Comfy?

I've been spending too much time on these writing sites.  Let me clarify.  There are two writing sites that I have used to post stories I have written.  The whole idea behind me posting these stories to these sites was to gather some information on how I could improve my writing.  I had to face a fact that I didn't have anyone that would read over my work to check it for...well...to check it for anything.  No one I know will read anything.  It makes them uncomfortable.  I'm guessing.  I guess that it makes them uncomfortable because the writing isn't any good and they don't know how to tell me.  Or it makes them uncomfortable because they will tell me it's good when it isn't and I'll know.  Because I do know when someone is telling me something they don't mean.  So, basically, I am the one making them uncomfortable and why would anyone do me the (favor)?  Who wants to do a favor for someone that makes them feel uncomfortable.  Or, really, who wants to do someone a favor when they have to read something that isn't very good and have to tell them the truth about it.  Even if that is what I want them to tell me so I can fix it.  Can you see the dilemma?  

So I went to these sites.  There has been some activity recently on both.  I posted my Crossed Wires story at the end of April and received over 800 downloads, 38 votes with a rating of 2.74.  I didn't get any written feedback but I had to take it as a positive since other stories that I posted had been there since August last year and only have 270 downloads and only recently had any votes.  So I take the Crossed Wires as a positive since more people read and voted on the the new story in a much shorter amount of time.  

Then two nights ago I posted a very short piece to another site.  I have already received 6 bits of feedback and this other site doesn't hold back and have a fancy complicated way of averaging votes (like taking away the top 5% and bottom 5% and then averaging some formula to come up my my rating of 2.74).  It gives you whatever average that each person gives you.  So my 6 votes on this short bit are, two votes of 3, two votes of 4, one of 4.5 and one of 5, giving me a rating of 4 (out of 5).  I also got the benefit of emails with short reviews including grammatical corrections, flow suggestions, and one person wanting the piece to be longer and others just being complimentary.  I thanked them all in a return email and I don't think I made any one of them uncomfortable.

So then I had to stop and think.  Maybe it isn't that I am making them uncomfortable but they are afraid it will make me uncomfortable?  When all I really want is a fresh perspective on what I have been viewing and looking at over and over again to the point I can't see what needs to be fixed any more.  I don't have to tell you, now, do I?  That can become very uncomfortable.  

TT