on feedback, ethics, and spongeness

[permetaform]

Ignore for a brief moment that I am a vidder and am nominally sortofa writer:

As a reader I noticed that the more I gave feedback, and the longer the feedback, the more the chance that the writer will write more and will write more what I like best to read.

Also?

As I writer, I noticed I got plotbunnies from little throwaway comments in the reviews, and was given that little buzz of encouragement whenever there was a new review.

The end result:

whenever I review, it's pretty near purely selfish; because I want more fic or vid.

::beats dead horse dead-er::

'cause, really, most things work better with positive reinforcement; everyone wins! Whereas with negative reinforcement, the complainer wins in the short-term and in the long-term everyone loses; the producer gets angsty, the product declines, and there is negative feeling towards the complainer.

In an ethics reading for class there is the concept that all morals and the debate of 'morality' can be reduced to the way a person approaches the issue of increasing the sum total of their happiness. I tend to subscribe to the school of thought where the more people are happy around me, the happier I am. Granted, this is probably because I soak up other people's vibes like a sponge. aheh. (squish me and I produce vids! yay!)

Granted, this also makes be avoid people/spaces that get me down like the plague. On the upside, it's made me a neat freak and hence my roommates let me mooch food 'cause I pick up after them and wash the dishes (the process helps me meditate and brainstorm on essay topics).

Speaking of which, I'm gonna go attempt finish my various essays (it's final season), but it might take me awhile: I'll answer every comment but give me a bit of leeway, eh?

Comments

[wildelamassu.livejournal.com]

(squish me and I produce vids! yay!)

*squish*

[permetaform]

::giggle:: the Saiyuki vid is coming I tell you!

_{just...slowly...}

wait, have you seen it yet? ::is confused as who I've shown it to::

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

*squishes too*

On the feedback topic, I certainly agree with you. I like getting feedback (who doesn't?) and am encouraged by it. I also get ideas from remarks in the comments (although, being me, that tends to preoduce crack!fic, which may or not not be a good thing).

And on feedback again: your Ring vid scared the *shit* out of, man. Very, very atmospheric and terrifying. Argh. *has flashback*

[wildelamassu.livejournal.com]

No and I'm dying to see Gojyo with red hair but take your time.

[permetaform]

check your email. thoughts are appreciated but not required (I'm a bit stumped as to the middle, but ah, what can ye do eh?)

[zortified.livejournal.com]

I love your vid where they got naked and kissed and they were giving each other heavy and lusty looks and touching and barely missing each other.

;-)

[permetaform]

o.o ::sudden realization::

dude, you're right. I haven't done a proper slash vid yet.

That *must* be fixed.

[zortified.livejournal.com]

:-D

And I'm happy to repeat my feedback for it...

[melusina]

::nodding:: This makes good sense to me. . .I tend to approach it from a practical standpoint (which amounts to something very similar to "increasing the sum total of happiness"). What is the end result that I (or the person doing the commenting/feedbacking/complaining) want/s to achieve, and how can that goal be met? For example, If I want someone to write more of a pairing that I like, complaining about how much I hate the one she/he writes, or how much stories with other pairings suck isn't likely to get me more of what I want.

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

*is presumptuous enough to wish to smooch you for that*

Yes. So much YES.

[hobsonphile.livejournal.com]

This is utterly off-topic, but: I've decided to bite the bullet and start shopping for vidding programs so I can make the Centauri/Narn vid-bunnies I've been storyboarding in my head for months. In your opinion as an experienced vidder, which program is the best?

On topic: Yes, I too tend to review partially in the interest of encouraging the writer to write more of what I want. I'm also an enormous pimp. *g* It's all a part of The Care and Watering of One's Favorite Writers^TM.

[permetaform]

quick answers
for Windows: Windows Movie Maker
iMac: iMovie (I think?)

Both of them are fairly intuitive programs that'll be a good intro into editing without getting you all bogged down in technical details.

Once you get a handle on vidding
for Windows: Adobe Premiere Pro (friendliest)
iMac: Final Cut Pro

Note: if you tried other versions of Premiere before Premiere Pro, Pro is gonna confuse the fuck out of you, and vice versa: they'd changed some internal infrastructure apparently...

[rydra_wong]

For newbies on Macs, there's also Hyperengine-AV, which is freeware and IMHO much more flexible than iMovie. I like it a lot.

http://www.arboretum.com/products/hyperengine-av/hav_main.html

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

As I writer, I noticed I got plotbunnies from little throwaway comments in the reviews

I think around half my ideas come to some degree from other people's remarks, yeah, either email conversations or LJ comments or whatever. One other use I find for good feedback that you haven't mentioned too - sometimes when writing sucks and the plots aren't working and it all feels too much like hard work and I'd rather do something else, going back and rereading the lovely feedback for previous fics can prod me into keeping going. Motivation in a can.

[permetaform]

Motivation in a can.

;D like red bull, but better!

[cheights.livejournal.com]

'cause, really, most things work better with positive reinforcement; everyone wins! Whereas with negative reinforcement, the complainer wins in the short-term and in the long-term everyone loses; the producer gets angsty, the product declines, and there is negative feeling towards the complainer.

*nods vehemently in agreement* I'm a big proponent of the encourage what you like so you get more of it method. Spreading and sharing in happiness is a good thing and fun!

[permetaform]

=D ::raises the rum::

also? icon love!

[queen-yokozuna.livejournal.com]

As a reader I noticed that the more I gave feedback, and the longer the feedback, the more the chance that the writer will write more and will write more what I like best to read.

^___^ I take comments along the lines of 'I love this, I hope you write more,' very, very seriously. ...even tho I'm not sure the reviewers truly mean it all the time. :P

But you know, sometimes a simple 'thank you for writing this' is more than enough. :D

*huggles*

[permetaform]

::grins and huggles back::

[tochira.livejournal.com]

Eheheheh, I'm the same way-- total oversensitive emotional sponge. Am doormat not for lack of self-respect (I have a short fuse and godlike horrible raging temper) but out of emotional self-preservation. I cannot /handle/ being the reason for anyone's nasty vibes, it's like creating a feedback loop or something.

On the other hand, I've developed some strange threads of logic for dealing with others as defensive tactics, to wit: if they /asked/ for it, I don't give a damn whether they like what they get or not. XD; I've convinced myself (mostly) in that case it's the other person's fault for only pretending to want what they ask for, or not being more adult about whatever.

But yes. Well-adjusted people are a must. I've learned social awkwardness is another thing that bothers the hell out of me, to the point of total unhappiness. :/ I'm a neat freak, but I clean in cycles... perpetual mess, OTOH, bothers the hell out of me and I'll clean a friend's apartment rather than have to sit in it over and over again. XD Visual artist + frustrated interior designer + visual sensitivity = total control freak.

[permetaform]

On the other hand, I've developed some strange threads of logic for dealing with others as defensive tactics, to wit: if they /asked/ for it, I don't give a damn whether they like what they get or not. XD; I've convinced myself (mostly) in that case it's the other person's fault for only pretending to want what they ask for, or not being more adult about whatever.

=D "The ones that matter won't care, and the ones who care don't matter."??

XD Visual artist + frustrated interior designer + visual sensitivity = total control freak.

::giggles:: yeah, that's me only in vidding...and washing dishes

[ranalore.livejournal.com]

Enlightened self-interest is my fannish MO. This doesn't translate into positive feedback as a one to one equation, but it's the reason I won't, say, offer critique on a story unless there was something in it I loved and want to see expounded upon. Unless it's love of some sort motivating my reaction to something (love of fic, love of discussion, love of a vid, love of a fellow fan and her squee, love of an idea or character or show or what have you), then I tend to keep the reaction to myself. For me, it just leads to a better fannish experience.

[permetaform]

ohhhh, yeah, critique is another critter all together.

::wry grin:: ...and yet I'm stirring the vid pot. Let's see how that goes, eh?

[jan-aq.livejournal.com]

Whereas with negative reinforcement, the complainer wins in the short-term and in the long-term everyone loses

Excatly, exactly. :) I wish everyone figured that out/knew it.

[permetaform]

=D

[psychic-serpent.livejournal.com]

As a reader I noticed that the more I gave feedback, and the longer the feedback, the more the chance that the writer will write more and will write more what I like best to read.

Well...yes and no. As a writer I've found long, detailed reviews to be valuable because they usually hit on so many points. (More points than my beta readers hit on, sometimes. Once someone sent me an enormous 65K piece of mail reviewing ALL FOUR incredibly long Psychic Serpent fics!) That said, however, sometimes my longest reviews are those demanding that I basically change to plot/ships to what the reviewer wants. I'm afraid that I don't do that. I don't even start writing until I have the whole synopsis described for myself in detail, every scene that's going to exist in the fic, with the scenes divided into chapters. (The only thing that sometimes changes is that I will sometimes shift scenes around.) So people shouldn't really get the impression that longer reviews will cause the writer to continue to deliver what you like IF that's something other than what they have planned. You always take you chance that the writer has something up his/her sleeve that will displease you. But if they're doing what you like, it's probably true that getting good, long constructive and complimentary feedback will feed the writer's ego and egg him/her on. I just don't think that readers should have expectations that may or may not come to fruition. In the world of online writing especially it can really be potluck much of the time.

[permetaform]

I just don't think that readers should have expectations that may or may not come to fruition.

ohhh, well, that makes sense. Thing is, I'm sort of a "OMG I'LL READ ANYTHING" sort of reader. I'm easy, not picky at all, and if I find an author I love I'll just follow them through their fandoms and various types of writing...

VINDICATION!!!

[fashes.livejournal.com]

Now, I feel totally vindicated when I turn into a squeetastic feedback giving freakazoid. I mean seriously. I freak out and verbally spasm all over place like an over excited puppy. Sometimes? It's not pretty. But, sometimes? People like it.

And if they do? I do it again and again and again and *again*...

*points to icon, hopes you have cable and have seen that Sorority Boys is on Comedy Central this Friday*

Soooo. What'cha doing Friday? And if Onyx is still on the TIVO we can do that too or instead. *is not picky*

Re: VINDICATION!!!

[permetaform]

eeeep, this friday is baaaaad. I have a copy of sorority boys tho! (remember, I have *plans* for Garbage's Cherry Lips...)

Re: VINDICATION!!!

[fashes.livejournal.com]

No worries. We might have more fun when I can actually afford the alcohol that should be consumed. I downloaded those songs you linked me. Listening will come later. there are computer parts in the living room with my name on them.