In which the merits of the fake LJ-cut are debated

[kalimyre]

So I've noticed a lot of fake lj-cutting on my flist lately. You know, when you write a post and put a link in it, but through the clever use of coding make the link look like a cut tag. I have to admit, this is something I've never quite understood. So I turn to you, O Wise Flist, to explain it to me. Also to click the happy buttons in my poll

Comments

[elmyraemilie]

I am so undiscerning that if you showed me two journal entries and asked me which one had the fake cut and which one had the real cut, I probably couldn't tell you.

The question about the comments is an interesting one. I read based on several factors--my knowledge of the author, the number of comments (which makes me feel quite shallow) and the probable content of the story. In other words, if an author whose work I've enjoyed before posted but had no comments, I'd read anyway. If an author who I usually don't read for whatever reason had a large number of comments to a fic, I'd read it. If the post is in a community that caters to specific preferences of mine, I'd read it regardless, or at least take a look at it.

It seems harsh in the abstract to say that I don't comment on bad fic. Everyone deserves encouragement; everyone should have a chance tolearn and grow, and this corner of LJ is all about having your work seen and (hopefully) appreciated. However, once an author cheerfully announces for the third time that her/his work is unbeta'd, and the first two pieces have been nightmares of bad grammar, lousy punctuation and grade-school sentence structure, I give it a pass. They don't want to improve or take concrit, I don't want to read them. Cold, but true.

[kalimyre]

I will give unknown stories a chance even if they don't have many comments, provided the pairing or summary interests me, but some things will make me hit that back arrow really fast. For example, if the author actually says in the story notes something to the effect of "I wrote this in study hall and it probly sucks o well please R&R or I wont write more" then, no.

As for leaving comments on fics I didn't like that much... maybe. I might leave concrit if the author specifically asks for it, and if I think the story shows potential. Generally, though, if I don't have anything nice to say, I don't say anything at all.