h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I had a surprise just now, because I have a badge on my PS! Thank you whoever did it (?)

Nice badge! Only an Editor can give you a badge in the right margin.

Maybe that's why the site was down this morning - they were busy handing out badges.

Yes! Everybody who has their name on an Edited Entry now has one of those badges, unless they already have a "25" badge or better.

'I don't make suggestions in peer review anymore because when I make suggestions, the authors either get really cross and insulting or just ignore my suggestions.'

Likewise... although I find that it's often not the author of the Entry that reacts, but other PRrs. They often read more into my comments than I intended and respond rather vehemently. I've decided that this is behaviour up with which I need not put!

Really? Badges?

*double checks*

Ah, it's not visible in Plain. Hey ho.

Hmm, so people are jumping on those whos comments they deem incorrect or harsh, rather than the author. Yes, I can see that, actually, although I've not experienced it too much myself.

I think it's a disgrace that Peer Review is deprived of Gnomon's, Big Al's and others' advice because it has been attacked in the past. Authors need the help that experienced researchers like those can provide - just look at the entries they themselves have written.

Reviewers (and Scouts particularly) need to be aware of this when it happens, and they should try to resolve it quickly.

Additionally, if any of us thinks our PR comments have been unfairly attacked, we should say so - either in the PR thread or on the Scouts forum as appropriate.

I used to hang around in PR, but unsubbed from it some time ago. I was not exactly a prolific author - no completed solo entries, in fact, but a fair few deleted ones - but I did have something to offer, I thought. Clearly I was wrong as all I seemed to get for my troubles was dismissive responses or abuse. Some of that came from prolific authors.

Has my contribution been missed? I doubt it.

Will I come back? I doubt that too.

Things have changed. I no longer have the free time I once had, and after a day of writing in my professional life I don't have much taste for it out of hours. Even if I did, I wouldn't be inclined to submit my work to PR. It's too much like pushing one's child out to play on a freeway.

If you have a contribution to make, Ivan, then go ahead and make it. We need people to write - that's what this site is for.

Just when I've been persuaded to go over to Peer Review and re-subscribe to it, it's out of order!

I think the powers that be are changing the way we look - the frame things look different as well as the badges!

Thanks Gnomon, but I no longer wish to contribute. The treatment I received last time around was that bad, and the parties responsible are still there.

I've posted on this thread in the hope that I can help to flesh out some of the reasons why people don't contribute to PR. Maybe this is useful, maybe it isn't. It is, after all, only my view of my own experience. But the fact is that I no longer have the time required for writing entries, and no interest in having them reviewed by certain individuals.

That's about all I'm going to say on this subject. I'll lurk from now on.

Thanks for coming along to say so, Ivan. I'm now convinced that it's a problem that needs to be sorted out.

Hope to see you around in other areas of h2g2

Icy

'...all I seemed to get for my troubles was dismissive responses or abuse. Some of that came from prolific authors.'

Yes, it's 'prolific authors' comments on my comments to PR that've caused me to withdraw from commenting in PR.

"Yes, it's 'prolific authors' comments on my comments to PR that've caused me to withdraw from commenting in PR."

This conversation is getting too 'us and them' for my liking. Are we talking about specific people here, or are all the 'prolific authors' guilty of being dismissive or abusive?

Can anyone think of a way forward? Assuming the reviewers in question are reading this, what advice would you give them to stop this happening in future?

You're a science academic, Big Al, aren't you? Were you finding that authors/reviewers were questioning your contributions where they were based on your knowledge and long experience of the subject? In short, do we not respect our experts enough?

Naming individuals can be destructive, as people react badly. But if anybody wants to name me as an offender in scaring people away, I'm happy to accept that criticism and do something about not re-offending.

I don't mean naming individuals - I was just asking whether the problem is endemic, or whether it's down to a few individuals.

It wasn't so much that they were questioning my knowledge. More questioning (their perception) of what I was asking/expecting the author to do - and doing so in an aggressive and vehemently opposed manner.

Also, I generally don't "expect" authors to adopt my suggestions anyway. They are almost always along the lines of, 'If I were you I'd do it this way (with reasons) but, at the end of the day, you're free to do it your way.'

Sometimes, with relatively new authors I do spell this out explicitly

On the knowledge front, there are times that what I consider to be 'fact' conflicts with that of another author, and so this particular PRr ALWAYS bows to what (s)he considers to be that PRrs greater authority - without further explanation/discussion....

Gnomon - you are not an offender. I thought I should make that clear at least.

Now, I'm not here....