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Rude People On Goodreads
I've never been called a name or anything that crazy, but I've had people tell me I just must not have understood or read deeply enough because I didn't like a book that they loved. This has happened a few times and it always bothers me! Everyone has the right to their own opinions and I don't think there are any books that everyone thinks are great. Sorry this happened to you!
YES!! It bothers me too, everyone has their own experience when they read a book it may be a good or a not so good one and that does not make that person stupid or 'not a deep reader' it is pretty annoying that people think other people should think the way they do if that was the case then the world would be a pretty BORING place.-It's okay! Thanks Amanda :)
This is one of the reasons I don't like to write reviews. Everyone is entitled to there own opinion, and should not be berated for expressing. Some people are small minded.
I've seen alot of rude people on GR and other places too. Yet I realize that not everyone is going to share my opinion on a book's rating and review. This simply is a fact but I refuse to let narrow or small minded people sway my opinion about books. When it comes to books either you love them or you hate them seems to be an apt thought process on GR.
Not everyone likes the same thing. Thats why there are so many different types of books. People shouldn't take it so personally unless everyone is giving them 1 star!
I think some people don't know how to properly give a negative review. I agree that there are a lot of rude people, but I've read a lot of negative reviews that attack the author instead of constructively giving criticism. JMHO
some people do forget its about what you didn't like about the book - not the author. i have also run into people on GR that actually believe if you don't share their opinion - something is wrong with you.
I so hear you. i use to NOT right a review because i didn't like a book. but i gave up on that after reading The Prey by Crichton. then i said enough is enough. in that review i stated that the story wasn't my cup of tea but i thought the author did a good job with what he does. i think i also compared it to another book i reviewed that was very similar. i actually make it a point to read negative reviews about a book before i read the positive ones. so i appreciate it when a reviewer speaks their mind. there have been many times when books i love got realy negative reviews when i loved the book. thats why i'm glad there are millions of books for millions of people
I do not get that at all. I do not agree with some opinions but I would never think someone was a "dingbat" or some other such thing just because they do not have the same opinions. We all come from different backgrounds and we all have at one time or another admitted to a certain amount of subjectivity in our reviews. It is not right and not fair to be so negative to get a point across. I have also seen some people outright slamming insults at the authors themselves instead of writing about the book on its own merit. That also drives me a bit crazy.
I guess people just like to pick fights... I try to avoid it, if I don't like your review, well on to the next one. It's clear that no matter what I say, cursing or no cursing, I will not be able to change your mind about the book. You are right, people are just rude...
Becky wrote: "I think some people don't know how to properly give a negative review. I agree that there are a lot of rude people, but I've read a lot of negative reviews that attack the author instead of constr..."Yes, and I have NEVER done that so I don't know why she took her anger out on me. I did say what I liked and what I didn't like and how the book had some potential but I have never bashed an author, that is just not me.
Well, authors need to realize if they ask for reviews, they have to be able to take the good with the bad. Sorry that happened to you. Some people are just a**holes.
Alice Belikov wrote: "Becky wrote: "I think some people don't know how to properly give a negative review. I agree that there are a lot of rude people, but I've read a lot of negative reviews that attack the author ins..."Alice, was the author the one that called you a name? If so, I'm horrified even more than I would be if it was just another goodreads member.
I don't know why people just can't let other people express their opinion without feeling the need to jump in. It's one thing to disagree politely, but something entirely different when you start calling people names.
I'm not going to lie. Negative reviews can hurt, but as an author I would never attack someone for not liking my books. I realize my stories are not going to appeal to everyone. It's a matter of life experience and what resonates with the reader.
This truly makes me sad. Is there something you can do to ask goodreads to chastise that person? They shouldn't be allowed to call you names. Disagreements are one thing but personal attacks sink to a level that should not be allowed to propagate.
I'm sorry this happened to you because I love your reviews and look forward to reading them whether I happen to agree with you or not. Don't let one hateful person derail you.
Big hugs...Christie
Unfortunately, that's part and parcel of these discussion boards. People get emotionally attached to books, films, computer games... pretty much anything!Ever seen an Apple vs. Microsoft discussion? Nerd rage ahoy!
Rage on against sock-puppets, trolls and other forms of subhumans. I wrote a blog post a while back -- actually more of a rant on this topic, you may find interesting, Alice. Go Here to Read It...
Mod
No it wasn't the author that called her a name, it was a fan I guess you could say.?
Well, that's better than I was thinking, but people should respect the right of everyone to have an opinion.It's just sad that some people think their's is the only opinion out there.
I happened to think that Alice's review was intelligent and to the point, where a lot of reviews can ramble when the person did not like the book. It wasn't as if she bashed the author, she just didn't connect with the book, and that is her right.
I hope Alice knows that her reviews are so fun. I love reading them and I think there are tons of other people that do, as well.
This one ignorant person doesn't know our Alice and seems plain mean to say such a spiteful thing. I actually looked at her raving review of this book and couldn't understand half of it.
I'd much prefer to read a review from Alice any day :)
Rant on. I mean people its a book. Its a review. If an author can't accept the fact that not everyone will love their book, then they need to stop writing. That's life. Everyone has different taste and it's okay if you don't like something as long as you aren't hateful in your review then your opinion is your opinion. I don't make book choices on one review alone. Anyway, now I'm ranting. Alice we love you!
Christie wrote: "Alice Belikov wrote: "Becky wrote: "I think some people don't know how to properly give a negative review. I agree that there are a lot of rude people, but I've read a lot of negative reviews tha..."Thanks Christie! And No, it was not the author that called me the name I believe it was another member that made a goodreads page that day and the only review on her page was the book that I had reviewed. I really don't think my review was negative, I will never say a book is stupid or you should never read it because that isn't fair to say. I think the only thing that was negative would have been the rating which I was already feeling bad because I pretty much LOVE every book I read and I guess I came across one I didn't like so much :( it happens though!
THANKS @Terri!!!
Bit of a rabbit trail-I hate when people don't follow the rules/continue to make the same mistakes in game threads. I know it's just a game, I should lighten up, etc. But I just...get...so...FRUSTRATED! Nobody bothers to follow rules/read directions anymore, and it chafes my butt! Then I try not to (sometimes unsuccessfully) angrily correct the errors.
Just read the directions/look at previous posts BEFORE you post something. You can't possibly be in that big of a hurry!
I am surrounded by idiots in real life, and I guess, I FEEL like (NOT saying other users are!) I shouldn't have to be surrounded by them in cyberspace. Bleh. Ok, rant over. Proceed!
I was surprised actually at the amount of rude people on here - I guess I thought that most people would have a shared interest in books and not stoop to such petty levels.I actually had to stop my alerts for one thread because someone was basically attacking my opinion on Twilight - even if someone else posted a similar opinion to me I was the one who got poked and prodded... This was really irritating as I don't mind if someone likes Twilight everyone is entitled to an opinion but, apparently, not me! The they had the gaul to say if I wanted to stop posting I could - like I needed their permission. It was a bit amusing in a way though becuase they would accuse me of doing things and then do the same thing back at me! Hypocritical much?
I have also seen the same thing in other discussions - I really find it hard to believe that in this day and age people find it impossible to accept other viewpoints.
It is nice to know that I am not the only one though - my partner thinks I should leave the site given how annoyed I get so now I can just moan to you all and not to him!
Carina wrote: "I was surprised actually at the amount of rude people on here - I guess I thought that most people would have a shared interest in books and not stoop to such petty levels.I actually had to stop ..."
I had to remove myself from a group for pretty much the same reason. :(
I've never run into any blatantly nasty people (thank goodness!), but I do think a lot of people don't realize how abrupt or rude their posts sound. I know I have written a few posts and then re-read them and slapped my forehead because I suddenly saw how terse they must have sounded. Hopefully, that hasn't happened in a while! :)As far as bad reviews go...well, there's a *huge* difference between trashing a book ("This book sucks and the author is an idiot") and giving a thoughtful, yet negative review ("The book had its good points, but I didn't like it because of...")
Tammy wrote:I had to remove myself from a group for pretty much the same reason. :( That's depressing.
Though I do agree with Michelle in that I wonder sometimes if they are accidently terse ... but people who hound others are just plain rude.
Carina wrote: "Tammy wrote:I had to remove myself from a group for pretty much the same reason. :( That's depressing.
Though I do agree with Michelle in that I wonder sometimes if they are accidently terse ....."
I was upset at the time, but it was not worth the drama.
Tammy wrote: "I was upset at the time, but it was not worth the drama. "Drama in novels = exciting and interesting. Drama in real life = annoying, upsetting, and a nuisance. ; )
ROFLMAO She called you a "dingbat". Her opinion of you automatically becomes null and void by use of that word. Seriously.
I had a nasty one star review written by a person whose review included a serious spelling error and bad grammer. It has brought me more attention than the five star reviews and given many of us a good laugh as well.
And there - I have one myself. Oooopppss! GRAMMAR.
Alice Belikov wrote: "I am making this thread because there are some RUDE people on here!!!! Why does somebody always have to have a problem when you don't like a book or love it??? I mean a review for a book is written..."You go girl!! I totally agree with you!! we have a right to say how we feel about a book if you don't like it then don't read our option
Annalise wrote: "ROFLMAO She called you a "dingbat". Her opinion of you automatically becomes null and void by use of that word. Seriously."LOL
Today I had a girl email saying that I need to Learn how to read.
Heidy wrote: "Today I had a girl email saying that I need to Learn how to read."Oh my, what is wrong with some people.
I'm USUALLY an honestly rude person, but it's less rudeness and more I'm blunt as...well, you get the point.Suffice it to say, I don't see how anyone can be rude over a difference of opinion. A review is a statement of opinion, 's all...y'know? Unless you're blatantly falsifying tidbits (like claiming they write in a style they're obviously not using, or that the book is rife with misspellings and horrible grammar...when it clearly is fine and went through proper editing and proofreading), a stated opinion is exactly that. An opinion.
Honestly, they're lucky it wasn't me - I would've ripped into 'em a good one or two, y'dig? Of course that might've put me in the wrong as well...but I feel very strongly about personal and individual rights. Freedom to blare yer opinion's up there, y'knowwhatImean?
~Thomas
Another thing I am noticing more and more on here is that people (and this applies more to the Goodreads feedback group) are incredibly rude when people ask a question that has already been asked. There is one user in particular that I think is getting rather annoyed as her comments are becoming more and more brusque but to me if you dislike it then don't comment! By telling the first poster to look at the site properly you are assuming that they know how to navigate - I joined in March and am still learning. *sigh*Rant over.. sorry to re-use the thread but 'tis nice to just get it off your chest with others who may have noticed the same thing!
Carina wrote: "Another thing I am noticing more and more on here is that people (and this applies more to the Goodreads feedback group) are incredibly rude when people ask a question that has already been asked. ..."That's a really good point. GR is generally pretty user friendly (unlike Library Thing - bleh!), but it still can get confusing. It took me *forever* to figure out how to mark every message as being 'read' without having to physically click onto every discussion board.
Michelle wrote: That's a really good point. GR is generally pretty user friendly (unlike Library Thing - bleh!), but it still can get confusing. It took me *forever* to figure out how to mark every message as being 'read' without having to physically click onto every discussion board. I didn't even know you could mark messages as read - I just tend to clear my notifications and use the new messages as indicators of threads I look on as GR no londer sends me all the e-mails it ought to... I am surprised that there isn't some sort of easily accessibly user manual to guide people along a bit.
I, too, had no idea you could mark read posts. I follow discussions with email notices, which sometimes are delayed a day or two. Thanks for the education. Re: Rudeness on Groups... seems to me some folks on GR seem to think their discussions are private, or are as important as neuro-research. I appreciate anyone who'll take a moment to bring me up to snuff if I've missed a potion of a thread. Sorry to hear you've had issues with some GR folks.
I had to gently swat a member/author in a group because he had essentially called another author a name. (I am a Mod there, and told him that) I was polite but firm, and simply asked him to basically be polite. He had also been telling people that didn't agree with him to 'move on to the next thread' ...I told him since it is a public group, and a public discussion thread, that if he did not like hearing other opinions he should think twice before posting a thread.
he actually implied that I was making it up (that he did not call the other author a name, when it was sitting in black and white plain as day), that I should 'move on to another thread' and watch what comes out of my mouth and GR should too so that they might reconsider me 'having a job here' (as if being a Mod is a paid position) and then said that I should "Lord over and bully" someone else because he was leaving our group- he expected me to next be proofreading and correcting spelling and grammar in posts.
He left before I could boot him from the group, but I've personally blocked his profile and flagged his comments. I was just upholding the rules of the group, in a nice polite way (oh, how I wanted to bite his head off too)...
Needless to say, I will NEVER read his books. EVER. Even if all books on Earth are destroyed and the only way I can continue to read is by reading his. Not. Gonna. Happen.
You did good, Alana.You should show that thread to your Scout troop, the next time they start misbehaving.
Wow! I had no idea. On GR??? Are you sure you weren't on a Kindle Board? I had some annoying experiences on one of those which I blogged about a while back, but never heard of a writer out-shouting a group Mod. You should get a medal!
I've taken a sabbatical from scouts for the time being. Oldest boy decided he did not want to do it anymore and little one is not old enough. Plus they were really sucking down so much of my time. Committee meetings, pack meetings, den meetings, special outings, round table meetings... I needed a break and didn't fight my oldest when he said he was done.
If an author asks for a review, he/she should accept the review and not even comment on it. A negative review is not necessarily bad publicity; sometimes bad reviews get people to read and buy books. I don't know how many times I've seen someone say, "If it's that bad, I need to read it to see!" Some people are just rude and the rest of us who try to be civil end up taking all the abuse. It's certainly not fair.
Alana ~ The Book Pimp wrote: "Needless to say, I will NEVER read his books. EVER. Even if all books on Earth are destroyed and the only way I can continue to read is by reading his. Not. Gonna. Happen."Great comment! I feel the same way.
Richard wrote: "I, too, had no idea you could mark read posts. I follow discussions with email notices, which sometimes are delayed a day or two. Thanks for the education. Re: Rudeness on Groups... seems to me som..."I love this comment. Why do some people think that their opinion is so important!! P.S., my son is doing neuroresearch cancer studies, so I thought your comment was cool.
So... we should hear his opinions, first! I'll wait...still waiting...
Mod
Haha, it happens. As a mod I've had to confront people a couple of times (both times authors actually) about things they've been saying in the group, and they were not polite in their responses back.
Alana, that guy left GR. I don't know if he left himself or if he was kicked off, but his profile is gone.
I'm just ranting you guys but have you ever had call you a name just because you didn't like a book? Well it just happened to me :/ It's a kind of funny because I rated a book with one star when she obviously rated it with five stars, why be mad just because of that??
btw she called me a dingbat LMAO and said I am not what I seem....Um, last time I checked YOU DON'T KNOW Me!!!!! But since you do now and think I am a Dingbat I will take that and consider it YOUR OPINION! Okay, I'm done you guys lol just had to get it out.
This is how I feel about this...
This is the scene from King of the hill when Bobby goes nuts from all the bullying he is going through. The last picture should say 'That's my OPINION. I DON'T KNOW YOU!!!'
Have you ever been through something like this???