I am a trifle hesitant about posting a review on this topic. One of MS’s stalwarts “premjit” has written such a splendid review (see link below) and has been severely reprimanded by a fellow member in the comments section for “blowing his trumpet”. Sheesh! I have no trumpet to blow, so please keep your objections to yourself. Now, proceeding bravely…
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The comments page is where this website comes alive. I live (for the limited purpose of this website) for the comments I receive on my reviews!
Not for the ratings!
Not for the number of people adding me to their Trust Lists!
Not for getting my review up there in the 'Hot Reviews' or 'ROTD' sections!
And certainly not for getting tags like the much coveted “Star Writer”!
32 reviews have been written on this topic before me – and although I haven’t been able to muster the patience to read all, the top 3 are sufficient enough to give a broad summary of sentiments prevailing among members. I would urge you to read the reviews by premjit and just-did-it, the links of both you will see on the bottom of this page.
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ZEROING IN
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First of all, let us look at the barren picture. How would you like it if you don’t receive a single comment on your review? Well, if you are a newbie, it may not really matter. The thrill of engaging yourself in a tête-à– tête on the comments page is a yet unknown craving. But imagine if you were an established player and yet don’t get a single comment! Unthinkable, you say? Probably! But an occurrence of such a catastrophe would lead you to die of embarrassment!!!
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SWEETY PIE
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If not zero comments, then many reviews receive some general goody comments, which really makes the reviewer wonder if the commentator has actually bothered to read and absorb what is being said! I too have been guilty of writing comments such as:
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Hi ZYX,
That was a good review. Loved your style.
Keep writing,
~King~
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Sigh! I have been the recipient of such comments too!
I know in what situations I have written such comments. When I feel too bored with the idea of reading the entire review, but have to leave a comment for one of the following reasons:
1) it is a new writer who is in some dire need (?) of encouragement;
2) it is a popular writer who always RRCs my reviews;
3) it is a popular writer who never RRCs my reviews.
The easiest thing to do of course is to just rate and leave without a comment. But a comment forces a response – hence the comment.
I get tired of receiving and replying to such comments.
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BELOW THE BELT
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Another category of comments is the other extreme where people are downright rude and discourteous. In this category are two sub categories:
a) you disagree with the views and start attacking the writer personally
b) you have no views on the topic but just want to add to your own nuisance value
Such comments generally generate a lot of heat (rather than light) and are best ignored by the reviewer, as I have learnt from some wise and experienced friends here.
Yours truly has been often been accused of resorting to this category, but more on that later.
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OFF ON A TANGENT
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A third category of comments is the tiresome habit of rambling on about unrelated topics:
“How was your trip to London? Did you look at the Queen?” blah blah
or
''How is the weather in Jhumri talayya? Its raining cats and dogs in this doggone place!''
The point is – this is not a private conversation between you and the reviewer. Other readers also read the comments page.
Please remember – the Comments Page has an important function! Not merely as a conversational point between the reviewer and his readers. It is also a page which acts as an extension of the review. People debate on the points raised in the review. This debate brings out additional dimensions – newer perspectives! So if you waste your space by frivolous sentences, the theme of the review gets diluted.
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BINGO!!!
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Which brings me to the last category of comments – something which I try my best to practice. These are comments which actually discuss the topic threadbare. Agree or disagree with the points made. If necessary, react point by point. And if this happens, the entire discussion comes alive. I have seen it happen in front of my eyes. A seemingly boring topic becomes animated on the comments page after I have raised contentious issues. These were spontaneous, from the heart and vociferous. And often, this spontaneous outburst would be backed up by some well researched facts and figures.
Initially people used to accuse me of writing such comments only to attract attention. My tone would be blunt. But never rude. I always ensured that the reviewer wasn’t attacked, only the points in the review were opposed.
However, such genre of commenting requires a lot of exertion. One needs to invest a great deal of time and energy in writing such comments. Over a period of time, as I developed a circle of well wishers, I gradually lapsed into the mode of writing goody-goody comments, more as a mark of attendance rather than anything else. That was easy! Less stressful! I got people adding me to their TLs! Everything was going smooth!
And then suddenly something happened!
I received emails from some members, which kind of opened my eyes. I will take the liberty of reproducing the contents of one of these, without of course revealing the identity of the sender!
“After reading your comments in her comment section had to tell you this - ''I for one, sorely miss reading your earlier style of writing comments. Your comments nowadays are (this is my personal view, aired to you only) bordering on the ''you praise me, I praise you'' style.
The ORIGINAL criminal style was not only more honest but also more interesting to read…”
That did it!
I realized a little secret – COMMENTS ARE EQUALLY IF NOT MORE, POWERFUL AS REVIEWS!!!
It also opened my eyes to the fact that the first few people who added me to their Trust Lists were solely on the basis of my comments - even before a single review was posted by me. Of course I lost a couple of TLs due to my first review (which is no longer on this site), but that’s another story!
Hence, my plea to members is – use your POWER to comment judiciously, frugally and meaningfully!
Amen!
