Fanfiction.net petition Successful!

[Meluivan Indil]

Well it looks like it was a success. As some of you know I started a petition at ffnet to try to get the review responses ban at ffnet lifted. Well it looks as if we have had a partial victory. A compromise has been reached.

I am not sure if the petition itself helped to bring this compromise about, considering the fact that ffnet never responded to my emails, but this is a copy of the latest update on thier home page.

November 21st, 2005 -- New features added.
Private Messaging: Registered members can now message each other without revealing or needing one's email address. Messaging link is displayed at the top of every member profile. Messages are delivered via email like our review alert system.


Review Reply: Authors may now reply to signed reviews via a link provided in updated review alert or using the "reply" link displayed next to each signed review. Please note the reply is not displayed on the site but emailed to the reviewer. Only one reply is allowed per signed review.

Putting "review responses" within story chapters is now unncessary and more importantly, not allowed.

Well I'm not so sure I like the way they stated that last sentence, but at least they finally made a formal decision and stated it.

I only see one problem with their new system. There is no way to reply to an anonymous review. Which means flamers will get away with murder, and the author can't even respond at all. Their only recourse will be to delete the review. I personally never deleted a review before. I always responded to the flamers basically ripping their review apart and being kind and curteous as I did it. But this will not be allowed anymore.

But even though there is a flaw, at least they have made it possible to respond. I will be mailing an update to everyone who signed the petition so everyone is informed. I don't want anyone to get their accounts suspended because they didn't notice the update.

Thanks to all of you who signed the petition. I think I am right in saying that we all made a difference.

And I guess some of you are probably wondering what this means for Novicewriters.net. Honestly it doesn't change a thing as far as I'm concerned. I created this site so people would have a place to go and talk to friends, get thier stories and artwork seen and basically feel like they belonged to a community of fellow writers and artists.

I think I have accomplished that and am just as dedicated to making this site grow, but keeping it the way I intended to begin with.

So I am glad that ffnet has improved thier review response system, but my first responsibility is to the members of this site, and will remain so in the years to come.

So with that said, the floor is open for discussion.

M.

[Anime Monster]

Well, while I'm glad ff.net has that new system, not that I've seen it yet (haven't been on ff.net directly for awhile...well okay I was on today looking for a story that had an old link that wasn't updated, didn't even finish reading it, though).

While I'm glad ff.net has the new system, let's try this again, I'm still not posting new stories or replies there until they shape up. Personally, I agree, not allowing a writer to respond to anyomous reviews or members who are just to lazy to sign in? That totally sucks. Half my reviewers are either anyomous or members to lazy to sign in and I would still like to tell them that I do indeed read their reviews and that they do mean something to me.

While ff.net seems to think that their site should be impersonal (if they truly wanted that they should get rid of reviewing completely) then they don't realize that writing is a really personal activity. When a writer writes they are giving a piece of their soul to readers, even if that soul is fan fiction.

Personally, I don't think I'll ever use ff.net again, and to think, there was once a time I had a love affair with that site.

[LadyRiona]

Whoo! That's so neat. I noticed the little review button in the reviews in my email box before they put the announcement on the board, so it was like "the heckers?" But then I figured it out and I replied to my first review tonight (even though it's been up a couple days).

But I still like the old ways, and completely agree that the flamers will get away with a lot more now. And, since it seems that they don't reply very often, we can't do much reporting them, can we? That'll suck. I, personally, have only received one flame. And that was on a story that I agree now, really sucked. Grammar was horrible in it, and it was a cliche fic. I have received a neutral review, as well, and emailed that person about why they thought what they posted about it.

I think we should try to contact FF.net about the flamers, and what we can do about them. Because some of them are really mean. I have heard about some really nasty ones that are personally offending. So, yeah, I'd like to help with that, if you decide to try something about it. I know that some flames, the personally offending ones, can really damage someone and I'd like to try to prevent that.

Okay...was that a soap box for Al?

[Meluivan Indil]

Actually I still post my stories there in hopes of people reading my profile and seeing that I have my own site. Thats a decent way to draw more members here, even though I don't personally like the way their site is run.

And Ladyriona they also have a new support center, where you can send support requests. I eventually will go ahead and mention the flamers problem there, but I want to wait a little bit. I don't want to be labled as a complainer or a troublemaker over there. I'm sure they are going to keep an eye on me since I started that petition.

But anyway, I have recieved a few nasty flames myself, which I didn't think I deserved. And of course most of them were anonymous, or the person didn't have an email listed. So yes it can become a problem. To me it's not that bad a problem, because I've learned to be thick skinned about it. But some people aren't all that tolerant, and it can really upset them.

I personally won't submit an anonymous review. I figure if I am brave enought to critisize someone, that they deserve the chance to critisize me right back. Honestly I've never written a negative review. I've suggested that some people use a beta before, but that's the worst thing I've ever said. With that in mind I allow anonymous reviews on this site, but I also have a log of all reviewers ip addresses and can ban them if I need to. So if any of the jerks who just like to be mean start reviewing here, I can boot them easily.

I know that may sound rude of me, but if they are just here to try and hurt my members they don't belong on this site, and I won't tolerate it.

[LadyRiona]

*claps*

Then you have your mods to help you with that.

I have never written a flame before, either. I've point out plot holes, some negative grammar and ordinary errors for the sake of helping them. I also would put a note like, "I'm not trying to flame you. If you took it that way, I apologize" so they don't like, get their panties in a bunch over some constructive criticism. It just isn't in me to flame a story. If I don't like it, I don't read it. I don't go and say, "Hey this story is crap, give up writing" just because they need some work. Then there's always going to be stories we just don't like. Some people don't like a lot of romance; some don't like angst. Don't read it. lol

M: you, a trouble maker? Never. You're just trying to help!

I still post on FF.net because it's the place I get the most feedback. MM.org doesn't review very often. No one on FM-A.com reads my stuff because I don't know anyone up there. And I'm just a slow updater here. xD I don't think I'll stop posting on FF.net unless they do something really upsetting to me, like delete my story. I've worked hard on that, and put a lot into it. For it to be deleted would just set me over and I'd boycott. Happily.

[Anime Monster]

I've never gotten a negative review, but I've gotten lots of neutral ones. When I review I go by the "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." Sometimes I'll find a good plot with horrid grammer and spelling and despite wanting to praise the plot I have to, or I feel like I'm doing a disservice, point out the horrible mistakes. I also appoligize for saying those things citing that I can't give someone a "big head."

But still, even though I've never gotten a flame I know it's only a matter of time. You can't please everyone after all.

[Meluivan Indil]

I have gotten a couple of bad ones. I had one person tell me that I should give up writing and stay a fat housewife.

And I also had one tell me that he didn't care if the main character shagged the girl to death, just as long as they shagged soon. And what's bad is that I had stated in at least three different chapters that it was not a romance, just friendship. Some people are just so rude.

I'm just lucky that I have a way of telling people off that doesn't sound like I'm telling them off. So flames don't bother me at all. But I can't do that at ffnet anymore. It's dissapointing.

M.