Is SH becoming toxic? Or is it the situation of the current readers?

[kinoya]

"...it is lying with tags it's like asking for 1 star review bombing"

This is the comment on the first chapter of a novel, that has only 4 chapters. I am not sure about how many words it has, but it would be no more than 8 k in those first four chapters.
It is a smut, and first four chapters of the novel is totally just a explicit relationship growth between FMC and ML(I guess).
I have no idea what the story is going, neither the author has talked about it in the first four chapters.
Now, the question is it really necessary to review bomb it, if the story doesn't justify the tags?

I am 10 chapters kind of guy, but I understand there might me some story that would develop slow at the beginning. Why do the readers feel that you need to establish everything in just 4 chapters?

I am a lurker. But in every month I would notice one or two post from forum telling, that they had argument with someone of the forum or on the comment section of the story, and the other party or parties would review bomb their story.

I thought that only happens at royal road. It is spreading here too?

Why I am talking about it? I have seen far too many stories that had gotten love and then such incident would happen and the writer would give up. Or won't continue.

Some of you will say that if they can't take the pressure of the criticism, should just give up. I support that argument. Many of the new author are weak or too lazy, or think their story is the best. They should be criticized.

But it is also true that these review bombing logic doesn't work either. I can understand you might not like the story after reading the first chapter, then you shouldn't read. But that doesn't gives you right a review on a novel, that haven't even develop yet.

So, I vented a little too much. I just want to hear your opinions.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

Imma tell you that only a fraction of SH users are active here in Forum.

As for review bombing, can't help it. You may ask the owner and lone active mod, Tony, for him to look at the 'unfair rating/review', but we can't do so much about the nitpickers and RR connoisseurs who came here and think they own the place. The only way forward is to keep writing.

Well, it's not like I don't understand where you are coming from. I was once like you and many other new peeps; easily discouraged whenever we received negative feedback, and delete my work to start over again.

However, if we want to get into this hobby, we have to adapt to the 'assholes' giving us bad ratings and revs. I did it by changing my goals why I write. Before, I want to be famous and monetize content. Nowadays? I want to complete any story I wrote with TLC.

Any disparaging comments I receive would be measured against my standards/goals in feedback; useless ones get thrown out or ignored.

Hopefully, you'll continue writing if this is what you want to do as hobby. You'll eventually get used to it.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

It is justifiable to give a story 1 star for wrong tags. Also, the person who left this message didn't say anything about review bombing anything themselves. I see it as a warning for a new author.

 

[kinoya]

As for review bombing, can't help it. You may ask the owner and lone active mod, Tony, for him to look at the 'unfair rating/review', but we can't do so much about the nitpickers and RR connoisseurs who came here and think they own the place. The only way forward is to keep writing.

I am neither the writer, neither I want to do anything about it. It is as you have said, the author have to write through it. But Reviewbombing is pretty lame.

It is justifiable to give a story 1 star for wrong tags. Also, the person who left this message didn't say anything about review bombing anything themselves. I see it as a warning for a new author.

Don't you think 4 chapters and with just 3-4 characters it is practically impossible to confirm that if the tag was lie or not? I had read through it. I have to say that the story have chance to go either way

 

[Corty]

Please, Crossposting to multiple sites taught me one thing:

SH is the least toxic of them all.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

I am neither the writer, neither I want to do anything about it. It is as you have said, the author have to write through it. But Reviewbombing is pretty lame.

Tis lame, I agree. But well, this is the internet, lotsa lame peeps.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Don't you think 4 chapters and with just 3-4 characters it is practically impossible to confirm that if the tag was lie or not? I had read through it. I have to say that the story have chance to go either way

It is not impossible at all. Some people use the bare minimum of tags, and don't include certain ones that can deserve 1 star. Rape, same sex relationship, and so on. You can see it in the first couple of chapters. Also, I still think it's a warning rather than a 'threat'. If this novel was one of those that have the bare minimum of tags, it makes sense why this person left a comment like that.

 

[kinoya]

It is not impossible at all. Some people use the bare minimum of tags, and don't include certain ones that can deserve 1 star. Rape, same sex relationship, and so on. You can see it in the first couple of chapters. Also, I still think it's a warning rather than a 'threat'. If this novel was one of those that have the bare minimum of tags, it makes sense why this person left a comment like that.

Okay, that is understandable. I might even have given 1 star for that purpose. But, the guy posted it because he felt that one of the tag he was using was extra.

Let's say, there was a same-sex relationship tag, but there was nothing about it in the first four chapters. So, he did the deed. That is why it irked me.

Please, Crossposting to multiple sites taught me one thing:

SH is the least toxic of them all.

As a reader, I would say, AO3 is the least toxic one with SH in close second.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Okay, that is understandable. I might even have given 1 star for that purpose. But, the guy posted it because he felt that one of the tag he was using was extra.

Let's say, there was a same-sex relationship tag, but there was nothing about it in the first four chapters. So, he did the deed.

This can also deserve a 1 star. It's called baiting. You bait audience into reading your story with tags that has nothing to do with a story. This one is a lot more tricky though, and I agree that you can't know if the tag will be present in the novel or not after only 4 chapters. There is no way to deal with it though. You can try including warnings in synopsis, but it won't solve all problems.

 

[kinoya]

This can also deserve a 1 star. It's called baiting. You bait audience into reading your story with tags that has nothing to do with a story. This one is a lot more tricky though, and I agree that you can't know if the tag will be present in the novel or not after only 4 chapters. There is no way to deal with it though. You can try including warnings in synopsis, but it won't solve all problems.

that is for the new writers to think about.

I am just rumbling, but it is like these guys had never brought a book of unknown writer and read it.
Okay, I have rumbled enough. Back to lurker mode.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

that is for the new writers to think about.

I am just rumbling, but it is like these guys had never brought a book of unknown writer and read it.
Okay, I have rumbled enough. Back to lurker mode.

?‍

As for your question in the title of the thread, no. SH isn't becoming more toxic, at least the forums. The only reason there was a 'spike' of toxicity is election year in Murica. Give it a few more months and it will tone down.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

You'll find everything here - toxic, nice, constant editor (me), people who only read if there are 20+ chapters, people who prefer 10-20 so they can catch up, people who will read first 1-3 chapters then disappear until you hit fifty. Everything.

 

[RepresentingSilence]

I'm just going to say 3 things
1 I HATE the word "toxic" it's over used and just shows people have never had to put up with anything or anyone even remotely difficult in life

2 stop worrying about idiots.

3 Write edit and post YOUR story and ignore any and all NON constructive nonsense.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

If I rank toxicity based on the sites I use...

5) Syosetu - coz Japanese often avoid my novel, which is in English, so rare interactions.
4) HoneyFeed - the only one I got into argument there is the gatekeeper and the Aussie guy who keeps on insisting that I can't put airborne tactics and medieval stuff in my story.
3) ScribbleHub - toxic way back 2020-2021 time period. Nowadays, it's more chill.
2) WebNovel - lots of nitpickers and people who think Earth physics apply to ALL stories.
1) Royal Road - entitled soy boiis. 'Nuff said.

 

[LilRora]

Everywhere you are, you'll find some toxic people whatever that is supposed to mean. On Scribble, there may be slightly more people like that now than some years back, but it's still a very, very small part of the total reader base, both in general and compared to some other sites.

 

[NumberZer0]

Toxicity is just a thing tbf, I honestly think you should just ignore em and keep going. Nothing good with dealing with them. It's mostly the people that think they are the most critical novel critics just because they read over 100 different Novels..

 

[Representing_Tromba]

I think SH has the least amount to of toxicity for the amount of viewers. That said, there has been a noticeable growth in toxic traits among the readers and writers recently. Best you can do is ignore them and move on.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

Everywhere you are, you'll find some toxic people whatever that is supposed to mean. On Scribble, there may be slightly more people like that now than some years back, but it's still a very, very small part of the total reader base, both in general and compared to some other sites.

I'm not trying to be superior or anything, but 2020-2021 SH and SHF is full of drama and trouble coz lotsa drama kings and queens.

 

[KingofPizza]

My experience here has been largely positive. People are only 'toxic' when I ask them to be, like when I requested the destruction of my cover -which they thoroughly carpet bombed.

Consider constructive criticism, but stay based and keep writing.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

My experience here has been largely positive. People are only 'toxic' when I ask them to be, like when I requested the destruction of my cover -which they thoroughly carpet bombed.

Consider constructive criticism, but stay based and keep writing.

Welcome by the way!