Random pondering about feedback

[ratherastory]

So I've been trying to catch up on comments to my fic, because I'm behind on everything fandom-related and feeling a bit guilt-ridden as a result. Anyway, that's moving along, so I thought I would indulge my curiosity and ask my ever-understanding flist for your opinions.

Do you guys care at all whether an author replies to your feedback? Do you feel annoyed/insulted/whatever if your comment goes unanswered, especially when you've taken the time to leave really detailed feedback?

To make it easier for y'all, I've made a poll. It's totally not because I like fiddling around with the LJ toys. No. Not at all... *shifty look*

What are your thoughts?

[Poll #1652078]

Comments

[andrea-deer.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about similar subject recently when under someone's fic I saw that she answered to every comment and everyone answered to her answer and imo it started looking riddiculous. It was on the edge of turning into "no, thank you" "no, really,thank you" "No, truly, thank you" "Oh, no, I have to thank you"
Like with kisses on the cheek on some family reunions or things. Twice? Three times? What if you go for another kiss, when you shouldn't? Or the other person goes when you hadn't expected it?! IT'S INSANE.
In my opinion it's in author's gesture and good will to answer or not. Sure, it's nice to know the author read and appraciated feedback, but seriously, which author doesn't read feedback?
Personally I answer all the comments I get, but it's not like I get thousands of them. And still after few comments in a row that go "Great! I liked it!" I feel like a repetitive machine sending "thank you" notes to everyone in hope they won't forget to comment the next time they will happen to read something by me. I can only imagine how people who get a hundred or two of comments, half of which are "omg, it was so awesome!!!" I mean, do commenters really feel so much better after getting a repetitive of "thank you! I'm glad you liked!" (I mean, even if the author doesn't copy it to many comments, there's just so many ways of saying it!)

So, yeah, I think it's nice if authors reply. It shows they appraciate and love feedback, which is obvious , but still should be pointed out to all potential future commenters. However I don't feel angry or bad about author NOT responding. (I, for example, usually don't reply to comments on my fics on kink meme, because seriously there are too many comments there already and as much as I appriaciate the feedback I found it pointless to mess the thread with useless "thanks!")

And yet there's something that annoys me. When in comment you actually ask about something or bring up some interpretation or whatever, basically you write something that begs for discussion with the author and then you're ignored. (And I don't mean for awhile, because the author was busy, but totally.) That stinks. ;) But that's the only situation I could think of in which I would actually expect author to answer and feel wronged not getting my answer.