The complicated personal rituals of fic-reading

[ratbones]

When I go back to fics I've commented on, I regularly, like probably 50% of the time, discover I never left kudos. I leave kudos-ing to last if I'm planning to comment, because I guess I think the author might notice me leaving kudos and then commenting a couple of days later and think that's weird of me (which, as a writer, I can confirm is not a thing). And then half the time I guess I just close the tab feeling pleased with myself and forget to click the button for some reason. ???

Also, I am almost always on a reread when I leave comments, because I mostly read on my tiny old smartphone which I no longer use as a phone and is solely dedicated to accessing AO3 at this point. So I send tabs to my laptop to leave feedback on, which is not the best system because it requires the extra labor of a reread/re-skim to remember what I wanted to say.

I'd leave more feedback if I had a different system such that I could just comment as soon as I got done reading, but I can't think of one. Typing up comments on a phone is a pain, and I usually don't take my giant laptop to bed, or the kitchen while I'm cooking, or the bathroom. Yes, I read fic in the bathroom, of course I read fic in the bathroom.

Anyone have weird fic-reading habits to share?

Comments

[forestofglory]

I download anything long on to my ereader for similar carrying around convenience, plus I'm one of those people who doesn't look at screens before bed. But then I have to remember to got back and kudos and comment and I don't always. (I keep downloaded fics in my marked for later, so I can at least find them most of the time)

[ratbones]

Ah, I'm not the only one with the portability vs leaving feedback problem! (And good for you, avoiding screens before bed! I've just made the compromise of screen-dimming software.) My marked for later is full of things that are actually to-be-read, but I use firefox everywhere so it's easy enough to move tabs between devices, at least.

[shipperslist]

Yes, I read fic in the bathroom, of course I read fic in the bathroom.
Who doesn't?

BTW, I don't subscribe to kudos notifications so I won't know who leaves kudos and who doesn't.

[ratbones]

Who doesn't?
Oh good, we're all like this! :D

Good to know! I do get kudos emails, but if someone left me kudos today and then commented next week...I probably would have forgotten they left kudos, or if I didn't, I'd be happy they came back to the story twice. So that thing is definitely an irrational fear, yes.

[extrapenguin]

I do the "comment but oops, no kudos" thing, too! Though in my case it happens because I've had the floaty comment box userscript running and I've been typing up my comment as I go, then I reach the end of the fic and press the "post comment" button, which is of course at the very end of the page, so it's the last thing to do; time to close the tab! ...except that then I realize I forgot to leave kudos, reopen the tab, and press the kudos button.

[ratbones]

Ohhh maybe THIS is what happens in the moment when I actually fail to click kudos. I use the floaty box too, but only sometimes...good on you for realizing you forgot right away, unlike Certain People who go back three months later and don't see their name in the kudos list and get confused.

[nnozomi]

Yes, I read fic in the bathroom, of course I read fic in the bathroom.
I mean, a) why should fic be different from any other reading material? and b) why should the bathroom be different from literally anywhere else whatsoever (by which I mean, yup, me too)

Re comments and kudos: I tend to think of them as one-or-the-other--if I liked it and have something to say about it I leave a comment, if I liked it but don't have anything particular to say I leave a kudos. (Or, all too often, I read it and think "oh wow, this was amazing! I should leave a comment saying so!" and...just don't. Trying to catch up on a little of this, but very slowly.

Also I tend to keep track of/save the fics/authors I especially like completely offline, in relatively analog things like Excel and Word, which is probably a waste of good AO3 functions.

[ratbones]

I mean, a) why should fic be different from any other reading material? and b) why should the bathroom be different from literally anywhere else whatsoever (by which I mean, yup, me too)
:D

Ooh, I didn't realize some people approached kudos that way! I always intend to leave kudos for any fic that I finished and enjoyed. But your mindset makes sense as well - kudos aren't really necessary if I've just told someone in words that I loved the story.

Also I tend to keep track of/save the fics/authors I especially like completely offline
I have some lists outside of AO3 as well! I keep thinking that I should use the built-in bookmarks system but I just...haven't, yet. (Keeping stuff offline to preserve it does make sense, though.)

[tinny]

I know the forget-to-kudo phenomenon, especially when I leave comments. /o\

On my laptop, I use the Floaty Review Box, which is awesome. But I have no advice for mobile/phone. :/

[ratbones]

I should really stop waiting and just click the dang kudos button when I finish reading.

I use Floaty Review Box too! Sometimes! I actually made the script work in my mobile browser, even, but it's still impractical to leave (longish) comments that way most of the time. :(