Something happened over the last couple of weeks that really illustrated to me the value of comments and the new voting feature Erin set up. First, my story 'In the Line of Duty: No Greater Love', which was posted back in January, got a comment. No the story generally gets one or two hits a day, but thanks to this comment the hit count soared. A few days ago, the same thing happened for my very first story, 'Lost Luggage'. This time, the first comment led to another person reading and commenting, and again the hit count soared.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Those hits were because people were clicking on the comment and not necessarily reading the stories. That's true, actually, but each hit on a comment may be by someone who didn't read the story when it was posted, and they may be intrigued enough to check it out.
Then there's the votes. Both stories got votes on the days the comments appeared. 'In the Line of Duty' got a whopping 12 votes, which I think is pretty good for a story that is 6 months old.
All this has led me to a decision. In the future, when I read an old favorite, I'm going to leave a comment, even if I've left one already, and I'm going to vote for it. New people register for BC almost daily, and comments and votes provide a great way to steer them towards the stories we love.
Just a little random thought to throw out there.
Comments
Great Scott
You're on to something there.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Vote Rankings
Okay, there's a way to check most hits popularity -- click on "popular content" and you get a two-tab readout of stories with the most hits that day, and the most hits ever. Spiffy.
The votes, you can check the most votes today... but not most votes ever anywhere that I see. I think that'd be kinda nice to see.
Anja Kobayashi
The real reason for the Votes & Comments
...is that they complement each other exactly how Scott has deduced. The comment is your instant vote for the story - for this time. The Voting for the Daily Votes raises the story up in that category so that the story can remain in sight for others to view and pick to read from as being popular. This does have the added advantage of raising an older story into view for the newer crowd if they are not avidly reading the comments, but do look for What's Popular. You can also use it as a tool to just say its good, but cannot think of anything in particular to say at the moment in terms of posting a comment, but that its good enough that others should read and try to decide. Both tools give the reader the opportunity to have a voice in one form or the other.
Sephrena Lynn Miller
Flawed system
Actually, at it's best the current system has very little true worth. Any system of evaluation that doesn't allow a negative index is skewed. Imagine if a poll only allowed positive comments: "Do you support the president?"; and yes or no response were the only choices? With the "no responce" count not reported? That's essentially what we have here. Negative comments are strongly discouraged and negative votes are not even allowed. That's why I don't comment on the stories, I have no desire to be a cheerleader, which is what you have when only positive comments or "votes" are allowed.
They know they can survive
Flawed comment
One that has little true worth. Any criticism that can't get the facts right is little more than a tantrum.
I have never felt from anything Erin has said that expressing a negative opinion is discouraged. All she asks is that such comments be phrased so as to be constructive, and that they be polite. As for the voting feature - it was NEVER suggested that it was to be a means of evaluating a story. It is simply a means of recommending one - if you like a story and think others will too, vote. If you don't like it, don't vote. The 'no' response isn't counted you say? So, thousands of people visit this site, and most stories only have at best a couple of dozen votes. Seems like basic math - simple enough that even a cheerleader like me can understand.
So, you don't comment on any stories because of your perceived notion that you can't express a negative point of view. You penalize the authors of stories you do enjoy by withholding a positive comment, simply because you can't whine about the ones you don't like. You won't vote on a story to recommend it because you can't vote against everything else.
I think your user name was quite well chosen. It's a shame you didn't continue to exercise your right to remain silent here.
Scott
Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of--but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.
Lazarus Long - Robert A. Heinlein's 'Time Enough for Love'
Bree
The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.
-- Tom Clancy
http://genomorph.tglibrary.com/ (Currently broken)
http://bree-ramsey314.livejournal.com/
Twitter: @genomorph
Agreed!
There are several people who leave what couldn't be considered positive comments in my stories -- FTS especially -- but they still say things in a constructive or questioning manner. I try to assuage their concerns about the story, and answer their questions if it won't give away anything to come
Edeyn
Negative Comments Are Allowed
... within REASON. If the comment is showing positive constructive help towards the author and the work, in reference to the plot & characters, go for it. If its a nitpick, grammar, typo, left out sort of thing, use the BC personal messaging system to Write To The Author. Comments should always be constructive first, complaint-wise to a story plot second. I personally dislike writing negative comments and prefer to message the author instead privately. The best rule of thumb for you to use when writing comments is: Would I like to See Someone Else Do This to Me on a Story I Post (where all the readers can see it)?
Sephrena Lynn Miller
Negative axis
When negative counts were allowed, and the previous system in effect did allow them, headhunters attempted to skew the voting in a vindictive way making all totals worthless. This is better. It's not a flaw in the system, it's a flaw in humanity, apparently.
As for negative comments being discouraged, take a look around, lots of negative comments on stories are being made. Certain sorts of negative comments are discouraged, yes.
You say, "That's why I don't comment on the stories, I have no desire to be a cheerleader."
Funny, many people come here because they do want to be cheerleaders. :)
- Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
I do like Cheerleaders
Just don't want to be one!
They know they can survive
As for Cheerleaders...
Erin concerning your last line I must plead the Fifth! Yay, Yay, Go Team!!! :)
Hugs!
grover
I was one ;)
In college. My high school would never have allowed it -- though when I came out my Junior year, the Cheerleading sponsor (one of the English teachers) wanted to let me try out and the school board shot it down. I could have tried my senior year, as long as I didn't wear the uniform to school. The compromise my senior year was I had to be a boy at school, and there was a list of requirements that if filled would allow me to participate in extracurriculars as a girl
We had male cheerleaders at my college, as well as the standard girl-type, but I didn't have to deal with that -- I was registered as a girl as far as most of the school knew
Edeyn
1963
My Freshman year in high school, we had a male head cheerleader, a junior named Brian, a very athletic young guy but too small for most sports offered at the school. (No tennis, no golf, no gymnastics.) Cheerleaders were elected by the student body back then, it was considered an office, not a sport. Brian was good and won the most votes becoming Head Varsity Cheerleader with a seat on the student council. He designed his own blue-and-gold-and gray cheer uniform, styled on male college cheerleader costumes from the 20s.
I met him later in college and found him to be just as funny and energetic up close as when he was leading cheers. We were golf partners for awhile in a very wacky foursome. :)
No one really questioned Brian's masculinity, BTW. In fact, most guys admired him for figuring out how to go on dates with four cheerleaders at once. :) And the school administration had no problem with it, several male members of the faculty had been cheerleaders in college.
Things did change for a time when cheerleading became a sport and schools used it to meet Title IX requirements. If they allowed boys to be cheerleaders then they had no net gain in number of sports offered in the sex ratio. Later, competitive cheering led to boys being allowed back in because strength is needed for some truly spectacular routines and there are more physically strong boys than strong girls.
- Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Bewildered by comment comment
I find this remark as bewildering as I do offensive. I don't know what other writers go through to create, but I think it is often, if not usually or always, similar to my process; and that involves a LOT of hair pulling, head banging and pacing. A 10K word story entails at least 20,000 decisions. (And no, I don't think I ever get them all right.) My ambition is to create thought (my hope is that my own thoughts will be worthy of thought.), but my only goal is to enjoyment for a few.
Yes, I know asking the reader to read my story is asking for a favor, in a way. It is asking them to soothe the bumps I got from the head banging, but is this really so much to give? If your sister-in-law gives you a pink plastic partridge-shaped potpourri pot do you say thank you? Or do you walk away without acknowledgment, because you think that a negative is not allowed?
A thoughtful and appreciative comment is almost a valuable to me as a royalty check would be, but a thoughtful negative comment is not unwelcome at all. As I said I don't expect to please everyone, and some will not like or see what I'm trying to do at times. That is fine. (Just remember that you got this for free. I do think armatures should get the benefit of the intentional fallacy.) It is only the "Dis thucks" or "Can your story get more than one star?" kinds of comments that are as useless as they are absurd.
My stories get hits almost every day; they rarely get votes and never get comments once they are six weeks old. I refuse to see that as a negative indication. And since I know that some people have enjoyed my efforts, those efforts have been rewarded already, but is it really asking too much for a reader to log in, scroll back to the top and click on a button to show that they thought the reading was better than standing on line or staring at the walls? Is the 'right' to make an ill-considered complaint really an innate one? Put your self in the writer's shoes and answer.
So, Withheld, is this system really that flawed and unfair? To whom?
Hug; Seek Joy.
Jan
PS. I do wish I were a cheerleader, but I'm afraid I don't really have the personality, disposition, or agility for it. :( I do try sometimes though.