[Discussion] What is "Don't like, Don't read"?

CheertheDead

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I have been seeing it since the very first time i stepped into Internet. I have seen people used it. I have seen people quoted it. I have seen it being discussed but i have yet to see a truly complete accurate depiction of this fandom-wide rule.

What exactly is it? How to use it?
 

LotsChrono

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I have been seeing it since the very first time i stepped into Internet. I have seen people used it. I have seen people quoted it. I have seen it being discussed but i have yet to see a truly complete accurate depiction of this fandom-wide rule.

What exactly is it? How to use it?
It's basically a preface to a set of text, warning and cautioning against potential readers who could become potential haters that they should not read the story/text if they don't find it appealing to their taste i.e don't like it. Usually, its placed there if the individual who wrote the thing does not want negativity in the form of comments, negative reviews, bad ratings, or anything else, really.

I should clarify that it doesn't necessarily stop anyone from doing any of those things, however. It might mitigate some, but, this is the internet, you're not stopping people from doing something with one sentence. It's practically just a formality, in a manner of speaking, especially when you know that what you wrote could offend some people.
 

CupcakeNinja

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I have been seeing it since the very first time i stepped into Internet. I have seen people used it. I have seen people quoted it. I have seen it being discussed but i have yet to see a truly complete accurate depiction of this fandom-wide rule.

What exactly is it? How to use it?
...boy i dunno if you a troll or just kinda dumb. Its pretty self explanatory?

Point is, if you dont like a story...for whatever reason....THEN DONT FUCKING READ IT.

Dont go off on 10 paragraph long essays detailing every gripe you have with the work. Dont bitch and moan about something in every chapter yet continue to read it, because that just means you are an attention whore and thats annoying.

We do not need to see some whiny lil bitch baby on our stories whose complaints offer nothing of value. We are FINE with you having an opinion. We are NOT fine with you shoving that opinion in our faces at every single goddamn opportunity like we are supposed to give a shit and change our entire story based off what you like or dont like.

Aight. That a good enough explanation?

Tldr: dont be a cunt, just move on to something else
 

CL

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Or just warning you. For example, you are sensitvce to things like incest. The novel may contain it, so it's just telling you. Basically like an R-18 warning.
Yes, like those stories that have [BL] in the title.
 

CupcakeNinja

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Or just warning you. For example, you are sensitvce to things like incest. The novel may contain it, so it's just telling you. Basically like an R-18 warning.
Mate ive honestly never seen this used as a warning, onky a response. Like i never saw it quoted in the synopsis of a story as a warning. Well, maybe authors here do it and i just dont know cuz i dont really read many stories here. But usually i see people aaying that when they encounter assholes just straight bashing their work...sometimes for no justifiable reason. For example when the thing they complain again isnt a legit problem with the story but just a nitpick
 

BenJepheneT

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Mate ive honestly never seen this used as a warning, onky a response. Like i never saw it quoted in the synopsis of a story as a warning. Well, maybe authors here do it and i just dont know cuz i dont really read many stories here. But usually i see people aaying that when they encounter assholes just straight bashing their work...sometimes for no justifiable reason. For example when the thing they complain again isnt a legit problem with the story but just a nitpick
 

Partysan

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So does that means it's a Critique shield?
Some use it that way, but it's purpose is more of a genre/trope warning, especially when something isn't obvious.

For example, while most homophobes won't read BL romance (even though so many of them really want to), if you were to write a typical litRPG power fantasy with a male protagonist who turns out to be gay, all the dudebros would flood your story with 1 star reviews. Telling them up front "this story is about a gay dude, don't read if you're a homophobe" can save you some grief.
 

Sabruness

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i think this is a pretty concise definition:
Dont go off on 10 paragraph long essays detailing every gripe you have with the work. Dont bitch and moan about something in every chapter yet continue to read it, because that just means you are an attention whore and thats annoying.

if you were to write a typical litRPG power fantasy with a male protagonist who turns out to be gay, all the dudebros would flood your story with 1 star reviews. Telling them up front "this story is about a gay dude, don't read if you're a homophobe" can save you some grief.
This too, as a part of proper tagging and labeling.
 

CheertheDead

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Oh. So it’s like in a situation where a homophobe goes and does a boy in then comment “this is why i only like girl ‘cause they has vag***”, u can use this to bash the biatch back?

so it’s not a critique shield but more like a response to those who can’t give a proper critique?
 
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My interpretation of this is that its used as sort of a one hitter quiter line (meaning that there is no good response to it) against people who give unwarented criticizm against a novel. Like its used if someone is being an asshole on a novel saying its shit but in truth, its just that its not to their preferences.
 

Partysan

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It's a (preemptive) response to criticism that doesn't address the quality of execution but the contents of the fiction, especially where said contents are a deliberate inclusion and possibly defining part of the genre or fiction in question.
 

Owl

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Originally this is about how you should browse the internet. You can find everything here, but you're supposed to watch out for your own mental health and mood by simply avoiding the things that bother you, because you're not gonna be able to force people to take it down.
It has evolved into a critique shield though.
Generally, you can use it as "If you KNEW there was something in this story you hate because I openly said it was going to be in here, then don't complain when you encounter it"

(Also, proper criticism is never based on "I hate this" but actual reasons that might apply for everyone. So someone who gives good criticism isn't flaming you for anything you've warned about, anyway)
 

hauntedwritings

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'Don't like, don't read' is more or less the informal reader version of 'Viewer discretion is advised'.

It merely means that the following content can be upsetting to some, and therefore you can avoid some of the critizism like 'How can you say something like that without warning first!'.
Because anyone that reads past the warning, is doing so on their own accord. That way, the critizism you get will instead be the kind that you are actually looking for (ideally, anyway).
 
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