General squee: Just some comments and thoughts

[basaltgrrl]

As I was putting together the most recent Mars_daily post, I scrolled back and realized that talkingtothesky and I have been running that for well over a year now! Yay us! While it's a thankless job, I have always valued the resource and am happy to keep it going

Comments

[rebelxxwaltz]

Congrats to you guys for maintaining Mars_daily! It really is an excellent resource and reference point, and I don't doubt it must be a lot of work as well. <3

I do agree with you that feedback is super important, and I try to do my best to leave comments-- especially when I've really enjoyed something (it's usually easy to tell by the way I keep blabbing on and on in said comments).

Everybody is bound to have their weeks/months/other phases where life gets in the way and we can't be quite as active (I know this has happened to me), but by the same token there are times where *receiving* feedback during a hectic or busy time is what keeps us connected to fandom and reminds us how gratifying it can be for others to enjoy what we share! It makes total and complete sense to return the favor so that everyone else will stay engaged and want to participate more, particularly if they are new on the scene.

Encouragement is an amazing thing; by definition it inspires and motivates, while simultaneously bolstering confidence and making the artist/author/etc feel all warm and fuzzy if praise is forthcoming. Some people are self-driven and can continue to create regardless of how their work is received, but I don't think that's true for most of us. The sense of connection that comes from giving/receiving feedback is of paramount importance, I think.

I've come across many instances where comment and discussion have led to additional works being created and shared, too. Obviously, it's not possible for this to happen without that first seed of feedback. This process is what makes a community survive and thrive, so this timely reminder is appreciated!

[basaltgrrl]

I simultaneously feel like an ass for posting this, but also I think sometimes people don't even realize that an appreciative word is so valued. Unfortunately some people might feel scolded, which is totally not my intention. I've had friends remind me before that there should never be an obligation to comment, and that there's nothing wrong with lurking, etc. etc. it's all true.

And sometimes everything else (or even one other aspect of life) becomes all-encompassing.

The truth is, LoM fandom is Amazing about commenting and feedback. In my dabblings in other fandoms I've found that other fandoms do not give nearly as great, loving detailed feedback as LoM.

So. I should have included that stuff in my post.

[rebelxxwaltz]

Oh, I definitely agree with you about LoM fandom as well-- it should never be forgotten that we're incredibly lucky here in terms of the amazing quality and general amount of feedback we receive. Like you, I've floated through enough fandoms to truly appreciate that difference and I'm glad every day that I ended up here. <3