Messages

RE: I wish people were more genuine

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Gloria, I agree. Yes, FanStory members have helped other members in dire, real-life situations, in fact saving lives, so the comment about them not being real friends is without merit.

While this is not a life-saving incident, when my fourteen-year-old dog was dying, a Fanstory friend gave me emotional support. For a few years, I collaborated with another Fanstory friend. She used to phone me and talk about our project and other things. Sadly, she passed away. I miss her. I miss my friends Gayle and Karen as well.

And to those who propose that reviewers remain anonymous, what's the point? You cannot seek a relationship with a helpful reviewer if you don't know who that reviewer is. On the other hands, being anonymous allows a reviewer to engage in personal attacks, and you won't know who they are, so you can not report them to Fanstory management for a personal attack.

RE: I wish people were more genuine

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I think this conversation here is showing where the divide is.

Is FanStory here
1. For writers to become friends and emotionally support each other without critique?
OR
2. For writers who want feedback so they can improve their writing?

I wouldn't say one is better than the other, just different goals.

The rating system is definitely designed as a critiquing system and serves no purpose for the first group. But it's also not being used as it was designed so isn't benefiting the second group.

This puts reviewers in the bind of knowing which type of person they're looking at. I've had many people thank me for pointing out issues (I'm a copy editor and can do this all day long!) and I've been told by one not to do it again. How am I supposed to keep track of that? I rarely even look at names (and sometimes they're blind anyway) because I'm interested in the piece as is, not who wrote it.

This problem isn't going to go away on its own. It's just creating hard feelings on both sides.

RE: I wish people were more genuine

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One thing is for sure. If Tom wanted to, he could implement a process to screen reviews, or at least screen a sample and take some action. It's unlikely that will happen. The present system puts everyone on an honor system. Follow the guidelines, or not, as you choose. That's all we can do. Nothing is going to change.

RE: I wish people were more genuine

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Well, since Gloria wishes to falsely call me out. FanStory is not only a writing site. It is first and foremost a READING site. So, please read what I wrote. I never said, I 'reviewed' several contest entries. I said I READ several contest entries.

As far as my rating being unwarranted, and the non-script post or badly formatted script being a mistake. I doubt that, because that member isn't new. But you have no way of knowing if it was a mistake or not. Many time people submit badly formatted scripts, that may as well just be prose. That and your comment about my rating are simply your Opinion. Just my opinion about the social nature of the site.

Now. I know you like to contradict me in the forums and I know when shown you are wrong you will never apologize. I will move on, because I don't want Tom to thing personal attacks are happening, then delete this thread.

(I'm not stupid. I know comments are viewable in our profiles)

RE: I wish people were more genuine

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Good evening lancellot,

This is from your message on page one in this thread:

I read several contest entries today that would be automatically disqualified for obvious reason. I mean reason so clear, there is no way another member, especially top tanking ones, didn't see it.
Those entries were given five-star glowing reviews, with no mention of the HUGE disqualifying errors.
I told them (and reviewed/rated honestly) of course, but it was sad that no one else did.

It makes you wonder: Are top ranking authors giving phony (free) five-star reviews on purpose to lower the competition?

Within this context the words "I told THEM (and reviewed/rated honestly) of course," refers to "those entries". ie: more than one. So there is no need for me to apologize to you. However your supposition that "top ranking authors giving phony (free) five-star reviews on purpose to lower the competition" is a fairly hefty accusation based on nothing more than conjecture that might require an apology to the top ranking authors you were calling out on FanStory.

Moreover you have admitted that "As far as my rating being unwarranted, and the non-script post or badly formatted script being a mistake. I doubt that, because that member isn't new." You based your three star review on doubting what might well have been an honest mistake because it was clearly a prose story that made no attempt at pretending to be a script.

I didn't see anyone calling another contributor stupid anywhere in this thread, so I am not sure what you are referring to in your final line.

RE: I wish people were more genuine

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This forum thread seems to have veered off the topic of the reviewing system.

RE: I wish people were more genuine

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I disagree Nor. I think we might actually be getting into some of the finer points of reviewing because it truly is a complicated process, and much more so than some who proclaim that their "honest" reviewing is the only way. The fact is lancellot claimed to have reviewed several contest entries that didn't comply with contest rules. He did not. He only reviewed one. Everything we post on this site is writing, and when someone posts something in the forum that is riddled with typos and inconsistencies that is a testimony of their writing ability.

If we want to get real about reviewing then we must be forthcoming about its purpose and how different types of reviews are valuable even if only for recognition of the fact that one member wrote to another member, "I see you. I read you. I recognize you;" Even if there are mistakes in the writing. And we should be ever so grateful for our top-ranked reviewers who work tirelessly to read and offer input to a great many writers rather than impugning their motives with speculative and negative allegations.

There are gold star recognized reviewers like yourself, Nor, but we rarely see you. You haven't written a review since October last year. What is the purpose of having recognized reviewers when most of them don't write reviews?

RE: I wish people were more genuine

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well, I had two years of sickness, ending in major abdominal surgery at the age of eighty-eight, so I have been rather occupied. Reviewing has not been a priority.

RE: I wish people were more genuine

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Thank you for sharing. I totally understand, Nor, and wish you a full recovery soon. You are in good company, as many members on the site face health-related and other physical challenges, such as visual impairment, that makes reviewing quite a challenge. So these are some of the things we need to keep in mind before berating reviewers for their methods that might not match up to the gold standard.

RE: I wish people were more genuine

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Reason #3 to be on FanStory: frenemies