Story review paradox

[ACertainPassingUser]

If I read the story without reading reviews, i won't know if the story is good or not.

If I read the story after reading the reviews, not only my expectations is gonna be skewed, the review itself maybe biased.

I don't know that lately I realized that reading reviews feels like eating someone else's chewed apple after they said how it tasted for them.

While blind reading put me in a risk of bad writing, or even made me actually approving and enjoying shitty stories even though it's clearly bad.

 

[whitesculptor]

Ultimately, there's nothing as great as giving it a try yourself.
After all, there is no such thing as perfect work.

 

[LilRora]

That reminds me of the barber paradox. A barber who cuts the beard of everyone who doesn't cut their own has to cut his own, but can't do it because the moment he does, he would cut a beard of a person who cuts his own beard.

The same thing is with content warnings, especially those for a single chapter. Choose to read them just in case and ruin the surprise or don't do it and risk reading something you would rather not.

...Actually, thinking about it, there's a huge number of things where the same logic applies. Although reviews are especially insidious in that regard, because they are subjective.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

I only read reviews if I'm going to spend money on something.

 

[Syringe]

I agree in a way. I did this with anime and figured that I tend to like stuff people called trash. I used to think 'man, there's not much Anime to watch nowadays' to just watching whatever's next and having a good time.

But I could not do it if the anime/story was long enough where I needed to invest alot of time. I think that's when you'd want to have a look at a review to at least know what you're getting into. Other than that, going blind is nice! My fondest memory of going into something blind was Puella Madoka Magica...

 

[J_Chemist]

Read the story because you want to, not because other people tell you to. Reviews are opinions, everyone has one. What matters is that you read the story and you liked it. Even if someone else hated it, that doesn't mean you will.

Give things a try yourself before you lend an ear to someone who might lead you astray.

 

[Shard]

Personally, I check reviews when possible just to see if there are any glaring issues others couldn't stand, or if I get lucky, there is mention of foxgirl/kitsune to draw me into reading it. But other than that, I mostly ignore them, because everything is subjective, as mentioned before. I just really hate grammar issues and major plot holes, and really love fluffy tails. >.>

 

[AnonUnlimited]

Personally, I prefer to troll on the forums than read on SH, so both reviews and stories don’t mean much.

Well, to use reviews effective you have to find reviewers who like the same thing you like, and have a lot in common. Most reviews are useless unless they spoil things or tell you why something is bad.

Reviews on things like games and entertainment require people to have much more in common with you to like it. I mean you’re not going to be seriously listening to a reviewer who likes GL tell you about how much John Wick sucks.

Makes me think that SH should make a rating system for reviewers too, since objective reviewing is not an easy job.

 

[KrakenRiderEmma]

I find it much more useful to read reviewers where reviewers talk about WHAT they liked about someone's work -- whether it's a written work, a game, a show, whatever. If I read that and those are not things I tend to enjoy: easy call. I don't like that stuff. Useful review! If I do like those things, then at least I know it's worth a shot, and I can judge from other factors like overall popularity whether it's worth it. Of course, this means a reviewer has to be specific -- it can't just be "this is a super exciting and well-written story!" Sure, they all are if you like them.

I'd rather have this than dislikes, too. Everybody's bothered by something different. In some cases, a warning is good in a review if it's something I really don't want to deal with in a story? (Like if everything goes 100% NTR after a few chapters, or something, with no warning?) But otherwise, I don't care about what bothered you, review writer! I have no idea whether it would bug me in the same way.

 

[Saine]

I usually only read the reviews if I'm on the fence about starting a story in the first place. Even then I will usually still give the first few chapters a try regardless. I've ended up reading some pretty bad stories for longer than I probably wanted to but I've also read a lot of great stories that didn't do the greatest job of writing a synopsis. I tear through so many stories that I can handle a few that aren't that good.

 

[SirDogeTheFirst]

I only read reviews if I'm going to spend money on something.

I second that, and I think reviews on web novels help the writer rather than the reader because unless the said story does unspeakable crimes against grammar and sentence structure to a degree, which you need professional translators to understand whatever is written there, it's up to the reader if they will enjoy the story or not, others opinions won't matter much.

 

[ManwX]

Its an interesting question. The observer has all the power. In both senarios its the reader that desides if its good or not. Review are just opinions. Blinding going is 50/50.

 

[Deleted member 120990]

Its an interesting question. The observer has all the power. In both senarios its the reader that desides if its good or not. Review are just opinions. Blinding going is 50/50.

That depends. 50/50 might be to generous.

I find it much more useful to read reviewers where reviewers talk about WHAT they liked about someone's work -- whether it's a written work, a game, a show, whatever. If I read that and those are not things I tend to enjoy: easy call. I don't like that stuff. Useful review! If I do like those things, then at least I know it's worth a shot, and I can judge from other factors like overall popularity whether it's worth it. Of course, this means a reviewer has to be specific -- it can't just be "this is a super exciting and well-written story!" Sure, they all are if you like them.

I'd rather have this than dislikes, too. Everybody's bothered by something different. In some cases, a warning is good in a review if it's something I really don't want to deal with in a story? (Like if everything goes 100% NTR after a few chapters, or something, with no warning?) But otherwise, I don't care about what bothered you, review writer! I have no idea whether it would bug me in the same way.

It helps to know a reviewers tastes, but obviously that is impossible with Scribble Hub. Unless you see the same reviewer over and over. I think if you like something, you should try and look at the flaws. If you hate something, you should try to find the good. It will also be able to strengthen whatever perspective you already have, or it will make you realize that something you hate/love isn't as bad/good as you thought.

 

[EternalSunset0]

I agree in a way. I did this with anime and figured that I tend to like stuff people called trash. I used to think 'man, there's not much Anime to watch nowadays' to just watching whatever's next and having a good time.

But I could not do it if the anime/story was long enough where I needed to invest alot of time. I think that's when you'd want to have a look at a review to at least know what you're getting into. Other than that, going blind is nice! My fondest memory of going into something blind was Puella Madoka Magica...

I was about to say Madoka was such a long time ago and that I also went into it kinda blind as a college student. Then, I looked at the date, and yes, it's indeed a long time ago.

 

[Ilikewaterkusa]

review itself maybe biased.

Literally everyone is biased.

 

[Bobple]

If I read the story without reading reviews, i won't know if the story is good or not.

If I read the story after reading the reviews, not only my expectations is gonna be skewed, the review itself maybe biased.

I don't know that lately I realized that reading reviews feels like eating someone else's chewed apple after they said how it tasted for them.

While blind reading put me in a risk of bad writing, or even made me actually approving and enjoying shitty stories even though it's clearly bad.

Yeah, I get that. I've had some reviews turn me off stories. But I've reached the point where I can mostly ignore what is being said and I just read them to see what parts of a story people liked after the fact. There are some exception though.

I agree in a way. I did this with anime and figured that I tend to like stuff people called trash. I used to think 'man, there's not much Anime to watch nowadays' to just watching whatever's next and having a good time.

But I could not do it if the anime/story was long enough where I needed to invest alot of time. I think that's when you'd want to have a look at a review to at least know what you're getting into. Other than that, going blind is nice! My fondest memory of going into something blind was Puella Madoka Magica...

I remember me and my sister watching that... blind... as kids... cause it was on tv, maybe the fact that it started at 9:30 should've been warning enough but all the anime stuff started at 8:30... Yeah, that was show... Good show, but as person who doesn't like to be scared (especially as a child) that was a nightmare. No idea why we stayed to watch the whole thing.

 

[ThrillingHuman]

I only look at the presence and starsbin reviews. If it is a considerable amount, it is probably okay to read.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

If I read the story without reading reviews, i won't know if the story is good or not.

If I read the story after reading the reviews, not only my expectations is gonna be skewed, the review itself maybe biased.

I don't know that lately I realized that reading reviews feels like eating someone else's chewed apple after they said how it tasted for them.

While blind reading put me in a risk of bad writing, or even made me actually approving and enjoying shitty stories even though it's clearly bad.

Life is nothing but pain.
Pain and woe.
Woe and fear.
Fear and loathing.
And bats.
Big ass bats that want to drink your fuckin' blood.
We can't stop here.
This is BAT country.
(when you said I'm reading blind, it made me think of bats.)

 

[Drytron]

Literally everyone is biased.

Only the based is not biased.

 

[OP1000]

When I read a review on this site, I will occasionally read them to get a general idea of what other readers that have read the story that makes me reluctant to read it after reading the synopsis. But most of the time I read reviews on Scribblehub, I just read those that were written for stories that I am already reading in order to compare the way I feel about the story with the way that those that have reviewed the story I am reading feel about the story.