Lack of Comments in MOC Section

[onions]

i think our moc spotlight has improved and increased in frequency lately thanks to the fresh blood of writers. anio, if you want to join the staff and help improve the moc section, you're more than welcome.

[Anio]

anio, if you want to join the staff and help improve the moc section, you're more than welcome.

I'm afraid I can't.
I already run a website, and I'm an active member on several other forums.
Sorry.

[vynsane]

I'm not too sure of the veracity of claims that Flickr-generated BBCode is causing a lack of comments on MOC Showcase topics here. There are plenty of other sites where the same BBCode will generally garner more comments. Frankly, there just doesn't seem to be too much of a 'positive reinforcement' vibe here. There's nothing wrong with posting encouraging words, they can be just as constructive as good criticism. It lets the builder know that they're on the right track, have created something that someone else enjoyed, and encourages them to continue building.

It can be more discouraging to get 800 views and 3 comments than to get a bunch of criticism, because it denotes apathy towards the creation, like it wouldn't matter whether or not you had even posted it or even built it to begin with. In my eyes, all 800 of those people might as well have posted 'Meh'... think about how discouraging THAT is. But maybe that's just a self esteem issue

Anyway, I encourage anyone who finds a MOC appealing to compose a post saying so. I think it has to start, though, with those of us who actively post MOCs in the Showcase. I'll do my part.

[volumex]

Right on... we need more like you! I say, go forth and multiple

[dWhisper]

Personally, and this is just me, I'd rather not have the empty positive comments on a thread. They're fluff and filler, and don't add anything. If I'm posting a MOC, I want feedback, critiques, and ideas, not smilies and generic comments. You can give positive reinforcement and still have a meaningful comment. Usually, it's just the difference of...

This is AWESOME!

to...

This build is awesome. I really love how you used the engine cylinder to give a uniform shape to the side of the ship!

I didn't give critique or criticism, but I still gave feedback that's useful to a builder. My feeling of the MOC section is that it's to lay out a creation. To be fair, I don't comment on there as much I as I should, but also don't get to build as much as I'd like either. If someone makes the effort to post a MOC, there's an implied request for feedback.

That being said, the easiest way to get feedback is to encourage it yourself. Comment on other threads and builds, offer feedback to others, and that spurs them to repay the favor. As builders, we often sit in our own little bubbles, and don't provide the feedback we want in return. That's the easiest way to build up the section, and everyone can help.

[vynsane]

Well, obviously, the more descriptive the comment the better, whether critical or encouraging. There are just as many examples of 'empty negative' comments as there are of 'empty positive' comments, if not more.

[dWhisper]

Not from what I've seen, but that's in no way scientific. If it's an empty negative comment, it would be frowned on, usually. More than that, people that want to just troll the MOC section aren't posting either.

[vynsane]

Well, I just meant in general, not necessarily in the Showcase. Empty negative comments would, of course, be deleted by moderators.

That said, I'm of a mind that "empty positive" isn't actually a thing. Saying "I like this", while not deemed necessarily 'constructive', is still positive feedback that will encourage the builder to continue building, and the more you build the better you get. Even saying "I'm not sure this works - here's what you can do to take it up a notch..." is ALSO a positive comment that will encourage the builder to continue building.

Conversely, "I don't like this" will just discourage the builder. This isn't criticism nor is it constructive. It's just destructive negativity. One could make the argument that 800 views and 0 comments does the same thing - or at least discourages the builder from posting their creations where the only feedback they receive is tantamount to radio static.