RIP Writing Groups 'like' button

[Rich.]

Hi everyone,

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that there is no longer a like button in Writing Groups Directory threads. This is not a technical glitch nor reason to panic. The button has been removed to foster clarity in that area of the forum.

The Writing Groups are an invaluable resource for polishing work, but the kind of destructive critique that truly has value can be daunting and stressful to engage with. Clarity is paramount when trying to make sense of disparate critiques, and a like can be so frustrating, leaving you wondering what the liker really felt – did they agree with the critique or were they struck by something they didn't think of themselves or were they simply entertained? And if they liked contradictory critiques, where does that leave you?

So, after mulling this over for a bit, we decided to remove the button. If you've got something to add to a Writing Groups thread, please type it out and post it, as clearly and honestly as you can. I promise you'll be doing the author a favour.

Oh, and while I'm here, and if you haven't already, do have a look at The Litopia Method For Giving And Receiving Writing Critiques.

Thanks!

Rich.

 

[Andrew Okey]

Phew, I thought I'd gone crazy and just imagined there used to be a Like button there!

 

[Amber]

I liked your post. I also liked Andrew Okey's response.

 

[Rich.]

I like that you liked my post. And I like that you liked Andrew's, which I liked as well. But will you like this one?

I think I'd like it if you did.