As a newby on this forum, I need a bit of help...
First thing - why do most of you feel the need for a user name?
Secondly, I've been reading a piece of uploaded work in the archive (Double Vision) and the comments about it. Soemone pointed out that there were a couple of typos but didn't go into detail. Yes, I noticed them too but didn't comment, mainly because someone had already pointed out there were some, and partly because I'm not sure what everyone wants from this.
Personally, I don't know what I would want myself. It would, to be honest, depend on what sort of a day I'd had at work. I might be grateful to have typos highlighted which I had obviously missed. On the other hand I might throw my laptop at the dog.
So what's the general view? Do we mention these little burps or pretend we didn't hear them?
Dee.

Dee,

As the writer of 'Double Vision' I'd be happy with any comments you may have about the piece. Anything from typo's, whether you liked the piece, and if so what and why, conversley with the things you didn't like and why. Every little bit is helpfull and all comments are greatfully recieved.

At the end of the day I think it is important to be honest about the way we feel about what we read. No point in saying something is good when it may have bored you sensless.

Hope you enjoyed it BTW (lol)

Darryl

Darryl,
It's getting late. I've been working 8 days non-stop (unusual for me but I have a full-time job and we stocktake at the end of September) and I won't have a day off until next Saturday. This is not an excuse. Simply a reason why I might not be firing on all cylinders at the moment.
I'm too tired, tonight, to get my head around how this forum works but - and I MEAN THIS. I'M NOT JUST SAYING IT - I really like what you've written and, if I can help, as another unpublished-but-very-used-to-rejection-and-it-hasn't-dented-my-enthusiasm-writer, I'm more than happy.
What I'm saying is - I know how much I appreciate someone else pointing out the typos I've missed - it's so easy to not see what you've written. So I'm more than happy to help someone in the same boat, but I can't do it here. If you'd like to contact me on deeweaver@gildengrove.fsnet.co.uk
I'd be more than happy to help with stuff like this. I believe that, as fellow writers, we should support each other. So call me. This also applies to anyone else on this forum. I love to get emails from other writers.
And - oh this is so sad, I know I should know it but - what does BTW mean?
Dee.

Hi Dee, I just read what you said to Darryl, and yes we really do point out typos because you can miss them so easily in your own work. Nobody here thinks anything of it, we do 'typos' and 'technos' and all sorts. There's a lot of trust and respect on this site and very little 'ego'. There is not a single one of us, I'd stick my neck out and say, that hadn't learnt more about writing from contributing to this community with crits and their own writing, miracle though it might be, it's true. Feel easy with us.

Also, people use usernames for nothing weird, it's just why not? Some of us use other names when we write and send things out because it separates our 'daily life' from our 'serious working life', that is our writing life. If I get five pieces of mail on my doorstep as I step out of the house at 7.45am and one addresses me as Rebecca Lloyd I take it with me because it's connected to writing in some way. Unless that isn't what you meant by 'username'?

Usernames. A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but from where I'm sitting, you can't smell me.

I've been using the name Insane Bartender ever since I mastered the art of chatting up bored swedish housewives in Yahoo! chat rooms back when I was 18. Why do I still use it? Simple. Do a google search for "Insane Bartender".

Usernames. Mine is pretty much my name anyway. BJ being initials, Langley the surname.

On another forum I go by another name that I made up being daft, and kind of got stuck with it. From now on I'll get stuck with the one that's familiar, and makes sense...

As for the pointing out of typos and the like, do it, please! I often miss little things, even when combing through my work. Missing words, punctuation, all sorts.

All the best.

Ben

Some websites with forums conceal members' real names as a matter of course, here one has to choose to conceal one's profile, which I think is why we nearly all end up using our actual (or maybe they're not?) names.

Re. typos - I hope no one minds - I certainly don't, as Becca says they're so easy to miss. And personally I'm really grateful for the feedback - good or bad - a fresh eye is invaluable.

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And BTW, BTW means by the way!

I agree. the only reason Ive uploaded a story is for the express purposes of receiving critism. Good or bad. And I think you might feel the same.

After all, we dont often get an honest opinion do we? We get the chance of a critique (dubious and expensive) and a rejection letter that usually tells us sweet nothing about why its been rejected.

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One of these days, I am going to learn how to spell critisism correctly.

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Criticism. Thank God for spellcheck!

Yes, this is a good working site, and it's a two way process, criting other writers' work helps you with your own.