opinions
Taken from comments I left elsewhere. I'd rather not lose these so reposting them in part or whole.
I use the Kudos button a lot for various reasons, including time limits, but I don't really think it's as good as a comment. A comment ideally tells what you liked about a story (they all felt so in character, etc.), or a favorite part. A kudos just says someone read it and gave a thumbs-up. It's nice to know, but it doesn't tell you why they liked it. :)
I don't think people should leave negative or critical feedback unless the author asks for constructive criticism. A lot of times, instead of being helpful, critical comments are actively destructive to a writer. It's different working with a beta, who can help you during the process. Feedback from someone who takes a couple of minutes to tear down a fic that took hours of painstaking work just wound an author and make her feel like "Why the heck am I bothering sharing my work at all when people have no appreciation for it and just want to tell me what I should've written instead?"
Even if an author does ask for constructive feedback, the reviewer should make an effort to find something they liked about the story, as well as something they thought should be improved: not just bash someone.
If a reader really just hates a story, I don't think they have *any* right to comment, because maybe it's just not their cup of tea and it wouldn't matter how well it was written--the reader just wouldn't like that kind of story. :)
Anyway, that's my take. :)
I wasn't posting trying to say "People have to read my stories, whine whine," even if it sounded like that, LOL! ;)
But basically for me, I *write* for fun, but it takes a lot of effort to post a story. In some cases, like a drabble, it only takes getting the internet to behave and getting one's courage up to post. In other cases, it can take hours of editing, beta work, more editing, obsessing over little details and is-it-or-isn't-it Britishness--not to mention characterisation, fandom expectations, and STILL making the formatting, archive or site, and internet work, then posting the proper announcements, etc.
Sometimes it just seems like if people aren't interested, I'd rather save all that bother and annoyance and keep a story to myself. I had fun writing it, anyway. :)
I use the Kudos button a lot for various reasons, including time limits, but I don't really think it's as good as a comment. A comment ideally tells what you liked about a story (they all felt so in character, etc.), or a favorite part. A kudos just says someone read it and gave a thumbs-up. It's nice to know, but it doesn't tell you why they liked it. :)
I don't think people should leave negative or critical feedback unless the author asks for constructive criticism. A lot of times, instead of being helpful, critical comments are actively destructive to a writer. It's different working with a beta, who can help you during the process. Feedback from someone who takes a couple of minutes to tear down a fic that took hours of painstaking work just wound an author and make her feel like "Why the heck am I bothering sharing my work at all when people have no appreciation for it and just want to tell me what I should've written instead?"
Even if an author does ask for constructive feedback, the reviewer should make an effort to find something they liked about the story, as well as something they thought should be improved: not just bash someone.
If a reader really just hates a story, I don't think they have *any* right to comment, because maybe it's just not their cup of tea and it wouldn't matter how well it was written--the reader just wouldn't like that kind of story. :)
Anyway, that's my take. :)
I wasn't posting trying to say "People have to read my stories, whine whine," even if it sounded like that, LOL! ;)
But basically for me, I *write* for fun, but it takes a lot of effort to post a story. In some cases, like a drabble, it only takes getting the internet to behave and getting one's courage up to post. In other cases, it can take hours of editing, beta work, more editing, obsessing over little details and is-it-or-isn't-it Britishness--not to mention characterisation, fandom expectations, and STILL making the formatting, archive or site, and internet work, then posting the proper announcements, etc.
Sometimes it just seems like if people aren't interested, I'd rather save all that bother and annoyance and keep a story to myself. I had fun writing it, anyway. :)