KoKoa_B

I'm going to be honest, I’ve been avoiding this thread like it's nuclear waste because it's the kind of thing that can lead to serious rants and some very hurt feeling but, after today, I decided to add my two pennies to it (and Apollo is checking those pennies to make sure I don't step over the line with this rant).
For those on here that don't know, I've been an archive moderator since '08 and seen a lot of things over those years so I can quite honestly say that, despite what someone asserted, it's not a few bad apples that have ruined reviews for most everyone but a whole lot of them rotten apples that have killed it! That's no joke, folks! And the biggest problem with getting reviews is the authors themselves. They are the ones that have, bluntly, made it to where so many are out and out scared to leave a review of any kind for anyone. It's sad, but it's true! I know people are going to argue with that assertion but hear me out.
One very shining example of this happened today. A few days ago, I was working on doing my ten reviews for AFF's Review Association (for those of you that don't know what that is we go in and review stories each month that have none. Our reward for that? We get a banner. Nothing else. If interested, they are always accepting members-plug over, back to rant...). It's been a few days since I did it so I didn't think anything of it until I woke up today and was getting ready for work. Checking the standard pages I do when I get up, I found that one of the beings I left a review for reported me for it! Now, being a mod, I know what the difference between what a flame and concrit is. I also know where the line is drawn and don't even step close to it. If I feel something I’m saying is too harsh, I get BW or Apollo to check it over for me to see if there isn't a way to soften up what I said or to ensure that I didn't step over any kind of line with it.
The review in question wasn't even one I had to do that with. It was nicely worded, slightly blunt but not overly so, giving the issue, a link about how to fix the issue and how what was done affects the reader when trying to read it. I started and ended the review with positive things about the story. Nor did I rip the thing apart. But, still, I got reported for it and there was a long rant from the author about the whole thing basically saying I need to quit pretending this is a professional writing site or Hollywood and stop leaving those kinds of reviews. I was... STUNNED. Then I laughed my ass off! Am I mad about it? No, I thought it was funny as hell! Am I in trouble for it? No, because I did nothing wrong and I didn't flame or attack anyone. Is this odd? Yes and no. It's odd that I got reported but these kinds of tantrums over concrit reviews are quite common. There are plenty out there, more than just a small handful of them, that want nothing but fandpoodling OMGWTFILUFFIT reviews and for you to say nothing else though they ask for reviews.
Other examples are just as bad. Plenty pimp the hell out of their stuff all over and ask for reviews but when you give them an honest one, they just delete it and don't bother to fix any of the issues you pointed out even if you give them a very easy way or solution to fixing what is wrong. Talking to Rogue, another member of the RA, we figured out that we are running about 50/50 with reviews we leave. About 50% stay up and the other 50 either get rid of the review or out and out delete the story (this month's 5 I did serious concrit for has resulted in 2 reviews already being deleted and one reporting me for what I had to say so you can see this is not an exaggeration). That is sad but true. And, generally, they all but beg for reviews in the story, the thread in the forum to promo the story or elsewhere. But if you don't just gush, they get rid of it. How many times are you going to go through with this until you give up? It generally doesn't take long before you throw your hands up and say 'I give' then quit. It get's worse though.
Though many of you might think I’m joking (I can assure you, I’m not), it goes downhill from there. Like I said at the beginning, I’ve seen a lot over my time as a mod and a common thing to happen is the flame baiting by authors. BW and I have both had this happen to us because we're mods and the author didn't like something we told them to change. We've had them say something in the story then had their readers go after our stories with reviews that are intended to be retaliatory and bombing our ratings. And if they'll do it to a mod, who knows what's going on and how to handle it, you can damned sure bet they do it to reviewers that say something they don't like! They have too, many, many, MANY times.
They leave a butt-hurt, whiney ass AN about how someone was so mean to them in a review or that they think they should just stop writing because of something that is said then BAM the reviewer gets nailed. It happens more than you think, folks! And if you think it's just younger authors that do this, think again! There are plenty of older ones that do the same thing. This, more than anything, has made it to where people are afraid to leave a review. Would you want attacked because you were honest or were giving feedback to someone that's not mean but intended to help them improve what they do? The majority of you would say no to this but it's what happens. And plenty have seen this so they back off and say nothing rather than be on the receiving end of that kind of flaming. That results in people not reviewing. Since this has gone on for years, the end result is what you see now; reviews are minimal. If someone gives one, it's just standard fanpoodling OMG update soon or something like that.
So, know what? You want to bitch and complain to someone about this? Go find the authors that do this bonehead stupid stuff, and more I didn't mention, and let them know because they are the ones that have killed the reviews for the rest of you more than just the readers that never bother.

I'll also add to Dany's statements (and Apollo's welcome to smack me if I step over the line, but she knows that )
There are those who come into the Shoutbox here on the forum and practically beg for reviews. They constantly complain about how they get none. Now, sometimes, they really don't. Sometimes they have one review for every 200 or so hits on their story.
One of the ones that really didn't have any reviews, I reviewed two of hers. Her response was to delete one of the stories completely, and delete my review on the other.
Tell me, as a reader, how I'm supposed to react to the fact that when you beg for reviews, and I leave you one that isn't, as Dany said, an "I luff it" review - and your response is to delete it?

Guest... Although I highly doubt you'll read this, but I do hope that you will.
I've stayed out of this discussion, because I don't know anything about JennMarie, and I am not a staff member, so I have nothing to do with the deletion or removal of authors and their content. But your unbelievably childish post is just too much to ignore.
First of all, 99% of the people on this site are writers, so they understand very well about writing and losing stories. And yes, by the people here, I do mean the staff members, and the bosses that are responsible for the site.
As for JennMarie being Loyal and Liking this site... Please! Don't make me laugh. If she'd had an ounce of any kind of loyalty, she would have fucking sat on her little hands and waited until she was 18 before posting her stories.
But she didn't. She thought she was special and would therefore get away with posting her stories before her 18th birthday. And she did not do this once, or twice... she did it six fucking times!
It is a legal matter if a minor is on this site, and therefore the staff members are legally obliged to delete them. It is done not only to protect the site, but also the living, breathing people who own and run this site, free of charge, and with volunteer work!
Read that again! They run this site, free of charge for members and maintain it with volunteer work. And because of kids, who can't follow the rules, they are put at risk. And that tells me that those kids are not Loyal or Like this site a whole lot. Nor do you for that matter.
Get off your high horse and read the rules, and then reconsider your words.
If JennMarie's computer crashed, then she either should have had the forethought to keep a copy of her stories on an external drive, or gotten herself one, and copy/pasted her stories onto one, from a computer that wasn't hers. I mean, she must have friends, or have access to public computers at a library or school.
Blaming AFF for the loss of her stories is childish and petty.
As for the staff being rude and abrasive, well, they don't exactly get treated with a great deal of respect much of the time. Just read your post again, Guest. Was that very polite. Were most of the posts before yours very polite? Honestly, the staff got a barrage of abuse from a bunch of kids that just did not want to understand that this was a serious breach of ToS, and then as good as blamed AFF for JennMarie losing all her stories. The staff were bending over backwards to provide people with contact information for JennMarie, so her fans could get in touch with her, and ask for her stories back and tell her she was welcome back if she wanted to, since she had turned 18.
And let me tell you something. The staff gets an extraordinary amount of shit from people who can't follow the ToS, and the staff has to politely ask them to conform to the rules. This can be as simple as correcting a disclaimer, and yet they get yelled and screamed at by little shitheads who think the rules don't apply to them.
Thankfully almost all of the writers follow the rules, and are very patient and polite when needing guidance to fix their disclaimers and other minor ToS violations. But there are always those rotten apples, you know.
As for the Hall of Shame, that is supposed to serve as a warning, as well as a deterrent for Plagiarists! There are very few members of Hall of Shame that have not been caught plagiarizing others. AFF has a very strict policy against plagiarism, and they do actively monitor such behavior. Maybe you should read Hall of Shame before you jump to conclusions. It is a very imaginative and funny way to warn people not to try that on this site.
And finally, what you said about driving "good" authors away from this site... Seriously?
The staff has been doing a bang up job this whole year, just like they did last year, and the year before that, and every years since they took over from the substitute staff that were (not) running this site for a few years before.
And they have not been petty and abrasive or derogatory or childish at all... yeah, sure, they've had their cranky moments, but wouldn't you too, after having shit thrown at you for weeks because someone got deleted for NOT Following The Rules!!
And they have refused to stoop down to this level, in many many cases, and that's why I decided to do it. Someone needs to stand up for them.
And I don't care if I'll get spanked for it. It's worth it.
I really, really want to point fingers, but I won't, but I can say that I know of at least one author who showed far more derogatory and childish behavior than anyone on AFF, after she was banned.
Also, just the fact that you have specifically mention that you are not JennMarie or any other author who's been banned, makes it so much more likely that you are. Not to mention that if you've been lurking on this site since 2002, then you either started lurking way before you were old enough, or you're being seriously childish for your age.
*draws deep breath, and lets it out slowly*
And that, Guest, is how you rant!!
*exit downstage right*