Too much pressure on the readers?

As an author here, I certainly understand the need for feedback, but it seems to me that the notice advising readers that comments such as "nice story" could be deleted, is going a bit too far.

I personally don't want forced feedback, and am quite happy to take whatever feedback I can get. One sentence or otherwise.

Anyone else's opinion on this issue?

I'd agree. It's always great to get a detailed comment - but the occasional 'nice story' or similar is encouraging, and doesn't go amiss.

We don't reject all comments of the 'nice story' variety, but if someone comments in that way all the time, we feel they are simply commenting hurriedly in order to avoid being limited. Personally, I like a comment which proves they have actually read the story, and that can be done in just a few words. 'Nice twist', 'Spooky!' or 'Very funny', are just a few examples.

Well, firstly, I wouldn't expect feedback to be 'forced' with a requirement to comment once every 500 stories read to maintain unlimited viewing.

As Linda has said, we only tend to remove the "nice story" type of comment when someone is saying that and nothing else which is exactly what happened when we first introduced the limited accounts. One person commented "nice story" forty times in a row (and never said anything else).

Also, and we know this for a fact, prior to introducing the procedures which encouraged readers to comment there were virtually no comments being made and authors were unhappy and complaining about it (on a regular basis!)

I think the system we have now is about as reasonable as we can make it and provides a compromise between the stories getting virtually no comments at all and coercing readers to comment. And of course, as we've said in the past, no-one is forced to comment or do anything. I would hope by now that we'd debated this to death but for the sake of clarity:

1. No-one HAS to comment.
2. Non-commenters who have read over 500 items can still view stories but have a daily limit on the number of stories they can read which is related to how many stories they have viewed to date.
3. Saying "nice story" on occasion is absolutely fine, saying it 30 times in a row is not and will get deleted.

Well, Februs, I must have missed the threads where we've "debated this to death". I haven't read all the threads pertaining to this issue, and so asked what I still think is a pretty legitimate question.

I'll be sure to read every single thread from now on before commenting .....

In any case, thanks for he clarification on this issue, Linda and Februs.

And hopefully I gave a full response which allayed your concerns.

OMG, you are so funny, "Sebastian". Don't worry about it though, I wouldn't want you to have to post the "shortage" comment you've ever made on my account

TIME OUT!
Sebastian is the most frequent commenter on the site (so say the Stats) and you tris have been a generous commenter yourself.
We all want to encourage comments because it can be lonely out here and it's good to feel acknowledged/validated, whatever, so let's not insult Chief Commenter please! (I need him!)
What's a shame for me is that I can't now read your work, tris. This thread alone would've made me curious.
I don't think one comment in FIVE HUNDRED views is too much to ask, nor do I think encouraging readers to engage just a little bit beyond 'nice story' is a bad thing. Viva Literacy! (This is a library after all)
Finally, have you seen how incredibly fast this resource is growing? There'll be an abundance of all for all. So...