tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post6095851730141012389..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Blog housekeeping--commentsJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87432296951427969352015-08-15T11:15:01.930-04:002015-08-15T11:15:01.930-04:00I am a newbie here. Am enjoying the comments and t...I am a newbie here. Am enjoying the comments and the personalities and enjoy reading the FF more because of that. Marc Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14655107171881634183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-7544948356665667282015-08-15T10:52:37.912-04:002015-08-15T10:52:37.912-04:00Ginger, I hear ya. My friends and family are suppo...Ginger, I hear ya. My friends and family are supportive, but they don't write and have no idea. I value this site.<br /><br />I say, leave it alone. Don't mess with a good thing. We've been told. We're smart. Most of us know how to skim. Keep the comments short and mostly on topic, we'll be fine.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11543685541225544175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-62547905437621845312015-08-15T07:27:19.622-04:002015-08-15T07:27:19.622-04:00Thanks, Cynthia, and if that memory is part of you...Thanks, Cynthia, and if that memory is part of your FF story, I look forward to reading it. LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70361891573896222242015-08-15T07:15:08.341-04:002015-08-15T07:15:08.341-04:00I'm afraid we'll lose a portion of the fol...I'm afraid we'll lose a portion of the followers if we try to police them too hard. So yes, I think it *is* more complicated than that. Even though, personally, I'm in favour of what Terri said too.Bonnie Shaljeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13067442140631504611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-35597510560564845872015-08-15T07:09:45.292-04:002015-08-15T07:09:45.292-04:00"The solution is to stay on-topic and take pe..."The solution is to stay on-topic and take personal conversations to Facebook or Twitter or email." (Terri Lynn Coup)<br /><br />It just isn't more complicated than that, is it? If we start splitting out the "on subject" comments from the "off topic," it still results in too much scrolling to get to anything meaningful. Stop, scroll, stop, scroll.<br /><br /><br />Susan Bonifanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01140265430286280374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-150083631644173022015-08-15T05:47:57.360-04:002015-08-15T05:47:57.360-04:00One thing that has struck me in recent times is th...<br />One thing that has struck me in recent times is the number of names missing from the comments: people whose posts I used to read regularly, and always enjoyed. The fact that I now see them only rarely - or never - is probably not unrelated to this issue.<br /><br />Two facts seem to have emerged:<br /><br />- Off-topic posts are now a constant part of this blog community, though they have swollen out of proportion, and need some form of limitation.<br /><br />- Whether these are long or short, not everyone wants to read them. Some stay away altogether because of this.<br /><br />Therefore we need some way of organising the comments, if we are to retain everybody's interest and participation. I know I said it before, but I think it bears repeating:<br /><br />Can we find a non-invasive way of categorising or labelling our posts, so that readers can pass by without having to worry they're missing out on related content? I believe a method of screening is the best answer, to allow for individual preferences without excluding anybody. The easiest way seems to be for folks to just type some agreed acronym before their first sentence, if the message that follows is, or relates to, a diversion. <br /><br />And if we did adopt this system, could people please make sure to put any on-subject comments in a separate post from their personal-chat ones?<br /><br />I miss some of the old gang, and am concerned not to lose them permanently. So I hope something can be devised that will lure everyone back, without alienating anyone else. This has been an incredibly rewarding blog entry (by which I mean Janet's original *and* all the feedback). Fingers crossed for a constructive outcome!<br />Bonnie Shaljeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13067442140631504611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-73624187762656180002015-08-15T04:18:12.108-04:002015-08-15T04:18:12.108-04:00@lynnrodz I'm glad you didn't delete your ...@lynnrodz I'm glad you didn't delete your dance comment. It was lovely and "it was raining here in Paris" gave me a great idea for an opening line and took me back to a rainy Friday the 13th in Paris when a group of us studying in Spain were supposed to meet with our cohorts studying in France and all fly home together only to find they had changed hotels and didn't tell us - and the teachers had all our plane tickets. That was a wild day.CynthiaMchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12175917641033760408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-7131699941625946192015-08-15T02:05:41.680-04:002015-08-15T02:05:41.680-04:00GAH! PLEASE NO DISQUIS. PLEASE. NO. DISQUIS.
The...GAH! PLEASE NO DISQUIS. PLEASE. NO. DISQUIS. <br /><br />The whole point of Blogger is I can sign into my email and be signed in to comment on all Blogger blogs.<br /><br />And this is a service provided to us by Her Sharkiness. It's not her responsibility to provide/install apps to keep the kids in line. <br /><br />If something requires Disquis and its generally junky interface (I don't need another service with all my info that believes I'm a robot,) I just don't comment. <br /><br />The solution is to stay on-topic and take personal conversations to Facebook or Twitter or email. <br /><br />TerriTerri Lynn Coophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07290316565247120848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-54357931182473575552015-08-15T01:52:51.570-04:002015-08-15T01:52:51.570-04:00I've also noticed the comments section growing...I've also noticed the comments section growing longer but had assumed the blog's readership was growing.<br /><br />I read the blog daily and usually scan the comment section for laughs and extra helpful nuggets. But I have been finding it increasingly difficult to follow as a sort of community has developed.<br /><br />I wonder how much trouble it would be to switch to a different comment hosting service? I am not a blogger but I'm at least a little familiar with Disqus and I know it allows responders to nest comments. The ability to respond to each other's comments in such a way, as sub-comments of sorts, would really help keep things in order. Just 2¢ from a regular reader and infrequent commenter. :)Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12797621675670255704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-43802121767119322702015-08-15T00:10:45.131-04:002015-08-15T00:10:45.131-04:00DK: ... and there have probably been more on-topic...DK: ... and there have probably been more on-topic posts for this article than for any other this year. Furthermore, there have been comments from a number of different people, and the comments have generally been short. If 100 different people have something to share about the topic, is it wrong that there are 100 comments?<br /><br />I don't think there's a solution to this that fits everyone. Some people are going to look at the comment count and walk away, even if every comment is good and relevant. That's not wrong, it's just a fact. I'm sure the likes of Chuck Wendig, Neil Gaiman, and others see the same thing on their blogs. As long as Janet's okay, it's her blog, so she sets the rules. As I've said before, we who comment regularly need to not swamp the comments with long OT (Off-Topic) posts, and be mindful of lurkers and less frequent commenters. What else can we do without going where Janet says she doesn't want to go?Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-28361232657541638082015-08-14T23:03:31.353-04:002015-08-14T23:03:31.353-04:00I love the blog, I'm an OG that goes back almo...I love the blog, I'm an OG that goes back almost to the beginning. <br /><br />I love the questions and the discussion on the question and when the OP comes in and talks about how it applies to their situation. <br /><br />I had started opening the comments and giving a 30-second scan, and 9 out of 10 times closing it again. <br /><br />TerriTerri Lynn Coophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07290316565247120848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-28830229729953595222015-08-14T22:51:52.241-04:002015-08-14T22:51:52.241-04:00So, there have been more than 60 responses to this...So, there have been more than 60 responses to this particular post, with a word count of 5,000+. Ah, the irony.DKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16718686831211419521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61880336364177189732015-08-14T21:52:03.742-04:002015-08-14T21:52:03.742-04:00Ginger: I don't think Janet's intention is...Ginger: I don't think Janet's intention is to stop all off-topic conversation. That's not what I get from:<br /><br />"I'm not going to tell you what you can and cannot write (at least not yet) because often when the comment trail goes hilariously, wildly off topic, it's the most fun."<br /><br />I think she just wants us to scale it back somewhat. Certainly I take your point about not allowing the day's topic and comments pertaining to it to get lost in Sea of Carkoon. (Yes there is one. Another time, maybe...)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6883285505192639092015-08-14T21:30:20.327-04:002015-08-14T21:30:20.327-04:00I just wanted to say before going to bed, I was co...I just wanted to say before going to bed, I was contemplating deleting my dance comment, but it wasn't completely OT. Janet has mentioned before her Friday Office Dance Parties and she wrote in the comments here she was at home today so...okay, I'll shut up now. Nite all.LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70693224035609656012015-08-14T21:07:53.891-04:002015-08-14T21:07:53.891-04:00Thanks, Janet, for the housekeeping. While I do ap...Thanks, Janet, for the housekeeping. While I do appreciate we all have personal lives and because we come here daily, becoming familiar with everyone - cyber friends if you will, feel the need, the inclination to share, the expert knowledge and help and people's experiences relating to the topic get lost. Good to nip it in the bud before it get's too out of control!<br /><br />For me, this place is Writer's Home. No one knows what we go through as writers, and none of my 'real' world friends, while supportive, really have any idea. Thank you again, Janet, and thank you all for sharing your experiences.Gingermollymarilynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684318210445109786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-45931981382161753182015-08-14T20:50:42.577-04:002015-08-14T20:50:42.577-04:00Funny how we all take things differently. KD I tho...Funny how we all take things differently. KD I thought your smackdown comment was a hoot. Donna, I get your whole ouch thing too. I'm a Libra, I see both sides, it' s what I do. <br />And Allison, I promise to not be first anymore. I'll actually read before I comment. I'm close to my limit, so night all.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-56192379237572296402015-08-14T20:14:12.779-04:002015-08-14T20:14:12.779-04:00Dena,
Thanks for this! I was under the impression...Dena,<br /><br />Thanks for this! I was under the impression that ARCs handed out in the latter scenario: "agreed in advance that you would do X in exchange for the book." Hence the confusion.(even though I'm also an attorney, I deal more with crimes than with contracts...)<br /><br />And of course...I'm now taking things off track again. Apologies all.<br /><br />Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-44595888349925415552015-08-14T19:27:55.529-04:002015-08-14T19:27:55.529-04:00Megan
Charities often send folks return address l...<br />Megan<br /><br />Charities often send folks return address labels or notepads or other small inexpensive items and then request a donation. Lots of people give a donation because they did receive something of minimal value. But it is NOT required because you did NOT request it, it was not a "bargained for exchange". It was a gift. <br /><br />If you receive a book in the mail with a request to write a review, it is a gift. You are legally under no obligation to write a review. Or return the book. Or anything else for that matter. The book is yours. Any return action on your part is entirely voluntary. <br /><br />If course this does not apply if you agreed in advance that you would do X in exchange for the book. But if all you got was a book and a note that says "this book is yours on condition you write a review", it is a gift since you did not agree to those terms in advance. <br /><br />**not intended as legal advice, especially outside of california**<br />Dena Pawlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14444683810125395220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-37611018252111584382015-08-14T19:27:39.411-04:002015-08-14T19:27:39.411-04:00kdjames: thanks for that. I suppose (again this ...kdjames: thanks for that. I suppose (again this is me, I'm not speaking for the universe) it seemed a little harsh b/c it was linked to "well deserved." <br /><br />I said ouch - out loud - made Little Dog look.<br /><br />Anyway, THIS: "But I'm weird and have a strange sense of humour. <br /><br />Well damn, me too. <br /><br />Donnaevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09026536210749494257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51939948353045770022015-08-14T18:59:56.241-04:002015-08-14T18:59:56.241-04:00I've mostly lurked and not commented. Of late...I've mostly lurked and not commented. Of late, I've just read Janet's blog and not bothered reading any of the comments. It became increasingly difficult to find the posts of substance that added to the topic. I found I could pretty much discount the first half dozen posts as being the 'race to be first'.<br /><br />I shall look forward to reading all your on topic posts from here on in. Whether I actually comment any more remains to be seen. ;)Allison Newchurchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00639341318039077271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-73261601075867304992015-08-14T18:17:45.671-04:002015-08-14T18:17:45.671-04:00*Did any of that make sense?* Did, did, did. I rea...*Did any of that make sense?* Did, did, did. I really need to proof read before hitting publish.<br /><br />Janet, now I find out you were at home instead of dancing at the office this Friday. It was raining here in Paris, so after several hours of writing I thought of your dance session and decided to get up and dance. <br /><br />My husband comes in: "What are you doing?"<br />Me: Janet has a dance party at her office every Friday, so I'm dancing.<br /><br />(He didn't have to ask, "Who's Janet?" One of the reasons why he's a keeper.)<br /><br />Anyway, Barry White's <i>Let The Music Play</i> comes on the Bose, so what does my husband do? He moves the dining room table and chairs and we start dancing. We danced for over an hour. <br /><br />We were ready to quit when Donna Summer's <i>Last Dance</i> came on. We looked at each other and the memory of our disco days came flooding back (we didn't know each other then) but we sure as hell remembered no matter how tired we used to be, when <i>Last Dance</i> came on everyone got up and danced. So, we danced. I guess I'm saying, thank you for the dance.<br />LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-16174656451425134512015-08-14T17:53:13.323-04:002015-08-14T17:53:13.323-04:00Lynn, what you wrote makes total sense! I think we...Lynn, what you wrote makes total sense! I think we feel pretty much the same. (I deleted my previous item because it was in reply to Lynn but cross-posted and got out of sequence... I just love the internet sometimes...)Bonnie Shaljeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13067442140631504611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-47985940114519822152015-08-14T17:45:43.237-04:002015-08-14T17:45:43.237-04:00Donna- words mean different things to different pe...Donna- words mean different things to different people, I guess. For me, calling it the "most tactful smackdown, ever" pretty much mitigated any implied harshness of that word. Because a smackdown, almost by definition, is not tactful, at all. As a true smackdown, this was sorely lacking, which I think was the point. She wasn't trying to shame anyone (well, maybe a little) and I don't think any of us should take it that way. Which is why I thought it was appropriate (and funny) to call it the "most tactful" one, ever. <br /><br />But I'm weird and have a strange sense of humour. Even so, I do understand your objection to the word.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-58724692080622254472015-08-14T17:43:29.945-04:002015-08-14T17:43:29.945-04:00Bonnie, as I've stated earlier, after I commen...Bonnie, as I've stated earlier, after I comment I usually don't come back until late in the evening so I don't want you to think I wasn't replying to what you wrote. <br /><br />Actually, I think we agree more than we disagree. My point was the OT comments have invaded Janet's blog to the point where many people have stopped reading them all together, me included. So when I wrote to you, I was saying no to your suggestion because I felt the OT comments shouldn't be encouraged.<br /><br />Then I thought (Now, keep in mind all these thoughts were happening while I was typing. LOL!) no that's not good because Janet loves the off topic comments. So I added my last paragraph, "But..we need...a middle ground."<br /><br />Didn't any of that make sense? Probably not. As you say, "no one answer is ever going to be right for everybody."<br />LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1909627385559745182015-08-14T17:37:55.057-04:002015-08-14T17:37:55.057-04:00
I admit I was starting to feel there was too much...<br />I admit I was starting to feel there was too much to invest in daily. Glad to see a shortening of the reins. I am guilty of heading off the reservation on occasion, but welcome a more focused trail.<br />french sojournhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14262858704848580714noreply@blogger.com