Since kudos is limited to once per fic per person I can usually tell how popular a fic is on AO3 whereas hits and comments will include multiple counts generated by the same people. X is an example - it can be 50 or 25 etc.
Just like with LJ, sometimes Ao3 fics can have long threaded comments and comments are also more frequent on controversial fic too so I don't like to depend on that. Hits is the closest alternative but it doesn't reflect whether people enjoyed the fic, just that they loaded the page. They might have hit the back button after a paragraph.
Normally I use rec lists but when doing deep dives into the Ao3 archives I do want to find what is popular and appreciated at the moment in multiple fandoms fast. So I tend to gravitate towards the kudos count. It's a flawed system but personally I find it more reliable?
Though of course, there's no accounting for fandom trends/cliches/tastes where terrible stuff gets a lot of kudos. Still, that's the norm in most fandoms.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2014-11-05 12:40 pm (UTC)Just like with LJ, sometimes Ao3 fics can have long threaded comments and comments are also more frequent on controversial fic too so I don't like to depend on that. Hits is the closest alternative but it doesn't reflect whether people enjoyed the fic, just that they loaded the page. They might have hit the back button after a paragraph.
Normally I use rec lists but when doing deep dives into the Ao3 archives I do want to find what is popular and appreciated at the moment in multiple fandoms fast. So I tend to gravitate towards the kudos count. It's a flawed system but personally I find it more reliable?
Though of course, there's no accounting for fandom trends/cliches/tastes where terrible stuff gets a lot of kudos. Still, that's the norm in most fandoms.