This blog post is inspired by the original one by Conchobar and I will paste the original blog post along with other similar posts (that I agree about) from other authors.

Original

You know the easiest thing to do to keep writers writing, to help people write fics in the fandoms they love, to support the newbie writers, to let the writers you love know that you love their works, to get people to write more (so you can all shut up about how your fandom doesn't have enough fic) and be a better community overall? 

Instead of trying to have recommendation fics for certain fandoms or trying to make it seem like people shouldn't write EXO fics, why don't you start something like a Review Revolution instead. 

Reccommending someone's fic is great and all, but if the writer doesn't get any feedback for their fic, it literally means nothing for them. Yes, a lot of people write for themselves, but a lot of people also get discouraged when they don't get comments at all. (And don't lie and say you're not effected by the amount of comments you recieve or the type of comments you recieve, because everyone is.) 

So instead of going about this whole thing the wrong way, try to think about what people actually need and want. Subscribers/Upvotes are awesome, but if you ask any author, you know what they'll tell you? They'll tell you they want comments more than they do subscribers. 

And the amount of people that comment are dwindling. Months ago, it was likely that people would have about 20-30% of their subscribers comment. Now, you'll barely get 5%. 

That is a problem and it's the biggest problem on this site, because it affects everyone, newbies and veteran writers alike. So instead of trying to have threads for recommended fics, why don't you comment on those stories instead or try to get other people you know who like those stories to comment as well. 

The whole reason why I won't support this whole BALANCE Project is because it doesn't do much for people in the long run.  

So instead of focusing on something that isn't going to do much for the writers on this site overall, why don't you comment?

Why don't you take an oath and comment after every story you read, good or bad?

That is something meaningful and will help a lot more people than just making a recommendation thread. 

So if you think that's a good idea, then take this oath.

I, username here, do solemnly swear to review all fics I read, regardless of the number of reviews, its age, or anything else.

I have joined the Review Revolution.

From StarlightSpirit

As authors here on AFF, we probably all spend a lot of our time away from the site itching to get back on and check our comments. I know I sure as hell do. In my opinion, there is nothing more motivating than logging onto the website and seeing the 'New Story Comment' alert. Seriously, it gives me the happy fuzzies. I like happy fuzzies.
I appreciate every comment, from the simple 'Please update' to the massive long gushy comments that make me want to cry and hug that person so tight they can't breathe because it's amazing that they say so much about something little old me has written, ya know.

So in my opinion, if you enjoy a fic enough to subscribe you should also be able to type out a real quick comment like "Oh this was so good, this part was funny. I liked this character. looking forward to the next update." It takes not even one minute and you have probably made the author a little happier when they see it. I guess it also works vice-versa, if you enjoy a fic well enough to comment, you should also subscribe and even upvote.

From one_over_3

I really love writing, but to finally see the impact of it all on other readers, some people telling me this is their favorite story of all time, some people telling me they cried, some people screaming at their computer screens, some people sending me a long winded paragraph of how much they enjoyed the story, it really makes me as an author feel so happy to see that people appreciate your work. It's really fun for me to read comments of people so engaged in the story, especially a comment like "WHY WOULD YOU EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT I HATE YOU WHY DID SUNGGYU DO SUCH AND SUCH SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!" It's really awesome seeing everyone's thought processes while reading the fanfic, also things that you liked and whatnot.

More importantly, one of the biggest reasons why I like comments is because I like to interact with the people reading my fanfic. 

My View

I've read and seen the Balance Project and in my honest opinion, I doubt that it is the best way to solve any issue here cause there are still people who love EXO and I'm sure they won't want a lack of stories based on their idols as much as anyone else. Though I do agree that there has been a huge increase in stories based on EXO and I believe that this is due to their rise in fame. We can't really blame that from happening so I think this Review Revolution will work wonders for everyone new or old to this site.

The stuff that I took from StarlightSpirit and one_over_3 are the views that I personally agree with and what I would have said as well. And of course I agree with what the original blog post states. For myself, I do actually comment alot whether on stories or blogs. And for the comments that I receive, I try my best to reply all of them and even if I'm not well or not in the mood, I would go back to the comment on another day when I'm better to reply them. 

Even if I don't comment on a story directly, I actually would PM the author (especially if we are friends on AFF) and give my two cents about the story to the author. And honestly, I enjoy seeing people be happy over comments that were made as much as I love receiving comments from others. As such, I do hope everyone could be more participative in this site by leaving more comments on what they think of the story. Receiving comments from people makes me feel and know that someone out there has read and bothers to read a story written by me and it makes me really happy :)

And with that I shall take the oath:

I, RADIANCEsy, do solemnly swear to review all fics I read, regardless of the number of reviews, its age, or anything else.

I have joined the Review Revolution.

- SY -