Young Writers Society

Here are a few questions I want to know and I also wish to know other member's view on it too.

1. Why do people sometimes have something that never get commented, yet is looked at everyday?- Its discouraging and kinda mean. It tells you they probably just did a quicky and left.

2. Are people discouraged by really lone posts?- I know I am so I use parts and so on to relax people

3. Why do people sometimes put up just plain mean post?- once I read something really mean and it made me sad/mad.

If there are any more questions I'll post more, and if you have more to add feel free to do so I'll help out too. ^_^

1. Sometimes if a piece is really long or filled with spelling mistakes, people will take one look and then turn away. Other times it could be due to the layout of the piece - work space out into nice paragraphs is much easier to digest than writing that is submitted in one big block.

2. Sometimes. I don't mind long posts but when I'm short on time, I'll critique a shorter story over a longer story.

3. You're always going to get people who are slightly aggressive or mean in their critiques. YWS has very little trouble in their area thanks to our brilliant administrator but some people are going to be brutally honest about your writing. What they say isn't necessarily true but it may well be their opinion.

1. There are several conditions under which I 'll look at something and not review:

1) The person says, "I wrote this three years ago/It's just for fun." If it's three years old, you're probably not at the same level of writing and won't want to do anything serious with it. I'm not saying that you can't write things just for fun, but if it's just for fun, you're not going to want to improve upon it. So why should I spend forty-five minutes of my time to help you out with something you're never going to look at again, except for a laugh?

Sorry, I can get ranty about that.

2) Unlike most people, I'll read things that aren't grammar or spell-checked. But you can bet it alters my perception of your piece.

3) The post is really long. I'm kind of hypocritical about this--I'll read long posts, but only upon request or by people who I know the writing is rather good. (I should probably stop making really long posts...)

2. I don't think they're discouraged by lone posts. I'm more discouraged by "Chapter 26 part 3", because the chances of me finding the original post are somewhat slim. With the new "related topics" feature, though, that shouldn't be as much of a problem anymore.

3. Because they're mean? Posting something snarky is often really fun when mistakes are numerous and annoying, but if you don't take the time to explain why those things are bad, the cause for snark will often just be repeated. Be nice! It makes people fix things.

Just a quick note since it seems to have been implied...

The 'views' number you see for any topic is extremely misleading. Almost 75% of the views for any topic are from search engine bots, such as Google and Yahoo. I've thought about getting rid since it misleads people. In some cases, that views number is close to 100% of the total views (there's one topic with over 75,000 views and yet only two comments! That's because Google really likes it for some reason).

1. Like Nate said, just because the view count is seven it doesn't mean seven people have actually read it. Also, sometimes I'll start reading it, but if it doesn't pull me in/is to long/bores me I won't finish it. Also, if I don't have ANYTHING positive to say, I won't crit. Also, if people say something like: "Don't tear this apart, I just want reviews." that implies to me that they don't want a critique, they want "this is great! Keep writing!" which I don't want to give.

2. I am. I don't like reading long things on the computer--it gives me a headache. Usually, if the first paragraph doesn't pull me in, I'll scroll down and see how long it is. As a general rule, though, i like short and sweet... for reading online, that is.

3. They're not necessarily being just plain mean. Most of the time, they're out there to help and they think that tearing apart each and every word while not saying anything good about the piece is a good way of doing that. I usually (like i said before) don't critique if I can't find anything positive. Of course, I have to say something negative too, no matter how hard THAT is.

I hope this answers your questions!
~Azila~

1. Sometimes if it's good and I have nothing to say, I won't.

2. I love looking at posts that have no comments. I am, however, put off by novels. I can't stand cliffhangers at all and no attempt of bribery will sway me to read your unfinished novel, usually.

3. Grumpiness affects us all at a certain point of time, I think? I don't think any of us try to make it a habit.

1. If it's in good shape, people (like Snoink) just won't comment.

2. Well, if the posts are long, readers run away. Some people don't have the patience to read long posts (fortunately or unfortuantely). However, when I'm in that critting mood and surf the forums (and the crits I owe are completed/posted), I donate a crit to a loner. They posted and wish for a critique, so i give them a critique. Getting no reviews can really discourage members and just won't post here. They want a review, so I give them a review.

3. Well, there'll always be someone who doesn't like your work (fortunately or unfortunately). One can always expect to get a rude review--it's bound to happen. If their rudeness gets out of hand (foul language, etc.), our wonderful admin is watching our backs. Otherwise, some critiquers are blunt, or just say their opinion without hesitation. Always expect them too.

Thanks everyone this does bring a better knowlage of what the other writers do and so on.

1. Sometimes you read something, and have nothing to say. I think people don't like the idea of just posting a short 'I liked this piece' comment if they can't add on some solid advice. And also length plays a part, sometimes you don't have time to comment on something, and if it's very long the idea of commenting is very daunting. =P I know just yesterday someone commented on the new version of my prologue, saying they liked the older version, and I was stunned because I had no idea they were reading it. =P

2. Time. Also, there's a sort of expectation that if you're going to read, you should comment. If it was a book, then the length of text is nice and split unto pages, but on the web it's just one long scroll downwards. =P Dividing it into parts is a sort of courtesy that allows reader to actually give you feedback without having to pull their hair out over length. =P

3. Depends what you mean by that. Short posts saying they don't like something are unfair, especially when they don't give advice on how to fix te thing they didn't like. Such posts are kind of useless. =P On the other hand, some people put up comments that just talk about the things the person did wrong. They should try and soften it a bit, but if they're going to the trouble of pointing these things out then it's because they want to help, though the post itself seems mean it is given with good intentions.

1. First, like Nate said, not all "views" are actual views (though I am really curious about the one with 75,000 views). Also, sometimes if I click into a story and it a) is really, really long (see below), b) is an absolute trainwreck, c) is really good and I have nothing to add, or d) just fails to catch my fancy for some reason, I won't comment.

2. Sometimes. Sometimes I like settling in with my tea and some cookies for a really epic review, and sometimes I'm critiquing before class and only have time to do a short one. It depends on how I feel.

3. I've only seen a handful of "mean" reviews on YWS, unless by "mean" you mean (er, no pun intended) "brutally honest." There's a difference between being honest and flaming, but both could be considered "mean," if you're sensitive and/or just having a crummy day. As for why people are mean, it depends on what kind of mean we're talking about. If they're being brutally honest, they probably want to help you. If they're flaming, they're just [bleep]s or they're bored or they're trying to help, but cross the line.

I happen to be very judgmental, not towards others, but myself. I get depressed when I don't get replies, but I eventually get over it, i guess it's the low point of my self esteem, I get slightly nervous when I post.

People like to be mean to people because they're having a bad day, or something didnt go their way, i guess it gives people a sense of superiority to think that they just overpowered someone, like a bully. But, on the internet they can't get punched back. I also get sad when I read one of those. They dont take another's feeling into consideration, its a sign of very bad empathy, which writers should have a lot of.

This site always makes me feel accepted and it's somewhere where not only I, but a lot of people come to feel like a part of something they love, yws is like a family and mean posts can ruin someone's day, so this is a plead to all those people who post downright mean messages, brighten someone's day, and feel good yourself, post something nice!