I have a question that I would like to get other's input on.
Should a reply to a comment, from the author of the story, count in the comment total.
The number of reads, votes and comments a story receives is important to the author as a means of showing appreciation for what they wrote. Readers use this information in deciding on what to read.
Of the three, the only one that is an accurate count is the vote. Once you vote, you can not vote again. Reads, just reflects that, but not the actual number of individuals who read the story. As far as I know, if I start a story and can't finish it during that sitting, and I go back to finish it, it counts as two reads. If it is a multi part story and I go back to the last installment, to remind myself of what occurred before reading the new installment, that would be an additional read.
Regarding comments, if an author replies to a comment made by a reader, it counts as another comment. If an author did that to every comment made, it could double the comments made to that story. As a commentator, I enjoy and appreciate when an author replies to my comment, or just says thank you.
However, it that situation the number of comments does not accurately reflect what is truly occurring.
Before, anyone gets hot and heavy, I am not accusing anyone of doing this intentionally, to raise the number of comments to their story. I am sure an author who does reply, is truly communicating with their readers. Most reply or thank you comments, that I see from authors are more then just a few words, so I do not think they are trying to run up the number of comments.
Can anything be done to show reply comments as a separate group? I have no idea if that can be done. And, if it can, how hard it would be.
Just thought I'd ask the question and see the results.
RAMI
Comments
Nothing to be done
For one thing, the poster of the story and the author are not always the same person. Besides that problem, it just ain't an important enough issue for me to devote programming time, to. The story counts and comments and even the votes are all only indications of popularity. That's good enough and serves all reasonable purposes for a site like this.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Actually, you can vote again
It's just got a timer on it. I think it's 40 days or something until you can vote on that story again. Erin would know more accurately.
And really, the only one the comments should count to is the author -- who knows how many of the comments are her or his own. Why should it need to be counted separately?
As a writer
As a writer I respond to each and every comment left because the reader took the time out of their read-o-thon to make a comment. The counting of my answers was one of the first things that I noticed, but in my eyes I know that I just take the total and divide it in half for a semi accurate count.
So I'm aware of that angle.
As a reader if I am "ify" on whether or not I want to read a story I might check the hit and comment numbers to see if it was a "talked about" story. Still, a high number, even if the writer participates, means it was talked about and I might find some backstory or little tidbits revealed by the writer (as I am wont to do). So, something with a lot of comments tells me that the chance for that happening are increased, thus, encouraging me again to read.
So, taking both of these into account, I don't see a down side of counting all the interactions or at least the down side of putting forth effort to change the current way things work.
Now taking 'everything' into account, issues with popularity, etc. (for those of us that are new to the site, or for those that are new to writing) Making you or your stories popular has very little to do with comments, hit counts, votes, etc. It has to do with quality of writing, update regularity, and topics and themes of your story.
I am a brand new writer to this site, as far as my 'name'. I've only been here 3 weeks or so. I see some stories languish in obscurity while others are so incredibly popular it's funny.
To me, I am doing pretty good. Is that because I am comparing myself to other new authors and I have won? No, it's because I compare myself to my previous stories or previous chapters to see if I have increased a number of readers or a number of votes.
For instance, I can't compare myself to someone of long standing stature as Maddy Bell, or Maggie Finson. They've made a name for themselves. They have loyal readers. I haven't as of yet... or at least I'm building mine up as they did when they started.
I've received comments from people that they have tried my new "vampire" story that have little interest in the topic pretty much for the sole reason that they have read my "school girl" story and wanted to see if the new story entertained them as much. It's up to "you" (in general) to make yourself popular if that is your goal.
So in the long run hits, comments, and votes mean little to anyone, but the author. If you are roaming around and putting much faith in the number of comments to make your decision then you are missing a good deal of very well written stories.
~Lili
Write the story that you most desperately want to read.
Lilith
You have one loyal reader. When I started with your story about Casidhe I thought, "Oh no, another dreary serial about a air-head teenager." After reading the first chapter I thought, "Well -- that was excellent, but can she continue at this pace?" After a few chapters I thought, "Wow -- I can't wait for more."
Yes, you're doing "pretty good."
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
More than one
A new chapter usually makes my day ~_^
-Christelle
"Fun-loving geek-chick looking for someone who doesn't give a damn about her past"
-Christelle
"Fun-loving geek-chick who's addicted to sunlight!"
comments count
I am a pretty busy person and writing doesn't always come as easily to me as it does to some of the other great authors on this site, so I DO look at how many comments a particular story has along with it's hit count to decide if I should try and make time to read a story or series.
This is one of the reasons I don't comment a whole lot on my stories, I do however TRY to thank the commentors in a private message. I feel that this is a bit more personal to the commentor and allows me to be able to answer story sensitive issues without SPOILING it for everyone else.
ALSO by NOT commenting, I can watch and enjoy the debates and arguements that go on over details. Sometimes I am awed by what, or how the readers interpet my story. They are all soooo smart, I am blown away by a lot of it.
Using the PM to answer comments has also gained me some valuable friends who feel that they can PM me to assist me or inform me of good and bad things about my stories; again without ruining possiblities for spoiling it for others.
If I haven't PMed you personally for commenting, I appologize, it goes back to that whole having enough time to write issue
Thank you all for reading, enjoying AND COMMENTING on my little tale
A.A.
I think it's neat
I think it's neat that the author would take her time to add her feedback to reader's comments. Ideas are exchanged, jokes are thrown around, and it just adds to the experience methinks ~_^
-Christelle
"Fun-loving geek-chick looking for someone who doesn't give a damn about her past"
-Christelle
"Fun-loving geek-chick who's addicted to sunlight!"
The Count of Comments - That's me!
And in future you may refer to me as "Your Grace"
Dear Rami,
The ONLY person who REALLY gives a $H!T about the number of reads, comments or votes that a story gets is the author. The number of reads is always artificially high because of people, like me, who like to go back to the story to read what other people have said in their comments. The number of comments is the number of comments even, and maybe especially because, the author has added some comments. I, for one, particularly enjoy it when an author replies to my comment, it shows me that my comment means something to the author.
with love,
Hope
with love,
HER
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
I like being stroked
I must admit that I like having comments on my stories, but only ones with content. I might have done something that angered a reader and at least I know what I wrote was good enough to emote that kind of response. I like that Lilith takes the time to answer every comment, hell I wish I had the time to do that myself, but I don't. I look at the reader count more closely as to the popularity of a story. Sure some readers come back two, or three times, but for the most part I can't imagine more than a handful doing that. The thing is, if you've written an interesting story, you'll get comments and a high reader count. If the story isn't well written no matter how important it seems to the author, it won't get many reads. There are stories on this site that I started to read, but were so juvenile in content I couldn't continue, but that was one count for the story. All I'm trying to say is that if a story is good, then it's good, and if a story sucks, ho hum. Enjoy what we have here and to hell with counts, Arecee
As a reader, it's only the story that counts
Votes and comments are a way in which I can say Thank You to the writer for their story, but I never bother to look at others' comments before I read, or how many votes it has gained. After all, it's quite obvious that most other readers on the site have some very weird reading habits compared to mine (which are of course, completely normal!) so why should I take note of what someone else likes or does not like? In the time I am trying to decide whether or not the person who comments is someone of my own tastes, I can read the start of a story and make my own decisions about whether or not I am enjoying the story.
So, I am one of those people who inflate the Reads count by starting any story which meets basic criteria (mainly that it has an ending), but the vast majority of those I never read more than a couple of screens. Only those I get to the end get a vote and possibly a comment.