Whose mindless comments with no worth are these?

Date: Jun 2, 2006

RE: Whose mindless comments with no worth are these?

Date: Jun 3, 2006

I think we should propose to AW in changing anonymous comments to named comments (signed in users)....surely it can be done!?

Although these little pathetic comments do not count in my eyes...it is still quite annoying.

With named comments,we can find who the immature wannabes are.

yah? nay?...let me know

Jacob Jones

Date: Jun 3, 2006

Yah.

Date: Jun 3, 2006

Stools and Such

Date: Jun 3, 2006

RE: Whose mindless comments with no worth are these?

Date: Jun 3, 2006

I'm with "Coffee"! Candid comments are more important than hurt feelings!

Date: Jun 3, 2006

I know that AW is PRO Anon, which is cool and that is the way they started this site and most likely the way it will continue. That being what it is, neither here nor there, what about the quality of listener comments? I mean really, how "does" one change something of that nature? I say stuff all the time that >seemed< helpful and I have also poked some fun and have been stalked across these forums to be blasted by someone disguised as an Anon. My comments are not that damn important so it cannot be that. I really do not believe Anon or Non-Anon is the issue at all in this whole thing that is going into its 2nd page and third revision. People want something they are not getting. I suppose one way to address this would be to give the song submittor a checklist of "to what degree" of comment can you stand. Make it easy like from level 1 to 5. One being the ass smooching to 5 being get your head ripped off and crapped down your throat level.

Don't tell me that couldn't work. I personally would love the challenge of biting my tongue when I really want to set a ferrets butt on fire and smear it in someones face.

Date: Jun 3, 2006

"For a good friendly music community, I suggest you go over to icompositions.com. You will not be disapointed."

Richard -- I have enough friends. They all tell me I'm great. I come here to find out how good my songs really are. I understand that not everyone can handle a brutally honest opinion. Anyone who's a real musician should have the balls to throw their song to the wolves.

Date: Jun 3, 2006

I'm down with coffee anon's sentiments (that "living with Smurfs" comment killed me). I too have been to dozens of songwriter forums and such, and they are a freaking unproductive love-fest with 90% of the "songwriters" churning out absolute garbage that you are forced to smile and nod at. Now, I'm not one to write a "you suck" comment, but I can sometimes leave a candid and harsh critique that a thin-skinned person could be very offended by. I don't have to leave my name, so I don't in those cases. I can be anon here like I can't at a writer's circle --- and I love it. I'm glad I'm not the only one here that realizes the importance of annonimity: You WILL NOT, I REPEAT, WILL NOT get an honest opinion without it. Go to a different site if your material is sub-par and you like to get eHugs. Hang here if you want the real skinny. If you think all of the comments are negative, check out the comments on some of the weekly winners -- They are insightful, glowing, supportive, etc. If you get nothing but negative comments, it might just have something to do with YOUR SONG. Get to work on it, then repost it and THEN you are beginning to understand the point of this site. Or, just assume that you are a great and misunderstood genius and don't change a thing, don't learn, don't improve, just keep creating songs the same way, and keep listening to your mom when she tells you how wonderful you are.

Was that a rant? I think that was a rant. Sorry for ranting. BTW, I love you all. Seriously.

Date: Jun 4, 2006

BC-

Well said. I totally agree. Point in fact, one of my songs that was well recieved in my songwriting group (wannnabe support group) and loved by my wife and my mommy was panned pretty hard here, and for all the right reasons. I got the feedback I needed, for the first time ever, here, anonymously, and I knew it was true as soon as I read it.

Anyone proposing to take that honesty away from me (coming and going) is not giving me songwriting community hugs, they're stabbing me in the back. Naturally, my rant becomes more inspired when I feel a great thing is being threatened. To me, AW is a great thing, again, as is.

Date: Jun 4, 2006

Just going to throw my vote in here too ... I'm with keeping AW anonymous 100% When BC said "You WILL NOT, I REPEAT, WILL NOT get an honest opinion without it" he/she was exactly right. For those of you whereby that comment doesn't apply, ignore it. For most, it does. It's that simple. Sure we could write pages about how it shouldn't be that way blah blah blah, but it is. Many years ago (many many years ago) I was involved in an experiment involving shy person's behaviour at social gatherings. (I'll make it short.) Under normal circumstances, they didn't say or do much, but if allowed to wear a mask (such as at a Hallowe'en party for example) they acted entirely different. Strange, maybe, but true. The mask gave them a sensation of anonymity, whether accurate or not. This is no different.

Along the same vein, people are going to be influenced by the things others say about their work, whether those of you whom this does not apply to like it or not. If I tell you your music sucks, do you think you can judge mine with an open mind afterwards? (YES I KNOW SOME OF YOU CAN.) Again, the majority can't. Even if it's on a subconscious level, THEY ARE AFFECTED. Anonymity is the only answer we have. I fail to see how having a name at the end of a comment makes any difference anyway. Sure, it identifies the person, but then what? Retaliation? Just knowing who it was doesn't do you any good at all unless you plan to do something about it. IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. For me, "it sucks" is a valid comment. Whoever wrote it thinks the music sucks. Imagine that. It's not a reflection on the value of your music for gawwwds sake, it means the person that wrote the comment didn't like it. It might do some of you good to remember that many of the comments reflect more on whether the listener liked it or not then an actual judgment about its musical integrity. Some aren't even capable of that, but again, who cares? I dare say each of us will give each comment the weight we feel it deserves regardless of any other factor. And when the calculations are finished, some of us will come away with a decent account of what others thought and use the information as best we can to improve, some of us will determine that our music is amazing, that others don't know what they are talking about and some of us will melt into a puddle on the floor. Anonymity is key and I stand by that, period.

Was that a rant? :~)

Don

Date: Jun 4, 2006

Personally, I don't think it matters whether or not a name is associated with a comment. I think there are two reasons writers post songs: one is because they want to get an idea of how people react to their offerings. The other is because some are just plain adulation junkies. If you want your mama's opinion, ask her. If you want your peers opinion, go to sites where people who share your interests can offer feedback.

I was told about this site before I came here, I believe the descriptive word was "brutal". I have to agree, but so what. There are ****s in every group. Sound criticism is the stuff that makes better writers. Those of us who's music has been accepted for years are not really affected by the crudeness of those comments. A real professional wouldn't make some of the comments I've seen on this site, so the opinion expressed by cruel comments is nothing more than garbage from those who are probably trying to elevate their self perception by lowering others in their own eyes. If that's what blows their skirt up, let them go for it, whats it to you? You don't get that much exposure here anyway. The good part is that sometimes you can pick out a comment that spurs you to action.

If you are a newbe, and have not progressed to the point that you are already secure in your talent, this is probably not the place to start. Out of respect for this site, I will not recommend another site, but you can google the hell out of upload sites, they are all over the place.....free, and some do look past production and rate the idea.

On comment signatures, just let me say that I would be interested in knowing who the professionals are (bold comments). Anybody can write in bold. As long as it's free, I don't know that it's all that important, although there should be some confirmation of the service implied. But if one pays for a professional comment, I think it ought to be signed.

Thanks songramp for the opportunity to heard (or read) Mike

Date: Jun 4, 2006

ah, thats Artistweekly...not songramp right?

Date: Jun 4, 2006

Freudian Slip.....no provision to correct it. I saw that when I hit the submit button. LOL. OOPS.

Date: Jun 4, 2006

Well.....this turned into a long thread. Interesting points made on all sides. I will admit that I have been swayed from my earlier feelings on the matter. I was all about putting names on the posts and requiring logins. Now I wonder if the only "real" problems are the spammability of the ratings, which we could fix by limiting a listener to one rating/comment per day for each song. Technically, it wouldn't be perfect, but it would help.

One of our slogans under development is "throw your songs to the wolves" (cool t-shirt available soon, by the way) and maybe that's the way it ought to be. Maybe some songs just suck? Maybe not being anonymous would hamper, even subconsiously, people's willingness to comment honestly or even comment at all?

It just comes back to this for me - as mentioned by somebody earlier, the winners and finalists on this site generally have good comments and realistic feedback. The songs that don't make the cut sometimes really blow - and usually have savage comments left for them.

I don't like the lack of civility displayed in some of the tripe that people leave in comments on songs, but I am trying to balance that with what is an acceptable amount of 'interference' by AW and what is right for the users of the site in my mind.

We will certainly discuss this in the meeting tomorrow.....

Date: Jun 5, 2006

I only have a minute, leaving for work. I just wanted to point out that I have seen (on other sites) individuals who submitted some real bad stuff. With positive encouragement and honest criticism, they were motivated to improvement. Some dramatically. When I refer to honest criticism, I mean criticism with a modicum of civility. It's like when your wife asks you if she looks fat. You don't say "yea baby, you could have your own zip code", you say you look great dear, and later mention that maybe you both could join a gym if it really bothers her.

From a business prospective, it may be well to consider that there is a limit to the amount of abuse most people will endure. If you are doing this for fun, don't worry about. But if this site is anyone's livelyhood, someone at the executive level should be concerned for the future. Most people who visit the site are looking for a pleasing experience, do the math.

If you are noticing that this is an unusually long thread, then the red flag is up, in my organization, that would call for a proactive intervention.

My favorite site has signed comments. I don't know if thats why it does so well, but there are a lot of people who call the users family. They even have real life functions for members to attend. If that were to happen here, someone would end up in a cast.

Sorry for my unintentional reference to another site in my last post. I hope you understand that it was purely unintentional. Thanks ARTISTWEEKLY for allowing me to speak my peice.

Date: Jun 5, 2006

dizzy wrote:

"For a good friendly music community, I suggest you go over to icompositions.com. You will not be disapointed."

Richard -- I have enough friends. They all tell me I'm great. I come here to find out how good my songs really are. I understand that not everyone can handle a brutally honest opinion. Anyone who's a real musician should have the balls to throw their song to the wolves.

u cant be serious?

Date: Jun 5, 2006

I am impressed at the interaction on all sides of this discussion. This seem to have been quite the can of worms. I am certainly willing to throw my songs to the wolves. I have recieved good helpful critique here. If I've offended any of you folks, you have my appologies. This site is here for whoever can hang, I agree. There are indeed different degrees of interest for everyone. I am interested in the truth about my songs. If it's agreed one way or the other on how to obtain that truth through comments here, I'll still participate. Nothings perfect. I'm hoping my next forum post might not be so controversial.

William

Date: Jun 5, 2006

so william this is all your fault? you started all this?

do you have an acceptance speech ready?

Date: Jun 5, 2006

I just hope it's not a severance speach.

Date: Jun 5, 2006

*speech

Date: Jun 5, 2006

Methinks some of you cry too much. Didn't your mommies teach you "sticks and stones"?

Seriously, get over it. It's just music after all. Nothing to get worked up over. I get trashed all the time. Perhaps you haven't read the comments on my songs, ____________, _____________, ________________, and _______________.

Make music, throw it to the wolves, and see what happens.

Captain Anonymous

Date: Jun 5, 2006

It's my anonymous, you can't tell me what to do with it. wrote:

Methinks some of you cry too much. Didn't your mommies teach you "sticks and stones"?
Seriously, get over it. It's just music after all. Nothing to get worked up over. I get trashed all the time. Perhaps you haven't read the comments on my songs, ____________, _____________, ________________, and _______________.
Make music, throw it to the wolves, and see what happens.
Captain Anonymous

Dude when I ripped your song, _____________, i thought i was gonna wet myself! Guitar? I thought it was a long tailed cat at a rocking chair festival. and that tune, ________________, i still stand by what i said...it really did suck;)

Date: Jun 6, 2006

What if everyone had their username added to their reviews? The idea is that the name members use to sign comments is different from the name used when uploading songs. They would not be identifiable in the song list, yet it would give everyone a much better sense of what came from who. Technically easy to do, especially when we already sign in with our usernames. Now, I am assumming that usernames are different from the names people use to upload songs for this idea of course. This gives people a 'mask' and should work. It could also help from an administration standpoint. Just a thought. (If this idea has already been suggested and I missed it I apologize.)

Don

Date: Jun 6, 2006

Civility?

Sir:
I found your song lovely in most every way. Excepting the concept, lyrics, vocals, instrumentation, musicianship and production, I foundit nearly flawless. If you are able to tweak these few minor issues, you will most certainly force me to improve my current assessment of one flame.

Very truly yours
Coffee Anon

PS: It sucked.
CA

How's that?

Date: Jun 6, 2006

Are you sure you want to be a Motivational Speaker?

Date: Jun 6, 2006

Sir-
"teabagging?" You must be the one that posted "the organ part is a little too short but it really sticks out." Clean it up mister!
Coffee Anon

PS
Your song(s) sucked, and I don't like the direction this thread is now pointing.
CA