I haven't been on the site for a bit and I've noticed that some authors have set it up so that you can't rate stories without adding a comment. Are the ratings associated with the comments? I don't bother to rate unless I like a story, but I don't want people getting offended with me if I give them a "4" instead of a "5". As a result, I haven't rated stories that demand comments for a "4" rating. I think if others are as cowardly as I am, then it may skew story scores.
i think people who do this usually get less votes then they would otherwise - honestly, i usually leave a comment first and then a score - if i happen to go to vote and it forces me to comment, which i've already done, i just skip it. i find it, personally, annoying. Oh, and this is speaking as a prolific writer.
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.
Should we put it to the vote?
I find it annoying too.
I'm of the opinion that if someone is precious enough to insist on a comment, he or she certainly isn't going to like it when I explain exactly why I gave them a 3. Maybe it stops 2-bombing, but I'm sure these stories are missing out on a lot more 5s than 2s.
All that said, I rarely, if ever, vote.
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 use this option because I've been the victim in the past of hostile voting. That said, I've only just this past 24 hours become aware of how much others are annoyed by the practice. I must admit, even now I can't think of a valid reason why anyone would care how others moderate their own stories.
That said, Scoring to me means far less than the comments i receive and I only re enabled it because without scoring an authors name doesn't appear in the top authors of the month list. When I disallowed it, my views plummeted as soon as the story dropped off the front page.
That said, I'm weary from the earlier confrontation i had on this issue. If we scrap the comment to vote option, I'll be fine with the decision. Considering how angered some members are getting over this, it's probably unavoidable.
But no, even the forced commenting doesn't allow the author to see which score you gave. I think that was your question, right?
I don't like forced commenting, but I noticed people that use it normally get very high scores and tons of platitudes as a result of the option. Should we remove an option that some have grown used to employing? Will it create an outcry like the recommended read symbol?
For the record, I like comments and I thank those that do.
I dislike the forced comments because I am the type that typically comments first and then scores. I've had many times where this has forced me to then copy & paste my original posted comment and then go back and score and paste in the comment and post again and then delete the initial comment. A few too many steps, in my opinion, for what it's worth. I've seen many people just leave their double-posted comments up when that kind of thing happens as well. And really - you don't know a certain writer's habits until it's too late. I suppose I can just try to alter my own habit to *always* vote first, but that's kind of a work in progress.
Really it's up to the author to decide, but they should be aware that many readers aren't verbose commenters or have the time to think up something in-depth, constructive or witty to say. Hitting the vote button is their way of giving a nod to the quality of the story. I just don't see the benefits of forcing them to say "great job" on top of it. These non-commenter type readers are unlikely to take the forced-comments option to heart and sit down and write up some stellar, constructive or complex thoughts about your writing... so really in my opinion, it just forces those types to drop the "loved it" or "good story" throwaway comments. It kinda defeats its purpose. The people who like giving feedback will give it anyway. The ones that don't are likely to avoid scoring altogether or will toss you the obligatory two-word pat on the back - not necessarily because your writing inspired them to - but because you made them say something.
I know we have option for non members to vote on our work, mine is always on..My question is if it would be posible to maybe have the same option for guests of the site to leave comments as well? I it is unlikely that lots of guests read poetry, but still it would be quite interesting for me to see those comments.
As far goes for the forced comments, they dont bother me, I do leave comment, forced one but usually skipping author in the future.
If a story grabs me enough to score it, I will likely comment as well so the forced commenting doesn't bother me. Though I will concede that sometimes I score and then take some time to think about what to write in the comment so having the comment box pop up like that makes me feel a bit rushed to say something. That's not a big deal or a problem for me, though.
I don't turn it on myself so I wouldn't miss it if it was gone but it's presence doesn't me. Put me down as a "meh".
Anonymous commenting was trialled here, it was a disaster. When people aren't accountable for their actions, you know the rest...plus the spam issue.
Seems there's a little resistance to the scrapping of the forced commenting feature.
I gather some people would go further and want to be able to choose which scores they'd like comments to be forced on? I can't help but think that would cause more scoring bias. If people are forced to comment on a 1 or 2 score for example, then someone who doesn't want to leave a comment, is either not going to vote it a 1 or 2 (maybe a 3 instead), or simply not vote at all. That's not going to help the author long term, it will artificially keep their scores higher than they should be.
Random thought - it would be good to have the option to turn commenting on / off, and voting on / off, at story level, rather than across the board.
Someone like me, often has to correct what they type a lot and in the 'forced voting box' that is not an option, so I have to scrap it and start completely over. I have become frustrated and not commented/voted at all.
I experimented with the 'forced voting' on my stories. My scores were pretty much the same, the amount of comments was about the same, but total votes were way down. So I scrapped using it.
I like what you mentioned Nicola, about giving the author, the voting on/off and commenting on/off option on a story by story basis, rather than across the board. I think that would be a good option.
I like the idea of this.