Praising Comments

Hey all,

Praise comments! Really. Not only do I thoroughly enjoy reading comments that you praise and approving them, but praising comments probably encourages members to comment more.
We all love having our poetry commented on, don't we?
So do it!

Take care,
Jane

P.S. Senior members - don't forget to nominate poems for the weekly! It's easy as 1-2-3. That's how many nominations you get each week lol, I'm a dork ;)

**Also - please list your suggestions on what you believe a comment should be like if they are accepted as a praised comment. We will compile a list from your suggestions and then post them for everyone to see, modify, etc :)**

Lol I personally praise daily a BUNCH ooff comments...for a bunch of ppl...wen i pass by diff poems for diff members..and i really see some motivating and deep comments un-praised which i think is unfair..and then regarding my own poems i think 98 % of who comment on mine..get praises.. cause they do really comment not just throw up some words for my eyes..

so i agree with u..but i think its important to say that if u want a praised comment..u should as well write more than just couple of words.

Gd thread Jane.. :)
thnx for reminding ppl that there's a tool called Praise lol

Haha i wont mind loool :P

I wish I could praise comments. I wish I could nominate poems.

This whole senior membership thing is bollocks! This whole system should be changed! Yeah! Or someone just give me that little blue P square and we can all go home happy.

A bronze C gets you senior membership now? I just thought it meant you've written a whole bunch of "gd pome 5/5 pls luk at mi pomes" that didn't get praised? No one has praised my few lovely and deep comments so far. To my knowledge.

So basically what I'm trying to say here Britt, is that it's everyone's fault but mine.

I'm gonna go write a thesis on someone's poem now. Bye.

After 4 years and unpteen comments on peoples poems i'm still just a pleb, yet after a week somebodies a senior member...
oh well..

in the imortal words of Ben Cousins

"Such is life"

Don't give up! Hopefully this thread will inspire more members to praise your comments and we will all reap the benefits.

"so i agree with u..but i think its important to say that if u want a praised comment..u should as well write more than just couple of words."

Indeed. Please actually read the poem & then you'll have something to say about it :P If your comment is vague, it probably won't get praised... or approved if it is praised.

I don't want to give into self-promotion but I have been praising lots of comments lately on my own poetry.

And as has been said, Brillant aka Sunshine praises lots of comments (the right kind of comments too). She's good.

Yay i love this thread hahahaah adds for Me

guyz am sunshine yoohooooo they mean Me ok ? :P ahhahaha just kidding and

Indeed. Please actually read the poem & then you'll have something to say about it :P

^^^^

HAHAHAH that was hilarioussss but true

and actually its easy to be a senior member...we are here for poetry..if u dnt wana read others work..how do u expect ur work to be read ??
I comment about 20 poems a day...honestly!

and I praise a lot yes, cause I appreciate ppl who take time to advice and to motivate and even write kind words about a poem written even if not mine..so is unfair to be ignored
and this site NEEDS fresh air

but ya i wont be sad if u comment my work :P hahaha

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/article.html?id=638

have a look/might help

Lol...hehe well u use it wen ever u feel
that the comment u got was really deep
or gd
or made u smile..maybe suggested a change bla..etc..wat ever :)

R Nana, since she's little miss Queen Bee at praising comments, lol

^^that was VERY funny Brits LOL

abracadabra..gave me really beneficial suggestions lol so already on my praiseable list :P

and for the record :

Some people use it to say stuff like "hey thanks!'...but the commenter doesn't see it...the mods do. Lol'

LOOOOOL really?
this made me laugh..i cant imagine ur face wen u get something like that

This is an awesome thread. I don't really do all the much praising but I will try to do a lot more of it. And also nominating poems for our weekly contest! :]

But lets not go overboard here.. Comments still have to be deserving of praise, they still have to earn it.

^^^^

true
thats why
we said this :) :

"so i agree with u..but i think its important to say that if u want a praised comment..u should as well write more than just couple of words."

Indeed. Please actually read the poem & then you'll have something to say about it :P If your comment is vague, it probably won't get praised... or approved if it is praised

Yes but they are not asking ppl to just raise up the praising thing watever... its about

some ppl DO get REAL deep comments
and they are left ignored

so the aim behind this thread is to remind ppl that praising comments with the qualities u have said is very important

i do praise a lot yes but ..they are all worth it comments who pick out my mistakes ..give me tips..show me where they feel the words been forced etc

which is imp a LOt..as u said

It is nice when a comments gets praised. I would say that on an average it takes me 10 to 15 minutes to make a comment, because I usually read the poem four or five times first and sometimes ponder upon it for a day, if it is written by a person I believe in. I get annoyed when I point out an obvious mistake ( of whatever kind) and not only see it being ignored, but also to receive no thank you ( as all decent people on here do),a return comment or praise. When I see such a poem ( unaltered) appear on the contest page it really irritates the hell out of me, makes me feel like I am wasting my time making an effort to help people become better writers.

Yes I admit Ingrid ur comments always point out my mistakes which I no bet change, tho sometimes i dnt take the woording suggestions ..since i avoid changing the meaning of the line...but reasons why ALL ur comments on my poems are praised is that u DO read deeply and always help me improve the piece!

and that's wht I mean, comments like urs being ignored is just unfair. whether on my poetry or on others...and I cant help but praise motivating comments as well...even if not as beneficial as comments that go deeply into grammar and wording issues.

Its just a matter of a personal opinion and belief.
cause I have seen some long comments that are just useless,despite correcting wrong by wrong.

Hey Nana!

I was talking in general here, ha ha. No, as we already discussed in private, when you feel that what you have written somehow is more "you"and the suggestions do not work for you, then by all means leave the poem as it is. I would not dream on forcing my views on anyone. The only thing that really bugs me, is when an obvious spelling error or grammatical mistake has been made, or someone has not adhered to the rules of the format they are trying to use and I correct it and they ignore it..yes, that is annoying. I hate when I see people patting you, or any other member on the back, for something that is not correct and I am the only one brave/ honest/ whatever enough to point out what is wrong and it gets ignored..makes me wonder what the hell I am still doing here.

Yes, I value you praising me so often, makes my star rise ha ha ha.

BRitt what u made..saved me time..for I was going to make a thread to say something about it..but U summed it up.

Despite the site changes that I dnt see but been babbled about...
Its just annoying how many threads that are made for a specific reason ..are ending up to be about something else..

it would be just gr8 to forget what ever that was wrong b4 and feel happy about the activity of the members that raised up this period of time..

so many nagging and arguments...and I wish someone would prove me wrong but they are up (naggings and arguments)..about wat ever that pops up..its just upsetting and irritating ...

this is a poetry and a friendship place..nothing is really that bad..nothing to lose at all over here ...

Ya but thats why I posted this link up :

http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/article.html?id=638

its a guide for praising..

Yes indeed. We do listen to you guys so suggestions are great! Please understand that and then you won't feel much of a need to "argue" :)
Though the term "argue" might be a bit harsh.

Feel free to modify my initial post, Britt (or any mod for that matter).

Though the term "argue" might be a bit harsh.

^
yes the truth is harsh as well..cause they do argue..and a LOt...obviously.
:)which i have hopes it will change soon..

Eek, that first line really pulled me in and made me cringe,
"My heart is pumping sharp thorns killing my heart beats." just like that, ouch...

You're good at this dark stuff Nana, this is astounding, so pained and dark, to described your inner feelings, as a dark house, you feel so dark inside and now things on the outside are becoming the same way, Nice job portraying your emotions, Good poem, great idea, you did it well. :)

5/5

[ Praised by : Brillant aka SunShine ]

^^ Did these lines help you in any way?

And nope, not to be mistaken with those nagging and arguments.

If a comment proves that a poem has been read and unique feedback is given, what more should matter? I too think arguments are being made for the sake of arguing.
Praising a comment leads to praised comments leads to more comments because commenters realize they are being rewarded for taking the time to comment.
Constructive criticism is not necessary. Some people want to congratulate and encourage a poet for their work in a thoughtful manner and that's good enough for me.
The point is to encourage poets to write more and read more. Praising comments leads to this.
We are not approving vague, meaningless comments - take note of that.

There are people who find the good in things and people who find the bad in things. If you never accept anything as good enough, you will never be happy.
Do not take the time to complain without taking the time to offer suggestions. It's pointless.

Can't win :)
Fortunately, I didn't expect to.

Thanks for implying that you think I'm crazy. Very respectful of you.

'I love your poem, good work' does not make the cut, nor has it ever. You are reading things I have clearly not written.
I also said that we appreciate suggestions, not that we aren't trying to improve?
You are reading things that don't exist. How curious.

I will gladly respond to a post that responds to my post as it is, not as they wish it to be.

Telling -

Ah, well then yes, thank you for your input.

Misunderstandings run rampant among us and I do believe this was one.

I also value constructive criticism, but I find the analysis and genuine appreciation of poetry to be equally commendable.
Of course my opinion is only one of many and is neither less or more important than anyone's.

[ post answer ]
Eek, that first line really pulled me in and made me cringe,
"My heart is pumping sharp thorns killing my heart beats." just like that, ouch...

You're good at this dark stuff Nana, this is astounding, so pained and dark, to described your inner feelings, as a dark house, you feel so dark inside and now things on the outside are becoming the same way, Nice job portraying your emotions, Good poem, great idea, you did it well. :)
'

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I have mentioned how i praise comments that dont give tips or have any relation with the gram mistakes... Since a poem doesnt have nothing to complain about.. and comments such as this DESERVES a praise NO bet, cause the analysis jst proves the depth the reader went into it while reading, and I can find no other way to appreciate

and u actually gave me a gd comment praised ..let me show u what I praised as well :) which u didnt look i guess at or searched for shall i say :

I really liked this poem a lot. You have turned Autumn into seemingly a person who is waiting for there loved one to come which would be winter. A lovely piece with vivid images and great imagery.

"Arrogant gust recoloring dreams
green to orange as yellow beams
From deep inside the arid lands,
cold nips the warmth of my hands"

This line really stood out to me, as it gave a beautiful image to the reader and at the end of it gave a bit of sadness as well. A greatly penned piece from beginning to end. Good job and keep writing.

[ Praised by : Brillant aka SunShine ]

SEE? this is an example and still got shorter comments yet revealed a true reading for the poem.

i dnt just praise comments that benefit me, which I have mentioned up b4 :)
trust me if u search more into my comments..u gna find more surprising praised comments lol but for me personally ARE worth it

Well I tried to explain my point.. :)

To praise a comment works both ways: the poet expresses his/ her gratitude to wards the commenter for helping them improve their writing or simply showing they understand and appreciate the verse and the commenter gets appreciation by having his/ her comment praised.

I am always very happy to see poets eager to improve and learn..after all, that is why we are here, aren't we?

To accept criticism with gratitude and in a humble fashion is what seperates the big people from the little ones.

The ones who are here for different reasons can do without my support.

I guess my view on praising a comment has already been said in different ways but I will go ahead and give my point. I think that if the writer felt(or someone else who wants to praise the comment) that the comment was helping as in that they gave some type of corrections or showed a word that would be better placed in the poem then they should by all means praise it as it gave helpful insight. Another way as already stated is that the comment showed that the reader read over the poem very carefully and gave their idea of what was going on in this poem.

These are my views and probably have already been stated, but I still think that is why we should praise comments. There are more then likely other situations as well when a comment could be praised but that's all I got.
-Austin

^ That's an interesting point, how do others feel about this?

I am not sure there is anything that can be changed in regards to praising comments on poetry not belonging to you without the presence of Janis or Dainz :\

Unfortunately there is nothing we can do at the moment regarding this issue; however, in the near future it is something that we maybe able to fix. E.G. We can make it so the comment is not viewed by everyone until you (as the writer) has viewed it.

I'll put it on our list of ideas.

It's not that long of a list, and it's no one's fault that it's as long as it is besides Janis' and Dainz's.
No harm in adding to it. Quite the opposite.

"This makes me wonder if the poem is actually being read or are members now seeking comments to praise in the hope of gaining some accolade while the actual poem goes unnoticed."
Could be, though praisING a comment doesn't win any rewards - only having a comment praised.
I have a feeling if someone has praised a comment on a poem not belonging to them it's because they have read the poem but the comment [not belonging to them] already covered everything they wished to write (and more?).
In which case, I think it is an ok thing to do. Also, if a comment is clearly praise-worthy & the poet hasn't praised it, it's a nice thing for another member to do.

"I'm concerned that this is a ploy to have members gain senior status quicker than they normally would obtain this position and before they really know that it is a responsible role and not another way of gaining/giving praise to friends."
I see what you mean and though some members will likely praise comments because of the "if you rub my back, I'll rub yours" mentality, it's not the *worst* mentality to have. At least they're being active?
Which brings me to the 'big why' of posting this thread. Well, as mods it is part of our duty to inform members of how the site works, and to encourage & aid [positive] activity. Those were my only intentions :)

If informing everyone on PnQ of the way praising comments works - and informing that I enjoy reading praised comments/seeing you guys active - is at all upsetting... I don't know what to tell ya! Haha

I never thought you were trying to start an argument, don't worry.
Anyway, arguments are ok as long as they're respectful and meaningful. I don't like when things turn nasty or when people criticize without supplying a solution. Drawing attention to concerns is important and I'm glad many of you are doing this.

I think you bring up valid points. However, I don't know how to prevent anyone from praising comments in order to have their friends gain senior status. If you have any ideas, that'd be great.
We may not be able to implement these ideas, but they'll be added to our list.

^^

I agree with Colm, no comments reached the "praised"status unless it is approved by a moderator. If and when comments get praised that have less to no real value then the whole 'best critique"list can be removed, for it will have lost its value. The two people at the top of that list worked hard to get there, I have seen their comments, and especially the ones Valedico ( Danny) made over the past few years. He went out of his way to help people improve their work, risking bruised ego's and haughty reactions and also the most petty reaction of all: down voting of his own work. Pff..makes you wonder about the real motives for being here of some members:(

Round we go.
Mods have ever only approved comments they think are praiseworthy. If we want to change what we've for so long considered to be praiseworthy, that's obviously up for discussion. And that's where we are now. Let's stop back tracking :)

When I get home, I'll compile a list of the ideas that have been mentioned for all members to sift through and comment on.

^ I'm afraid this will have to wait 'til the morrow. Sorry all.

Alright, I said I'd get to this today so I shall though I don't have much time. To quote Ingrid earlier,

"To praise a comment works both ways: the poet expresses his/ her gratitude to wards the commenter for helping them improve their writing or simply showing they understand and appreciate the verse and the commenter gets appreciation by having his/ her comment praised."

Now, some of you think only constructive criticism should be counted as praise-worthy. I have to disagree and I hope the thoughts of others has helped you to realize it's possible to leave a great comment without leaving criticism.
Many of us are not as capable or amazing as Valedico, but I think if a commenter tries their best, that's what counts. We have never accepted one-liners or thoughtless comments. It's fairly obvious when someone's feedback is heartfelt or not.
We can, however, be stricter in what makes the cut, in the future. Will that please everyone or do we need to make specific rules for approving praise? I don't think it would be possible to make a list that's fair and broad enough to cover all great comments... but we could give it a shot.
Someone earlier made a list but I thought it was too strict. Most of us are not geniuses after all :P no offense!
It's too bad we can't rate the comment in the process of praising it.

I haven't read all of this thread, but just would like to say... who the poop seriously cares so much about the C award? Or any of them. Really. I remember when you could get the platinum award just for scattering ":O" or "that woz sh!t" on people's poems about 100 times. The system has vastly improved since. I have read the current checklist (http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/comment_praise.html) and I think it's a good one. The only change I would make, if everybody is kicking up a stink, is for the comment to contain at least two of the criteria instead of one.

BUT, the point is...it's just a little square next to your online name. Don't worry about who will read your comment and praise it and earn you your medal. Write comments for people because you want to. Write as much or as little as you like. Write whatever it is sincerely and without anticipation. Write it because the person is your friend, or because you want to welcome a newbie, or because you recognise their potential, or because you like their profile, or because you like commenting. Write the comment because the poem moved you to do so. Not because you're a pompous show-off doofus "critique" who needs a lot of praising.

Keep it real, peoplez.

Not because you're a pompous show-off doofus "critique" who needs a lot of praising.

^^^

ha ha ha, you are a funny person, Abby, and you are right. I think the people on here that take their commenting seriously don't really care about their so called status. But on the other hand, to have shitty comments praised as a return favor for another deed is offensive to our site too. When you no longer hold much value to anything, the site will perisch in the long run. Standards do matter.

BUT, the point is...it's just a little square next to your online name.

^^

Not exactly for some --especially if getting that C award is the only way how to be a senior member. :D

It is more important to some more than others, and thats just human nature at work, any critique is good be it long or short fat or skinny

and if some want to praise " Yr poem is gr8 wippy dooo" to become a senior member, well so be it. but i do hope the mod squad have a bit more nous than that, and i think they do...

Sintra, I hope you have not wasted too much of your time fishing around others' comments for far and wide examples of comments that shouldn't have received praise. I see that comment was left back in June. Not only can it not be "un-praised," but a multitude of things could have occurred accidentally causing the praise to be accepted, and we have no way of knowing which mod accepted it.
Comments like these are no longer accepted so it's not really a discussion worth having at this point.
By all means, answer the question Nicko, if ya feel like it.