Literotica's All-time Best "Worst Public Feedback" List

[Darkniciad]

Just picked up another one, which appears to be a follow-up to one of those I've posted - the last one, I think. My reason for posting this one is that I believe this anonymous commenter may have noticed the original comment appearing here, and I have a short answer for this one, which I couldn't otherwise deliver.

My sober second thoughts:


At first read, I felt cheated out of a resolution: I suspended my disbelief for this?! I couldn't support the Chris character since he was not a husband of any worth, he refused to share a significant challenge to their "marriage" with his "wife"... she was naturally relying on him to "man-up" and assume his marital responsibilities, but he neglected it and hid from adulthood. The Jackie character was essentially led to the edge and pushed into a cesspool of cheating by the non-husband, she was confronted with a choice that she should never had to contemplate, nor would she had the man-child been an honest person. While Jackie made the fateful final choice to dive in and revel in the muck for a while, she also made some positive moves to crawl out and take steps to redeem herself -this was something I could appreciate, a straw worth grasping: redemption, YAY!

The conclusion was what I found most disappointing because the ED man-child finally gets to have his libido back, favourable divorce terms, a new wife and the child he always wanted... that was bullshit, as I was expecting some well deserved karmic bitch-slapping to balance out the misery he had caused through his dishonesty. The final sentence where Jackie was heading back to her "empty apartment, her empty bed, and her empty life." was at first read a bleak condemnation, but now I read it as an opportunity for her to extinguish a torch for a man not worthy of her love, to use her newly cleaned slate as an opportunity to start anew, to search for a true man, and move on.

I can appreciate an effort to craft a "no one wins" scenario, but Chris DID win when he was clearly undeserving. I was left fuming, wondering where the Hell my happy ending was hidden? In real life, we have to tolerate all the unfairness of disproportionate circumstance, but in our escapist fiction we can certainly demand balanced entertainment! I will choose to fantasize that the next few paragraphs to conclude the tale should have Chris crash into the back of a septic truck and drown in the spillage in an ironic twist of fate when the Universe comes to collect on a balance owing. That would be one possible silver lining that was expected for the story.

Thank you for sharing your writing, and sorry for being so harsh at first.

Not a problem

The only thing I can say is that I never really felt that Chris "won". He ended up with a woman who was perfectly willing to spend months on end trying to seduce a married man, and now has a child in the mix to make the inevitable split caused by his lack of ability to communicate even more difficult.

Jackie thinks things are just peachy-keen for him, but she's looking at it from a perspective of clawing her way back out of the muck of her own foolish decisions. Despite her perspective of things, my intention was to actually give her a fresh start. Although, I have little doubt she'll probably squander it. In my mind, she hasn't really grown much from the experience.

It may not be enough to create balance for you, anonymous, but I thought I'd offer my thoughts of what happened afterward, since you took the time to continue the discussion.

 

[scouries]

now this is the worst!!!!!

[size=+2]TODAYS WORST COMMENT[/SIZE]​

[size=+2]

Juicy j.j. hates this story

[/size]​

I missed this thread when it first came out – in fact it was only by chance that [size=+2]Gabby[/size] brought it to my attention last night. The comments made about this poor girl’s story have to be the harshest I’ve ever seen on the site – and the most appalling thing about them is just how many AHers climbed up on the bandwagon to take a shot at this author. Talk about overkill. I haven’t read the story but gave it a big [size=+2]5[/size] just to try and buck up the young things spirits.

The following post probably best sums up the attitude that is so pervasive here: Well, let this be a lesson to you all! If you get well meaning criticism and you flame the well meaning critic, prepare to have your story publically roasted, carved and served up on the AH. We wouldn't be dissecting the story now if said author had only responded politely to Jenny's observations.

Isn’t it nice to be able to look down from the heights of AH Land and take potshots at your inferiors (sic). You guys should be ashamed!

Some lowlights from the thread:

j.j.: Now this is fucked up! I read a story posted on Lit. The bottom asked for comments and votes. Quite frankly the story was poorly written (about 4th grade level), the punctuation, grammar and paragraphing were horrid, the story unbelievable and a total lack of either plot or character development. This was your basic, I was walking down the street and some guy came along and fucked me, so I went home and watched tv story….

…Good thing she didn't try putting any dialogue in the story. That would have made it totally better than what it is (but then there would have been a lot more punctuation errors)

…Yeah. 3000 words of ugly discription didn't really do it for me either…

carter: Holy crap! Looks like this write was going for the "I can write just like the good authors!" and got so deep into trying to write like something he/she may have read somewhere that he/she forgot to develop...well anything but stringing words together the made the thing read like a story, maybe.

rumple: …And in the, "Oh, by the way" category, we all know you're one tough broad, but to finish the story after reading this opening paragraph is an outstanding example of hard-core critiquing, or mental instability, maybe both.

horsey: Indeed. I'm often moved to wish that we had two buttons, one labelled "Tell Me What You Liked!" and the other "Critiques," or some such. I suppose that it really wouldn't help that much, however. What some writers really want is something labelled "insightful and hard-nosed critique" that is, in fact, "what I liked and only what I liked."

3113: (Raising hand) Um, excuse me professor, but I'm confused. The rain is drenching everything in sight...so shouldn't we see what's in sight first...before it drenches a column...which is usually a post, not a neck. And if she's waering the bar wench top...how can we see the color of her nipples? And if it's raining...how can there be a cool breeze? A cold wind, maybe but...cool breeze? That's usually pleasant. And if it's a dense forest...shouldn't she be under some branches or something protected from rain and breeze? And the last line "weather all the way out here in the middle of natures elements"... What the heck does that mean? I are confused

geek: Yeah I quit reading at the line "Although those black lace up boots were very sexy, the five inch heal was killing her" too. It' just too painful for my eyes.

te999: read that little jewel while circling the Halloween story list and dropping 5-bombs. My first reaction was this author (and I use the word loosely) has: A) Gargled with the dictionary, B) Doesn't know a homophone from a gramophone,C) Never met a long paragraph she didn't like, and D) Needs a competent editor like a fish needs water.

sadie: I actually got past the 'heals' (a basic and all-too frequent spelling mistake I hate nearly as passionately as "he riped off all her cloths" ) as far as "her skin was afire with chills..." (ROTFLMAO) before I flicked to the end, only to be impressed with the fact that she could be listless and unconscious at the same time (how could he tell?) and deduce that he was not an Oriental Were... having seen her chivalrously back to her "little foreign car" after heroically raping and molesting her!! Woo-hoo! Makes me glad I'm not an editor! The urge to gargle with Domestos might become too great!

pilot: I don't know what the problem is. I made it six words into the story before I got stopped by a glaring mistake.

cat: Damn, that makes some of my stories almost readable in comparison

stella: Ooh, chevygirl has a brand-new alt!... I got as far as "it's task"

greenwood: I started reading this last week but was worn out after two paragraphs. There are simply too many good stories in the contest waiting to be read and I didn't want to waste my time on this one.

“AMELIA’S HALLOWEEN”
by ChevyGirl67
A NON HUMAN CATEGORY STORY

 

[sr71plt]

[size=+2]TODAYS WORST COMMENT[/SIZE]​

[size=+2]

Juicy j.j. hates this story

[/size]​

I missed this thread when it first came out – in fact it was only by chance that [size=+2]Gabby[/size] brought it to my attention last night. The comments made about this poor girl’s story have to be the harshest I’ve ever seen on the site – and the most appalling thing about them is just how many AHers climbed up on the bandwagon to take a shot at this author. Talk about overkill. I haven’t read the story but gave it a big [size=+2]5[/size] just to try and buck up the young things spirits.

The following post probably best sums up the attitude that is so pervasive here: Well, let this be a lesson to you all! If you get well meaning criticism and you flame the well meaning critic, prepare to have your story publically roasted, carved and served up on the AH. We wouldn't be dissecting the story now if said author had only responded politely to Jenny's observations.

Isn’t it nice to be able to look down from the heights of AH Land and take potshots at your inferiors (sic). You guys should be ashamed!

Some lowlights from the thread:

j.j.: Now this is fucked up! I read a story posted on Lit. The bottom asked for comments and votes. Quite frankly the story was poorly written (about 4th grade level), the punctuation, grammar and paragraphing were horrid, the story unbelievable and a total lack of either plot or character development. This was your basic, I was walking down the street and some guy came along and fucked me, so I went home and watched tv story….

…Good thing she didn't try putting any dialogue in the story. That would have made it totally better than what it is (but then there would have been a lot more punctuation errors)

…Yeah. 3000 words of ugly discription didn't really do it for me either…

carter: Holy crap! Looks like this write was going for the "I can write just like the good authors!" and got so deep into trying to write like something he/she may have read somewhere that he/she forgot to develop...well anything but stringing words together the made the thing read like a story, maybe.

rumple: …And in the, "Oh, by the way" category, we all know you're one tough broad, but to finish the story after reading this opening paragraph is an outstanding example of hard-core critiquing, or mental instability, maybe both.

horsey: Indeed. I'm often moved to wish that we had two buttons, one labelled "Tell Me What You Liked!" and the other "Critiques," or some such. I suppose that it really wouldn't help that much, however. What some writers really want is something labelled "insightful and hard-nosed critique" that is, in fact, "what I liked and only what I liked."

3113: (Raising hand) Um, excuse me professor, but I'm confused. The rain is drenching everything in sight...so shouldn't we see what's in sight first...before it drenches a column...which is usually a post, not a neck. And if she's waering the bar wench top...how can we see the color of her nipples? And if it's raining...how can there be a cool breeze? A cold wind, maybe but...cool breeze? That's usually pleasant. And if it's a dense forest...shouldn't she be under some branches or something protected from rain and breeze? And the last line "weather all the way out here in the middle of natures elements"... What the heck does that mean? I are confused

geek: Yeah I quit reading at the line "Although those black lace up boots were very sexy, the five inch heal was killing her" too. It' just too painful for my eyes.

te999: read that little jewel while circling the Halloween story list and dropping 5-bombs. My first reaction was this author (and I use the word loosely) has: A) Gargled with the dictionary, B) Doesn't know a homophone from a gramophone,C) Never met a long paragraph she didn't like, and D) Needs a competent editor like a fish needs water.

sadie: I actually got past the 'heals' (a basic and all-too frequent spelling mistake I hate nearly as passionately as "he riped off all her cloths" ) as far as "her skin was afire with chills..." (ROTFLMAO) before I flicked to the end, only to be impressed with the fact that she could be listless and unconscious at the same time (how could he tell?) and deduce that he was not an Oriental Were... having seen her chivalrously back to her "little foreign car" after heroically raping and molesting her!! Woo-hoo! Makes me glad I'm not an editor! The urge to gargle with Domestos might become too great!

pilot: I don't know what the problem is. I made it six words into the story before I got stopped by a glaring mistake.

cat: Damn, that makes some of my stories almost readable in comparison

stella: Ooh, chevygirl has a brand-new alt!... I got as far as "it's task"

greenwood: I started reading this last week but was worn out after two paragraphs. There are simply too many good stories in the contest waiting to be read and I didn't want to waste my time on this one.

“AMELIA’S HALLOWEEN”
by ChevyGirl67
A NON HUMAN CATEGORY STORY

Whoa, there. My posts on this story were almost wholly of the "bad form to bring specifics of a private e-mail exchange to the public board to invite piling on" variety. The quote attributed to me here referred to the claim that the story had been edited. As I posted, six words into the story I could tell it hadn't been competently edited. I didn't read the story--and my only comment on the story itself was that it enjoyed a pretty decent rating the time I checked.

 

[MarshAlien]

I haven’t read the story but gave it a big [size=+2]5[/size] just to try and buck up the young things spirits.

You're a prince. Quite the gentleman. Nobody knows how to comfort young things like you do. Although in this case, I think your "things" needs an apostrophe, being possessive and all.

Anyway, enough about you.

My plan to get more "worst public feedback" by posting in Loving Wives has not gone quite as well as planned. As of this morning, the story, Lawyer, Lawyer (about the liberal Catholic terrorist pornographer monks) has attracted 6,500 views since posting yesterday and 45 votes (3.98). Which is fair; it is 8 pages long, it's only Part I, and I did sort of forget to mention that it was a sequel to my "Living Dolls" stories. But it's only gotten three comments so far, and one was a 4 and one a 5. Fortunately, there's this one (a true 00):

Boring
10/21/07 By: Anonymous in The United States
Even science fiction needs to be grounded in SOMETHING plausible. This "story" isn't. Besides being about as erotic as a bad head cold, this thing is so poorly written one wonders how it got past the website editors.​

My current goal is to write something as erotic as a good head cold; still researching that.

 

[Guest]

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z35/Daniellekitten/froggiedancin.gif Yay!!!!!!

 

[MarshAlien]

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z35/Daniellekitten/froggiedancin.gif Yay!!!!!!

I don't think that celebrating feedback that informs a fellow author that his writing is as "erotic as a bad head cold" is really in the best of taste there, dani...

 

[Guest]

I don't think that celebrating feedback that informs a fellow author that his writing is as "erotic as a bad head cold" is really in the best of taste there, dani...

Ooopppsss sorry bout that... Chalk it up to a brain fart.

 

[Northsider]

I got some bad feedback......

I screwed up and inadvertantly posted a story," The Show", in the Loving Wives category last spring. (I'd intended it for Exhibitionist/Voyeur.) It was by no means a pretty story, and in no time, I had double the hits on it than I had on my first story. The comments left were, to say the least, negative. Interesting thing was, only one commenter had ever submitted a story. Most were anonymous. I suppose that it isn't such a bad thing that I gave those people a reason to write about something.




Anger is an energy.............
John Lydon

 

[l8bloom]

I screwed up and inadvertantly posted a story," The Show", in the Loving Wives category last spring. (I'd intended it for Exhibitionist/Voyeur.)

http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/twocents.gif You can re-post, North. Just go as if you were going to submit a story, then in the title box, type The Show - EDITED. Proceed as usual, making the changes you want, and put a note to the Immortals in the Notes box. Hope this is helpful, yes?

Course you may not want to, having gotten all that lovely feedback.

 

[petemgurk]

My plan to get more "worst public feedback" by posting in Loving Wives has not gone quite as well as planned. As of this morning, the story, Lawyer, Lawyer (about the liberal Catholic terrorist pornographer monks) has attracted 6,500 views since posting yesterday and 45 votes (3.98). Which is fair; it is 8 pages long, it's only Part I, and I did sort of forget to mention that it was a sequel to my "Living Dolls" stories. But it's only gotten three comments so far, and one was a 4 and one a 5. Fortunately, there's this one (a true 00):

Boring
10/21/07 By: Anonymous in The United States
Even science fiction needs to be grounded in SOMETHING plausible. This "story" isn't. Besides being about as erotic as a bad head cold, this thing is so poorly written one wonders how it got past the website editors.​

My current goal is to write something as erotic as a good head cold; still researching that.

I'm pleased to report that, so far, most of my approved stories are hovering in the 4.5 area, some a little below, some a little above, but there is one that is receiving a steady 3.77 over the past few days, and I think I know why...

See, I wrote this lesbian story, but I wrote it from a typical man's point of view; being a man, it seems difficult to do otherwise. I posted it in Lesbian Sex, natch, because all of the main characters who have sex are women.

Today, that story received its very first public comment, and I'd like to share that with you now:

"big boobs?
10/25/07 By: Anonymous

E, DD and 32G?
Are you serious? what a joke. I couldn't read anymore after that."

BTW, the story is "4-for-1 Special", linked here:
http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=332956

While intended mainly to be humorous, and possessing a certain amount of "dialect" use in the characters' dialogue (I confess to borrowing that style from Ed McBain), I'm afraid it's REALLY offending people out there.

But that aside, what am I supposed to infer from Anonymous's comment? Is she/he implying that lesbians don't have/don't like/don't believe in big boobs? Is she/he implying that such cup sizes don't exist? I'm puzzled. I have known (and here I interject, "Lucky ME") women with those cup sizes, and while they are not the characters in my story, since my story is fiction, complete and utter, nevertheless I can stand by these cup sizes in good faith.

No pun intended. No, it's intended, I take that back.

Anyway, that's my tuppence for this thread. Happy to be able to contribute!

Pete M'Gurk

 

[tickledkitty]

I'm pleased to report that, so far, most of my approved stories are hovering in the 4.5 area, some a little below, some a little above, but there is one that is receiving a steady 3.77 over the past few days, and I think I know why...

See, I wrote this lesbian story, but I wrote it from a typical man's point of view; being a man, it seems difficult to do otherwise. I posted it in Lesbian Sex, natch, because all of the main characters who have sex are women.

Today, that story received its very first public comment, and I'd like to share that with you now:

"big boobs?
10/25/07 By: Anonymous

E, DD and 32G?
Are you serious? what a joke. I couldn't read anymore after that."

BTW, the story is "4-for-1 Special", linked here:
http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=332956

While intended mainly to be humorous, and possessing a certain amount of "dialect" use in the characters' dialogue (I confess to borrowing that style from Ed McBain), I'm afraid it's REALLY offending people out there.

But that aside, what am I supposed to infer from Anonymous's comment? Is she/he implying that lesbians don't have/don't like/don't believe in big boobs? Is she/he implying that such cup sizes don't exist? I'm puzzled. I have known (and here I interject, "Lucky ME") women with those cup sizes, and while they are not the characters in my story, since my story is fiction, complete and utter, nevertheless I can stand by these cup sizes in good faith.

No pun intended. No, it's intended, I take that back.

Anyway, that's my tuppence for this thread. Happy to be able to contribute!

Pete M'Gurk

Hey, Pete. It's me again.

I think the general consensus is that we don't like to see measurements in stories. It kind of interrupts the flow or something. As for boobs, you can say large, voluptuous, huge, gigantic, whatever. We just don't want to know the specifics. Same goes for penis size. And really, why bother? Let the readers use their imaginations.

 

[l8bloom]

Hey, Pete. It's me again.

I think the general consensus is that we don't like to see measurements in stories. It kind of interrupts the flow or something. As for boobs, you can say large, voluptuous, huge, gigantic, whatever. We just don't want to know the specifics. Same goes for penis size. And really, why bother? Let the readers use their imaginations.

Sorry to gang up on you, Pete, but TK is right (or should I say write). The ancient Greeks had Jocasta carve out her eyes offstage. If you draw a few deft lines, the readers' minds will fill in the blanks, more powerfully than any text ever could (except that of SweetWitch ). ¡I freely admit to making this mistake myself!

You talk about writing from the man's viewpoint. All those huge cup sizes -- jeeze! I grant that they do exist, but it's a not-so-subtle way of telling women who aren't so endowed that they are just chopped liver. "You with the B cup ... I'd never want to do it with YOU." http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/light.gif

Having said that, I hope your skin is thick and your is light ... my wish is to be constructive ... tried to PM this to you but your phone is off the hook...

 

[petemgurk]

You with the B cup! Yeah, you!

My skin is thick, and my heart is light. Cup sizes be damned, I'll never use them again. Thanks bunches, sweet correspondents, may your own cup sizes never be anything than what you wish them to be.

Pete

 

[tickledkitty]

I'm not offended by cup size due to percieved inadequacies on my own part in that area. Ahem...I think it just makes the writer seem shallow. Besides, just by sight you don't really know a woman's bra size for sure.

 

[l8bloom]

I'm not offended by cup size due to percieved inadequacies on my own part in that area. Ahem...I think it just makes the writer seem shallow. Besides, just by sight you don't really know a woman's bra size for sure.

I didn't actually say I had B cups. What I said was, "I have the hiccups." Look, I'll prove it:
http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/jump.gif

*goes off to drink a http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/potion.gif *

 

[SweetWitch]

Sorry to gang up on you, Pete, but TK is right (or should I say write). The ancient Greeks had Jocasta carve out her eyes offstage. If you draw a few deft lines, the readers' minds will fill in the blanks, more powerfully than any text ever could (except that of SweetWitch ). ¡I freely admit to making this mistake myself!

You see my text as powerful? Cool. Thanks!

Or was that roll of the eyes intended to express sarcasm?

 

[tickledkitty]

I didn't actually say I had B cups. What I said was, "I have the hiccups." Look, I'll prove it:
http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/jump.gif

*goes off to drink a http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/potion.gif *

Nor did I, which illustrates the point nicely, don't you think?

 

[petemgurk]

B Cups rhymes with "HEE-cups"

I didn't actually say I had B cups. What I said was, "I have the hiccups." Look, I'll prove it:
http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/jump.gif

*goes off to drink a http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/potion.gif *

Last thing I want to seem is shallow...

 

[l8bloom]

Nor did I, which illustrates the point nicely, don't you think?

Well, I know lots of people hereabouts prefer to illustrate their points....uh...

Last thing I want to seem is shallow...

What's that you say? You want to SWALLOW? http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/fear.gif

Sorry, Marsh. I know this is your 'worst feedback' thread. I just can't help myself.

 

[sr71plt]

So, going back to the "Worst Public Feedback" topic--although I haven't quite gotten the grasp yet whether this is supposed to be about bad feedback or feedback on bad stories.

I got the following today on one of my Halloween Contest entries, "SwitherooX2" (which is doing fine in ratings but doesn't stand a chance of qualifying on votes needed):

Clever idea, but...
10/27/07 by Anonymous
Some of the cyber dialogue was somewhat confusing. Also, there were typos, and what does "cope a feel" mean? Shouldn't it be "cop a feel"? For all your bragging about being published and all, I expected something a little better. Good luck in the contest.

This isn't exactly bad comment by any measure, I don't think (and the poster gave it a 75% rating, but, mercifully, didn't give it an actual vote, I don't think), but as it seems to be "the thing" to do to hyperventilate over the mere suggestion that the reader "expected something better," I thought I'd comment on that when I got my share of the comment.

Lit. ain't exactly the New Yorker. I've posted better than a story every other day here for well over a year. So, no, I don't go through the process of being backed by an editor for the stories posted at Lit. There's really no time for that. I do agree (and have frequently posted) that everyone needs a editor behind them to produce polished copy. But I think Lit. readers can read through a few typos without much trouble. I could say they can "cop" (Opps: cope) with less than perfection (which isn't really attainable anyway, editorial backup or no backup). If the Lit. editors ever reject one of my stories on presentation/spelling/grammar, I may give more thought to asking for someone else to go over them before I post (but that hasn't happened yet).

Meanwhile, latching into the "bragging about being published" comment, I guess if you want to read one of my stories that's been reviewed and polished to death, you'll just have to pay for one of my published pieces. Readers are getting the ones posted here for free-to like or not, as they wish.

 

[l8bloom]

So, going back to the "Worst Public Feedback" topic--although I haven't quite gotten the grasp yet whether this is supposed to be about bad feedback or feedback on bad stories.

I got the following today on one of my Halloween Contest entries, "SwitherooX2" (which is doing fine in ratings but doesn't stand a chance of qualifying on votes needed):

"Clever idea, but...
10/27/07 by Anonymous
Some of the cyber dialogue was somewhat confusing. Also, there were typos, and what does "cope a feel" mean? Shouldn't it be "cop a feel"? For all your bragging about being published and all, I expected something a little better. Good luck in the contest."

This isn't exactly bad comment by any measure, I don't think (and the poster gave it a 75% rating, but, mercifully, didn't give it an actual vote, I don't think), but as it seems to be "the thing" to do to hyperventilate over the mere suggestion that the reader "expected something better," I thought I'd comment on that when I got my share of the comment.

Lit. ain't exactly the New Yorker. I've posted better than a story every other day here for well over a year. So, no, I don't go through the process of being backed by an editor for the stories posted at Lit. There's really no time for that. I do agree (and have frequently posted) that everyone needs a editor behind them to produce polished copy. But I think Lit. readers can read through a few typos without much trouble. I could say they can "cop" (Opps: cope) with less than perfection (which isn't really attainable anyway, editorial backup or no backup). If the Lit. editors ever reject one of my stories on presentation/spelling/grammar, I may give more thought to asking for someone else to go over them before I post (but that hasn't happened yet).

Meanwhile, latching into the "bragging about being published" comment, I guess if you want to read one of my stories that's been reviewed and polished to death, you'll just have to pay for one of my published pieces. Readers are getting the ones posted here for free-to like or not, as they wish.

Well sr,

Thanks for getting us back on track, here, *cough* and I have to say the case you present exemplifies, not perhaps a new problem, but one that bugs me, too.

This Anonymous commenter, IMHO, is flat-out nasty and deserves a good solid http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/nobashing2.gif . She knew perfectly well what "cop[e] a feel" meant. Anon. was obviously having a bad day and decided to take it out on you, rather than reach for the pepto-bismol. It's one thing for a newbie to make the mistake of criticising in public and praising in private, rather than the other way 'round. It's quite another -- and the word that comes to mind is "COWARD" -- to flame and hide. Don't delete that comment, sr. It makes her look a lot worse than it does you.

 

[sr71plt]

Well sr,

Thanks for getting us back on track, here, *cough* and I have to say the case you present exemplifies, not perhaps a new problem, but one that bugs me, too.

This Anonymous commenter, IMHO, is flat-out nasty and deserves a good solid http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/images/smilies/nobashing2.gif . She knew perfectly well what "cop[e] a feel" meant. Anon. was obviously having a bad day and decided to take it out on you, rather than reach for the pepto-bismol. It's one thing for a newbie to make the mistake of criticising in public and praising in private, rather than the other way 'round. It's quite another -- and the word that comes to mind is "COWARD" -- to flame and hide. Don't delete that comment, sr. It makes her look a lot worse than it does you.

Thanks. I don't think the commenter was being really nasty (just a little nasty and maybe a lot petty), though. The remarks seemed to be pretty mild compared to what some post in anonymity.

I think the poster is operating from a misunderstanding, however, thinking they've caught me (and therefore scoring giggle points) in being two faced or something by asserting some attitudes to me that I've never shown here. Since I say I'm published--and that I'm a professional book editor--they seem to assume that I thereby claim my prose is perfect ("my shite don't smell") and/or that I'm anal retentive about nitpicky mistakes. I think I've consistently separated here what's needed--and fine enough--for posting on Lit. and what would be needed to publish in the mainstream.

I make no secret either that I believe there inevitably will be mistakes in the story if there's no backup reader/editor or that I post without a backup reader/editor. So, ipso facto, I acknowledge that there will be errors in what I post. I trade that by posting a lot of stories that seem to be good enough in presentation/spelling/grammar to get past the Lit. editors and to only invite snide comments on these from a very few posters who seem to think they have to put me in my place for participating on the discussion forum. (And I think the person who posted this comment definitely is someone just trying to make points on me for participating on the discussion forum.)

I really don't lose much sleep over posters who say they "expected better" from a story I've written that they are reading for free. I'll wait to perk up my ears when I hear that from someone who paid me to read the story.

 

[slyc_willie]

It's always been my opinion that the 'I expected better,' or the 'you should know better' commenters think they are somehow assaulting our ego. That, in some way, they are projecting upon us the idea that they are better than we are, or that they can influence us.

Well, of course they can influence us, but only in small ways. And I'm sure as hell not going to submit an edit because a petty, sharp-eyed reader found a few minor misspellings or discrepencies in a story.

 

[Darkniciad]

For all your bragging about being published and all, I expected something a little better.

There's where it descends into trolldom as far as I'm concerned. That smacks of downrating and attacking based upon the personality of the writer outside the actual work, or something else that has nothing to do with the story.

The rest can be construed as legitimate criticism ( assuming said errors are actually there )

Thermometer ratings do count as votes if the commenter doesn't use the voting form. If they use both, then only the first clicked ( vote or thermometer ) counts in your vote total/score.

I tested this in more or less real time in two windows on two old stories that hadn't seen any action in quite some time, knowing that the sweeper would remove my vote in its next pass, thus not affecting the score. Voted in one window and refreshed my author page as quickly as I could change windows. Vote total and score changed appropriately to confirm the above.

I will put an edit in the queue when somebody finds an error, no matter how petty they are about it *laugh*

 

[SweetWitch]

I will put an edit in the queue when somebody finds an error, no matter how petty they are about it *laugh*

I've done the same thing. If an error is missed , I want to know about it.