"To keep the review thread clean..."

[LeBroz]

Thank you so much for the kind mention in your review
on my post "Foreplay". I also appreciate the positive
feedback from all who commented. (and those yet
to leave words behind) *grins*...

sGp

Well, I woulda said something witty, but when the comment field comes up to fill in it says that comments are now disabled. Hiccup in the system?

.
.

 

[champagne1982]

Who was supposed to review Saturday's poems? I never pay attention to who has what. I was a bit consternated, however, because I felt there were several good ones up on Saturday. It would seem most have already found them, because they have nice comments.

I'll reiterate my disclaimer that I can't spend my life here. But I think some people (who ignore everything not recommended by the New Poems Reviews) might want to check out a couple of poets I don't remember seeing before.
<snip>....

I have not mentioned other poets, but in general, Saturday was a good day. It's a shame that there was no review.

/tom

Hi doll. You've illustrated nicely why there's an open invitation to all literotica members to post reviews and mentions of the new poems on the review thread. You've also illustrated quite nicely why, sometimes, no reviews are completed on a particular day. Sometimes life gets in the way of waiting for the day's releases to be posted to the archive and sometimes the reviewers don't feel obliged to mention any poems.

As a reviewer, my only self-imposed obligation is to READ that day's new poetry. At no place in the volunteer reviewers' contract does it say a review needs to be written, although, if I can't find anything to recommend on the list, I usually say so. I'm not all seven people on that volunteer reviewer list, though, so I can't be the voice for the thread.

I just want to say: If you don't have the time every week, then don't be upset that someone else shares a similar difficulty. Please, do what you can, when you can, to read whatever day's offerings you can.

 

[LeBroz]

.
.

Art did his Saturday review this morning and I see that he posted it on the Roll Call thread. Whoops.

There are seven different people doing reviews, each in their own unique styles and as their lives permit. Even a single person might not read a poem the same way on different days, depending on that person's mood. There are many times I've read a poem and didn't really like it, only to read it again several days later and found it to be most enjoyable.

That's what makes life so interesting — there are over 6 billion different flavors to it.

.
.

 

[Angeline]

Hi doll. You've illustrated nicely why there's an open invitation to all literotica members to post reviews and mentions of the new poems on the review thread. You've also illustrated quite nicely why, sometimes, no reviews are completed on a particular day. Sometimes life gets in the way of waiting for the day's releases to be posted to the archive and sometimes the reviewers don't feel obliged to mention any poems.

As a reviewer, my only self-imposed obligation is to READ that day's new poetry. At no place in the volunteer reviewers' contract does it say a review needs to be written, although, if I can't find anything to recommend on the list, I usually say so. I'm not all seven people on that volunteer reviewer list, though, so I can't be the voice for the thread.

I just want to say: If you don't have the time every week, then don't be upset that someone else shares a similar difficulty. Please, do what you can, when you can, to read whatever day's offerings you can.

I think you're at least three of them, including me. (That's my alt theory: there are really only four people on this forum.)

Poets, this place is just rocking with great writing lately. Look at the 5/5 thread, at Jami-san's new 5 Senses thread. Read DeepAsleep's poem that is this morning's Archival Review offering. Wow! And the Bistro is the funnest hangout; that hostess is wacked out in the best possible way.

There is no other place in the digital poetry universe that produces such consistently great writing or houses such remarkably interesting poetry-writing head cases. I'm convinced!

 

[champagne1982]

I think you're at least three of them, including me. (That's my alt theory: there are really only four people on this forum.) <snip>!

How did the Lauren/CharleyH/The_Fool/Tzara alt escape the NPR thread?

 

[WickedEve]

.
.
There are many times I've read a poem and didn't really like it, only to read it again several days later and found it to be most enjoyable..
.

I thought I was the only one.

 

[WomanPariah]

Monday, January 28, 2008

distilled to its essence

 

[Angeline]

How did the Lauren/CharleyH/The_Fool/Tzara alt escape the NPR thread?

I dunno. We've got to get in front of a mirror and give ourselves a good talking to!

 

[champagne1982]

Following Foehn2's protest I had a look at "Accompaniment" by Nirvana dragones. The comment by 'Anonymous is indeed unpleasant and achieves nothing. However, are the other comments any more useful. Every one of them is totally and unreservadly complimentary without any attempt to analyse the work at all.

Is this kind of cheerleading comment any more useful or credible than the obvious bile of 'Anonymous'?

Good point. I read her poem, which is a) good and b) does need some editing imo. I didn't comment. I know. I should. I will. (And I saw that "Anonymous" comment. It's cowardly and made me wince.)

I'm always of mixed mind about the commenting. On one hand, if an author allows comments, the commentor should feel free to be honest and offer suggestions for changes as he/she sees fit. On the other hand, I know that many people don't want that sort of honesty. That want to be cheered on. Period. I come down somewhere in the middle: I'll offer a few suggestions for change if I think they're needed, but I won't do a full-scale, picky review unless I a) know the author, and b) know they want that.

PS Hi. Nice to see you.

I for one don't know how to analyse sometimes I don't even know why I like a poem .. I just do. So do I walk away without saying so? I would far rather cheer someone on whether it's useful or not and hope they will be kind enough to do the same for me

This is pretty much how I felt and, because of criticism of my critiques. I now only vore and rarely leave a comment.

I'd like to advance my theory, a view that riles up our dear number guy and I'm sure a few others. I only comment on poems I WANT to. I don't vote without a public comment since I have to rate the poem on the comment thermometer. Sometimes, I use the feedback utility. Sometimes, I mention a good poem in the NPR thread.

I try to leave honest feedback when I do comment and those are usually lauditory since the poem was good enough, in my opinion, to move me to respond. I've only ever left a public vote of 1 star/ 0-25 degrees, twice (in my recollection) and the poet should have had no doubt about why I voted that way. So, the same with 5's and 4's or for thermometer ratings above 75 degrees. The poet should know why I voted that way.

If you feel a person is rated unwarrantedly high in the voting you should question why you're paying such close attention? Disable voting on your own work and then the competition won't bother you nearly so much. I feel that if someone needs the cash or the notoriety of a high literotica reader rating so badly as to pad the voting with friends' favourable opinions or even to solicit high votes from a particular shared interest group, then they are more than deserving of the win. Publishing and contests are all about the marketing. The writer knows what devil they slept with, so far be it from me to concern myself with their mess; I have enough dirt of my own.

This posting should by no means reflect back on NirvanaDragones' poem. I didn't even read it (or if I did, meh..) I'm discussing comments and feedback in general and not someone's poetry that they've never asked this forum to critique.

Sorry this has gone on so long. I just think that public comments should be treated like the quick blurbs on the back of a novel's dust jacket. If a writer wants detailed critique on poetry or stories, they have forums to submit to and ask the members to review or critique their stuff there.

Elsewise, if you don't want anonymous comment or feedback, turn it off.
If you want honesty, turn off your votes.
If you want to bitch about low ratings, bitch just as loudly about the high ones.

s'all.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

re: this and the comments in the NPR.

I dunno, maybe I'm oversimplifying. but I hear so much sad frustration in all this, and here's my thought.

What if we all just responded to poetry the way we felt comfortable responding? Offer critique, congratulations, both or neither when we wanted to do so? What if that were okay?

What if we all designed our own individual ideas of how we'd like to use the resources here in the ways that worked best and made the most sense to us? (I'm speaking of resources like the scoring and comment functions, open reviewer policies, topic threads and submission functions.)

What if no one told anyone else what to do with Lit and its resources? If there were, hypothetically, an idea that everyone gets to choose how he or she participates, within the obvious confine of not causing actual damage to anyone else?

It sounds crazy, I know.
I'll just shut up make some more cookies.

eta:

Elsewise, if you don't want anonymous comment or feedback, turn it off.
If you want honesty, turn off your votes.
If you want to bitch about low ratings, bitch just as loudly about the high ones.

What if, well, we were really just grateful for this place and the people here and nobody bitched about stuff at all?

wacky.

bj

 

[Angeline]

re: this and the comments in the NPR.

I dunno, maybe I'm oversimplifying. but I hear so much sad frustration in all this, and here's my thought.

What if we all just responded to poetry the way we felt comfortable responding? Offer critique, congratulations, both or neither when we wanted to do so? What if that were okay?

What if we all designed our own individual ideas of how we'd like to use the resources here in the ways that worked best and made the most sense to us? (I'm speaking of resources like the scoring and comment functions, open reviewer policies, topic threads and submission functions.)

What if no one told anyone else what to do with Lit and its resources? If there were, hypothetically, an idea that everyone gets to choose how he or she participates, within the obvious confine of not causing actual damage to anyone else?

It sounds crazy, I know.
I'll just shut up make some more cookies.

eta:

What if, well, we were really just grateful for this place and the people here and nobody bitched about stuff at all?

wacky.

bj

Let's not go totally off the wall now. I agree with everything you said, but I've learned to just ignore the voting/comment wars, which is as much a part of this place as the poems. It goes on around me and yet is not of me lol.

Not that some people don't have legitimate beefs. They sometimes do, but I have no power to fix the system for them. Personally, I do not have voting turned off, and I find it quite amusing that within a day of any poem of mine reaching high on the top list, it is voted into oblivion. In fact the only poem of mine that is still really up there is one written under an alt. That has been happening to my poems for years. Just part of the wonderful experience that is Literotica. The day it bugs me is the day I'll sign up for reality therapy to remember this ain't Atlantic Monthly.

I have my pissy days, too, and I'm willing to cut most people a lot of slack, but I do understand that many people have very different agendae than me. Mostly I ignore it and try to stick on the bright side.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Let's not go totally off the wall now. I agree with everything you said, but I've learned to just ignore the voting/comment wars, which is as much a part of this place as the poems. It goes on around me and yet is not of me lol.

Not that some people don't have legitimate beefs. They sometimes do, but I have no power to fix the system for them. Personally, I do not have voting turned off, and I find it quite amusing that within a day of any poem of mine reaching high on the top list, it is voted into oblivion. In fact the only poem of mine that is still really up there is one written under an alt. That has been happening to my poems for years. Just part of the wonderful experience that is Literotica. The day it bugs me is the day I'll sign up for reality therapy to remember this ain't Atlantic Monthly.

I have my pissy days, too, and I'm willing to cut most people a lot of slack, but I do understand that many people have very different agendae than me. Mostly I ignore it and try to stick on the bright side.

indeed, no system is perfect. But I see saying, "gee I wish this function were different" or "i wish this thing worked better" as a different activity from "Everyone should do things the way I do them."

The voting machine on Lit doesn't work well. It's not a legitimate measurement of poetic merit in any way. I see it as an interesting, random toy made of people, moods and numbers. Perceiving it that way, I can perceive it as working perfectly for what it is. And attend to, or ignore it, as I choose.

I'm the goth-est Pollyanna ever. Or so I've been told.

bj

 

[UnderYourSpell]

I often wonder if some folks vote down from malice maybe I am wrong and I hope I am there is at least one poet I won't go near with a barge pole but neither will I mark down

 

[Angeline]

I often wonder if some folks vote down from malice maybe I am wrong and I hope I am there is at least one poet I won't go near with a barge pole but neither will I mark down

I think some do, definitely, although it's much more likely that people vote something down because they want their buddy's poem/story to be "on top."

I have been here almost six years (I know ), it'll be six years in March and I have never, ever understood why people get so exercised about votes and "position." At least with stories, it makes some sense because people can actually win money here with them. In all that time I've consistently said it's about the poems and how we grow as writers and if anything else, the friends one makes here. But, as I said, people have very different agendas here. All kinds. Just like anywhere.

And Bij, you are totally my fave goth Pollyana. I'd say my daughter but she has been no Pollyanna of late, lol.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

I often wonder if some folks vote down from malice maybe I am wrong and I hope I am there is at least one poet I won't go near with a barge pole but neither will I mark down

I think, she said gently, that it does happen sometimes. It's silly, of course, but there ya go.

Your policy seems sensible to me.

Then again, can one really remove emotional response from voting? Isn't that partly what art does, good or bad: create an emotional response?

If one examines the tradition of great rebel artists, it might seem that it is better for one's work to be actively hated (at least by the status quo) than for it to be met with inaction or indifference.

It's not the sole measure of worth, of course, but it's something.

bj

 

[WomanPariah]

distilled to its essence

 

[sweet GA peaches]

I am not ....

making judgment or passing opinion on comments, however I would like it to be known, that I, the blonde accidentally turned off my comment section in the poem posted " Foreplay". I have had several emails of users wanting to comment and could not, and one in particular thought I might of been mad-Indeed I am not, and I love all my comments, pissy or otherwise. <big grins>I feel they help me to grow as a writer and learn what the reader is wanting.

So if you have tried to make comment, I apologize. If you feel the need to go back and give me some words, BIG Kisses for that ! I have reset the voting/comment section, and though it took a couple of days to get worked out, I think all is
good at the Peach Farm.

Love & Peaches,
sGp

 

[Guest]

............

 

[Angeline]

Thank you Angeline for the mention of my two poems, "Future Fade" and "Isosceles -1". And thank you for the comment; of course there always edits to make.

You're welcome, my dear friend. Speaking of comments, you're one of the few I'm totally up front with because I know you'll take it the right way. And I know how good you are.

 

[WomanPariah]

distilled to its essence

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Thankyou to LeBroz, GA Peaches and Angeline for their comments on 'A Lips seduction' I am glad you got the inference lol I wasn't sure if it should have gone into Erotic or not !

 

[sweet GA peaches]

Thankyou to LeBroz, GA Peaches and Angeline for their comments on 'A Lips seduction' I am glad you got the inference lol I wasn't sure if it should have gone into Erotic or not !

You are most welcome!

sGp

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Just wanted to say I tried to comment on Mezmer.Eyez by sweet GA peaches but the site won't let me !

 

[sweet GA peaches]

Thank You ..

Just wanted to say I tried to comment on Mezmer.Eyez by sweet GA peaches but the site won't let me !

TO Art~ first of all, on the mention for my new write,
Mesmer.Eyez. I really really appreciate you ...
{and I have missed ya' muches}

Then, -UYS,
I am sorry, and I would love to have your comment,
thoughts, suggestions, and appreciate the fact you tried to
make one. I did not play with the comment/voting
section this time. I went in and looked, and all is as should be
to allow public comments/voting. I don't know what is wrong,
however I have noticed lately when making my own comments
I have stayed and refreshed the page until I was sure the
comment had posted. For some reason it was slow to recongnize
the comment. I do think there is something going on with
the system, ... and maybe someone could put a whisper (scream)
in an ear to have it checked, as I have no clue as how to go about that..

Thank you though, Art, and to UnderYourSpell...

and just maybe it will get worked out !!



huggs,
sGp

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Not your fault this time hunny first it didnt give me the security code thingy to put then when I tried again it just wouldnt go through just kept giving me 'error site not found'!!