I understand how you feel ,ita. I just have a little ego invovled, - mostly because i don't want pooly constucted reviews connected to me.

So if I see "rank-tyro" again, I have a reference.

That I understand. It's not the anonymity, it's the inconsistency. I am consistently myself online; after some squawking I haven't really tried to differentiate too much between cofax and Suela.

There was a battle early on in the Farscape campaign about whether the strategy team members should use their real names on campaign materials in communicating with the fandom. Our response was, "hell no." In part because of security issues; but also in part because we had earned our reputations in the fandom under those pseudonyms, and using our real names would negate that. Nobody knows me as C--- Mylastname in fandom; they know me as cofax.

And, what's more, they can track me from my blog and my fic, and identify me as a particular individual. If everything I did online I signed "a ficcer from X", and changed the city every time, I'd have no reputation.

Deb, forgive me if I'm misinterpreting, but I think that's what you're getting at. It's not the anonymity, it's the inconsistency, the inability to identify individuals as individuals that bothers you. And I can totally understand that.

I can totally understand that.

I understand that, but not the level of dissatisfaction with it.

I don't want a reputation among strangers. I think it's weird.

(this is the bit where I pretend no one I don't know reads b.org or any of my LJs, so indulge me)

(this is the bit where I pretend no one I don't know reads b.org or any of my LJs, so indulge me)

Bwah.

The name Joseph Rotman doesn't connect to anything else about me. The next time I write a review, I might sign it Richard Stanley.

Why? I mean, why bother? Why would you or anyone write a series of reviews using a thousand different names, unless schizophrenia was somehow involved? I don't get that, I don't understand why you'd do it.

If you put something up, positive or negative, in a worldwide forum, you are indulging yourself in a pastime that has a possible to probable effect on someone else's livelihood. So, why would you want to go around writing reviews under a thousand different psueds? What possible satisfaction would you get from that?

Goddamnit, I was trying not to get back into this, since I can't seem to make it clear from the perspective of someone who has to pay attention, like it or not.

I think what deb wants -- is not a name so she can go say hi , but a name so she can use the info. If joe who reads her books and loves her books suddenly gives her a bad review - she should pay attention.

a reader from washington dc - could be anyone in dc - so what they say could be from anywhere - a one time thing, the hate ghost stories, or someone who reads a lot-- just didn't like her book if they have somesort of name - she can see what otherthings they reviewed and get a feel for how much attention ( good and bad ) she should pay.

I generally pay noattention to review names - unless the review was very well written and makes me think I might like other things this person liked.

No, I understand, Deb.

But for the purposes of devil's advocate, I'd say that most of the people writing those reviews don't even realize it's a matter of someone else's livelihood. They hated the book and they wanted to tell someone so.

I never read those. Most people=deeply stupid.(/arrogant)

'suela, exactly. I write for a living. This is my job. I don't get to confront reviewers or discuss their takes, and I likely wouldn't want to; all criticism is useful. The thing is, if you're someone who read a book and you liked it or disliked it enough to take pen in hand and put your thoughts about out on the net where people who may be considering buying that book will theoretically read the review, well, you are presumably hoping your review will have an effect of some kind. Yes? Because otherwise, repeating yet again: why bother?

So if rank_tyro from Fort Collins TX reviews Weaver, I make a note of it; I look at the points he/she raised and remember them. And if, a year down the road, rank_tyro from Fort Collins TX reviews FFoSM and has points, I have a reference. This is useful to me.

But reader from Fort Collins TX is presumably someone else.

So yes, the inconsistency is useless to me. And as said several times, personally I don't get the mindset. Then again, I'm late to the internet party and there's a lot about it I don't get.

I don't want a reputation among strangers. I think it's weird.

Then why post reviews? Answer: you don't. So we aren't talking about you, even hypothetically, right?

(edited to throw Roses of Gratitude at beth for stating it so simply. I should never discuss with a headache, ever ever.)

Though they get repetative ( if I have read one book by an author, I am smart enough to look for other books by them ) I go through my amazon reccomendations a least once a week. If something new comes Up I read the reviews. As part of my job as a librarian I have to read theings like pw. after reading proffessional reviews I reliezes that they often miss things ( like emotional response) or just like anyone else what is important to one person is not important to another. One opinion isn't enough.

( this was in response to erika -- and why I read reviews)