The beautiful thing that is "quid pro quo"

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

Listen up, minions! Dearest members who use this community to find stories,

please let me direct your attention toward your one major resource: your fellow fen. The people who rec you their favourite stories. The people who create huge thematic lists and keep track of just about everything the SGA fandom has to offer. The people who look at your post and think, "ooh, I know one like that, now where's the link..." and spend the next half-hour or longer browsing through their Delicious tags or the thousands of files they've got saved to their hard drives. In other words, the people who invest a lot of energy into ensuring you've got exactly the kind of fic you want to read, just when you're craving it the most.

Are you picturing them? Good. Now let me quote a request from our user info that's gone a bit ignored recently:

If you ask for stories of a certain genre, please remember that those answering your request are putting time and effort into doing so, which means that the least you can do is say thank-you. This community relies on the good will of its members, and positive feedback encourages participation. We cannot and will not force you to be polite; however, if we know you as someone who appreciates the effort, we will be more likely to go the extra length.

I know of several people who are unhappy enough about the way their comments have gone by unacknowledged lately that they are reccing less or not at all anymore. That sucks. It takes less than a minute to reply to someone's comment with a brief thank-you, so if you have the time to post your request and read the stories you're pointed at, I don't see why you wouldn't have the time to say thanks to those who do the pointing. It's in your own self-interest, after all.

As stated above, we can't force you to be polite, nor do we want to. We're your mods, not the Courtesy Police. But hey, if you screw up your post? Chances are that if we know you as someone who regards the reccers of this comm as a tool rather than the helpful people they are, we won't quietly fix your tags or point out what you got wrong, but make the whole thing disappear without comment. You know. Quid pro quo.

Comments

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

I loved what you did at the end, there. *eg*

Also, marry me and we'll have beautiful, snippy babies who like to bash heads left and right with the modly stick!

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

If they don't comment, I don't see why I should. ;)

Hahaha, oh god, I'm trying not to imagine the kids we'd raise.

[wanted-a-pony.livejournal.com]

< snrk > LOL! T'hell with the offspring--I'd want front-row seats to observe & admire the parents! ;-D

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

We'd have to charge tickets, since babies grow so fast we'd go bankrupt trying to keep them in modly sticks otherwise. ;-P

[obsessed1o1.livejournal.com]

Well said :o)

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

:)

[syble4.livejournal.com]

Very, very true and well stated.

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :)

[devo79.livejournal.com]

I religiously answer comments on any post I make. It doesn't matter if it's here or on my own journal. It's the least you can do if you've asked for help.

I often just write "Thank you". That's the least you can do. At least let the people who try to help you know you actually saw their comment.

Also *claps hands* Well played mods. Well played!

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

At least let the people who try to help you know you actually saw their comment.

Yes. I'm not always very good about commenting, but there's a difference between whining in a locked post on one's own journal and asking people to hop around the net and dig stuff up for me.

[rawa-02.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU! to all the reccers for the hours of enjoyment you've given me.

[berlinghoff79.livejournal.com]

*♥ the last paragraph with the power of a thousand suns*
And you maybe, too. A bit. Btw, no marrying, that just screws with the mistress-system.*nods*

[skaredykat.livejournal.com]

thank you!

[boji.livejournal.com]

People *don't* thank people who reply to their posts? I'm boggled.

That said I too may have been slightly guilty of not appreciating this comm as vocally as I should. Oh, I've never posted a genre search but I've enjoyed the fruit of other people's queries and the cornucopia of links spring up in reply.

So, thank you to everyone who ever pimped a fic, who ever linked or squeed. You've made this lurker very happy.

[mckay-s-geek.livejournal.com]

We humbly agree that people should say thank you at the very least. The people that don't are just hlupáci(in other words fools)or in a hurry. We admit we're guilty at times of being in a hurry so we're doopravdy litovat (really sorry) (Miko *hugs* to everyone) Thank You everyone for helping us discover new amazing authors. ~Miko and Radek Singing off~

THANKYOU!

[athenaswind.livejournal.com]

Recently I've just been using this comm and SGA storyfinders whenever I get the urge to read SGA fics. It's better than any archive. The Ben and Jerry's of SGA fanfiction... :)
I've never posted a request, but all the effort is greatly appreciated and awesome! I think I'll start adding little thank you's then...

Re: THANKYOU!

[skaredykat.livejournal.com]

That's a nice thing to hear. :)
(IRRC, wanted_a_pony often says thanks for recs they liked on others' requests and it's always nice to see -- at least I think so!)

Re: SGAGenreFinders

[wanted-a-pony.livejournal.com]

Recently I've just been using this comm and SGA storyfinders whenever I get the urge to read SGA fics. It's better than any archive.

Yes, I do the same thing! Whenever I have time I browse over some recent requests & always find several (or many, depending on the question) lovely fics I've never read, or have forgotten, or have to re-read because I remember them so fondly. It's like an iPod of fics, with selections by some of the brightest & most organized minds in fandom, set on 'Random Topic'. (Like 'Shuffle' but more organized, you see. ;-)

[aqualegia.livejournal.com]

I LOVE the last paragraph. Thanks :)

commenting

[hellbells101.livejournal.com]

I always try to reply to reviews written by people even if it is only an acknowledgement in the next chapter. I believe if people take the time out to give advice or say thank you then you should reciprocate.

[hickman1937.livejournal.com]

This issue has been bothering me for awhile. I see some wonderful people going above and beyond to find stories and going unacknowledged. On a good day I like to think that the non-responders are just a little clueless and need a heads up. On bad days I think they're just rude. debris_k pointed out that I didn't have to be the OP to say thank you. Excellent advice for which I thank her.

[belanna5.livejournal.com]

Hey mod, can I thank YOU for your wonderful job?