My First Use of the AW Ignore List

dgiharris · Aug 23, 2009

Well I'm not exactly sure how the Ignore list works. Hopefully, it means after entering their name, I will never hear from this person again or see any posting from them.

THere was a Newbie (who shall remain nameless lest I conjure the vile beast up) who posted in the SYW 4 months ago. Long story short, he has 4 posts in four months and was annoyed that I didn't critique his story. I got a random PM from him a month ago and of course by then I'd long since forgetton about him until I got another PM yesterday and today (of course he is still at 4 posts)

So my rant/vent is that it seems that many people think AW is their personal editing service. I feel that AW is a great community of writers. Key word being COMMUNITY. Community means you have to help, put some work in to build up the very resources that you will one day use.

Of course, there is no 'rule' that states you should help others in order to recieve help yourself. But I feel that there doesn't have to be a rule, that it is just common sense.

Personally, i've noticed a trend on AW over my brief 3 year stint here.

I've noticed that people who get involved, do critiques, read the Uncle Jim's thread, post their opinions every now and then on the writing related topic of the day/week/month, and generally put effort into AW vastly improve in their writing.

Conversely, I've noticed that people who don't critique, don't get involved, don't even know where the Uncle Jim's thread is, etc. etc. pretty much don't improve and just sorta repeat the same mistakes...

Of course, we are all at different levels and need different things from AW. Likewise, not everyone can make the same level or types of contributions... But hopefully you get what I'm saying.

*sigh*

Sorry to rant. This newbie just bugged the hell outta me and i'm not the type of person to keep things bottled up. I like to write it out, exorcise the demons, and then move on.

Many of you know me as happy-go-lucky Mel :snoopy:

.

Not angry-full-of-wrath-and-vengeance Mel :rant:

. That guy's no fun.

End Rant.

Mel...

p.s. I sent him a message detailing my problems with him along with solutions he can take to become a better AW member.

MacAllister · Aug 23, 2009

There, there, Mel.

I hear ya. We take as much out of an education as we're willing to bring to the experience. If we don't bring our energy, attention, and sweat? Then we're not going to get much, either.

And people who don't plan to give any energy back find in short order that everyone else gets sick of being used.

BarkingPup · Aug 23, 2009

Well, I don't fully understand the circumstances (why did he PM you about not critting? Did he want you in particular? Did you say you would and didn't?) but it's probably none of my business anyways... and right after posting this I shall reread yer post and realize I've made a huge literary oopsie... but that's normal.

Hopefully, it's the last time you use the function. I, too, may be new and more of a lurker but I've inhabited forums for many years now and have, in theory, ironed out my newness.

I do understand what yer getting at. A community is a wonderful thing but people need to contribute... or at least read stuff and improve... You did deal with the situation very level-headed and maturely, though, so in a way you did contribute by not making a snit

I have seen waaaay too many communities become holes of rants and piles of insults when someone doesn't just let it drop.

So, congratulations on making AW a better place!

(not mocking or anything, actually pretty serious. Just trying to make something bad and depressing into something good and happy... albeit a strange way, possibly cliched, but I gave it my best shot)

dgrintalis · Aug 23, 2009

Just in case you need one, Mel.

Wayne K · Aug 23, 2009

I've been tempted, but haven't used the ignore feature yet. I hear you on this though. I've seen people post chapter after chapter and then disappear.

On a side note, I was hoping to be the first person you put on ignore

Wayne K · Aug 23, 2009

Hello?

dgiharris · Aug 23, 2009

BarkingPup said:
Well, I don't fully understand the circumstances (why did he PM you about not critting? Did he want you in particular? Did you say you would and didn't?) but it's probably none of my business anyways...

No worries. The super basic story. I asked him to format his story so I could read it better before I would critique it and he did not do so, thus I did not critique his story. No harm no foul, until he started PM'ing me. At first I had no idea who he was since it was so long ago and I critique a lot of stories (see my post history in SYW).

ANyways, I take critiques seriously and put in 15 - 45 minutes per critique since I like to do line-by-lines. Thus, for me a critique is not a trivial thing. Not to say I avoid newbies, I don't. But i've learned to look for certain 'signs' of the here today gone tomorrow newbie. And when newbies don't do their profiles, don't post daily/weekly, and only log in once a week or so, those are signs for me that say this person probably won't last through the month.

Of course, some people are lurkers which is fine and others only use AW weekly which is fine as well.

Anyways, i'm babbling. That is/was the story.

Wayne K said:
I've been tempted, but haven't used the ignore feature yet. I hear you on this though. I've seen people post chapter after chapter and then disappear.
On a side note, I was hoping to be the first person you put on ignore

Wayne K said:
Hello?

LOL Smart Ass

dgrintalis said:
Just in case you need one, Mel.

Actually, this is the real reason I posted this, to get a hug from you

Mel...

Samantha's_Song · Aug 23, 2009

I've put one or two people onto ignore in my time here, but there's something really inquisitive in me and it only lasts for a day or so, sometimes only an hour, and then I take them off again.

Samantha's_Song · Aug 23, 2009

I'd better give you a hug too then, otherwise I'll be on ignore. :Hug2:

dgrintalis · Aug 23, 2009

dgiharris said:
Actually, this is the real reason I posted this, to get a hug from you

Mel...

Well, in that case, here's another one.

Wayne K · Aug 23, 2009

It's like an AA meeting in here. :Hug2:

CACTUSWENDY · Aug 24, 2009

You know Mel. You really should learn how to speak out and get stuff off your chest. lol

Hugs to you..........(((((((((((((YOU_)))))))))))

Marian Perera · Aug 24, 2009

dgiharris said:
p.s. I sent him a message detailing my problems with him along with solutions he can take to become a better AW member.

I hope he'll take it to heart and learn to contribute. I also get annoyed when someone doesn't get involved in the community, much less offer feedback to others, but consistently requests crits.

If this is a hugging session, I'll hug you too.

KTC · Aug 24, 2009

Sorry you have an assfinger on your tail, Mel.

Maybe you should take him off ignore so that you can see his future notes to you and REPORT THEM if they become violent or insulting...so that this person can get banned as deserved.

dpaterso · Aug 24, 2009

I just write their name then score a line through it. Same feeling of satisfaction.

-Derek

KTC · Aug 24, 2009

dpaterso said:
I just write their name then score a line through it. Same feeling of satisfaction.

-Derek

Is that right, ~~dpaterso~~? I gotta try me dat.

Prozyan · Aug 24, 2009

Wayne K said:
Hello?

Shut up, Wayne. Yer on ignore.

Kenzie · Aug 24, 2009

I've noticed this happening a bit too and I almost wonder whether some rule should be instigated, like you must do 2 critiques before you post something yourself. A lot of online and real-life critique groups do this and it seems to work well.

Puma · Aug 24, 2009

I've had newbies pm me for full beta reads because they liked what I'd done in SYW - newbies with almost no post history, no crits to their credit, not even any prior dialogue exchange in threads I was in, and not astute enough to notice I don't usually read the genre they were writing.

I wish there was some way to get newcomers to read just one sticky about how AW works. But I know - pipe dream. Puma

CaroGirl · Aug 24, 2009

Aw, Mel, that sucks. Some time ago I had a dude who was trailing me around SYW (and other forums) making strange comments to my posts. I reported said dude and he went away. I didn't put him on ignore (haven't used that function yet) but I might have if he hadn't got lost when he did.

Please don't let one bad apple stop you from critiquing in SYW. Your crits are valuable and you're definitely a well respected member of that forum, and the AW community as a whole.

scarletpeaches · Aug 24, 2009

dpaterso said:
I just write their name then score a line through it. Same feeling of satisfaction.

-Derek

I just shell out a few notes to have them kneecapped. Makes me feel better.

jclarkdawe · Aug 24, 2009

I always liked the person who PMed me to do a critique, which I did in my usual pleasant way. For some reason that I can't understand, she felt I was being sarcastic. Ah well, there's one born every minute and sometimes I'm it.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

Cyia · Aug 24, 2009

Puma said:
I've had newbies pm me for full beta reads because they liked what I'd done in SYW - newbies with almost no post history, no crits to their credit, not even any prior dialogue exchange in threads I was in, and not astute enough to notice I don't usually read the genre they were writing.

Ditto. And it's one reason I haven't done any crits in SYW in a while. I don't mind someone whom I've done a line by line crit PMing to say "I've revised my post, would you take a look" - that at least means they listened to the suggestions and made an effort to improve their work, but when I get the fly by comments from people I don't recognize it comes off weird and usually rude.

I think the winner has to be someone who sent me a message to the effect of "well, I've looked at what everyone said and liked yours the best, so if you could read the whole MS..." He thought for some reason that giving a crit of one short chapter equated to a desire to read the whole book. Granted, this was a new writer and he wasn't familiar with the way the board worked, but still.

There should be a sticky reading test new members have to pass before they can post. Read the stickies and then you have to get at least a "D+" on the test or else, you have to read them again

Yes? No?

Why do I hear crickets chirping?

Puma · Aug 24, 2009

I like your test idea, Cyia. And yes, I've had that - I liked your crit best experience too. I don't mind doing some beta reads, but I usually do it in a trade and with people whose opinions I value from experiences in SYW or in a variety of the AW forums. Puma

James81 · Aug 24, 2009

Puma said:
I've had newbies pm me for full beta reads because they liked what I'd done in SYW - newbies with almost no post history, no crits to their credit, not even any prior dialogue exchange in threads I was in, and not astute enough to notice I don't usually read the genre they were writing.

I wish there was some way to get newcomers to read just one sticky about how AW works. But I know - pipe dream. Puma

I think these people exist to teach us what it's like to be an agent/publisher. How you felt about these people are probably the same way agents feel when they get queries that show the querier didn't get to know their agency a little bit before submitting.

So, in other words, there's something to learn from these people.

I don't post much in SYW, but when I do, I usually feel like I should probably crit some stuff there. So I'll post my bit and then go do a crit or two just to balance things out in my own little corner of the universe.

Which reminds me, I posted a query letter recently and didn't do that. Maybe I should. :tongue

My First Use of the AW Ignore List

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