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SolN wrote:

Ok. We can look into adding that feature back. I wanted to remove some of the coercive features of the old site but people seemed to like them.

Thanks, Sol. That would be nice.

Yes, we get points for reviewing, but not all the time.  Some posts don't get points, and I don't review strictly for points.  I actually like offering someone else what I've learned.  It's just common courtesy to acknowledge you read the review.  Even if you don't like it, tell the reviewer it sucks and never to review you again.  If someone tells me that, you best believe I won't bother with anything they post again.

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Marilyn Johnson wrote:
SolN wrote:

Ok. We can look into adding that feature back. I wanted to remove some of the coercive features of the old site but people seemed to like them.

Thanks, Sol. That would be nice.

Yes, we get points for reviewing, but not all the time.  Some posts don't get points, and I don't review strictly for points.  I actually like offering someone else what I've learned.  It's just common courtesy to acknowledge you read the review.  Even if you don't like it, tell the reviewer it sucks and never to review you again.  If someone tells me that, you best believe I won't bother with anything they post again.

Hi Marilyn,

Did you happen to post those reviews on the 17th of March?  I did two for two different writers on that date, and they didn't appear for them for several days.  Could just be a coincidence, I don't know.

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Dags and Dill have valid points. Maybe just a reminder would be be sufficient, and then if a person doesn't respond, we, as reviewers, don't have to waste our time there. We can move on to those who want and need the reviews.

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29 Reply by dagnee (edited by dagnee 2017-03-29 17:08:17)

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Right now, we can delete any review we want from our work and it disappears from the reviewer's review list. So...even though you're required to answer before you can post, I think people will just delete the review if they don't want to take the time to respond and want to post. If we instituted that rule would it work with the delete review function? And if it doesn't, would you have to take that function away? I really like that function, it gets rid of unhelpful reviews.
Even if you took away the delete the review function, all a writer has to do is delete the work and repost it.
The best way to deal with it is just ignore those who can't be bothered to respond, IMO.
smile

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Randall Krzak wrote:

Hi Marilyn,

Did you happen to post those reviews on the 17th of March?  I did two for two different writers on that date, and they didn't appear for them for several days.  Could just be a coincidence, I don't know.

Good Lord, Randall.  I can't remember what I did today, much less on the 17th of March!  LOL!  None of the reviews I referred to were done by me on the 17th of March.  The dates are varied.

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Hi folks. I'm not crazy about the idea that you must respond to a review before being able to post again. If I write a review and get no response or recip, I assume the writer doesn't want to start a TNBW "relationship" with me and move on. The site certainly has enough talented and generous writers to make up for the rare snub. Not responding may not be great etiquette, but that's certainly within a member's right. No point in trying to force courtesy out of people.

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I don't see a huge problem here. You review, expecting feedback; when you don't get it, you move on and forget about that author. No big deal. Coercion is not the answer, in my view.

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33 Reply by njc

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Just the alert on the main page should do, I think.

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34 Reply by j p lundstrom (edited by j p lundstrom 2017-03-29 14:54:30)

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njc wrote:

Just the alert on the main page should do, I think.

My personal home page is all I ever see when I log in. I spent a few minutes looking for a reminder about on-site courtesy without success. I re-read the member agreement and found no reference to replies. It isn't as easy to find as you suggest.

Be that as it may, you can't force people to do the polite thing. Adding more rules won't fix ugly. We'll just have to quit reviewing the works of writers who don't respond to our reviews. And maybe they are trying to let the reviewer know they don't want to hear from him/her again. Who knows what makes a person do what they do?

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35 Reply by njc

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That's the page I mean.  Have the unread reviews line double for unreplied when there are none unread.  Maybe turn the icon orange, too.

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jack the knife wrote:

I don't see a huge problem here. You review, expecting feedback; when you don't get it, you move on and forget about that author. No big deal. Coercion is not the answer, in my view.

There's no more coercion involved here than putting out a story looking for a review and then not responding. The story itself is a form of coercion for the reviewer -- and for anyone who thinks the points is payment in full, perhaps you'll loan me a few million bucks and I'll promise to pay you back someday with no interest.
Like I've stated before, it's not a big deal for me if they don't respond since I automatically don't review the offenders again, but if you want to talk about no "big deal" then you might also say it's no "big deal" for the folks to click on the response to let the reviewer know they have at least seen the review and then no one is waiting around to see if they are dealing with someone they wish to continue reviewing. The reviewer is not a guilty party here, the non-responder is to those fair souls who have a bit more tolerance for that sort of thing than I do.
I have another not so politically correct suggestion: Create a more even playing field by posting in big red letters on the front page the names of those who do not respond so that others have the option to opt out before wasting their time on a review. You don't want to respond, you are not seeking reviews. Put it in bright lights. Take care. Vern

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jack the knife wrote:

I don't see a huge problem here. You review, expecting feedback; when you don't get it, you move on and forget about that author. No big deal. Coercion is not the answer, in my view.

Fully agree.

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jack the knife wrote:

I don't see a huge problem here. You review, expecting feedback; when you don't get it, you move on and forget about that author. No big deal. Coercion is not the answer, in my view.


I'm not asking for anyone to be MADE to be polite.  I'm asking if anyone IS polite.  My purpose of posting this to begin with is because I've been away for a long period of time due to my husband's illness and subsequent death, and it appears the landscape has changed in many ways in my absence.  I simply wanted to know if anyone else had a 40% no-response number similar to mine.  We're all smart enough to know not to review the non-responders again, but the final decision will be Sol's.  I can live with either choice he makes.  Some people need to be reminded to be nice, but if Sol chooses to leave it as it is now, I'm okay with that, too. 

Thanks to everyone for your responses. 

Peace to all.

MJ

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39 Reply by njc

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A lot of people may be heavily committed in recip relationships.  If they look at your work and decide they have nothing to offer it, they might choose not to waste your time as well as theirs.

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njc wrote:

A lot of people may be heavily committed in recip relationships.  If they look at your work and decide they have nothing to offer it, they might choose not to waste your time as well as theirs.

So what's the point? Say I receive 100 reviews from different people and I don't care to start another recip relationship, then I simply click the response box and say "Thank you for the review. My plate is full and I can't take on any further reviews at this time." Now, yes, it might take you a few seconds to type that the first time, but once you've done so, you can simply copy it and paste it in all the rest. Conversely just type an X in each response and the message should be clear. Oh, wow, in either case that took about five minutes of my precious time to inform 100 people I don't want to be bothered. Maybe I should just post at the beginning of all my work that I'm not interested in any more reviews and save all that wasted time. Oh no, another five seconds wasted. Take care. Vern

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Hi, I joined in February this year so I'm definitely one of the new people. Since then, I've received 9 in-line reviews and done 17. I have also received six regular reviews and done 0. The reviews I've given have not always been for the same people who reviewed my work. Sometimes I looked at someone's writing and didn't resonate with it. I felt I wouldn't be able to do it justice. I've discovered that once I've "Applied" someone's input and pushed that button, the review with their comments and my reply is gone, deleted I'm guessing. I assume I thanked each person. All but one of the reviews listed on my table are marked "yes" under Reply so I'm guessing I owe jack the knife an apology.

My available time for writing IS precious! As it is, too often I have to sneak 20 minutes here, half an hour there. I admit I haven't taken adequate time to learn how to use this site. Normally, I do not make time for blogging like this, but I was moved by the fact that Marilyn Johnson has been short-changed in responses. I have greatly appreciated everyone who has reviewed my writing!! Marilyn has been extra generous, offering additional information such as links and professional-level advice. I've taken time to give due consideration to everyone's input.

Two things I'd like to bring up:
1. People who don't review are losing out on an incredible learning opportunity. I've discovered reviewing other people's work has trained my inner ear and eye like nothing else.
2. I wonder if all of those whose writing I've reviewed appreciate my work. I sense that most of them would rather not receive 40 editing suggestions from a nobody like me. (They don't realize that, the more I'm into someone's work, the more time I take getting down and dirty with it.) Meanwhile, I find the number of comments required to earn points to be less than minimal. How many people on the site merely want a place to post their writing and have it read? I've wondered if a new group for people who want to get into the hard work of developing their writing craftsmanship is called for. I came up with Heavy Editing for a name. My husband suggested Extreme Editing.

Anyway, this site may not be what it used to be, but it's all I've got (besides my once-a-month in-person writing group). Sharing the fate of necromancers, it is a lonely life, the way of the writer.

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Karen, would you be surprised if I told you that input from someone new is one of the best things to get. I've found that as my writing skills progressed I've managed to slide right past glaring errors in my own work. A new set of eyes might have caught it.

Don't feel as if nobody appreciates your reviews. I, for one, value any one I receive. It might just be the one review that triggers a whole new train of thought into my plot, or if you can't understand something, then I didn't explain it properly.

Jump right in and start swimming. We've all done it. The water is fine.

Bill

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Karen Louise van Kriedt wrote:

Hi, I joined in February this year so I'm definitely one of the new people.

Sometimes I looked at someone's writing and didn't resonate with it.
I'm guessing I owe jack the knife an apology.
My available time for writing IS precious!
Two things I'd like to bring up:
1. People who don't review are losing out on an incredible learning opportunity.
2. I wonder if all of those whose writing I've reviewed appreciate my work.
Anyway, this site may not be what it used to be, but it's all I've got.

Welcome to the site, Karen! You may be new, but I'd say you've got us figured out. We all have lives to live, and the time spent on reviewing is precious. That's why we appreciate sincere responses when we review someone's work.  JP

P. S. Don't worry about Jack--he's used to us.

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Ha!

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