Are comments better than likes?

[llobucervallince]

Personally I'd rather have a little "looks cool" or a "haha" than a like, it feels personal you know?
would you rather having people asking things, and leaving those little compliments? or just a like is good enough?
I just feel that sometimes, a word is better that a heart.

[2DLenzy]

I like both. Comments moreso, yes, because it feels personable. But I understand why readers would leave likes, not always in a passive way, but to show they've read the episode...maybe.

My own like ratio is very poor compared to comments, so I guess comments do carry the most weight, but a lot of readers are creators themselves going through their long list of subs/libraries trying to give each and everyone the attention and respect they deserve. I'm struggling with this myself, I have to play catch up on a few novels. But it's hard to give and receive on both sides of the story. At the end of the day, I'm just grateful that I got a little attention on my journey.

(and pardon me, Llobu, I still need to catch up on Henry Hare, lol, been goofing around on the forums too much and working on my own disasters) Keep on!

[llobucervallince]

I was going to say that I don't consider myself poor when it comes to comment ratio since I have 251, then I remembered that half of those are mine!

[2DLenzy]

I estimate about 200 views, and 1 sub, is mine too XD

[BLTX]

Both are good of course, but I'll always prefer a comment. I think because a comment, even a super short one, takes extra effort then a like. So it really shows something.

[sodathecoda]

I get comments very rarely and I'd like to get more of them. Even if it's critique, although I'm still very sensible to it.

[BelleBriar]

I always try to leave a comment when I'm reading because I also love when people comment on my story. Sometimes though when I finish reading an episode, I have to immediately do something so I don't have the time to comment. Although, when I come back to the story/comic, I’ll make sure I leave one that time​

So, I like both, but comments make me smile more.

[TheDoublekey]

Likes are pretty good and I'm always happy when I find them. Comments, however, are better for me because I love interaction. I love the idea of getting feedback or just a little reminder that my readers are actual people and not just numbers. I just appreciate human interaction, especially if it's about something that I made. Of course, comments can also be harsh at times, but I just try not to bother too much in that case.

[sayuri]

Unfortunately comments are harder to get, because it costs more time for the reader to write one.
But I really love getting comments, they make my day and if I had to choose I would always prefer getting a comment with what a reader thinks about my story / characters. I also try to leave a comment every now and then, especially to small creators, because I know how happy it makes and how it motivates one to kee going! ^^

[moontokkym]

I really love comments but because I'm anxious I get worried about responding "in the right way" to make sure the person who commented feels welcome as and appreciated as they are. I sort of assume some of the people who just leave likes have the same problem on the other end, like they want to say something but don't know how to phrase it or are scared of expressing themselves publicly.

I'll never shy away from saying I prefer comments even though they can make me anxious, but I don't want people who just like because they don't feel comfortable commenting to feel left out.

[AmysGames]

I think, as far as the algorithm goes, comments are unequivocally better. And of course I love hearing what people think of my comics!

Unfortunately, as a lot of people have been pointing out, it's pretty rare for people to leave comments, because a lot of people are shy and/or struggle to come up with anything meaningful to say. So I'll always appreciate likes, because it shows that the person is interested in the story, even if they don't have anything in particular to say about it.

[Kuma]

I prefer comments over subs. That's how much I like comments.

[llobucervallince]

@Kuma
Damn! (lorem ipsum)

[blakestackman]

Comments are something that you can take away and use to help build upon - growth, and an understanding to why a reader may like or dislike a story.

The equivalent to a like compared to a comment is like reading a facial expression but not their thoughts. You are just left to speculate.

[KevinReijnders]

I definitely prefer comments over likes. A like is basically just a number, where a comment is a person actually speaking to you (in a way) and interacting with the story.

[Emalie]

For me, comments are the best way to know if someone likes my story. Sometimes some guys who read my novel made feedbacks to me about what I wrote and with that I was able to understand what they thought about the development of the story.

I honestly feel like I was able to have a greater connection between readers through the comments. ️

[TheLemmaLlama]

I really love comments but because I'm anxious I get worried about responding "in the right way" to make sure the person who commented feels welcome as and appreciated as they are. I sort of assume some of the people who just leave likes have the same problem on the other end, like they want to say something but don't know how to phrase it or are scared of expressing themselves publicly.

This, exactly! In fact, I outright do prefer a like over a "looks cool" or "haha" comment, because I don't have to feel bad about not responding to a like ('cos I can't XD). I also don't like people "supporting" me because it's considered the nice thing to do for creators you like, and comments like that tend to make me worry it was made out of obligation when they would've just enjoyed and moved on if it weren't for "support culture".

Of course nothing beats a nice, juicy comment that really digs into your story and gives you plenty to bounce off of, so obviously on average I'd prefer a comment over a like :P)

@Kuma Damn! (lorem ipsum)

Is it that surprising? XD I don't even care that much about subs; I'm not married to the platform, and don't have much regard for a number that's partly a function of how many people have Tapas accounts

The equivalent to a like compared to a comment is like reading a facial expression but not their thoughts. You are just left to speculate.

But like, that means a comment like "looks cool" or "haha" is like you are reading their thoughts, only to see "head empty, no thoughts". I'd almost rather be left to speculate about their thoughts and not see them; that way I have some hope that my work left more of an impact on them than "it's nice, I guess"

(ofc I don't think comments really are a reflection of a reader's full thoughts; I know some people have a hard time putting their thoughts into words, I'm one of them sometimes :'D)

[NetherSlayer]

A like is a quick and easy way to show that you appreciated a chapter or episode, but leaving a comment shows that you're going out of your way to leave real feedback, whether positive or negative. Likes can be a quick indicator of how popular or well received something is, and entice more readers to click or check out a series, whereas comments might be moreso for those who have already clicked on and read a chapter, and are looking to see what others might have thought as well.
They both have their uses, but personally I'd prefer comments over likes to show that the people reading are invested enough in some fashion to interact beyond just reading.

[sleepykuya]

Comments are great. But to be honest, I’m so shy that I hope that my likes are enough! I’ll be trying to comment more, just to show how appreciative I am of other people’s work

[blakestackman]

It is obviously preference.

For me, however, on this platform there is no dislike option. So likes may fulfil one's own ego, but comments leave one open for criticism.