Stupid Reviews

[Rachel]

Have you ever got reviews that just bad mouth you and your story even though you try to do your best on a story??

[Acal]

Not as yet i've only got like 1 review in total ever but i have seen plenty of reviews where it seems the flamer doesn't have a single clue about what they are talking about.

If you don't like it don't read it and post completly pointless and uneeded comments

[Leonhart29]

I have gotten one review like that on my first story I ever posted, and I left it up because it was just about hilarious.

[DawnOfTheDead]

I've never really gotten stupid reviews on AFF, but I have gotten some flames and stupid reviews at other sites. It used to piss me off and I'd relatiate with my own creative insults, but I've matured and now I just ignore them. Sometimes, it still hurts my little feelings though...

[Acal]

It would, but you can't let the trolls get a reaction out of you or they will come back for more. Even then theres always the handy tool [Remove Review] on the flamer post

[SamayelSlash]

Cripes, now that I think about it, even though after a couple thousand reviews, there are a couple that stand out in memory as negative and just mean-spirited. Concrit rocks...and helped me so much I can't even count the ways, but trolls linger in the memory just by dint of being different. Until I read that poll, I didn't realize that I could still remember the faint irritation I felt when I read those posts. I just can't figure some people. But...on the bright side, there are just acres of really nice people, with kind or thoughtful things to say, so we clearly have the losers outnumbered by an amazing margin :-) Peace, Samayel

[Guest orleans]

A while ago I posted a story in the Movie-Section, and I have really worked hard on it to get it done. Someone gave me a very low rating without bothering to explain why.... that was really frustrating. I mean, if there's a reason one doesn't like a story, then it would be only fair to tell it, and not leave a low rating without a comment. It's a coward's way, I think.

Apart from this one, I have never received any negative reviews yet, and I hope I never will

[Shirotaka]

A review is a review, good or bad, you put your story up there to be seen and then people give their opinion.

Unfortunately, we cannot predict or shape the way people react to our writing, this actually causes a lot of unneccessary agression and sometimes starts flame wars.

I do understand the frustration of people just "being cowardly" and rating you low just because they don't like you, but whether we like it or not, there are children running around and being immature all over this site, some of which are over the age of 18.

Someday, hopefully, people will become more mature as a whole, but for now we have to just take these things in stride and look to the majority of our feedback for the *real* opinions of our literature.

[DarkCabaret]

I think all reviews are alright, I mean I don't care if you hated my story.

People who post reviews saying how much they hate my story, makes me want to write even more! There's nothing like knowing some winy little kid hates your story.

Then again I'm weird and when someone posted "You suck quit writing" it made me want to write even more.

It's sad when people LOOK for small petty things to point out. Once got a review on an OLD ff.net account "You spelled substitute wrong" .... it's funny they rated my story the LOWEST rank you can do, because I spelled one word wrong!

[Guest orleans]

  Quote

People who post reviews saying how much they hate my story, makes me want to write even more! There's nothing like knowing some winy little kid hates your story.

Hihi, somehow you are right..... I mean those people take the time to leave you something, even if they say how bad you are Must be worth something

I like your attitude!!!

Hugs,

orleans

[cu-kid9]

The first time I ever got a bad review (and it was a lengthy one, let me assure you, not just a "You suck, your story sucks"), I just stared at the screen...

...and the initial indignation roared up...

...and then I started laughing hysterically.

Not only did the person most adamantly not like my story, but they took the time -and lots of it, considering the length- to tell me they didn't. My whole take on it was okay, you didn't like the story, but you sure did read it all the way through and then took more time to tell me...how am I not the winner in this?

I agree, reviews like these just help me write more. It's almost refreshing to know that you can make someone feel something strongly enough that they need to tell you about it.

[DarkCabaret]

  orleans said:

Hihi, somehow you are right..... I mean those people take the time to leave you something, even if they say how bad you are Must be worth something

I like your attitude!!!

It's worth a lot. Honestly why take the time to say how bad someone sucks, and like cu-kid said .... taking a lot of time to read my fic, then writing a looooong review telling me how bad it was is not not encouraging me from writing.

I honestly enjoy reading why people don't like my story. Unless it's a "Well he she be with her or she should be with this person" I sometimes take their advice and changes small things around.

For example, a friend of mine writes and asks me to beta it for her. I don't mind it's all good so I'll sit with notepad open and make my little notes, tell her in detail what I do and do not like about it and she takes it very well. Next day she'll have a revised edition sent to me, and with minor grammatical and punctuation errors. It's great!

People like this are truly awesome! I'm the same way, if you read something and there's something that just doesn't make any sense, then it's best to tell me rather than me looking like a total donkey!!

Stupid reviews automatically get deleted, unless it's something that's just so darn funny I have to keep it on there to laugh at once in a while. For example the "Please update!!" on one-shots! As a one-shot writer I can truly say I hate these!

[Shirotaka]

One-shot writers tend to be very good writer's though. ^^

Some of the best fics on the site are by people with only a handful of stories.

[DarkCabaret]

So I guess I shouldn't feel bad for only having two fics and three poems up? LOL

I am so picky with my writing, I'm hoping this new story is good. I put up my LotR fic and a bunch of views but no reviews. Sometimes I feel bad putting all these stories up and no one reviews

[Solaris]

I get a few reviews and maybe one or two of them are stupid reviews.

I just shrug my shoulders and keep writing.

Beth

[Wolfie]

I actually get a kick out of some of my stupid reviewers. Yeah flames sometimes suck but the stupid reviews that make me laugh is where the reviewer assumes something that isn't in the story yet

for instance my HP story where Hermione is pregnant now and the person assumed Severus did it on purpose to keep her out of the battle.

The second most stupid review I have received came from my current Bleach fic where the person has so obviously not read the entire story and sprouted off things about how I was writing. That one made me laugh so hard because they pointed out stuff that had been explained somewhat in the chapter they reviewed.

Yeah, flamers are hilarious because half of the time they have no idea what they are talking about. And what is even more funny is when they get all pissy because the authors continue the story and don't even adknowledge the flame.

[EveKnight75]

Be more specific.

I love negative concrit. It can have the rudest tone and say the worst things about my story; but as long as it points out valid weak areas, I love it for the help it provides. Maybe the reviewer's intention wasn't to provide help; but if I can glean something useful from it, all the better for me.

If it's a negative review that provides nothing useful, I can laugh at it. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. If you tell me my story sucks, I'm going to retaliate with "Yes, but HOW does it suck? I need details!". If the review doesn't even bother talking about the story and proceeds to insult me for no apparent reason, I just might leave it up so that the rest of the audience can wallow in said reviewer's immaturity. However, if it's someone insulting me for the sake of promoting someone else, I'll delete it because I refuse to encourage flame wars.

I think the only reviews that are truly stupid are the ones that don't relate to the story or author in any conceivable way, such as a review saying "Read my story at...". That's called spam and is deleted immediately. If you leave an actual review and end it with "you might be interested in this story that I wrote...", it's not spam and I'll consider it.

[Guest Knorg]

Some of the silliest ones I've seen are on stories that pop up on Godawful fanfiction. These stories are usually the ones with some element that wouldn't be to everyone's taste like rape or snuff or Joan Rivers. And 9/10 times they'll be correctly coded and it'll be obvious from the description too that you might be put off by this content if you don't like it.

Then you look at the reviews and there's somebody saying "I was totally disgusted by this vile piece of trash," and you think, "wow, but you must of know it would make ya chuck..." Dunno if it's really stupid, but it seems kind of silly to me.

Meh.

[Kanashii]

I have only had one really "bad mouthed review" from someone who obviously did not read the codes and warnings on my story.

The most amusing (I hate to say 'stupid' but I guess they are in a way) are the reviewers who read a COMPLETED fic of mine (the story even says "The End" or "Finito" at the end), then post something like...

"I love your story! Update soon!!!!" (usually with misspellings<g>)

Now, at these points I feel like Ferris Buehler, at the end of "Ferris Buehlers Day Off"..) My fingers itch to type out.... "That's it, it's OVER, there is no more. It says "the END. Thank you for enjoying my story but there is not going to BE any update. It is complete, finished, ended, finito, fini! Move onto another story if you like my writing but this one is done. Stick a fork in it, it is D.O.N.E."

Ah well, at least it isn't like one reviewer who didn't read the codes on my one story then proceeded to tell how disgusting and perverted and squicky it was, how they hated it and would I please update soon....

That review was sooo priceless I had to leave it up. It still makes me ROFLMAO every time I see it!

Edited December 4, 2007 by Kanashii

[Streti]

  Kanashii said:

Ah well, at least it isn't like one reviewer who didn't read the codes on my one story then proceeded to tell how disgusting and perverted and squicky it was, how they hated it and would I please update soon....

That review was sooo priceless I had to leave it up. It still makes me ROFLMAO every time I see it!

Oh wow, that is incredible!

I remember one bad-mouthed "review", more like a flame, saying something like "GO HAVE A SPERMBATH WITH SATAN!!!"

So over the top and hilarious, I love it!

[Streti]

Err, what? By that logic, reviews could be abolished altogether. Even long good reviews would fall apart with no criticism and the only things left would be one sentences, including "updated pls", and perhaps not much else.

Guess I've never before met a person who doesn't want concrit.

[cu-kid9]

  Streti said:

Guess I've never before met a person who doesn't want concrit.

I think the point is that we're not looking for people to just say, "I don't like your story and I don't think you write well." We want to know why. If a reviewer can't back up his/her opinions with valid reasons, then there's no point of them even opening their mouth (er, you know what I mean).

The actual point of concrit is to point out things that aren't working well, or technical problems in a way that will help the author and suggestions on how to go about changing or correcting the problems. Saying "Your story is awful" isn't in any way constructive, it's just critical.

I think nikolatesla1 has a point: Why read it if you don't like it? In fact, why even bother to tell me that you didn't like it if you don't have anything helpful to say to me? We all have different likes and dislikes. If I happen upon a story that isn't particularly my cup of tea, even if it's exceptionally well written, I don't leave a review saying I didn't like it; I just move on.

Oh, and as far as long (I dunno how good they are...) reviews without concrit -I can write them, trust me

[Shirotaka]

Yeah, let's break down concrit..

Constructive Criticism.

Constructive: Serving to improve or advance; helpful

Criticism: The practice of analyzing, classifying, interpreting, or evaluating literary or other artistic works.

Some people seem to be very good at the Crit part, but fail to be helpful.

If you want to give Concrit. BE POSITIVE!!!!

[Streti]

  cu-kid9 said:

I think nikolatesla1 has a point: Why read it if you don't like it? In fact, why even bother to tell me that you didn't like it if you don't have anything helpful to say to me?

Apparently, she (the reviewer) did like it before, and now posted a long review telling why she didn't. There's bound to be something useful in there unless it's just all-out bashing.

[cu-kid9]

There may indeed be something useful in the review. In fact, I think it's pretty fair to say that in all bad reviews (besides those that just say "You suck") there's probably some small gem of good critical feedback. But it all depends on how the reviewer approaches it, too. I'm not saying that you should walk on eggshells when providing concrit, especially if the author has asked for it. But there's a difference between sophisticated, skillful concrit and boorishly rude drabble.

If you're going to offer concrit do so, but do it clearly, concisely, and, as Shirotaka says, do it positively. This isn't to say that we should be sitting around a bonfire, holding each others hands, singing Kumbaya and trying to make sure no feelings get hurt, but antagonizing an author right off the bat is the surest way to get him/her to not listen to anything you have to say. Don't waste the author's time by making them search for something helpful amidst the negative words.