Feedback Exchange and Online Affinity: A Case Study of Online Fanfiction Writers

Feedback is a critical piece of the creative process. Prior CSCW research has invented peer-based and crowd-based systems that exchange feedback between online strangers at scale. However, creators run into socio-psychological challenges when engaging in online critique exchange with people they have never met. In this study, we step back and take a different approach to investigate online feedback by casting our attention to creators in online affinity spaces, where feedback exchange happens naturally as part of the interest-driven participatory culture. We present an interview study with 29 fanfiction writers that investigated how they seek feedback online, and how they identified and built connections with feedback providers. We identify four distinct feedback practices and unpack the social needs in feedback exchange. Our findings surface the importance of affinity and trust in online feedback exchange and illustrate how writers built relationships with feedback providers in public and private online spaces. Inspired by the powerful stories we heard about connection and feedback, we conclude with a series of design considerations for future feedback systems\textemdash namely addressing a range of social needs in feedback, helping feedback seekers signal interests and identity, supporting authentic relationships in feedback exchange, and building inclusive, safe community spaces for feedback.