Do you read project notes on Ravelry?
I was poking about on Ravelry looking for potential interview subjects when I clicked through to check how many designs a designer had published. I liked a detail on one of the garments so I went to the page for a better look and then the projects hoping for a better detail photo.
What I ended up noticing were these competing reviews.
"This pattern is very poorly written. The instructions....."
and then:
"I loved working with this well written pattern."
So who do you believe?
It reminded me about a conversation with a knitter who was crazy for a pattern that one of my interviewees had published but then didn't buy it because one project page had a negative comment. I was struck by the strength of the "negativity bias".
From Psychology Today
"Your brain is simply built with a greater sensitivity to unpleasant news. The bias is so automatic that it can be detected at the earliest stage of the brain's information processing."
I try to take this into account when I read negative reviews but I agree it's difficult.
BTW both of these patterns were designed by very prolific designers with long careers in the industry. Both had been published in numerous places as well as self-publishing.
Sometimes a negative comment is more about the one doing the commenting than it is about the designer, I think.
ReplyDeleteIf I come across a negative comment on Ravelry about something I want to make, I take it with a grain of salt and see for myself. I'm currently working on a popular design that is quite challenging, and the comments about it on blogs range from multiple swear words to rave reviews.
I think they're both correct. It is QUITE the challenge, can at times prove frustrating to knit, and I, too, have sworn a lot. But I'm also fascinated by it, and cannot wait to wear it.