Forum: Bug Report and Feature Requests

Revisionist commentary history

karactr 🚫
Updated:

It recently came to my attention that authors could delete comments in the commentary section of their stories. I am sure that I was intellectually aware that they could, but it never really came to my attention before. I made a comment about why I was dropping a popular story from my reading list, only to find that comment deleted, a derogatory and inflammatory reply by the author (also later deleted), and began to wonder.

I have made comments to stories in the past that were not there the next time I looked. I just assumed I was drunk and hit cancel instead of post and moved on. But, now I wonder if they were removed? If so, this gives the author a distinct opportunity to allow only flattering comments about their stories to be posted.

I feel this does the readers a disservice. We should be able to read other's comments about the story we are reading. Good or bad, they are the readers' opinions. If the author doesn't want to read them or have others read them, they should turn comments off.

ETA: Would it be possible to get some admin/moderator over-site to this author prerogative? If the comment is not inflammatory or personally derogatory, shouldn't it be able to stand?

Replies: PlaysWithWires

PlaysWithWires 🚫

@karactr

New Feature for authors (Request delete public comment)

karactr 🚫

That was my point, though. I didn't think my comment was abusive. Sarcastic at points, yes, but not abusive. I pointed out how the author had broken both the implied and expressed logic in his own story on two occasions which broke my being able to believe his premise. So I was dropping the story. Not the first time. Won't be the last.

IF I no longer find a story engaging and entertaining, I drop it. I feel no need to be quiet about my reasons. I feel other readers might want the perspective. Perhaps I am wrong and should just keep all opinion to myself.

Replies: Michael Loucks

Michael Loucks 🚫

@karactr

IF I no longer find a story engaging and entertaining, I drop it. I feel no need to be quiet about my reasons. I feel other readers might want the perspective. Perhaps I am wrong and should just keep all opinion to myself.

I don't think you should be quiet, and constructive criticism, or a short 'this story has gone in the wrong direction' doesn't (at least to me) warrant deletion.

I have asked for a few comments to be deleted. In one case, it was a spoiler from someone who had purchased and advance copy. In another, it was an inflammatory political statement.

Ernest Bywater 🚫

I regard the Story Comments after the story as a place for the readers to discuss the story between themselves, so I rarely look at them. usually if I make a comment there it's because someone told me about a comment and I check it then respond to it ONLY if I think I should respond to it there.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@Ernest Bywater

I regard the Story Comments after the story as a place for the readers to discuss the story between themselves, so I rarely look at them.

I regard them as being for readers too, although I like to read them especially if they're spicy. My story end notes tell readers to e-mail me if they want a reply.

However I think a significant number of authors are sensitive souls and get quite upset if some of the comments don't fit their world view.

Perhaps there should be a flag to indicate authors who censor readers' comments on their stories.

AJ

Reluctant_Sir 🚫

Chastise in private, praise in public. I think this is something we have left by the wayside, with the putative anonymity the net provides acting as a cover and concealment.

Posting scathing comments about a story rarely produces any worthwhile response except, perhaps, to make the person who leaves the comment feel better. The place to make your displeasure known is in your vote or, if you just have to make your feelings public, become a reviewer and post something besides the flood of saccharine 9's we see.

Constructive criticism is good but only if the author actually asks for it and seems open to hearing from the readers. Still better in a private message though.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@Reluctant_Sir

The place to make your displeasure known is in your vote

Sensitive authors have been known to pull a story if someone gave it a score they didn't like.

I feel there's a role for mini-reviews within the comments section - readers might peruse them first to decide whether a story is worth reading. If comments have to be anodyne because of sensitive authors, I don't think they're doing their job properly.

AJ

Replies: joyR

joyR 🚫

@awnlee jawking

I feel there's a role for mini-reviews within the comments section

Maybe there is, maybe the comments section is literally a place for readers to leave comments...

What is certain is that like the endless pointless discussions about how people -should- correctly score a story, this is more of the same. Open an option to readers to express their views and they will, in the way -they- choose.

Similarly authors will choose to enable comments or not, and react to those comments in a variety of ways.

karactr 🚫

But, if an author opens up comments, aren't they publically asking for criticism? If they dont really wish it, why open public commentary?

IF they open commentary, why get angry and derogatory in the response to it?

It makes no sense to me.

Replies: Reluctant_Sir

Reluctant_Sir 🚫

@karactr

I wouldn't attempt to decipher another writer's motivations in allowing comments on their stories.

I always open up comments while a story is being posted and leave them open for a while after it is done. A lot of readers like to post questions or speculations about what is going to happen, discuss what they see as character motivations and even suggest plot points or twists to the story.

I see it as a way for readers to interact with EACH OTHER while reading the story.

Yes, there have been a few criticisms, but the vast majority of comments on my stories have been favorable or, at least, discussions between readers about the story.

I am pretty thick-skinned and don't mind criticism, but if I thought opening up the comments was just an invite readers to make snarky remarks or toss around insults, I wouldn't bother opening comments at all and, if any of my stories ever invited that kind of content, I wouldn't hesitate to shut down the comments.

An invitation to comment is not an invite to be a jerk.

richardshagrin 🚫

There are guideline for reviewers, if a reviewer doesn't comply with them there is a chance his or her reviewer status may "disappear". And they get looked at before they are posted by site management. Not intensely, particularly once the reviewer has demonstrated reasonable compliance. But why go to the trouble to review a story you can't recommend to others?

I don't think comments that get posted at the end of a story are "reviews" that help the site attract readers and authors and may encourage authors to keep writing, or at least posting what they write on SOL and its affiliates, Fine Stories and Science Fiction (I don't care for the abbreviation Si-Fi.) However praise in public, admonish in private is a good idea.

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Forum: Bug Report and Feature Requests

Revisionist commentary history

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