Sleuth Home - Message Boards - Sleuth Talk


0 0
Rating System for Intros?
  <<First Page  |  <Previous  

Brasco De Gama
Brasco De Gama
Old Shoe

Aug-26-2007 12:49

What does everyone think about the idea of being able to rate intros on cases?

The reason I ask is that I generally don't bother to read intros... it's hard enough to get the time to finish 12 cases a day, BUT having written a few myself, I now appreciate that people take a lot of time and effort writing them and generally get no feedback. It would be kinda cool if people would be given the chance to rate an intro they've read, and perhaps that would a) encourage more people to read one if it's been highly rated b) let the writer know when they've hit on something, or are firing blanks.

I guess added to this, maybe it would be worth considering a comments section that would be sent to the author's Slueth Mail.

Maybe you could have a league table for intros, with highest rated etc. to give some kudos to the people who have spent so much time and effort on their intros? I may also help inprove the quality of the writing, I know I've rattled out a few recently of varying quality by my own admission, but maybe I would be more inclinded to spend more time on them if I knew I was going to be rated on it.

Replies

Anikka
Anikka
Babelfish

Aug-30-2007 15:09

Stooby, you great brat. :)

Seriously, it's a terrific idea if we can figure out details to make it work. And don't think I don't know that you're trying to get me to run it *laughs* I'm not sure it's a 'surefire way' to get people to read the intros, but it can't hurt, either.

Lady Z, thank you for confessing to reading the intros. It's nice to know that some people do!

Feedback! Feedback!! Oh, and if you don't like someone's intro, please send CONSTRUCTIVE feedback.
"I didn't care for the intro because of blah, blah, blah." (which is helpful)
NOT
"Man, you should give up writing 'cause you suck." (which is hurtful and not helpful)

biggie528
biggie528
Lucky Stiff

Aug-30-2007 17:55

Man, I never wrote because I suck :)

One thing that always got me to read the intros was on the FMs, when they are part of the case. If the intros were more important to the case, I think more people would read them.

Please note that there is no suggestion of how to do this whatsoever in my statement, just a statement and nothing else (I just really wanted to post something cuz I haven't in awhile).

I am nothing if not constructive :p

Anikka
Anikka
Babelfish

Aug-30-2007 20:08

That's an interesting idea, Biggie...

One way to give the random intros a little importance might be to have an important bit of information given there. You know, in the tangle of palaver with the client. Maybe some kind of a wildcard code (for lack of knowledge of what it's really called, but you super-genius types will know) that reveals an alibi (hey! saves a question!) or something like that.

Dunno how practical it would be, coding-wise. But it's still an idea.

Stooby
Stooby
Well-Connected

Aug-30-2007 23:42

Good idea but may be difficulat as everything about the daily cases is a random construct to avoid you getting the smae one severeal times.

I'm guessing you're thinking about another random element thrown into the intros but that may be tricky as it may mes up the flow of the intro. Also unless very clever there's likely to be a limitied number of clue types and places to hide them so when in a hurry people may still bypass the reading and head strait for the extra clue.

Nothing worng with skipping intros when in a hurry, sometimes though it's nice to pause and have a read.

Kawaii Kun
Kawaii Kun

Aug-31-2007 01:36

I like the idea of adding something little that will affect the case into the intro. That will surely make people appreciate these intros more. I used to read this intros eagerly, but now I realize they're a bit of a waste of time to read since they don't do anything to the main plot. However I still enjoy writing them, and would definitely read mine if it pops up (which seems to be impossible). So I still look at who writes the intros.

As for the feedback process, I have a neutral though to it. I have never thought of giving someone feedback, and even if I did, I really don't think that I would take the time to PM someone talking about their excellent intro. I suppose I'm just a lazy old bum. Yet I haven't thought of it being a popularity contest either...

Stooby
Stooby
Well-Connected

Aug-31-2007 03:59

I've tended to PM people about the SM's I read and like and I've got talking to some great people because of that.

I thoroughly support the idea of passing on your appreciation and / or consturctive comments to writers. It's what we writers need more of. If we just keep throwing stuff out we have no idea if it's appreciated or not!

  <<First Page  |  <Previous  

[ You must login to reply ]