Thursday, July 12, 2012

Comments aren't just welcome...

...sometimes they're needed.

This post isn't geared toward people that have posted comments here before, although I would certainly love your input.  This is geared up to the thousands of people that come through this and other fine TG capping blogs, and do not comment.  This isn't a scolding, or plea to hear from you... just some thoughts that I would really like to share with you.

I know I normally don't post this much above the 'Read more' link, but I would really appreciate you taking the time to read on.



Thanks for clicking through and reading!  Your interest is honestly appreciated!


I normally consider two audiences when I make a cap and/or post.

The first audience is my fellow cap artists.  These are the people that I talk to not only about a particular cap, but people that I talk to in general.  Jennifer, Dee, Simone, Ginger, Martha, Googly (Daphne), Sasha, Smitty, Steffi, Angel, and Alectra would all be in this category.  But also those cap artists that I don't talk to on a regular basis (or at all).. Evie, Kyra, Victora, Nikki, Rebecca, Rauk, Samantha, Geofrey, and many many others.  I make a cap and/or post with them in mind because we share that bond of opening our self up and sharing a fantasy.  We struggle to get a clear and interesting story out in a visually interesting way.  And I do mean struggle.  This may not be the most difficult thing we've done, but it still take effort and a focused mind to put ourselves out like this.

I know that when these fellow artists look at my caps, that they may well be taken along for an interesting ride with the fantasy I'm putting out here, but that they'll also appreciate the method of story telling I utilize.  That they will get some enjoyment of the presentation (the layout and design).  I often get comments from this audience, and sometimes those comments will turn into a wonderful conversation.

Now the second audience outnumbers the first by a large margin.  This audience comes to read the cap and enjoy the fantasy.  I get the impression that this audience rarely reads the posts.  That as soon as they've read the caps that they haven't already haven't seen, they move on to another blog.  Or depending on their current level of arousal, they masturbate and get off.

But they rarely comment.

Now I've talked to many of my fellow cap artists about comments and commenting.  My personal feeling is that all comments are appreciated.  I love the quick 'Nice cap!' comment as much as the four paragraph comment that goes into great detail.  They all just make my day better, and can even turn a bad day into a good one.  But if I didn't get any comments, I would continue to post as I do.  I feel an urge to make these caps, and love the idea of sharing them.  If I feel I need an opinion on a particular cap I'll generally ask for it directly form the people that I talk to regularly.

So if you are a member of that latter audience and fly through my blog, read some caps and move on... that's fine by me.  But I really want you to know that a quick word of enjoyment, or encouragement goes a long way to keeping me in the mood to cap.  And for some cap artists, your comment or lack there of could be the difference between continuing to cap and stopping all together.

Jennifer recently wrote up a heartfelt post that you can read here about commenting on non cap posts.  And some of the comments that she got really blew my mind.  It makes sense that some people would be shy about commenting on a site that the see as almost 'pornographic' in nature.  But I'd just like to say to those of you that come here to look at the porntasic caps, that we're you.  Yes... we cap artists have looked at each other's caps, gotten aroused and taken care of the arousal.  Almost all the cap artists that I know started by viewing caps.  Some for porny reasons, others for more pure TG reasons. But let me tell you something... if you come by and get that kind of enjoyment out of my or other bloggers's caps... we would be heels over the moon ecstatic to hear that you enjoyed them that way!

You could literally make a comment 'Damn that was sexy!  I blew my nut when I saw this!' and I would squee with delight!  I imagine most of the artists that make such caps would love to hear that as well.   Understand... while some of our caps may look like they are true 'porn', we aren't some porn site asking you for cash or a subscription.  We're you.   We're normal people (well... 'normal' might not be the best word) making caps and sharing them.  Our only payment is that gracious pat on the back comment.

But if you're shy about people finding out that you *gasp* commented on a TG cap blog... don't even worry about it.  You can post anonymously, and I get no information about you.  I don't get a name, a phone number, an IP number... nothing.   Nothing beyond that warm feeling that someone left a comment for me.  Posting anonymously leaves the same exact digital footprint that visiting the blog leaves.  If you want to add your name, you can.  If you have a blogger account and want to post a comment from that, you can.  But anonymous comments are just fine by me.

Another comment left on Jennifer's post was that there is a disconnect between the viewer and the creator.   I, as well as most cap artists, would giggle at the idea of anyone thinking that we're any better or different than the people viewing our caps.  Again... we're you.  Yes, we make caps, but we all view caps too.

And our posts that aren't about caps (and even some posts about caps) show that.  We're students, and we have careers and jobs.  We get sad and depressed, we get lonely.  We have families, wives, husbands, and children.  We struggle with every day things just like everybody else.  I've shared my struggles with failing the NCLEX and my joy at finally passing it.  And one of the things that really helped was the comments left on those posts.  I honestly felt encouraged when people told me it was going to be all right.  If I hadn't gotten those comments, I honestly believe I would have fell much farther into depression and probably pulled away from capping.

Now most of this is how I feel.  But there are cap artists out there that live and die by comments.  When they get a lot of views on a cap, but no comments they feel that the cap isn't good.  It discourages them and can even lead to them stopping the cap making process.  I know it can be a big step to write a comment to these posts, but if you like it, I guarantee that the artist would love to hear that.  Even a quick 'Nice cap' can make all the difference.

You don't have to go into detail and let them know that the character arc was well defined, and that the visual presentation was really enhanced with ther decision to use that particular color.  You don't have to share that the cap really spoke to you and made you realize that you aren't alone in the world.  You can do all of those things, but even a quick comment showing that you enjoyed the cap is greatly appreciated.

I know it can feel weird the first time you do it.  You might feel exposed in a way that feels off.  But once you start commenting we'll often reply back.  Sometimes with just a 'thanks' but other times with more detail.  I remember joining up at the Haven.  As you probably know I more or less followed a cap trail left by Dee there, and mentioned it in my entry post.  I was so surprised that Dee was a real person and actually responded back to me.

And thus began a wonderful friendship.  As much as I put Dee up on a pedistal, she is really a person just like me.  Just like you.  She likes hearing me comment on her caps, I like hearing her comment on my caps... and we'd both like to hear YOU comment on them.

So long story short (mm... too late for that eh?) it means a great deal to all of us when you leave a comment on our caps.  It's honestly the only payment we ever get and ever even look for.  If you come across a cap that you like... just post a comment saying that.  You'll make an artists day!!


39 comments:

  1. Hello! I typically view your caps on my mobile phone which makes it kind of difficult/problematic to log in and comment especially since I follow a lot of blogs through world of TG :( but I have been a longtime viewer of your work and think you consistently do a fantastic job! :D Thank you for posting such sexy work! ;)

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    1. Thanks for the comment! To be honest, I've never viewed blogs on a mobile phone, or in a mobile browser (I've used my tablet, but have it display the desktop version). I can't imagine how my caps look on a small screen. So thank you again for taking that time to comment on the mobile version!

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  2. It saddens me that you leave me out of such a huge list of cappers when I've contributed for over 5 yrs to the TG community, but such is life I guess & dont feel bad, I get lil' commentary on my works.

    While comments arent my main focus, they do strive me to make more creations if I at least get a couple hear & there.

    I've commented on your creations too many times to say so you know I enjoy them.

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    1. *facepalm* I tried to list at the very least most of the people on my blog roll... and damnit I just capped you! You'd think I would still have you in my head! I apologize for leaving you off that list Candy.

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  3. Getting comments is what drives and motivates most cappers, I know that it does for me. It's actually quite funny reading what you've written as it so perfectly reflects the way I often feel about it.

    I suppose what you say is true, as someone with a professional interest in cap making and as a well known face, it's easier for me to just post a comment whenever I feel like it. We all have the people we know are definitely going to post a comment, but it's always great when we get someone new. I try to comment as often as I can, though it can be hard what with trying to write caps as well to find time, but I know just how much it means to people so I try not to let that stop me.

    I would love to see more and more people get involved in good commenting, not only because it helps motivate cappers, but also as I don't think people realise how much it can influence future captioning.

    For instance if you look at my blog, many of my highest watched caps with the most hits are Possession type caps, but ironically they are often my least commented on. So even though they are getting a lot of hits, I'm less inclined to write that type of caption as it doesn't get me the sort of feedback I'm after. What it boils down to is the more interactive the audience and the captioner can be, the more arousing, sexy, slutty fun everyone can have.

    Thanks Caitlyn for producing this awesome and thoughtful post.

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    1. I'd also like to add to what I wrote earlier,that perhaps the longer people are involved in the community the more their interest grows. I for one know that when I first started reading caps I was just trying to 'get off'.

      But now I've become genuinely interested in learning about other people and getting to know them a bit, perhaps this is something that evolves over time!

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    2. That's a good point Evie. One of the reasons I cap with other artists in mind is because I get the most feedback on those types of caps. The caps that I make for the broader audience get far more views, but rarely get comments. So I make the occasionally, and focus more effort on the creative 'cap artist' style. If I got a few more comments on the harder core style, I might feel inclined to make more of them.

      I agree that being in the 'community' for longer helps. We probably all start as lurkers, and that fist comment is a hard mountain to climb. But the more you comment, the easier it is.

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  4. Hey Caitlyn,

    I totally just read that whole post!!!
    I confess to being a longtime lurker on the TG cap/fiction circuit. I love running across those caps that just hit all the right buttons and tickle all those...*ahem*..fancies. I thank you for consistently providing the awesome caliber of caps that you do. I have my personal list of "allstars" in the TG cap community, and you are definitely one.
    Your caps are as solid as they come!
    Thanks,
    D

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    1. D,

      Thank you so much for reading the post, and thank you so much for your kind words! Hearing how much you like my caps honestly sends me to cloud nine!

      Be sure to let other artists share in that joy by letting them know when you like one of their caps too!

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  5. This is a really interesting discussion for me because while I would never consider quitting capping due to a lack of comments,they definitely have an impact on what I post. But to me, views ARE a form of comment. Nothing says "I liked this" or more likely "I blew my nut when I saw this" like thousands of repeat viewings. I've even had caps get a ton of comments that have few views.

    So while I don't cap for comments or views, they do provide great feedback and motivation. I can see what works and what doesn't. Which is why I don't mind that the readers don't always view what I want them to because half the fun is finding a way to do something unique that still is solid enough to please most of my readers.

    But I am far from the norm on this. Most people want way more caps than they get, so I do encourage everyone to post comments when you really like something, even if it's not on my blog.

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    1. See, when it comes to your sexy stuff Smitty, I have to admit to being guilty to views only and few (if any) comments! I think it's because I get used to commenting on certain blogs, then just viewing others and lurking. I've really enjoyed your stuff for a long time, but I kinda felt shy about commenting for some reason.

      Right, that's it... I'm gonna start commenting on your blog! I feel bad that I haven't been up to now.

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  6. Good post Caitlyn. I've just kind of started exploring the caps world and probably haven't been as consistent with commenting as I should.
    I think a little bit of it is that I try to be too clever. I don't want to just repeat what other commenters have already said, and even though it probably applies to most caps, just putting "hot cap" over and over feels lame to me, like a cheap attempt to move up the frequent posters chart.
    However I recognize how valued comments are, so I'm trying to do better. I'd started with Evie's wonderful back library (and got hooked when she took notice) but I'm going to make an effort to spread my appreciation a lot more.
    Let me ask this- I'm fairly certain I'm a lesbian at heart and a lot of the cock focused caps don't do much for me. What's the best way to say I appreciate the effort, but it doesn't stir me up? I don't feel like its constructive criticism, it's just my kink preference.

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    1. Oh, and posting reminded me of another potential barrier. Those little "prove you're a human" capticha or captiva or whatever tests that pop up after I hit the publish button.
      I'm viewing on a tablet and those little twisted words can't always be made out. I wish being logged in to my blogger account meant I didn't have to do that every time I wanted to leave feedback.
      The fact that Evie somehow turned that off probably also helped her be the primary focus of my commenting efforts.

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    2. Ambyr,

      I can appreciate the dilemma of posting 'hot cap' over and over. It strikes me often enough as well. But to be honest if you give most cap artists the options of a repeated 'thats hawt' comment or no comment at all, they'll take the repeated comment almost every single time. I guess one way to look at it is the 'thumbs up' from facebook. Sure, you don't have something detailed to say and that's fine, but we love when anybody takes the few seconds to show their appreciation. Any appreciation.

      As to what you can say to caps that don't fit your fancy, I'd say be as honest as possible. If you don't like the cap because it doesn't match your preferences, then feel free to not comment on that one. That way when you do come across a cap that catches your fancy, you can comment more freely. And if you like the cap but it doesn't fit your preferences... say just that. I've commented on Steffi's blog several times to caps that do nothing for me, but I still wanted her to know that I liked the cap regardless.

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    3. As to the captcha 'prove you're human' tests to comment... well I agree 100% with you. I hate them. Blogger offers us three way to keep spam comments down. We can choose who can comment, but most tgcap bloggers allow anonymous comments so that people can keep their identity private if they so wish. We can choose to moderate the comments, but that requires us to read them before they become public, and that seems to stifle peoples comments as well. And Finally we can use the word verification.

      So if we allow anonymous comments and don't moderate, then the word verification is our only defense against inappropriate comments. But seeing as I'm directly asking for comments now... I'll give it a try. I'll turn off the word verification.

      But if I start finding bot comments, advertisements, or other inappropriate comments start popping up, I'll have to put it back on again.

      Thank you so much for your insights!

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    4. I turned mine off a while ago and I was terrified I'd be inundated with spam like I used to get at my yahoogroups.

      But thus far I've not had anything appear on the blog proper. A few comments have gone straight through to the spam box, but nothing has got through yet.

      I guess given that I obsessively check my own blog all the time, if any spam does appear I'll have spotted it pretty quickly I hope!

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  7. Well I'm honored to be there Caitlyn thanks ;)

    To speak some of what you said. I call it the
    retro - feedback whenever we artists see or comment on each other work. Sometimes you will left an impression so huge that the other artist will try to copy cat - aka Steal - *giggle* what you have done and vice versa. Yes is an interesting method to keep growing and do better caps. I'm not that active, but I notice that whenever I put a cap, there is a fair share of viewers as well, but few comments.

    Its normal if you think that there is some shyness effect. Well I got emails or shout outs in the Haven as well as how good I was doing this or that cap, but no comment on the actual cap O.o

    So is a bit discouraging or either being busy or a mix of the two. Either way, my actual rate of caps have grown when I got comments, either by constructive criticism or just plain love it! comments.

    Of course we want the first always, but it's nice to hear - read - from others that our work is liked ;)

    And I have to say that your later works are sexy as hell, and I was trying to catch on some time to read them fully on both the technique used and the actual cap!

    Hugs and Kisses Alectra

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    1. Alectra,

      I hear ya on the broad based comments. it's nice to hear that someone appreciates your work as a whole, but it's just as nice if not nicer to hear that someone liked a particular cap. For instance most people know that I like BJ caps. I assume from my viewship that most of my audience likes them as well. But if more of my audience is like you, and would prefer lesbian caps I'd know to make more of those (although I'd still do occasional BJs... they're a gift from me, to me!).

      As to comments on the Haven, I think of that in an entirely different way. Everyone's blogs reaches a far wider audience than we get at the Haven, yet we don't get a lot more comments here than we do there. That's why I directed most of this post to THAT audience. I think most tg cap bloggers would love to hear from that audience.

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  8. YOUR CAPS ARE ALWAYS VERY WELL DONE

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  9. i love your caps i was not sure i put a comment on one was told to please don't write comments on the site i enjoy your caps an some even hit me right on the head thank you for all you do for us have a fabulous night hugs
    Barbie

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    1. Thanks Barbie! It's always nice to know that a particular cap hit that sweet spot. It's funny how often people's sweet spots come together.

      I'm not sure why a site would ask you to NOT comment. I know some artists don't rely on comments as heavily as others (myself and smitty from above), but I don't know of any cap artists that doesn't love to hear from viewers.

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  10. I've always been kind of weird about comments. While I love getting pretty much any comment, I generally don't use them as a judge of how successful a caption is. Well, that's not entirely true, if a caption gets no comments at all I tend to think something might be wrong, but otherwise I tend to see my captions that only get one or two comments as on equal footing with those that get ten.

    And while I'd like to use pageviews as a judge, since I don't use the click-through style of posts, the actual pageviews of my cpations tend to be a little skewed as it's not necessary to click on the post to get to a readable form of the caption.

    So what I use instead are the rating boxes at the bottom of my posts. I know not everyone uses them, but in general if I see that 20 or more people clicked "Great" on a particular caption, I tend to think of it as a pretty successful cap. Is this the best possible system for judging how well a cap is received? Probably not, but since it tends to align with my own ideas of what captions are going to be popular it's what I use.

    I've come to accept that 90% of the captions I get are going to be from fellow bloggers. But that just makes it all the more enjoyable when a new voice decides to take the time to tell me what's on their mind.

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    1. If there's one piece of advice I would give you it's this...switch to click through. It has been invaluable for me and it really defied my assumptions and expectations about how my work was received. For instance, you might get less 'greats' on a cap and it might get more views.

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  11. Hi. I want to say thanks for posting your creations. I don't generally think of commenting while reading, since I am off in fantasy land at that time. I just read, Who's Reality is This...and I thought it was wonderfully interesting. I can't for the life of me figure out why *she* would be hung up on being a guy...but to each their own. :) I particularly like the thoughtful, artsy type caps like the one mentioned above, that you create from time to time...but don't get me wrong, raunchy can be nice too. *mmmmwaahh* Jenna

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    1. Thank you jenna! I really liked creating "Who's Reality is This?" but like many of the artsier caps, it doesn't get that many page views. It's really nice to see that they are still appreciated.

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  12. I am one of the "click through" folks who look for new posts to "get my rocks off", but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the art you are making. Yours is one of the blogs I am always excited to see updated and am always looking forward to your next installment. Keep up the good work!!!

    Haylee

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    1. Thanks Haylee,

      I'm sorry if I came across as negative to the 'click through' audience. I did assume that most of you aren't here as much for the art, but I'm glad to see I was srong about that. it's very touching that you like seeing when I update!

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    2. Caitlyn, this is not the first time I have visited your site, and I really do think you're an extremely talented and gifted
      person, and I wish I was as skilled as you, but I am not. You have a beautiful soul, and are a great person. Let me tell you a little about myself. My name is Lamorak Korving, and I'm a 50-year-old epileptic man, though I look half my age. I write my own fiction, but I'm a lousy
      artist. I can't even draw a woman properly, dammit! I like soothing music, Classical being my favourite, though For
      Your Eyes Only by Sheena Easton and Silent Night both sooth my soul. I also like Indian music, and I'm a big fan on William Shakespeare's plays. I'm not particularly remarkable to look at, just 5' 8" tall, with short-cut dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, a clean-shaven complexion, and a fairly strong build, but I'm no Hercules. I really love your site, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Caitlyn an Irish name?

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    3. Thank you Lamork. I'm glad that you enjoy the site.

      You are correct in the origin's of the name Caitlyn. In its basic form (Caitlin) it means 'pure' (I tend to buck that meaning as I am anything but pure!)

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    4. I'm glad you enjoyed my comments. It gives
      me great pleasure to know they please you, and since you are so skilled, I am rather
      surprised you don't set up your own channel
      on You Tube, like TG Tales and TG Tales Too, or do you happen to be the person who
      operates TG Tales? If you aren't, you should be, given what a beautiful soul you have. Too many people these days attach too much importance to external appearances. But real beauty, TRUE beauty,
      comes from the heart and soul. Thou art an
      artist, and thy soul and self are defitely pure. Oops! Sorry, got a bit carried away there by using Arthurian English, but it's
      what makes me, Lamorak de Galis Korving, me. Lamorak de Galis was a lesser-known
      Knight of the Round Table, and Lamorak is
      Welsh in origin, though I have no Welsh blood in me. In fact, I am 1/16th Irish, a
      quarter Dutch, and 9/25th English. Can you give me a few tips on how to draw a woman?

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    5. Hee Hee... no I'm not the TG Tales Youtube person. I have practicably no skill with videos. And sadly I also have no abilities to draw. I can manipulate photos and make graphic layouts... but if I were forced to draw a woman with a gun to my head, I'd end up getting shot!

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  13. Hi Caitlyn, I just wanted to say hello and thank you for allowing me to post a comment here, I stumbled upon your site quite by accident and curiosity. After reading your section here, I felt it was necessary to at least post a small comment rather than none at all. I found it to be very nice and just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you. No playing was done during the viewing of your site but wild thoughts have been inprinted in my memory for dreams tonight. A wonderful thank you for placing them there. I will visit again. Please do not give up on your site dear, you are very creative. thank you again
    jeannie

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    1. jeannie,

      Thank you for the lovely comment! Sorry it wasn't posted earlier, but ever since taking down the captcha test, more and more comments are being labeled as spam. I just have to get used to checking it and posting ones like this that aren't spam!

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  14. Sorry for not responding to this thread sooner. Believe it or not, between vacation and real life, tonight is the first time that I've had to look through my favorite TG caption sites in over a month. Did I say "favorite TG caption sites"? Why yes, I did. Yours is absolutely on that list. Each time you post a new caption, I marvel at the time that must go into your captions. The level of detail is nothing short of stunning.And frequently, when I post captions, especially some of my shorter ones, I almost feel guilty that I'm not putting in the kind of detail that you do. Anyway, I know how much comments mean. Certainly I wish that I received more. But I also know that I'm not very good about commenting on other blogs. So, keep up the great work and I'll try to stop by and say "hi" more often.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words MindyZ! I've read many of your captions and I don't think you have anything to be feel guilty about as your caps are often beautiful, sexy, and a joy to read!

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  15. Thanks for those kind and supportive words. Coming from you, it means a lot.

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  16. Caitlyn,

    I'm pretty sure you know my view(s) on comments by now.

    Or, maybe not, because I am lousy at expressing precisely what they mean. Suffice to say, they are VERY important to me, and often motivate my creative juices when I am stuck or feeling down/depressed...

    Based on your (and others') example, I've opened up my Blog for anonymous commenting....

    /hugs

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    1. Oh.... And THANK you for including me on your list. I am honored and humbled :)

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