOT place overall critical or even hurtful comments into the public domain!

I have communicated with the author who is considering leaving Top Shelf and urged her to stay, advising her to make use of the "ignore" function regarding hurtful comments. I hope she agrees to stay. If she doesn't, there will be someone else using their "ignore" button. ME!

Remember the simple formula someone else stated in another blog. PRAISE IN PUBLIC, CRITICIZE IN PRIVATE!!! If you can't say anything nice to a writer, then say nothing at all.. at least publicly!

I am so fucking SICK of this kind of thing happening, and it must STOP!

I have named no names, and I won't, but you know who you are!

A pissed off Catherine Linda Michel said that!