WTF 2: The WTFing

[farla]

Name: Cezariaz
Profile: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2295132/
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Subject: Beta Reader

Dear Farla,
It has come to my attention that you are a rather talented author. Have you
ever considered being a Beta Reader? It would help improve the quality of
stories in the archives, I'm sure. It may be more effective than reviewing
every single piece of FanFiction that you see in a particular month. Beta
reading takes more time, but it is more interesting than reviewing many
terrible FanFictions at once... After a while, they all start to look the
same, don't they?

Sincerely,

Cezariaz

They preemptively blocked me from PMing. While that's impressively stupid all by itself, their (storyless) profile only improves matters:

So, I review. I DO tell you what's wrong with your story, unless it's totally unsalvageable. Then I either:

A) Roll my eyes and think, 'I'm not even gonna bother with this one' However, I usually end up reviewing it anyway. But I do it nicely. Well, as nice as I can be.

Or

B) Go crazy and rant about your story in my review. This is only if you're unfortunate enough to have me come across your story when I'm in a very bad mood.

Comments

[razorleaf.livejournal.com]

Yes, Farla, why don't you beta-read? It's obvious that even though I know nothing about you, you never do that. Heck, if you just chose to beta-read those that wanted to use you, then the poor readers of FF.net wouldn't have to deal with your malicious reviews! Brilliant solution, isn't it?

Also, me being in a bad mood is a perfect reason for being bitchy. WHY DONT YOU UNDERSTAND ME???

(ps: It's still funny to me that we met when I asked you to beta for me. I was either a compete masochist, or...well, no, that was probably it.)

[farla.livejournal.com]

I can sorta see the beta reading as a helpful suggestion, but the whole thing is so nonsequitor. "You're a good author! Therefore beta read! Instead of reviewing!" If nothing else, considering I don't review like this most of the year, there would be nothing stopping me from doing both. (And come on, there's very little that could be more effective than reviewing every piece of fiction.)

(ps: It's still funny to me that we met when I asked you to beta for me. I was either a compete masochist, or...well, no, that was probably it.)

I meet a surprising amount of people that way. (Well, that way and asking for reviews.) Of course, a surprising amount of those haven't spellchecked. That's masochism.

[razorleaf.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Reviewing every story you find is much more useful than simply beta-reading for those that would like you to. Chances are, those that ask for it are already trying to better themselves in some way, which is much more than could be said for most of the FF.net authors.

*complete

See, I should spellcheck everything I write. (And I spellchecked obsessively in those times, but my writing was absolute crap, looking back at it. I couldn't punctuate worth a damn. Heck, I still can't. -_-)