I'm sometimes in a bit of a hurry so can't really give a good comment, so the forced commenting can be a nuisance, but I also appreciate the prompt, esp. since it offers you a chance to input a comment without going through a whole second process. I answered "Don't mind it".
I'm not a fan of it...
I usually comment before I score and it irritates me when I'm prompted to leave a comment when I already have.
Also, sometimes I just don't feel like leaving a comment.
If I score a 5, I usually say why I did.
If I put a 4, it usually means I like it, but not enough to leave a comment.
If I feel the need to score it with a 3... I'd much rather send a PM.
But not everyone's the same...
I always comment. I try to leave a reason why or what I found right or wrong. I realize it is the only way we authors are doing a good job that appeals to the audience. Lately I have been getting more comments. The comments are good and in most cases are what I expected. There are people who mark me low and do not leave a comment. If I don't really want to comment which is very rare a forced comment will make me cancel. As you can atest I do make comments. I feel it is very important to leave a comment.
I comment if I loved the story but if it was not good i do not want to embarras them by leaving a bad remark that may hurt their feelings.
if i leave a score, i leave a comment even if i'm not 'forced to' so really, it doesn't bother me at all - i feel that, if i expect someone to vote and comment on mine, i should have the same respect for theirs , and truly, if i read something to the end, it means i enjoyed it and they deserve to know that i did and why i did.
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
I normally only comment if I love it. On friends stories I'll leave a comment if something was a little off but, they know that I dont do it to put them down or anything... I dont like being prompted. If I am and I did enjoy it thats ok but sometimes I will just walk away rather than leave a comment.
But on the other hand I can understand doing it... it does sort of get rid of the people that go and post low scores on stories and it does mean you get the feed back.... but it is a little forced but then I want to remove scores on my stories after the competition so I'm not the right person to reply but i did it anyway... well i wanted the gingerbread men to be honest
I've given scores before, I don't leave comments though unless something standouts and bothers me. but as far as scores I go with a gut feeling, if I read the overall writing, it's the impression, the tone. if it was good 5, not bad 4, so so 3 2 if I didn't like it and if I can't finish it because of poor writing or to many errors, plot, etc I may give it a one, but usually I just leave without scoring in that case so most of the time that's only 3-4-5s I give. Im not sure I'd have a specific reason most of the time if I was forced to comment when I did get around to reading something.
I really don't care about votes but if people want to leave them because they can't think of anything to say, then fine.
I think you're at a stage where you only learn from people who criticise what you do - this isn't an easy place to be. Don't for one moment think that all people read our stuff and them analyse it really closely - maybe you've got a little too (dare I say it)... Lush. Thousands of people visit this every day - not all of them are on your friends list.
I had a conversation with a lush friend this week, who was utterly incredulous that someone had marked a friend of hers with a 4, for what she thought was a sublime piece of erotic fiction. I spent the next 20 minutes ripping apart his frankly slightly above average (in my opinion) piece because that's how i saw it. Would i send him that critique? not at all - I don't know him and neither would I begin to guess how strong/fragile his ego would be.
Learn to live with the fact that "I didn't like it" is an answer in itself and doesn't need any more explanation. Live with it - if you make some people happy with what you do, you don't have to be more needy.
I personally can't understand the whole turning off votes and comments thing. If your stuff is good, people will comment and score - if it's not so good people will score it down. Hiding away from that certainly won't help you.
Warning: The opinions above are those of an anonymous individual on the internet. They are opinions, unless they're facts. They may be ill-informed, out of touch with reality or just plain stupid. They may contain traces of irony. If reading these opinions causes you to be become outraged or you start displaying the symptoms of outrage, stop reading them immediately. If symptoms persist, consult a psychiatrist.
Why not read some stories instead
NEW! Want a quick read for your coffee break? Why not try this... Flash Erotica: Scrubber I prefer that people who read my stories are left free to comment on them but as you said it would be great if more people do. A good score is what we all wish for and it can get frustrating when you get a score that's low. I have come to the point now where I realize that I will never please all of the people all of the time but I will have a bloody good go, if that's just not good enough but those people cant or wont tell me then it's up to them. I hope I write for the pleasure of others and try to take pride in what I write.
I write because I enjoy it of course I like many want to improve but as with anyone not everyone has the same taste in just what works for them. If they did then it would be a very boring world, I try to read other people's story's look at there work in detail as to how it was written. I will never become an expert I realize that but it sure is fun trying, when I feel that my work is just not what people want then I would just stop writing. Many people read not many comment even less score at times but if your happy enough to write then that should be ample reward at getting it published. Oh yes and thanks for replying to us obviously you feel strongly about improving your writing as most of us do.
Dear LessShy, I have read stories that are well written but still failed (failed?) to feed my need and soul, I have either left or not left a comment. I would think (as I have read a comment left for you) that someone maybe leaving a not so great comment just because it didn’t trill the reader. Objectionably if just for that reason, it is probably wrong.
You want to be a better writer? If a story of yours (or anyone) did not arouse a reader is because of the reader himself. I would say especially in your case where a dictionary and or a PHD is needed (for me)to check for proper spelling, punctuation or form. So, at the title you already start with a 5. Since it’s usually well written in proper English you remain with the 5, if it goes down because it’s just not liked it, I do not feel it’s fair. But then is because we need strict rating guidelines? If I don’t like “quickie sex” and with a stranger, how can I properly grade a story that to me doesn’t feel real, even if it fits my bill in details and is well written?
My two cents besides the above ones... just have fun, keep on writing and keep on submitting (probably your stories go straight in HA HA no verifying). I do promise to be more judgmental, if you wish. Be well.
Choose n Practice Happiness
Life is simple; we are what we eat and what we read. Talk is superfluous.
I said I do not like it, because I usually send a pm, regardless of my vote. I prefer that my vote/score remain anonymous to all but the auhor. It really isn't anyone else's business what stories I rate highly or poorly, or why, and I feel that to have to comment openly is an invasion of my privacy.
Now, may I have my gingerbread cookie?
"There's only three tempos: slow, medium and fast. When you get between in the cracks, ain't nuthin' happenin'." Ben Webster
I am, unlike a lot of people on here, brutally honest in my scoring. If I read a friend's story and there's a few things in it that cause it not to be 'perfect' I won't score it a 5. There is no better score than 5 and, therefore, I believe 5s should only be scored if the story is bang on and you can't think of anything you would like to change.
I don't think writing should be a popularity contest. So, my dearest friends, if you've ever seen me vote you a 4 it's a compliment, really. Honest. Because I view the 4 score to be really good (but not quite 100% perfect).
ANYWAY, steering this post on course... I understand why there should be forced commenting for giving the likes of 1s and 2s (I don't say 3s because, actually, I don't view 3s to be that bad a score either - to me a 3 says 'you tried hard but didn't get the sex/story right in the sense that I wasn't, at any time, turned on and there were probably a few too many grammatical errors to boot)...
So, where was I? Oh yes. I understand why there should be forced commenting on the lower end of scoring - you have to stop people scoring low who probably haven't even read it and are just doing it to be spiteful. I, however, don't like to leave comments on stories with my honest opinion (and I damn well won't post a comment lying about what I thought!!) and with a bit of gentle, constructive, criticism because, more often than not, people take it bloody personally. I don't come on here to deal with drama. I don't want to create drama. I want to read the story, vote on it honestly to help out the next person that comes to maybe read it (and to give the writer honest feedback) and then I want to move on.
It is very hard to leave aside your own personal taste however I feel it is possible to not actually like a story but judge it as well written.
Personally I don't like forced commenting one bit. I will generally score a story or poem when I read it because I want to, but that doesn't mean that it actually moves me to say anything. Often times the comments already there sum up what I think or feel about the piece or perhaps I just don't want to comment, have nothing to say that will add or detract. But if I go to leave a score and the forced comment box comes up, I'm more inclined to just navigate away, sorry.
I can see merit in forced commenting for scores of say, 3 and below (certainly when low scores can be a "two-fingers" to a writer that someone doesn't like (the 'political' ones - I hate that and we've all seen it happen) but to be honest, the verifying process should already have ensured that stories don't really fall below that level anyway. I mean, if the spelling, grammar, punctuation or whatever are that bad, then it should not have been approved and posted in the first place.
We all love to get good scores, but as some of the posters above have said, it's all subjective anyway. Some people just score everything with a five, some may rarely feel that any piece merits a five - so a four from them might be equivalent to a five from someone else and while comments are important in letting us as writers know what people like to see or don't like to see, it's just their opinion.
Often I will comment simply to let the writer know that I have been to view their story and, in leaving my comment, I let my other friends know that I have read the piece (sometimes piquing their interest to read it too, hence promoting a story or poem that I liked)
It's also nice to get comments from friends or writers that you admire, it can make you feel good about your work and again perhaps prompt some of their friends and followers to view and score your work, but the key word is "nice" not "necessary".
This is a site for amateur and professional writers alike, a chance to express ourselves, explore things that we might not get the chance to do in real life, to work on our writing style or, as a reader, view a huge spectrum of sex, arousal, love, lust, fetish etc etc, but also to have our work seen by a huge variety of people, so, when I get a score or a comment on some of my work, I feel thankful that someone has chosen to go to the bother of doing that. I don't want to get votes and comments because they have been 'forced' to do it.
I don't like the forced commenting thing either. Sometimes I'll read a story/poem and score it, but at that time, can't think of a comment, maybe because the story has made a big impact on me, so I can't think of a comment. I usually go back and comment later when it's impact is lessened, but sometimes I forget. I should point out that when I say "a big impact", I don't necessarily mean it turned me on, but that I appreciated the style of the prose or verse, for example.
I don't mind it. I usually always comment even if just a word or smiley. I tried it for a while and got snide and derisive comments, so I shut it off. I believe in taking and/or giving criticism constructively. The feature has merit. But sometimes I believe it is taken in the wrong context.
I've come back to this thread now that I can sit down and form an intelligent reply. (Sometimes being on my phone messes up my wording) So here goes...
I don't like forced commenting. Normally when I sit down to read for pleasure, I get wrapped up in a story if it is good and therefore don't have the time to vote and/or score it. I will come back to it to leave a comment and score. In addition, why should one be forced to share one's opinion about the quality of a piece? There are reasons why you'll never see me post on politics in the Think Tank (unless I was toking on something and momentarily forgotten my rule), just as you'll never see me publicly critique a story, I do that via PM if I am moved to or asked to do so. Another reason I don't like it is because sometimes I've already left a comment and its annoying to have a prompt telling me to do it again.
All that doesn't mean that I don't understand why someone would want to hear why someone voted on their story. I may or may not agree with their reasoning, but I do respect someone's decision to employ the option to force comments.
To be honest, I don't vote on a story that merits a score below a 3. I very rarely finish those types of stories and feel that they're a waste of my time. Shy, I will say this, from what I've read of your stories and poems, your work is quite good and you do get better with each new piece. I know you work hard at it and as I mod, I do appreciate what you do to get better. I wish others did the same. Have I given all your stories 5s? No, do you want me to give you 5s? I don't think so. Do what you can to evaluate your work, gain a general understanding of what your audience thinks, and make adjustments on what you know. That is what I'd suggest for getting better.
Good points overmyknee, M1, TDW, & Mazza.
Honestly, I'm just happy to get a score. If someone wants to leave a comment, I am always grateful for that because as many people have said, writers live for feedback as motivation to keep writing and trying to get better at it. It shouldn't be a requirement though, nor have I ever seen it as such.
I am extremely generous with my scoring (if I score a story and read it through to the end, chances are it's getting a 5), and the majority of the time I leave a comment with the score anyway. I don't like it being forced though. Some people don't have time to type out comments or think of something meaningful to say, despite having enjoyed a story. And as others have said, typing out a comment and then scoring a story only to have the system tell you that you need to leave another comment usually means double-the-work with reposting the comment and deleting the original one.
Imagine all the consumers of books out there in the world and I'd say probably less than 0.01% of them ever take the time to give feedback to the author of the book or leave reviews on Amazon. Some people like doing these things, and others don't. When they're forced, you typically get the usual "great story" type throwaway comment, so why force people at all? It should be up to personal choice.
I know some people think it will dissuade malicious 3-bombers but it doesn't. The person just tosses a 3 at the story and disguises it with a "omg, that was the hottest story ever" comment and you probably won't even catch it unless you're religiously watching your votes/comments come in. It happens.
The best thing to do is keep eyes forward, keep writing and take the feedback people are naturally willing to give you to better hone your craft. There shouldn't be any obligations, in my opinion.
I haven't read all the comments yet, so forgive me if what I'm about to say is redundant.
First of all, I understand where you're coming from. You want to be a better writer, to hit all the right notes if you will. To evoke the best experience for the reader.
However, not every reader is a writer. Readers simply enjoy leaving the writing to the writer and falling into the web the writer weaves. For them, it's not a laborious process, and forcing them to comment for your feedback experience may take away from their own. I hope I said that in a way that makes some kind of sense.
I think what you're looking for aren't forced comments, but an editing group with writers.
I often get a handful of 4s as well as a few 3s. Why? Hardly anybody says. Are readers too scared to be honest? Too lazy to think about it? We must have an inkling, or we wouldn't even bother scoring at all, would we? 
