Email to Diary Reviews (17.04.2003 - 2:36 a.m.)
I would just like to suggest that keeping Vicky on as a reviewer is a
stupid thing to do. She does not take into consideration the feelings
of the people she reviews at all. There is nothing wrong with
criticism, but she gets personal about things she knows nothing about.
For example, she reviewed Bonnie-moo (my fiancee). The first thing
she said about the content was: -
"Ha. I reviewed lokicat. I was wondering why the first few entries
seemed familiar."
Now if you've ever read lokicat's diary you may well be aware she was
raped. My fiancee was also raped, and the circumstances were very
similar to those of lokicat. Vicky is here suggesting that my fiancee
has merely copied lokicat for attention. Think how that made her feel.
Another thing she said about the content was: -
"The first few entries, your 'past' entries, were somewhat well
written, but one thing I have noticed is that there's just no real
emotion. It's just words. They don't mean anything."
THEY DON'T MEAN ANYTHING?! THEY MEAN EVERYTHING. I apologise for
getting angry but I cannot help it. How can she possibly say that my
fiancee being raped, bullied, beaten, abused and depressed doesn't
mean anything? Her choice of words could not have been worse. I
honestly think she does not think about what she is writing in the
slightest. Part of being a reviewer is to be critical, but you should
also be able to realise when something is going to seriously upset
someone. She made my fiancee cry. She made her consider giving up her
diary, which is an essential thing for her if she is going to get
over things, because she needs to write about things to confront
them. She is seeing a counsellor and on anti depressants because of
being raped, and if Vicky had read the diary and considered things
she would have realised this and, one would have thought, thought
carefully about what she wrote so as to avoid upsetting her. But no,
Vicky has no consideration for other peoples feelings.
"I felt absolutely disgusting, I just wanted to get out of his house
get home and wash it all away, but I couldn't. The worst part is I
had to stay there with him for the whole day until he could drive me
to the train station to go home."
"I'd caused alot of worry and trouble, I felt awful. I went and sat
in my room and cried for days, I didn't eat or sleep, I felt like
utter shit."
Can you honestly say that shows no emotion?
Another snippet of one of Vicky's reviews is this - "Now, perhaps you
could talk a little more about why you're still cutting if you
now 'have' the love of your life and shit" and "You just sound like a
lovesick little girl". This is not what the person asked for. She
asked for a review. A review of how interesting her content was, of
how her layout looks. Not criticism of her psychological problems. Criticism of her content. Not to be told she is a "lovesick little
girl". To be told whether she is a good writer or not.
I would encourage you to no longer allow Vicky to review for you,
because I can tell you she will bring you more trouble than she is
worth if she continues to review like this.
This is a copy of an email I sent to diary reviews. I just hope they take heed of it.