This… most people, especially if it’s a longer thread, don’t read through every single post just to see if what they’re asking has been asked before. This is something people in general struggle to get used to/understand, that seeing the same question over and over again might get annoying or stressful etc. But to the person asking it can be completely innocent and novel most of the time. One of the reasons why upfront and frequently updated FAQ’s can be so helpful lol.
On another note, I have felt similarly to the OP on certain threads, wanting to perhaps mention/ask about something, but feeling like it perhaps could fan the flames or w/e, and it has resulted in me not posting at all on those threads despite me liking what I’ve read. Granted this is usually because I HAVE read through most of the thread and noticed some “unease” around certain topics…
For me I feel like that’s mostly(?) a me problem though, I just suck at interacting with other people in general, whether that be in writing form or talking. Especially so if there’s like a general feeling of unease or conflict in threads I tend to just stay away, even if I might’ve had a bunch of “positive” things to say and only one or two “negative” I abstain entirely most of the time, partially because of my own fears and partially out of worry for/about the author, I guess.
I saw that happen a few times, got sooooo invested in a story and wanted to ask about lore an’ stuff then saw what happened in the forum and my initial reaction is always “yeahhhhh on second thought I’ll come back later… Or maybe never at all, Mom pls come pick me up I’m scared.” kinda feeling lol.
Really? I think my most common one tends to be “is/can you make x character romanceable?”
(Probably because mine tend to be light on RO options though so the request coming up is understandable).
Expectations are hard to escape. I think neither “how do I get this achievement” or “can I romance this guy” are really pieces of feedback at all, just people wanting to engage more with the game and seeking help or reassurance.
As a reader, and occasional commenter, I have experienced authors reacting negatively to getting neutral or negative feedback, instead of praise.
But only a few times.
There’s also some WIPs I feel like I can’t post actual criticism for, because the tone of the threads are more of a hype/fangirling thing, and not so much a space for helping with the development of the story.
The WIPs I find myself returning to, and spending actual effort to look for bugs and provide feedback, are the ones where the author clearly appreciates it, and takes the time to engage with the people who post.
And that’s also what I like as an author.
Sure, it’s nice to hear that people like your stories, but the part that gets me enthusiastic is when they are willing to actually discuss it with me, when they show interest and understanding, and the communication becomes more two-way.
Maybe I even like it a little too much. I do sometimes fear that I scare readers away, by wanting to have a dialogue about their feedback, instead of just accepting it and saying ‘thank you’.
oh I really learned a lot from your comments, and it was really nice to hear the authors’ and other readers’ point of view. I think I need to train my opinion giving skills more and how to show more my love for the book Maybe one day I’ll even try to write a book to know an author’s experience in my own skin (no, I’m kidding, this is clearly too stressful for me)
Absolutely. I’ve gotten criticisms on my wip thread and love having conversations about them. Sometimes I have valid reasons that I’ve thought of for why that particular thing is the way it is, other times it changes my thought process and makes me change stuff based on them. But either way, I love any constructive criticism/encouragement I get on my WiP or tumblr asks. Just seeing people interacting with my work makes me motivated.
Maybe one day I’ll even try to write a book to know an author’s experience in my own skin (no, I’m kidding, this is clearly too stressful for me) 
