Clicky?

Ok so I have been on this site a few months now, I have heard the same comment by a few people now, That there is a huge 'click' on this site and some people are 'clicky'

especially around nominations and judging,

I have noticed that some people blank you if even if you comment on a ton of their poems....

what are your thoughts on this....

I think you mean "cliquey"

It is natural for a group of people to stick together wherever they are. That is human nature. BUT that doesn't mean they are against others or bias towards they are close with.

I personally don't think the cliques on this site affect the nominations and judging.

Well if no one else is gonna say anything ten i ight awelll line myself up for a battering lol

I Have also noticed about the commenting thing, i have commented on a some peoples poems and on some i have commented a lot, and i have to admit if say i comment on maybe ten of your poems and i dont get a "hey thanks for the comment" for one of the ten comments i think its pretty s****y, i dont expect to get a thanks for every comment but once in a while is nice as, many people put on their profile how they really appriciate comments....if you appriciate it then show it lol!

Then again we judge by our own standards i suppose so why i should think someone would do something because i would is well....idk lol

'clicky' is the english slang version of 'cliquey'

so you guessed right, that is what I meant

Favorites are favorites

we all have them.

jah bless xoxo

Id like to predict that this will be a future locked thread

Who wants to bet me 10 comments ? Lmao!

Yeah defo have some action on that lol

Ok, I think 12 or so

but I am only asking a question.....

just interested

what are your thoughts chelsey?

Hmmmm i actually think yakis right you know old bean i mean favourites are favourites arent they, so i could imagine that constituting a click....very interesting....

Haha, hey, so far, so good.

I think people naturally form into groups: clubs, people who are active on the forums, old members, and regular commenters all probably put themselves at an advantage by socializing and getting their name out there. People are likely to read (and, by extension, nominate and vote on) members' poems if they see that member around a lot. I think people are also more thoughtful about a poem that was written by a friend. (That, and people who like similar poems often, on a poetry site, become friends.)

I don't think people go out of their way to consciously vote for only their friends, though. Hopefully any unconscious tendencies are counteracted by the fact that ANY senior member has the ability to nominate, and ANYONE can become a senior member if they want, so maybe the occasional biases get diluted.

Naughtymouse, you comment someones poem just to have them say "thanks" ?

Of course getting the appreciation is nice but that shouldn't be the premise of commenting a poem.

You comment something you really liked or something you think can be changed in a certain way and its on the poet if they take your comment to heart or just look across it.

It is natural to comment more on poems of your favorites...does that mean you are a cliquey commenter?

Aahhh fair maiden sibs, always the voice of reason :-).....put very well may i add :-)

I don't see it getting locked, Chels. I'd take your bet, but 10 comments is usually how many comments I leave in a year+. HA.

Naughtymouse-

Some people don't comment poems very often, like me. Might be hard to understand for people who do comment poems often, like you. I suck at leaving comments. My response to poetry is intrinsic, and difficult for me to put to words, so leaving comments takes heaps of patience and exertion.

I've been on this site a long time, and not until recently have I felt like it was necessary for me to "thank" members for leaving comments. Of course I'm grateful and appreciate of comments. Who isn't? Suggesting that people should write to you telling you thanks, and if they don't, they're assholes - well to me, that's a bit much. You volunteer to leave comments, and sure a pat on the back is nice, but you shouldn't *expect* one.
If there's anything I've learned from being a moderator, it's that a feeling of reward that comes from volunteer work should come from inside. Don't look for it from others.

----

It's funny how some of the same few topics get recycled in this forum. This topic has been discussed a hundred times. Same examples. Same rebuttals. Same results.

Chelsey will Pm her thoughts, I fear the atmosphere you have created Darren lol

However, I basically agree with the others!

I think people naturally form into groups: clubs, people who are active on the forums, old members, and regular commenters all probably put themselves at an advantage by socializing and getting their name out there. People are likely to read (and, by extension, nominate and vote on) members' poems if they see that member around a lot. I think people are also more thoughtful about a poem that was written by a friend. (That, and people who like similar poems often, on a poetry site, become friends.)

^^^^^^^^^^

But if you comment on someones poems 10 times or more and they never reply, how can you become friends, you will always be an outsider, I think the more experienced members should be a little more open.....

I think most of my friends on PnQ weren't made through commenting poems. We became friends in public discussions, like this.
I'm a "more experienced" member, but I don't consider myself closed off. We accept pretty much anyone into our club. I've made a few new friends on here in the last couple years. I guess it takes persistence and enough common ground for the friendship to feel natural.

Omg lmao!

Like i say if i comment on ten of one persons poems. Then a thanks would be nice but i only think that because thats what i would do, i believe i did say that, and i dont remember calling anyone a arsehole.

You didn't say asshole. My bad. I usually read someone's post once and then respond to it without looking back to it, haha. Should probably not do that ;)

I agree with Jane. The friends I have made have been from threads or clubs. Rarely because someone left me a comment or I commented on someones poem just because I wanted to be their friend.

It's funny how some of the same few topics get recycled in this forum. This topic has been discussed a hundred times. Same examples. Same rebuttals. Same results.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

you are forgetting that I am still fairly new, so I haven't had this conversation before.

Darren, I remember you are fairly new.
Hopefully you stick around long enough to see this topic recycled several hundred more times. Lol.

I know there are a lot of times people will comment on my poems (that aren't the usually commenters) and I will have read it on my phone and then totally blank on commenting them back. I try to return the favor, and sometimes, especially if I'm reading late at night... I just forget :/

I think what you see a lot of how easy it is to click on the "poems" link in your club and then WA LAH, tons of poems at your disposal for you to read and comment on. And then your favorites of course popping up in the news feed. Most of the people I've become friends with it was because we commented on one anothers poems back in the day - now my newer friends come through the discussion board, or being added to our club.

I don't think PnQ is cliquey really.. I think it is a matter of preference and familiarity. Like I don't think "oh this person isn't in MM so I better not comment them". I've actually had a lot of discussions with Mel about trying to branch out and comment on members poetry outside of MM... and then I get busy. I'm on a lot on my phone but it's super hard for me to comment that way.. I like to go back and read through the poem.

Holy crap this got more rambley than I expected, sorry lol

For the record, I'm quite fond of everyone in this thread.

No worries jane, its easy to do on here i have missread soo many time lol

I have only been on here and writing period for a year myself and it is something i have always done so to me that is the norm, i certainly dont comment to get thanks or anything like that but because i have always done it since i started here i suppose that was was my thinking behind it.

Ben I get it - you spend time commenting a grip of someones poems, the least they could do is say thanks. It's just nice to have acknowledgment after you took the time.

Yay this is going smoothly...jane I might owe you 10 comments damn I always lose bets lol!

Just wanna say one thing....as for do "cliques" only read poems within their "cliques"?....I don't think they should be consider a clique. We read what intrigues us. I'm a picky poet. I read the same people because I'm in love with a certain type of poetry...just a personal preference. Not because I like someone or not. Or because they are in my "clique" hahaha really haven't used that word since high school.

As far as friendships, those are totally built over discussions, comments, being in clubs, swapping emails and numbers..I agree with that!.

Ok, maybe I'm the only person here who is alarmed when someone "thanks" me.
I receive a PM now and then when I comment someone's work. They'll write something along the lines of, "Thanks for taking the time to comment my poem," and then maybe even comment a poem or 2 of mine in return. It seriously surprises me, and to a very minor extent, annoys me.
I guess I don't think of commenting as a favor. I think of the poem that's being commented on as the favor. It's like a piece of candy. Your poem is the candy, and my response to it is a natural, "mmm yummy, thanks for that!"
Therefore, it doesn't make sense to thank me for thanking you for writing something that moved me.
That's my thought process.
I'm weird.

I also don't like when people comment my poems as some kind of "exchange" for commenting their poems. The comment you give me back feels cheap and false. It's forced. You're commenting because you want to repay me, not because you stumbled upon my poem somehow and were struck by it and it gave you a meaningful response.

I guess it's different if you're giving constructive criticism and breaking someone's poem apart. That's the only time I think a "thank you" for the commenter is in order.

Chels, it is because this thread is full of mature individuals and not kids. That is why it is running smoothly. :)

Jane, get out of my head.

Yes Bliss, this is true...please please lock it before they get here lmao

Jane I get what you're saying. A lot of people feel that the natural way to thank someone for the comment is to comment in return.. that's always what I gathered from my time here. I know that there are some people that if I comment their poems, they will return it every. single. time.

I think the only times I feel clubs get cliquey is during arguments.. then people of said club come out to "defend".. I think we're all guilty of it, human nature to stick up for your buds.

I stand up for my hood, ya hear?

Thug life.

Totally agree, It is in my nature to protect those close to me....even though....they are really far haha!

Yaki this is for you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3slj0jc3vAA

Totally agree on the whole 'exchange' thingy, i get pm's alot saying if you comment on mine ill return the favour....errr no thanks, i like to thank people who comment on my writes because i am very new to writing, i have been here a year but i had like a 4 month period of time where i didnt write a thing or come on here so really i have only been writing 8 months and peoples comments have really helped me become a better writer, other than what you see on my profile i probably have ten other poems.

Bliss I'm kind of disappointed you didn't spell it like lyfe with the y. Way to be a gangsta, G.

I'm way too white to pull that crap off, HAH.

This has been a fun discussion. Things like this remind me to branch out and read new people.

Edit --

I will totally admit when I first joined PnQ, I commented on certain peoples poetry trying to get them to comment on mine and help me out, because they were considered top dogs of PnQ. haha!

What you really mean Ben is "chelsey deserves $100,000 because her critiques and advice has made me the writer I am today"

You're welcome...and I accept your gift of money! :)

I'm a gangsta that went to college, B. :)

Hahahahhaha what did you study bliss???

Swagganomics at the university of Swag?

Chelsey if were gonna go public then yup your actually right. Lol you challenged me to write freeverse and you helped me alot with formed poetry and even understanding the basics of poetry, hell i still remember your amazement at how i didnt know what a metaphor was lol.

I never pretended to know what the hell i was talking about where poetry was concerned thats what you get for boxing for 15 years or so lol
But i am forever greatful to you for helping me so much, i havent got that sort of money lol but you can have as much of my time as you want lo.....although it doesnt spend as well hahahahaha

For me: and I only speak for me.. in my eyes, it doesn't matter "who" wrote the poem.. if they poem spoke to me and touched me in some way... then I'm gonna comment. I don't expect anything in return... I'm a poetry nut, a fanatic when it comes to poetry..and its all about the poetry in my eyes.

I do feel that people have certain likes or dislikes in poetry and may choose to comment on those who fit in their category of likes... (I hope everyone understands what I mean there) ha ha