I wrote a Steam review and I got "1 person found this helpful" and another person's insults

Closed

As I said here in SG twice at least, the only way to not get blacklisted in SG is... Doing nothing. Not even entering a giveaway. Not posting any comment. Not saying thanks, or saying thanks.

In Steam it's the same. I usually don't have the motivation to actually write a review, and certainly not this long. 13,000 characters, 2,300 words, frequently stuck because I forgot how to say whatever word in english (a little win for me - I didn't have to use the dictionary at all). But Steam's review limit is 8,000 characters. So I posted the review in the general forum of the game, as I wanted to say all I wrote without cutting anything. And then wrote a review with a link to the forum post, and my conclusion.

I wrote the review because after some problems with the game, this weekend a softlock made me lost several hours of effort, some items and whatnot, and activated a severe bug that the company has stated is not going to fix, because their efforts are focused in the next iteration of the franchise; a game which in turn has been probably abandoned too because there's now a new iteration of the franchise.

While the game is good and fun, specially at first, all the annoyances, softlocks and bugs kinda ruined what could have been a near perfect gaming experience. An escapism that I'm in severe need now. But it was all ruined this weekend, and I needed to vent out. All I wrote was either a proven fact, or stated as personal opinion. Well, maybe in some parts I was opinionated. I was more disappointed than angry. And I wrote all my thoughts about current big companies behaviour to leave customers abandoned after milkiing us all they were able to. And how the state of the game made it a not recommended thing from me.

And then I don't know how many were patient to read my wall of text (like this one), but I got one positive feedback. Maybe the user will end getting the game, but at least, as a gamer, they know where they're getting to. Or maybe the user already have the game and is agreeing with my statements in general.

The other, well, you can block comments in reviews, it's the default, but I posted it in the forum, so of course I can get comments. And I forgot to not subscribe to that thread, so this morning I got a notification from Steam, just a short sentence with "I don't care about your ramblings" and an insult (which is slang and had to look up; pretty hard insult IMHO). My guess (once again, a maybe) is that the user saw that I wasn't recommending their favourite game of the moment and had that reaction. Or maybe the user started to read the review but when I started with the bad stuff, went all apeshit because my opinion was not the same as theirs. Or who knows, bad hair day?

My problem is that I'm in my fifth month of bad hair days. The difference is that I don't make others pay for my mood, nor I consider the internet distance barrier a good reason to behave disrespectfully. Unlike these inmature people. The difference is that I have a thin skin for this stuff.

So, rationally, I know I don't deserve the insult, the feeble attempt from this user should be ignored, and all that. But emotionally, I started the day with a direct punch to the face. Rationally I know that what I did made me vulnerable to attacks and I accepted it; emotionally I feel I'm at the opposite side of deserving something like this. Rationally I know I should pass page and continue normally; emotionally I know this is going to bug me for a week at least. That's why, in the last years, I've become increasingly less and less active in Internet, and also in my social life.

Does this user deserve to be reported? Yes, damn it. You can't go in a forum insulting people. But people do it, because they know that even if they're reported, in places like Steam, or even here, there are big chances that nothing will happen. In Steam, that's almost for sure.

More or less that's all I wanted to say about the incident. I just wanted to mention it, put it in words as a way to deal with it; and yes I feel better after telling since now I rarely talk to any of my friends, and most of them wouldn't understand what's a Steam review or a game forum. I'm not making myself a victim, at least I hope I got that right. I'm not asking for "help" and go there and defend me somehow (tho often I want to scream for help cuz I can't deal with many of these situations...) I thought of including a poll but I don't know what to put in it. So if you have something to say, go ahead, I'd gladly read any comments which don't include insults or aren't disrespectful. I'm not going to blacklist anyone because they have a differing opinion, attitude or stance about this.

(I'm not including a link to my review or the post. If you're interested, it's not that hard to find. Very easy actually.)

And to finish: insults are like gifts. They are yours, you offer them to someone, but if that someone doesn't accept them, they're still yours.

Edit and closure:

I was writing something that I think it was pretty good for closing this thread, when I lost power, brown out, all I wrote lost. Honestly I don't have the energy to write everything again so I'll try to be, for once, brief, telling only the what and not the why.

I wrote the review I needed to write, including emotional stuff and factors outside of the game. I knew few would be interested in reading something that long, but it's what I wanted to write, no more, no less.
I knew that posting it in the forums would expose me to unwanted opinions and attacks but I forgot to not subscribe to the thread, hence why I saw the comment next day.
I came here and wrote about what happened and my thoughts and feelings about it. Putting things in words help me sort out and clarify things in my head. I just exposed what happened, nothing else.
I didn't expect so many comments. To most of you I'm grateful, even if they're about things that aren't relevant to me, like the length of the review. Others have been spot on. Others have been... Themselves.
I know I have a thin skin. I know that I'm affected by small things. Trust me that I've been 25 years trying to change that. I wish I had a thicker skin, I wish I could distance myself from unwanted things, be more resilient, blah blah. But it's how I am and for now I can't change it. I know I am a problem with legs, no need to tell me that, I'm too conscious of it.
It's just a small incident, but I can write two volumes on small incidents. However, it's also time to pass the page, and I've decided to close the thread. I hope you don't find it as symbol of cowardice, rather as a sign of, as I've said somewhere else, I'm going through a very bad time and I need to preserve my sanity and energy.
That's also why (the lack of energy) that I was not able to answer everyone; that would have lead to endless talking which would be harmful to me.
Sorry I didn't put the customary giveaway to thank anyone who came and read it. However you can find almost always a gib from me in the Positive Thread.
Damn, it's still longer than I wanted.
Have a nice life.

1 year ago*

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59 Comments

xxxka

1 person found review on review system unhelpful.

1 year ago