Posting Shyness

Shianra · Post by **Shianra** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:49 pm

heya, just a topic that's really bugging me.

I've set up the comic, had a decent amount of visitors, I'm guessing a feqw of them keep coming back to read my work as it continues...but they all point-blank REFUSE to write anything on my tagboard.

i have messages on there, but only from mates that actually know me.

I've even asked into the general abyss id anyone out there evenLIKES where the story's going? has ANY comments at all?
nope.

so. yeah. what's with that? do I just have no fans or are they all trying to preserve their anonymity??

ZorroandEster · Post by **ZorroandEster** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:51 pm

I think most readers don't respond on things unless they really really like your comic. Or they know you personally. But to get people to know you personally and be from other places is hard. So it is a double edged sword, if that metaphor works here...

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:03 pm

I calculated it once that around 2% of all readers would be fanatical enough to post on a forum and there's probably a similar (but undoubtably larger) percentage for the tagboards. If you don't have many readers yet, then the percentage is going to be low, possibly rounding off to zero. It wouldn't help, probably, that even if you do get someone who might post, the tagboard looks dead and doesn't really invite people to comment. It's like being the first person to step forward and say "I'm Spartacus".

Basically, I think you just need to be patient and possibly try and rack up some more readers.

- Joel Fagin

Ryuko · Post by **Ryuko** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:23 pm

Hmmm... You could probably get a larger percentage if you had a larger sample...

As a reader, I find that I only get involved in comics after I realize I like them, and that can take some time. Maybe even longer than your comic's been going on. Getting readers, and communicative ones, takes time. Patience is a virtue in this biz.

Bwerith · Post by **Bwerith** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:41 pm

I don't think I've ever emailed or responded in any way to any webcomic ever, and I read dozens of them pretty regularly. Yes, I am one of the silent masses! Even if a particular comic or storyline or character really resonates with me, I just enjoy it quietly, then move on. I've never written a fan letter to any of my favourite authors, either.

In fact, the only real way I show how much I enjoy what I'm reading, is that I keep coming back.

(I predict that, if you carry out the threat on your tagboard, your readers will just kinda stop visiting....)

Oh, while I was going through your archive, I noticed something funky on the page for Dec 20. The "next" link sent me straight to your index page, not to the next comic. In fact, I had to type the next comic's date right into the URL to actually reach it. So maybe some readers think your archive is smaller than it actually is, because of this glitch...?

Or maybe it's my browser acting up again.

Gengar003 · Post by **Gengar003** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:04 pm

Nya! The main issue, I think, is a.) shyness, b.)fear of being embarassed, but more importantly, c.) people's inherent laziness. It takes effort to post on a tagboard. This doesn't appeal to lazy people. Putting your voice out there opens the door for people to criticize YOU. That doesn't appeal to timid people. And most people, when faced with the unknown (a deserted tagboard on the website of an author they don't know [in person]) are timid. They resort to laziness to justify their inaction.

At least I do.

No worries.

LibertyCabbage · Post by **LibertyCabbage** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:15 pm

I know what you mean... I seem to have a decent readership but I very rarely get feedback other than from two fanatical 11-year olds who love it (if either of you are reading this, no hard feelings!! and yes they liked hearing about On The Playground, hehehe.) It's disappointing because I really want to make my comic the best I can and feedback helps in that area. I admit I'm not very vocal regarding many of the comics I read although I do respond to some and I add them to my Links page as a way of saying "Your comic roxxors GJ" or something to that extent. Sometimes I want to say something to the authors but they have no contact info on their site so I can't e-mail them, boo-hoo! Although ffs I've drawn over 300 strips before I even put my comics on Keenspace so it's not like the silence is anything new. To end this long thing, this thread reminded me to be more vocal and I will try to give fellow comickers more feedback I guess.

Dr Legostar · Post by **Dr Legostar** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:21 pm

I am now getting several hundred bisitors a day, and yet there are maybe five or six people who post on my tagboard. I know most of them personally. Occasionally someone new posts but it's usually a one post sorta thing.

NightshadeTea · Post by **NightshadeTea** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:38 pm

I would suggest a Groupboard. With this people can doodle AND chat at the same time! I don't know about you, but that would draw me in. :3

Just a suggestion. If you get one, I don't suggest getting rid of the tagboard.

Warofwinds · Post by **Warofwinds** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 6:04 pm

Dammit people, I ALWAYS write on a tagboard if there is one because like the rest of you with empty forums and slightly less empty tagboards, I know how much is appreciated. Get out there! Say hi! NYAH!

(Little peeved, apologies. Must go do Eco lab, blah!)

LibertyCabbage · Post by **LibertyCabbage** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 6:42 pm

koo, this fabulous discussion has prompted me to add a contraceptive vending machine to my site. and by 'contraceptive vending machine' i of course mean a skateboard, and by 'skateboard' i of course mean a tagboard.

BrownEyedCat · Post by **BrownEyedCat** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 6:59 pm

I have a not-so-unique method of dealing with this problem: I gave up.

As someone who has an extremely difficult time posting herself, it's kind of silly for me to expect more from my silent masses. Also, as someone who can niether take nor give criticism OR compliments, it would be some horrible twisty sort of hypocrisy to get upset over it all.

[geoduck] · Post by **[geoduck]** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:53 pm

You can always miss an update deadline for your comic. That'll bring people out of the woodwork to complain.

Beyonder_alpha · Post by **Beyonder_alpha** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:00 am

shianra wrote:heya, just a topic that's really bugging me.

I've set up the comic, had a decent amount of visitors, I'm guessing a feqw of them keep coming back to read my work as it continues...but they all point-blank REFUSE to write anything on my tagboard.

i have messages on there, but only from mates that actually know me.

I've even asked into the general abyss id anyone out there evenLIKES where the story's going? has ANY comments at all?
nope.

so. yeah. what's with that? do I just have no fans or are they all trying to preserve their anonymity??

Simple rule:

- Expect it to happen and it won't.
- Honestly don't want it to happen and you'll be swamped with em.

After a while of hoping you'll get that reality bang, will say 'fsck it" and go to bed only to wake up and see your board got it's first post from people you don't know.

Dutch! · Post by **Dutch!** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:14 am

I actually mentioned in the little box of talk under each comic how appreciative I am of my non-vocal following. I'm happy with my readership at the moment, but the buggers don't say much. Every now and then someone drops by and says 'not bad' or 'you spelt that wrong, you dick!' and I say 'ta for the input'.

Sometimes the silent masses are nicer to listen to, eh?

Ayame Ex_Goddess · Post by **Ayame Ex_Goddess** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:03 am

Another thing, if you don't hear from many people, but you seem to have a good strong readership then you must be doing something right.

People usually only feel the need to email you or post on a board if they don't like what you're doing...at least in my experience.

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:06 am

LibertyCabbage wrote:koo, this fabulous discussion has prompted me to add a contraceptive vending machine to my site. and by 'contraceptive vending machine' i of course mean a skateboard, and by 'skateboard' i of course mean a tagboard.

What do you mean by tagboard?

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:42 am

mcDuffies wrote:
LibertyCabbage wrote:koo, this fabulous discussion has prompted me to add a contraceptive vending machine to my site. and by 'contraceptive vending machine' i of course mean a skateboard, and by 'skateboard' i of course mean a tagboard.
What do you mean by tagboard?

Three quarts of milk super-saturated with citric acid.

I mean, duh.

- Joel Fagin

K-Dawg · Post by **K-Dawg** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 6:53 am

I have one of those forum thingamajiggers. And pretty much everyone who posts in it I know to an extent. The whole 2% of your fanbase may post in a forum/tagboard to me isn't always true. Some comics just end up with more vocal fans then others.

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