Publicly Insulted for Suggesting Writer Use Paragraphing
Oct 10, 2023 12:13:51 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Oct 10, 2023 12:13:51 GMT -5
Publicly Reprimanded for Suggesting a Writer Use Paragraphing
Yes, I admit it. I did indeed I commit the cardinal sin. I suggested that a story be paragraphed. You see, when a writer posted his or her exceedingly long short story, it was not paragraphed and impossible for me to read. So I considered it my duty to inform the writer that posting stories on the screen in that way made them resemble undecipherable blobs of text.
Next moment the forum's owner was all over me reprimanding me for having told that writer such a horribly rude thing. Fearing getting banned, I apologized for my supposed indiscretion after she publicly warned me very sternly not to ever dare do it again. Yes, of course I was embarrassed. So to prevent a repeat, I decided to offer no further suggestions. Instead, if unable to read an unparagraphed text, I would transfer the stories to my word processor and paragraph them myself.
That's when I noticed that lack of paragraphing was not the only flaw. Sometimes the stories would also be shot through with run-on sentences, a total lack of punctuation, and totally a nonsensical use of English which rendered many of the passages nonsensical. So I was forced to ignore those as well.
But then I began noticing that these compositions were repeatedly being rated as Great and in some cases, even as Awesome. Now, in contrast, and very surprisingly, stories that were indeed worthy of the Awesome Rating, were being systematically relegated to either good or else maybe great. But never as Awesome. Neither were comments of appreciation offered the truly awesome stories. In fact, some remained unrated, whereas the ones that were shot to hell with mistakes, were being praised to high-heaven. So I gradually began to realize that this forum was rather strange in very special sorts of ways.
Now, egged by a sense of responsibility, I did attempt to improve the situation by suggesting that a separate section be set aside for writers who wanted to receive critical helpful feedback in order to improve their writing skills.
Well, the suggestion was immediately unceremoniously rejected. I was told that the purpose of the forum was not to provide nor receive constructive criticism. That the purpose was to provide a haven for writers that they could call home and not feel unwelcomed, and that my suggestion would make writers feel unwelcomed.
Having been told that, of course, I did not insist. Yet, it irked me to see so many writers being encouraged to continue doing what they were doing. In fact, even the pet writer there, who is skilled and is renown for his prolific imagination, has certain flaws in his writing that he needs advice on, but which he cannot receive there because of the forum policy.
Well, in time, the situation began getting on my nerves, and, so assuming that the Two-Star rating was a legitimate option, I began providing stories with the approximate ratings I thought they deserved without ever giving the Poor one-star rating that I considered they really deserved, because such a rating is accompanied by a warning that its usage will invariably arouse suspicions of malice.
Now, this activity, which I had believed totally legal under forum rules, caught the Forum owner's attention. Perhaps because it had been brought to her attention by her pet writer who had ostensibly started complaining to her and other members that his ratings were dropping from Awesome to Great, and vehemently suggesting that the person responsible should be ashamed and receive negative Karma as a consequence!
Well, instead of asking me directly if it was I who was rating them lower, the owner hired a detective to sniff out the culprit at her own financial expense, discovered it was me, and without absolutely no explanation, banned me.
When I asked why, she told me because I was giving Two-Star ratings. Then she angrily called me a Two-Star Bandit. Well, I was banned from the forum when I tried to explain the legitimate reasons for my ratings.
Months later, I joined again thinking I could tolerate the place. But once more I was irked by the ratings and was tagged a two star bandit once more and banned when I refused to continue the charade. But this second time it was for merely having dared to rate two of her pet writer's stories which brought their undeserved awesome rating down to Great. Which I still thought was too high, but it was what it was.
No, I will never go back, nor do I expect to be permitted to go back even if I wanted to, which is perfectly OK. As far as I am concerned, the forum is simply too detrimental to writers who are gradually lulled into a false sense of greatness, and are in that way being prevented from making any real progress. Yes, feeling good as a writer is a great feeling. But certainly not at that horrible expense!
Next moment the forum's owner was all over me reprimanding me for having told that writer such a horribly rude thing. Fearing getting banned, I apologized for my supposed indiscretion after she publicly warned me very sternly not to ever dare do it again. Yes, of course I was embarrassed. So to prevent a repeat, I decided to offer no further suggestions. Instead, if unable to read an unparagraphed text, I would transfer the stories to my word processor and paragraph them myself.
That's when I noticed that lack of paragraphing was not the only flaw. Sometimes the stories would also be shot through with run-on sentences, a total lack of punctuation, and totally a nonsensical use of English which rendered many of the passages nonsensical. So I was forced to ignore those as well.
But then I began noticing that these compositions were repeatedly being rated as Great and in some cases, even as Awesome. Now, in contrast, and very surprisingly, stories that were indeed worthy of the Awesome Rating, were being systematically relegated to either good or else maybe great. But never as Awesome. Neither were comments of appreciation offered the truly awesome stories. In fact, some remained unrated, whereas the ones that were shot to hell with mistakes, were being praised to high-heaven. So I gradually began to realize that this forum was rather strange in very special sorts of ways.
Now, egged by a sense of responsibility, I did attempt to improve the situation by suggesting that a separate section be set aside for writers who wanted to receive critical helpful feedback in order to improve their writing skills.
Well, the suggestion was immediately unceremoniously rejected. I was told that the purpose of the forum was not to provide nor receive constructive criticism. That the purpose was to provide a haven for writers that they could call home and not feel unwelcomed, and that my suggestion would make writers feel unwelcomed.
Having been told that, of course, I did not insist. Yet, it irked me to see so many writers being encouraged to continue doing what they were doing. In fact, even the pet writer there, who is skilled and is renown for his prolific imagination, has certain flaws in his writing that he needs advice on, but which he cannot receive there because of the forum policy.
Well, in time, the situation began getting on my nerves, and, so assuming that the Two-Star rating was a legitimate option, I began providing stories with the approximate ratings I thought they deserved without ever giving the Poor one-star rating that I considered they really deserved, because such a rating is accompanied by a warning that its usage will invariably arouse suspicions of malice.
Now, this activity, which I had believed totally legal under forum rules, caught the Forum owner's attention. Perhaps because it had been brought to her attention by her pet writer who had ostensibly started complaining to her and other members that his ratings were dropping from Awesome to Great, and vehemently suggesting that the person responsible should be ashamed and receive negative Karma as a consequence!
Well, instead of asking me directly if it was I who was rating them lower, the owner hired a detective to sniff out the culprit at her own financial expense, discovered it was me, and without absolutely no explanation, banned me.
When I asked why, she told me because I was giving Two-Star ratings. Then she angrily called me a Two-Star Bandit. Well, I was banned from the forum when I tried to explain the legitimate reasons for my ratings.
Months later, I joined again thinking I could tolerate the place. But once more I was irked by the ratings and was tagged a two star bandit once more and banned when I refused to continue the charade. But this second time it was for merely having dared to rate two of her pet writer's stories which brought their undeserved awesome rating down to Great. Which I still thought was too high, but it was what it was.
No, I will never go back, nor do I expect to be permitted to go back even if I wanted to, which is perfectly OK. As far as I am concerned, the forum is simply too detrimental to writers who are gradually lulled into a false sense of greatness, and are in that way being prevented from making any real progress. Yes, feeling good as a writer is a great feeling. But certainly not at that horrible expense!