Request Meme Etiquette

[beckyh2112]

Someone posts a request-a-fic meme! Shiny! You make a request! Shiny! They write for you! DAZZLING

Comments

[dunmurderin]

Not to mention, if you've read the fic that was written for you? You can reply RIGHT THEN AND THERE. "Thanks!" does not take that long.

[beckyh2112]

Maybe they want to leave something more in-depth. But if you know you've got a habit of not responding unless you reply immediately, just go ahead and reply immediately. Wheaton's Law, people. Don't be a dick.

[bookblather]

O guru of meme request etiquette:

What do you do when someone says "Oh, but I don't know how to reply?"

I mean, I know the basics, but does it involve a brick or something with spikes? What is the preferred method?

[beckyh2112]

First, I tell them "try a simple 'thank you' then maybe up your game to saying what specifically you like when you feel more confident".

Then I get shitfaced.

[dark_puck]

My preferred method is "okay, then no requests for you until you learn to say something, even 'Wow, this rocked! Thank you!'" Bricks or spikes are likely up to your own discretion.

It worked once! It will work again!

Not that I don't know exactly who you're talking about or anything. >.>

Here is an instructional diagram to help with this problem....

[invisiblemoose]

[beboots]

I completely agree! I always try to review fics that I enjoy, regardless of whether or not they were written for me - and if they were, then I pay extra-special attention. If I don't respond to one, it's merely because I haven't realized it was posted (which doesn't happen often), and if that was the case, I soon stumble across it and write a reply.

I fully understand your position, though. Seriously. I like to think of reviews as part thank-you and part payment for the gift of the writing. :)

[beckyh2112]

If it's a fic I write just for whatever reason, I don't expect reviews/responses. It makes me really happy when people do respond, though.

But I have different standards for gift-fics, and I consider meme-fics to be a type of gift-fic. If I make a gift for you, even if you hate it, you owe me at least a thank you. Because I didn't have to write you jack.

I live by this, too. (Oh boy, do I live by this. Oh, Yuletide.) If someone makes a gift for me, I will say 'thank you' even if I hate it. I may not say much more, but I will thank them for the time and effort to create it. Because they didn't have to.

[beboots]

Perhaps it's because of some innate Canadian-ness within me, I ALWAYS say thank you, even if, as you say, I hated the gift. I also apologize if someone bumps into ME, but that's just incidental. ;)

[spyridona]

Saying 'Thank you' takes only eight key swipes. I'd be a little more forgiving of not replying because of my own habits. I try to correct them and I realize it's frustrating when someone writes you something and you don't say thank you. And when I do reply late, I apologize like mad. Because not saying anything when someone does something for you is HURTFUL.

[beckyh2112]

I tend to forgive delays, especially when accompanied by apologies. But never replying at all ever or only replying (and apologizing) when prompted to by me is just... Well, obviously me writing for such a person doesn't mean anything to them, does it?

[lunatron]

A lot of the time, I have nothing meaningful to say, so I'll just say something like, "That was awesome."

But then I feel bad I couldn't brain something more useful to say. >_

[beckyh2112]

Trust me "that was awesome" is more than enough. Just acknowledging someone wrote something for you makes a writer happy. Anything else is just bonus.