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edenfallingA comment received on ff.net:
From: Alexandra (Guest)
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Alexandra: Quite good. A very few factual errors, but for the most part, good.
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Why is it that people who don't leave any contact information seem to feel a need to say things to the general effect of, "There are problems with this story, but I won't tell you what they are"? If they don't tell me what the problems are, how can I be expected to fix them? (Either in this story or in future ones.) And if they don't leave me any contact info, how am I supposed to ask for clarification? In short, how on earth do they expect this to be useful to me, and if providing actual useful feedback is not their intent, what are they trying to do?
I have long since concluded that this tactic is designed solely to produce a sense of superiority in the "reviewers," and (so they hope) to induce shame and paranoia in the writers they address. Because obviously, they know what the errors are -- they're so obvious they don't need to be specified, naturally! -- and if you, the lowly writer, can't see where you went wrong... well then obviously you're not the right sort, are you? You're not a real fan.
In other words, this is middle school clique posturing, plain and simple. It's annoying, sure. It's also sad and hilarious, and I hope for their own sake that these people eventually grow out of that phase.
From: Alexandra (Guest)
-------------------
Alexandra: Quite good. A very few factual errors, but for the most part, good.
-------------------
Why is it that people who don't leave any contact information seem to feel a need to say things to the general effect of, "There are problems with this story, but I won't tell you what they are"? If they don't tell me what the problems are, how can I be expected to fix them? (Either in this story or in future ones.) And if they don't leave me any contact info, how am I supposed to ask for clarification? In short, how on earth do they expect this to be useful to me, and if providing actual useful feedback is not their intent, what are they trying to do?
I have long since concluded that this tactic is designed solely to produce a sense of superiority in the "reviewers," and (so they hope) to induce shame and paranoia in the writers they address. Because obviously, they know what the errors are -- they're so obvious they don't need to be specified, naturally! -- and if you, the lowly writer, can't see where you went wrong... well then obviously you're not the right sort, are you? You're not a real fan.
In other words, this is middle school clique posturing, plain and simple. It's annoying, sure. It's also sad and hilarious, and I hope for their own sake that these people eventually grow out of that phase.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-06-21 01:09 am (UTC)To summarize: I have had people point out genuine errors (though all those people were either signed in or otherwise left contact info, come to think of it), but yeah, a lot of "gotcha" error-finders have either confused fanon for canon or fact for opinion/interpretation, or only have a soundbite understanding of the topic they're pontificating on and thus come to completely ridiculous and false conclusions. But I was a bit of an insufferable know-it-all myself as a teen (and this despite my dad doing his best to teach me critical thinking), so after my initial grr-argh-STOMP-YOU reaction, I can at least try to move on to "You'll learn better eventually... and if you're lucky, the process won't even be TOO painful. It will be embarrassing as fuck, though. You can't get out of that part."
Obviously that doesn't preclude making annoyed posts on my journal, but then, I have never claimed I was above pettiness. *wry*
(no subject)
Date: 2014-06-21 01:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-06-21 06:55 am (UTC)