Feedback etiquette

[superbadgirl]

Out of curiosity, to any writers, vidders, icon makers, etc - do you respond to all feedback comments you get?

[Poll #1221629]

I'm curious, because I really strive to give a quick thanks...but have often in the past not received the same courtesy from others. I know, really, there's no obligation (especially on those stupid ff.net stories which garner a ridiculous amount of "reviews"), but I also find it kind of rude when an author/vidder/icon maker doesn't respond at all. It rankles, too, when the author begs for feedback, and then doesn't thank people for stroking her ego, often without merit doing so.

Comments

[strangevisitor7.livejournal.com]

I am a feed back junkie - I respond to everything no mater where the comments come from. I am just so flattered when ever anyone takes the time to tell me they liked what I wrote - Even FF.net (I post there too)

[superbadgirl]

It boggles my mind when people beg for comments (I've found even the relatively competent authors at ff.net are prone to begging/blackmailing for reviews) in the first place, but then when I do give feedback anyway, I get bupkes in the way of thanks.

It makes me less likely to review anything in the future from them, that much is true.

If I do read, which is rare, I'm old school enough to believe part of the whole process takes some involvement from readers as well as writers.

[strangevisitor7.livejournal.com]

I can't understand the lack of contact from authors. Heck if someone lists my story as a favorite on FF.net (with out a comment review) - i send them a message thanking them - I can't imagine not acknowledging the compliment.

When I read stories - if I notice that the author doesn't respond to other comments or appears to only responds to a select few - i don't bother to leave my thoughts.

[superbadgirl]

When I read stories - if I notice that the author doesn't respond to other comments or appears to only responds to a select few - i don't bother to leave my thoughts.

Relatedly, this is generally where I run into problems - I honestly don't read often (in SPN fandom, it's because I don't want to encounter something similar to what I'm workin on...), so it probably appears as if my own feedbacking is highly selective. In a way, it is, if only due to my tendency to only dip into reading every once in a while. Or in zines, where I have to admit feedback is SO rare if I get/got one I'd glomp all over the person with thank yous.

I realize that wasn't your point. ;) I also tend to gloss over when it's apparent the comments all come from the author's tight circle of friends. It always seems like it's a party I wasn't invited to, or a meeting of a mutal admiration society.

And, d'oh, here I am being a big baby about feedback etiquette and it has never occurred to me to thank someone for listing a story in their favorites. *hangs head*

[strangevisitor7.livejournal.com]

I don't leave feedback on everything I read either - Only if I enjoyed it. I'm not much for flaming - I figure lack of overall comments should clue them in that it wasn't too terrific.
I don't think there's anything wrong with being selective in leaving feedback.

[lovellama.livejournal.com]

I try to, but I have to admit I don't respond as often as I would like to.

[superbadgirl]

SHAME...

;)

[tejas.livejournal.com]

I try to respond to every comment/review/whatever, but there's no way in hell I'd claim to have managed it every time. Being only human (I know that shocks some of you ;-), I do make mistakes and I'm sure I've let some slip by unremarked. :-(

[superbadgirl]

Huh. I wonder if my POV is skewed because I don't get so many reviews I lose track. I don't get flooded with them, generally, so it's easy for me to give everyone a thank you.

[tejas.livejournal.com]

Oh, hon, I don't get that many, either, but it never fails I'll get a couple on the same day and manage to lose at least one of them in the inbox for a week or so.

That said, I probably get more comments from doing 'five things' things on LJ than on any fic I've slaved over for weeks or months. It's partly disheartening and partly a major ego-boo. *sigh*

[superbadgirl]

That said, I probably get more comments from doing 'five things' things on LJ than on any fic I've slaved over for weeks or months. It's partly disheartening and partly a major ego-boo. *sigh*

Aw, isn't that always the way? Sometimes I wonder if my stories are too plotty for general consumption. I find that sad, because I don't think I tell particularly plotty stories.

[tejas.livejournal.com]

You do tell plotty stories. I've felt the same way. I sometimes wonder if I expect my readers to think too much for reading fanfic. *shrug*

[superbadgirl]

I feel like somewhere along the way, the general attention span of fandom reduced drastically.

There are either about a billion and a half mini-fics, or stories that will not end. I like the happy middle, darn it!

[tejas.livejournal.com]

LOL! I *delight* in finding long fics that are long simply because it takes that many words to tell the story. Not long because they keep going and going and going... and just keep repeating the same thing over and over again. I have enjoyed reading (and writing) itty-bitty short ones, too. But *damn* I really want some that'll make me think.

[superbadgirl]

Nono, I'm not saying I don't like long stories. I do. I prefer them, but the have to be good and they have to have a point. I like to see an author has it plotted out and I'm confident s/he knows what starts it, carries it and ends it.

It's FF.net syndrome I hate, which I think could carry onto LJ a bit as well, perhaps. Authors write and write and write, sometimes based on the praise they're receiving and sometimes even incorporate whatever shit is suggested in their "reviews."

That is not effective storytelling at all. Those are the neverending stories I loathe.

[tejas.livejournal.com]

UGH. Oh, yeah. I've been venturing a touch into the Pit of late based on recs for NCIS. There are a couple of good authors out there who apparently post there most. I've tried some of the non-recced and then had to back away quickly as I grabbed for the brain bleach. EEEWWWW!

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

It is my goal to always respond to comments left for me but I do fall behind and then forget to do so. I'll be in my posts, doing some kind of maintenance or something, and discover a forgotten comment. Or three. If it's a "Snagging #, #, #. Will credit!" kind of comment, then I leave it be and resolve to do better next time. However, if someone has taken the time to attempt to have a conversation with me, then I will reply even if I'm a month or more late.

[superbadgirl]

I can totally see not always getting to the "took these, will credit" comments, because they're more notifications than proper feedback, no?

[el1ie.livejournal.com]

I reply to everything, even those that are a bit rude, not many but it's obvious some times that someone hasn't enjoyed it or understood what I was doing, but still I go in and thank them for watching.

I've scrolled down and read the part where you say you don't read much in SPN, now that's the same with me, I tend not to watch many vids at all - I have this paranoia where I'm just either seeing beautiful things I can't do, things I fall out with or worried to hell I might find exactly what I'm working on and be accused of copying. I do a search on YouTube for the song and hope there aren't already 20 versions - if there are I don't do it.

However, I think this does me harm in one sense as it keeps me out of the loop as it were, most vidders and I see the same thing with authors watch and comment on each other, building up a following as it were. As I don't watch vids, I don't comment, I'm sure they get the message "Well I left HER feedback, but she doesn't leave any, so I'm not either watching or leaving any for her" It's a pretty damning and vicious circle but one I can't break as I just don't want to spoil my own creativity by watching other's output - it's stifling for me.

I do admit that when I do leave feedback on writing it's usually because there is something in the story that lifts it beyond the mundane - cruel, I should leave something for everything I read, but honestly I don't like leaving bad reviews and I can't leave a good review on a writer that doesn't know the difference between lie and lay and I'm certainly not going to come down like some grammar witch/bitch in someone's personal journal. That in itself is a bit cowardly - they won't learn if they don't know, but not many of them WANT to know as I've found out when I've very nicely pointed out the drag/drugged thing, only to be told they couldn't be bothered to look it up or change anything.

::sigh::

[superbadgirl]

I've scrolled down and read the part where you say you don't read much in SPN, now that's the same with me, I tend not to watch many vids at all - I have this paranoia where I'm just either seeing beautiful things I can't do, things I fall out with or worried to hell I might find exactly what I'm working on and be accused of copying. I do a search on YouTube for the song and hope there aren't already 20 versions - if there are I don't do it.

Yes, that's part of it for me too. When I have gone forth and read, though, I've found the balance I like in stories is...difficult to locate. I must not look in the right places, because I tend to run into stories that are All Sam All The Time or All Dean All The Time. For the first time, I think I finally understand what drove non-Daniel fans crazy in SG-1 fandom.

However, I think this does me harm in one sense as it keeps me out of the loop as it were, most vidders and I see the same thing with authors watch and comment on each other, building up a following as it were. As I don't watch vids, I don't comment, I'm sure they get the message "Well I left HER feedback, but she doesn't leave any, so I'm not either watching or leaving any for her" It's a pretty damning and vicious circle but one I can't break as I just don't want to spoil my own creativity by watching other's output - it's stifling for me.

Yes to this as well. I very consciously do not enter into fandom. I can't handle the wank again, and I have a feeling SPN fandom is pretty wanky. Damned if I know why. As far as my viewership goes, TPTB do pretty well at balancing, so any character tug-of-war seems silly to me.

But I digress. How does one produce fic and participate on that level without dipping her toes in completely?

I cherish every feedback you give me, just so you know. I always WANT people to tell me when I screw up - I mangle cliches like nobody's business, so if I do that unintentionally, I want to know about it. Who wants to look like a moron? For the first 28 years of my life, I swore the saying was "all of the sudden" and not "all of a sudden", as an example. Der. Glad someone told me that!

[el1ie.livejournal.com]

The thing is, with you I know you want the feedback but I also know you want to know if you've missed out a word or got something back to front (I've never had a problem with anything of yours except maybe a missed word once) and I know if anything is pointed out to you, you'll go in, take a look at what you've done and if the criticism is fair you make the effort to improve. That's what impresses me and why you'll always get feedback off me if it's something I've read.

That's the part I didn't really answer, yes, I've left feedback many a time and been totally ignored and yeah, it miffs me. There are times I can see that some things fall through the cracks, you can usually judge that, then there are those who really only reply to "friends" - that's rude if you ask me and very plain to see if you're reading on l/j. Most authors have something to say about their work or just leave the standard "thanks for reading" which is all I really expect, but even that in pages of interactive feedback can seem very dismissive as though you've intruded in a private conversation.

I think the main problem with the SPN fandom is twofold, one it exists mainly in l/j which is friend based and pretty personal unlike something like SG1 where the boards were the main talking place and far more neutral with most fic archived in large open sites. Two, it's very, very young, well actually more than that, it's very immature in a lot of it's ways and that's where the wank usually starts, someone usually makes a remark that they have the inside scoop or the best community and off it goes.

I admit I dabble a bit more than you do, it's shark infested waters....but amusing to outsiders like me sometimes... :))

I still find the personal nature of l/j more off putting in being free to make, not critical feedback but suggestive feedback, there is the personal message system, but not everyone checks that or do they just ignore it? I don't know, but finding something readable for me (that means not too many mistakes) is getting harder and NO ONE is making any corrections at all, only praising and lauding and digging deeper and deeper grammatical spelling shit holes if you ask me.

I guess I was spoilt with SG1 - most story archives I read from were an incredibly high standard all around, I'm hunting out just a few authors around here I can read without gouging my eyes out.

I'm a rude fussy bitch in other words...

[superbadgirl]

That's another thing that boggles me. I suppose I should accept that there are people out there who think it's fun to produce anything, but to me half of the enjoyment I get out of writing is refining and learning how to do it better. It sucks to be told I write clunky sentences or too often use four words where one would work. But I do, and I recognize it's not always the best way to write.

That's the part I didn't really answer, yes, I've left feedback many a time and been totally ignored and yeah, it miffs me. There are times I can see that some things fall through the cracks, you can usually judge that, then there are those who really only reply to "friends" - that's rude if you ask me and very plain to see if you're reading on l/j. Most authors have something to say about their work or just leave the standard "thanks for reading" which is all I really expect, but even that in pages of interactive feedback can seem very dismissive as though you've intruded in a private conversation.

Oh, I've been there. I like to read comments sometimes, to see what others thought and things they picked up on. I don't begrudge people their friends, but it is rather like I've dropped in uninvited.

I think the main problem with the SPN fandom is twofold, one it exists mainly in l/j which is friend based and pretty personal unlike something like SG1 where the boards were the main talking place and far more neutral with most fic archived in large open sites. Two, it's very, very young, well actually more than that, it's very immature in a lot of it's ways and that's where the wank usually starts, someone usually makes a remark that they have the inside scoop or the best community and off it goes.

I don't play well with the very young, now that I'm a cantankerous old lady. LOL.

Even though I felt like something of an outsider on SG1HC, I do miss the Yahoo group environment. I tried to join and SPN one, but while the gen-ness of it appealed to me, their "rules" were downright offensive and bigoted. (Gen is great, but that does not mean slash is evilyuckybad.) And even though toward the end OS was not the place for me, the times I had at that forum in the beginning were quite nice. I liked the discussion and the familiarity of it.

I don't know, but finding something readable for me (that means not too many mistakes) is getting harder and NO ONE is making any corrections at all, only praising and lauding and digging deeper and deeper grammatical spelling shit holes if you ask me.

Yeah, see, this is what I don't get. Sadly, though, I think this carries forward outside of fandom and into the real world. I've mentioned before how much I cringe every time a certain highly-placed person at work sends out communication. It's important to get it right, and to know you're not able to get it right yourself and enlist help.

[el1ie.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I've been a cantankerous old lady for DECADES! Welcome to the club. :))

Sadly it's amazing how much bad spelling slips through on stuff that has two or three betas listed, so I think you're right it seems to be insidious in everything that striving to do something correctly is not as important as getting the praise for simply outputting something.

::shrug::

[kaleecat]

I respond should I get feedback, but occasionally one slips through the cracks--that happens more with list fb than on LJ. I think I've only gotten feedback on an archived story once.

I admit, I'm not as good about leaving feedback as I used to be. If a story really hits me I will write an off-list feedback letter. The archives I visit that have instant review I'm hit or miss. I get really really cranky with the 'review or I won't update' & other such demands related to review counts, especially when there is no acknowledgment or response to those. But then I get aggravated by FFnet, for example, & how author's spend half a chapter responding to reviews so I'm apparently hard to please. ;-)

[superbadgirl]

It's really hard to get motivated to leave feedback when there's no response, isn't it? I suppose it doesn't mean I'm right in withholding - that doesn't stop the vicious cycle.

I could go on and on about the feedback blackmail phenomenon. Sure, I'd LOVE to get more feedback than I do, but begging for it is so degrading to everyone involved.