Let's relax rules and encourage more discussion!

Discussion in 'Support & Feedback' started by je33ie, Jun 26, 2010.

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  1. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Does seriously demented count?
     
  2. Nervous1st

    Nervous1st New Member

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    Can I make a suggestion? You mentioned that the software cannot distinguish between a basic reply and a full critique. I joined another forum recently in the name of research and due to the sensitive nature of the topics, a new poster was required to post 5 times before they were given access to other areas of the forum. Once you met the minimum number of posts a moderator contacted you privately, within 48 hours to personally welcome you and outline the site rules etc.

    Perhaps a new member cannot post in the review room until they have been contact by a moderator. I know this would create extra work for you but it would be no more that scanning the boards and having to lock threads.

    I had this same problem when I first started, but it’s really no excuse. Although I’m not an experience writer, I am a reader and from that point, I have a lot to offer in terms of a constructive review. I can comment on pace and character development for example, even if I can’t give advice on the more technical aspects.

    If the standard of review is poor then chances are the standard of the writing is poor. If you can't offer another member a constructive review how on earth are you going to read and fix your own work? There is nothing worse that browsing the boards only to find every post beginning with:

    ‘I know the spelling and grammar needs work, but here’s my draft...’
    ‘Sorry it’s rough, but can you tell me what you think....’

    I can tell you now, the minute I open a post and realise that they haven’t proofread their own work or they haven’t contributed anything in other threads, I don’t waste my time. The way I see it, a serious writer would want to learn how to review effectively.

    I also think it's equally important that the writer offer feedback on the reviews they've been given. Not only is it polite to acknowledge someone’s time and effort, it gives the reviewer direction and confidence in reviewing other work.
     
  3. JessaNova

    JessaNova New Member

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    Yeah, I understand that. It can be a pain in the ass to sit there and go through what others have said, then trying to put something different... then it's like, "Hmm... well what do I say then?" If everything has all been said... all you can do is explain that the other people are right because of this or that.

    It's a fair rule, it's just common sense to read the rules before posting. Getting your thread locked is your own fault.
     
  4. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Try not looking at the other critiques first.

    Now, perhaps there are obvious flaws that pop out at you. If tat's the case, it doesn't hurt that you see the same problems as someone else. It truly means that these are issues the writer MUST deal with first.

    But give yourself a chance. Read the piece. Then close your eyes and think about what you have read. Then read it again. What is the weakest component?

    The more often you critique, the more likely you are to notice something that no one else has mentioned.

    AFTER you write your critique, look at what other people noticed. That's a great time to find new aspects to look for.

    If you don't think there is anything you can contribute because many others have already commented, it probably means you still have much to learn about critiquing.
     
  5. Peerie Pict

    Peerie Pict Contributor Contributor

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    I think most people would have something new to add to a discussion on someone's work. Everyone has different strengths so I can't imagine an "it has all been said" scenario. From what I've seen, most work posted for critiques don't get that many responses. It takes a bit of effort to constructively critique so anything that encourages critiquing is a good thing.
     
  6. Manav

    Manav New Member

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    I would just say that the way I write, edit, and read my own work has changed beyond recognition (in a good way) since I joined this forum, (and might I add, the only such forum I have joined so far). I give full credit to the mods who forced me to review other's work. Now I enjoy reviewing (I can only hope my critiques are helpful, though :))
     
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