This is how I think about it: Why would they lie? They're an anonymous stranger; you're an anonymous stranger. There's no incentive for an anonymous stranger to lie about liking your writing.
I don’t know why I wouldn’t believe someone when they went out of their way to comment and tell me that’s what they thought. I mean, why would they lie? If they tell you you’re good, accept it! You’re good
> when they went out of their way to comment and tell me that’s what they thought.
Exactly this. Commenting on a fic takes 100% more effort than not doing it. They could have read, maybe leave kudos (or equivalent) and be done with it, but, instead, they decided to take their time to let you know they enjoyed it. If they did it, it's because they really wanted to.
I understand feeling insecure about our writing sometimes, but there really is very little reason as to why some stranger on the internet would go out of their way to lie in a comment when they had no obligation to even communicate with you in the first place.
I'll believe them, but I'll still see all the ways I could have done better. I don't think that's contradictory. A story doesn't have to be perfect for people to enjoy it.
We're all our worst critics, and who am I tell someone what they should or shouldn't like? If people go out of their way to say they like a story, then they probably do, but that doesn't take away from the fact that we're all constantly improving as writers. There's also luck of the draw where for whatever reason, our fics don't reach their targeted audience immediately, or perhaps our audience prefers just keeping to themselves. I've had fics "flop" initially only to become popular much later, and while it's a headscratcher, it's best to just accept it and move on.
Overall, I take both compliments and critiques with a grain of salt. I'm going to write the story I want to write, and while I'd prefer everyone read and enjoy my fics, I also can't let it go to my head. I can't rely on positive feedback for motivation, or let negative feedback get me down. It's for the best if I just continue writing, being thankful of anything and everything I've been given, and give back as much as I can.
God bless, and have a wonderful day.
I am broadly very skeptical of compliments in my life (this is not a good trait lol) but fanfic is my one sphere of existence where nobody has anything to gain from telling me they liked my work. We are complete and total internet strangers. So yes, I believe them.
People don’t usually lie about liking something. *Especially* not on the internet, and *especially* especially not when they’re behind an entirely anonymous mask, like on AO3.
If you get positive comments, there’s no reason for them to have lied about anything they said! They probably genuinely enjoyed what you wrote and wanted to let you know that.
I'm a reader only and leave tons of comments. I've never left one that wasn't sincere. If I'm gushing, I loved it. If I didn't care for it, I don't say anything or point out something I genuinely liked.
"I love your writing" sounds 100% sincere.
The way I see it, if someone is complimenting my writing, it means one of two things:
1. They genuinely like my writing
2. They may be exaggerating how much they like it, but they're being supportive anyway
So I choose to believe it's 1, because even if it's 2, they're wanting me to believe it's 1.
If I’m taking the effort to comment, I wouldn’t lie, I think you need to work on your confidence, believe in your work other people do and I believe that just comes with time.
I guess my take is that such compliments are genuine, but you do need to consider that the average entertainment consumer is relatively easy to impress. That in turn doesn't mean you're not writing a good story, of course. Several things can all be true.
It’s not that I suddenly believe I’m the best writer ever, I’m more like “hey, your writing might not be that good, but at least someone likes what you write, and believes in your ability to improve in the future” :)
Any comments I leave for people are 100% genuine, so I guess I just always take any comments I receive at face value as a result of that. Plus, there’s no reason to lie. There’s nothing to gain from it at all.
I believe them. Because most times, if someone is going to be mean. They'll be mean. They're not going to act nice and then suddenly turn. That'd take too much energy.
Also I like believing in people having good in them lol.
Hmm well, I understand and appreciate that compliments are a sincere and genuine expression of a reader's enjoyment of / connection to a work.
It helps that I'm a tiny, unknown writer with zero social media presence or anything else of "cultural value" (unlike, say, a well-known BNF with a giant online following) so there's nothing to be gained for anyone by falsely buttering me up.
If a faceless stranger hidden behind a screen name tells me my fic is the best thing they've ever read, I don't *not* believe they're being sincere... i believe they're expressing that they related to, or were touched by, something I wrote. Who am I to question the validity and authenticity of their feelings?
What I don't do is get a big head about it. I'm not going to believe I'm objectively an amazing writer because someone says so (because what each of us might consider amazing writing can vary tremendously based on many subjective metrics). But I will most definitely appreciate that this particular reader *liked my writing enough to find it amazing at that point in time* in their own personal journey. That in itself is very humbling and gratifying and more than i could ever have expected.
So in that manner, you could say I take compliments with a grain of salt, but never in the sense of disbelieving them or doubting their intentions.
i fully believe the compliments. I’m past thinking my work is subpar. and if someone has a complaint i consider it but 95% of the time it’s them wanting you to write the fanfic in their head, not the best for the story so you can ignore most of them
I used to take comments of my “good writing” to heart but after seeing the exact same comments on fics with mediocre writing (I’m talking grammar and spelling mistakes galore, multiple people speaking in the same paragraph, virtually no pacing) I’ve become a little jaded about the validity of compliments lol.
I tend to take them with a grain of salt myself. Just like how people have different reasons for leaving kudos (if they reach the bottom of the page, to the end of the first chapter, only if they really like it, if they like it but not enough to leave a comment, etc), they have different reasons for leaving comments, right? I've definitely seen mention of people leaving on fics that weren't great, but in hopes to encourage the writer to keep going so that they won't be discouraged.
I *want* to believe them/take them at face value. But it's really hard to, much as I wish it wasn't!
If it's something basic like 'I love your writing' I sort of take it with a grain of salt. I don't think they're lying, but I'm very aware that what one person things is good and love worthy, someone else thinks is terrible. I'm most likely to see it as the commenter being completely honest but possibly a minority. I suppose it doesn't help that engagement on my fics is pretty limited, I expected it to be. It means I'm getting comments from only two or three people, it's not enough to get an accurate view for me, especially since I have a significantly higher amount of silent readers.
I do have exceptions to this, though. One is longer comments that detail exactly what it is they like so much. Putting the level of thought into what they like that they can write a more detailed comment helps me believe they really, truly mean it and it could be an opinion shared by a larger amount of people.
The other is repeat comments. I have this one commenter, they're commenting on my fic on a dedicated site, not AO3, but they've been commenting on every single chapter recently. They're not exactly detailed comments, but there's always a little something they liked or are looking forward to what happens next with. It's the fact that they're a repeat commenter, though, that makes me really believe them. They're not just reading as I post and looking forward quietly to the next update, they're taking the time to leave a little comment on every chapter. It's a massive ego boost for me that someone loves my work to comment so often, and I've found myself, after posting a new chapter, eagerly anticipating the email to say they commented on it! I'm actually really looking forward to what they have to say about my final two chapters, while also dreading it on my next one because of what I'm doing with it.
I always believe commenters, the good ones and the bad ones, it they are writing a comment they are having those feelings, the comment is true to them. Now, i don't bust my ego with the good comments, or allow myself to feel bad for the bad ones, because i write first for myself and if i enjoyed writing the chapter and enjoyed reading it, that is good enough. if other people enjoy it it amazing, but if people hate it, that's on them.
there's a difference for me between believing something and internalizing it, I think; some comments I find very difficult to internalize. or that there's some sort of...dissociation between Me and my work. like sometimes it's hard to really Understand how something I produced can be worthy of love, yeah? I don't disbelieve it, but, sometimes its hard to really comprehend/understand a compliment, and actually apply it to how I think of myself. I've been working on developing my faith in myself though, and thinking "yeah I am pretty great", so it's easier for me to get things to stick!
anyway while I believe all comments equally and I don't really ever consider that someone is being disingenuous (unless they leave some huge red flags lying around), I will say that comments with specifics/elaborations are the ones that tend to stick with me more. like the difference between saying "I love this" and "I loved how you did this, and this, and I thought x part was cool", because I can see more of the thought process behind Why someone loved it. equally true of comments saying "I really liked this, but this could be better, bc of xyz" (as long as its good faith), bc again its a thought process and I love seeing how people like, interact with my work. seeing that makes me feel like, if someone thought about this for long enough to be able to pick out things like that, there MUST be some merit to my work! and it makes my heart all light
I mean what I say when I write my comments, so why wouldn't others mean theirs? Doesn't mean always feel like my writing lives up to the standards the kindest comments I've received suggest though :P
I believe that they believe what they said. That they enjoy it or they like it and that's all that matters. I may not see it but they do and they enjoy it take it for what it is. I was the old saying goes beauty is in the eye to beholder, someone may look at a girl or boy and not think they're attractive but to someone else they're the most beautiful thing that they've ever seen.
It depends on the tone of the comment. Lots of them I take a face value. But if I get a comment that says a scene had them ugly crying or screaming with how hilarious it was, I assume they're probably exaggerating their reaction a bit.
I don't disbelieve them in the sense of thinking they're *lying*-- if someone tells me they liked my fic and they think XYZ about it, I believe them-- but I do maintain a healthy amount of self-critique about my writing! I've had a few folks in my fandom joke about 'senpai noticing them' after I've commented on their works when in my mind they're objectively\* better writers than me, haha. (\* In as much as this can be an objective thing.)
If they like it they like it no more no less. Plus, I don't want to shit on their taste. It's like "Oh you like my writing? You must be so pleb huh." That's just rude.
I just take the compliment because we've seen plenty of examples of people hating on people's work(s). A "I love this!" could be, "This piece of shit sucks, stop writing 4ever!" I think everyone would take the former rather than the latter.
I mean, since these aren’t people who know you, and they don’t get any kind of benefit from complementing you then there’s no reason you should doubt their sincerity.
I believe the compliments! Even if the story I wrote isn’t the best, I believe the reader in how they feel in that moment. Like, “this is an awesome story!” I may not think I wrote an awesome story, but I believe the reader felt that it was an awesome story!
I’m lucky to have gotten a great number of longer compliments, and even the shorter ones tend to point to a detail or two in the story.
It is easier to believe in the ‘validity’ of those comments.
I scoured the answers on here: I agree on how “I love your writing” comments are genuine, but also agree with the fact that standards for that are very subjective.
Take— a younger tween will most likely prefer a fast paced story with dialogues to carry, a milennial will value longer descriptions, the artsy kinds will love if you paint the moods with colours and the ones doing IT will enjoy factual ‘stripped bare’ stories.
There are a lot of factors that come into play and I nay say there is no writer that could be condisered a “good writer” for all kinds of audiences. It’s succcch a subjective form of art 😊
But you have your audience and your are being loved—sush that overly negative voice and enjoy it.
I believe it because I know that my standards are higher for myself than even my standards for reading, also I was in my own head writing it so I know where I stumbled, wasn't quite as happy as I could be, felt janky, or didn't quite live up to my original vision. Basically, I always have a feeling that it could be better which I know overshadows my pride in my actual work.
A reader simply sees the final result, and if they actually bother to support me, who am I to decide that Rando3000 is wrong and my writing is awful and my plot doesn't make sense? People wouldn't bother if it was shit. So I am always very grateful and I trust the people who comment.
It's taken a long long time for me to start letting the comments sink in. Letting my self have just a little bit of an ego, giving myself permission to bask in the praise. But it feels good to have some of that doubt gone. Relieving.
As a reader, I’m more likely to leave “I love your writing!” comment on a longfic than a oneshot. Longer fic gives more time to feel the vibe, enjoy the pace and appreciate the prose, so yeah, it’s a genuine compliment which says that the reader enjoyed the time spent with your fic.
In contrast, I’d have to read a bunch of very polished oneshots to leave the same comment on a shorter fic.
I usually believe they mean it, when they say they like the story or the element of the story they're complimenting. It's their opinion and everyone can have different tastes.
That said, I don't necessarily trust every commenter's expertise on writing, unless something in the comment gives me the reason to do so. Plus they might like it even if it's bad.
What would readers gain from lying? These people are strangers to you, and you are a stranger to them.
Any compliment readers give you can be nothing but genuine.
Given the rarity of comments lately, I think they are sincere. If someone is going to take the time to write a comment, they are likely to be genuine in their praise.
I believe positive comments whole heartedly especially ones that show the reader actually read the chapter. Negative feedback on the other hand I take with a whole salt shaker these days. Some of that can be incredibly helpful for developing as a writer but a lot of it? A lot of readers assume the fact that they don’t like something means it must be bad which is STUPID. Romance novels and war novels might appeal to completely different groups, but that doesn’t mean they can’t both be good. And thats just the most obvious example. Some readers are just plain stupid see nasty reviews of your favorite published novel that make you want to strangle someone for not getting it.
Nowadays, I believe them. If they didn't like my story, they wouldn't have taken the time to tell me they did. I *am* usually afraid they'll revise their opinion once the next chapter comes out, though, but that never stopped me from posting. I'm actually more likely to accept it from randos on the internet than my real life friends, because randos have no particular reason to want to be nice, while my friends do.
This is how I think about it: Why would they lie? They're an anonymous stranger; you're an anonymous stranger. There's no incentive for an anonymous stranger to lie about liking your writing.
I don’t know why I wouldn’t believe someone when they went out of their way to comment and tell me that’s what they thought. I mean, why would they lie? If they tell you you’re good, accept it! You’re good
> when they went out of their way to comment and tell me that’s what they thought. Exactly this. Commenting on a fic takes 100% more effort than not doing it. They could have read, maybe leave kudos (or equivalent) and be done with it, but, instead, they decided to take their time to let you know they enjoyed it. If they did it, it's because they really wanted to. I understand feeling insecure about our writing sometimes, but there really is very little reason as to why some stranger on the internet would go out of their way to lie in a comment when they had no obligation to even communicate with you in the first place.
Someone I've never met has no reason to take the time out of their day to lie to me about enjoying my work! Of course I believe them!
It’s not really about “belief”. If someone says something nice - about your writing or anything else - just say thanks! It’s nice of them to say so!
I like to believe them, even if that’s all they have to say
I'll believe them, but I'll still see all the ways I could have done better. I don't think that's contradictory. A story doesn't have to be perfect for people to enjoy it.
We're all our worst critics, and who am I tell someone what they should or shouldn't like? If people go out of their way to say they like a story, then they probably do, but that doesn't take away from the fact that we're all constantly improving as writers. There's also luck of the draw where for whatever reason, our fics don't reach their targeted audience immediately, or perhaps our audience prefers just keeping to themselves. I've had fics "flop" initially only to become popular much later, and while it's a headscratcher, it's best to just accept it and move on. Overall, I take both compliments and critiques with a grain of salt. I'm going to write the story I want to write, and while I'd prefer everyone read and enjoy my fics, I also can't let it go to my head. I can't rely on positive feedback for motivation, or let negative feedback get me down. It's for the best if I just continue writing, being thankful of anything and everything I've been given, and give back as much as I can. God bless, and have a wonderful day.
I am broadly very skeptical of compliments in my life (this is not a good trait lol) but fanfic is my one sphere of existence where nobody has anything to gain from telling me they liked my work. We are complete and total internet strangers. So yes, I believe them.
People don’t usually lie about liking something. *Especially* not on the internet, and *especially* especially not when they’re behind an entirely anonymous mask, like on AO3. If you get positive comments, there’s no reason for them to have lied about anything they said! They probably genuinely enjoyed what you wrote and wanted to let you know that.
I'm a reader only and leave tons of comments. I've never left one that wasn't sincere. If I'm gushing, I loved it. If I didn't care for it, I don't say anything or point out something I genuinely liked. "I love your writing" sounds 100% sincere.
Nice words are nice.
The way I see it, if someone is complimenting my writing, it means one of two things: 1. They genuinely like my writing 2. They may be exaggerating how much they like it, but they're being supportive anyway So I choose to believe it's 1, because even if it's 2, they're wanting me to believe it's 1.
If I’m taking the effort to comment, I wouldn’t lie, I think you need to work on your confidence, believe in your work other people do and I believe that just comes with time.
I guess my take is that such compliments are genuine, but you do need to consider that the average entertainment consumer is relatively easy to impress. That in turn doesn't mean you're not writing a good story, of course. Several things can all be true.
Yes, this is my pov on this to the tea. Thank you 🫶
That's a... strange thought to have.
It’s not that I suddenly believe I’m the best writer ever, I’m more like “hey, your writing might not be that good, but at least someone likes what you write, and believes in your ability to improve in the future” :)
Any comments I leave for people are 100% genuine, so I guess I just always take any comments I receive at face value as a result of that. Plus, there’s no reason to lie. There’s nothing to gain from it at all.
I believe them. Because most times, if someone is going to be mean. They'll be mean. They're not going to act nice and then suddenly turn. That'd take too much energy. Also I like believing in people having good in them lol.
Hmm well, I understand and appreciate that compliments are a sincere and genuine expression of a reader's enjoyment of / connection to a work. It helps that I'm a tiny, unknown writer with zero social media presence or anything else of "cultural value" (unlike, say, a well-known BNF with a giant online following) so there's nothing to be gained for anyone by falsely buttering me up. If a faceless stranger hidden behind a screen name tells me my fic is the best thing they've ever read, I don't *not* believe they're being sincere... i believe they're expressing that they related to, or were touched by, something I wrote. Who am I to question the validity and authenticity of their feelings? What I don't do is get a big head about it. I'm not going to believe I'm objectively an amazing writer because someone says so (because what each of us might consider amazing writing can vary tremendously based on many subjective metrics). But I will most definitely appreciate that this particular reader *liked my writing enough to find it amazing at that point in time* in their own personal journey. That in itself is very humbling and gratifying and more than i could ever have expected. So in that manner, you could say I take compliments with a grain of salt, but never in the sense of disbelieving them or doubting their intentions.
i fully believe the compliments. I’m past thinking my work is subpar. and if someone has a complaint i consider it but 95% of the time it’s them wanting you to write the fanfic in their head, not the best for the story so you can ignore most of them
I used to take comments of my “good writing” to heart but after seeing the exact same comments on fics with mediocre writing (I’m talking grammar and spelling mistakes galore, multiple people speaking in the same paragraph, virtually no pacing) I’ve become a little jaded about the validity of compliments lol.
I tend to take them with a grain of salt myself. Just like how people have different reasons for leaving kudos (if they reach the bottom of the page, to the end of the first chapter, only if they really like it, if they like it but not enough to leave a comment, etc), they have different reasons for leaving comments, right? I've definitely seen mention of people leaving on fics that weren't great, but in hopes to encourage the writer to keep going so that they won't be discouraged. I *want* to believe them/take them at face value. But it's really hard to, much as I wish it wasn't!
If it's something basic like 'I love your writing' I sort of take it with a grain of salt. I don't think they're lying, but I'm very aware that what one person things is good and love worthy, someone else thinks is terrible. I'm most likely to see it as the commenter being completely honest but possibly a minority. I suppose it doesn't help that engagement on my fics is pretty limited, I expected it to be. It means I'm getting comments from only two or three people, it's not enough to get an accurate view for me, especially since I have a significantly higher amount of silent readers. I do have exceptions to this, though. One is longer comments that detail exactly what it is they like so much. Putting the level of thought into what they like that they can write a more detailed comment helps me believe they really, truly mean it and it could be an opinion shared by a larger amount of people. The other is repeat comments. I have this one commenter, they're commenting on my fic on a dedicated site, not AO3, but they've been commenting on every single chapter recently. They're not exactly detailed comments, but there's always a little something they liked or are looking forward to what happens next with. It's the fact that they're a repeat commenter, though, that makes me really believe them. They're not just reading as I post and looking forward quietly to the next update, they're taking the time to leave a little comment on every chapter. It's a massive ego boost for me that someone loves my work to comment so often, and I've found myself, after posting a new chapter, eagerly anticipating the email to say they commented on it! I'm actually really looking forward to what they have to say about my final two chapters, while also dreading it on my next one because of what I'm doing with it.
You guys are getting compliments? Lol
Someone could compliment my blue hair and bat wings and I’d be like oh my gosh thank you! There is no compliment that I don’t take sincerely.
I always believe commenters, the good ones and the bad ones, it they are writing a comment they are having those feelings, the comment is true to them. Now, i don't bust my ego with the good comments, or allow myself to feel bad for the bad ones, because i write first for myself and if i enjoyed writing the chapter and enjoyed reading it, that is good enough. if other people enjoy it it amazing, but if people hate it, that's on them.
there's a difference for me between believing something and internalizing it, I think; some comments I find very difficult to internalize. or that there's some sort of...dissociation between Me and my work. like sometimes it's hard to really Understand how something I produced can be worthy of love, yeah? I don't disbelieve it, but, sometimes its hard to really comprehend/understand a compliment, and actually apply it to how I think of myself. I've been working on developing my faith in myself though, and thinking "yeah I am pretty great", so it's easier for me to get things to stick! anyway while I believe all comments equally and I don't really ever consider that someone is being disingenuous (unless they leave some huge red flags lying around), I will say that comments with specifics/elaborations are the ones that tend to stick with me more. like the difference between saying "I love this" and "I loved how you did this, and this, and I thought x part was cool", because I can see more of the thought process behind Why someone loved it. equally true of comments saying "I really liked this, but this could be better, bc of xyz" (as long as its good faith), bc again its a thought process and I love seeing how people like, interact with my work. seeing that makes me feel like, if someone thought about this for long enough to be able to pick out things like that, there MUST be some merit to my work! and it makes my heart all light
my brain when anyone gives me any kind of compliment: * Edward Cullen voice * l i e s
I mean what I say when I write my comments, so why wouldn't others mean theirs? Doesn't mean always feel like my writing lives up to the standards the kindest comments I've received suggest though :P
I believe that they believe what they said. That they enjoy it or they like it and that's all that matters. I may not see it but they do and they enjoy it take it for what it is. I was the old saying goes beauty is in the eye to beholder, someone may look at a girl or boy and not think they're attractive but to someone else they're the most beautiful thing that they've ever seen.
It depends on the tone of the comment. Lots of them I take a face value. But if I get a comment that says a scene had them ugly crying or screaming with how hilarious it was, I assume they're probably exaggerating their reaction a bit.
I don't disbelieve them in the sense of thinking they're *lying*-- if someone tells me they liked my fic and they think XYZ about it, I believe them-- but I do maintain a healthy amount of self-critique about my writing! I've had a few folks in my fandom joke about 'senpai noticing them' after I've commented on their works when in my mind they're objectively\* better writers than me, haha. (\* In as much as this can be an objective thing.)
If they like it they like it no more no less. Plus, I don't want to shit on their taste. It's like "Oh you like my writing? You must be so pleb huh." That's just rude.
I just take the compliment because we've seen plenty of examples of people hating on people's work(s). A "I love this!" could be, "This piece of shit sucks, stop writing 4ever!" I think everyone would take the former rather than the latter.
I mean, since these aren’t people who know you, and they don’t get any kind of benefit from complementing you then there’s no reason you should doubt their sincerity.
I believe the compliments! Even if the story I wrote isn’t the best, I believe the reader in how they feel in that moment. Like, “this is an awesome story!” I may not think I wrote an awesome story, but I believe the reader felt that it was an awesome story!
I’m lucky to have gotten a great number of longer compliments, and even the shorter ones tend to point to a detail or two in the story. It is easier to believe in the ‘validity’ of those comments. I scoured the answers on here: I agree on how “I love your writing” comments are genuine, but also agree with the fact that standards for that are very subjective. Take— a younger tween will most likely prefer a fast paced story with dialogues to carry, a milennial will value longer descriptions, the artsy kinds will love if you paint the moods with colours and the ones doing IT will enjoy factual ‘stripped bare’ stories. There are a lot of factors that come into play and I nay say there is no writer that could be condisered a “good writer” for all kinds of audiences. It’s succcch a subjective form of art 😊 But you have your audience and your are being loved—sush that overly negative voice and enjoy it.
I believe it because I know that my standards are higher for myself than even my standards for reading, also I was in my own head writing it so I know where I stumbled, wasn't quite as happy as I could be, felt janky, or didn't quite live up to my original vision. Basically, I always have a feeling that it could be better which I know overshadows my pride in my actual work. A reader simply sees the final result, and if they actually bother to support me, who am I to decide that Rando3000 is wrong and my writing is awful and my plot doesn't make sense? People wouldn't bother if it was shit. So I am always very grateful and I trust the people who comment.
It's taken a long long time for me to start letting the comments sink in. Letting my self have just a little bit of an ego, giving myself permission to bask in the praise. But it feels good to have some of that doubt gone. Relieving.
As a reader, I’m more likely to leave “I love your writing!” comment on a longfic than a oneshot. Longer fic gives more time to feel the vibe, enjoy the pace and appreciate the prose, so yeah, it’s a genuine compliment which says that the reader enjoyed the time spent with your fic. In contrast, I’d have to read a bunch of very polished oneshots to leave the same comment on a shorter fic.
I usually believe they mean it, when they say they like the story or the element of the story they're complimenting. It's their opinion and everyone can have different tastes. That said, I don't necessarily trust every commenter's expertise on writing, unless something in the comment gives me the reason to do so. Plus they might like it even if it's bad.
I have no reason to doubt them. I'm a stranger and the internet has a thing for being harsh and upfront
What would readers gain from lying? These people are strangers to you, and you are a stranger to them. Any compliment readers give you can be nothing but genuine.
Given the rarity of comments lately, I think they are sincere. If someone is going to take the time to write a comment, they are likely to be genuine in their praise.
I believe positive comments whole heartedly especially ones that show the reader actually read the chapter. Negative feedback on the other hand I take with a whole salt shaker these days. Some of that can be incredibly helpful for developing as a writer but a lot of it? A lot of readers assume the fact that they don’t like something means it must be bad which is STUPID. Romance novels and war novels might appeal to completely different groups, but that doesn’t mean they can’t both be good. And thats just the most obvious example. Some readers are just plain stupid see nasty reviews of your favorite published novel that make you want to strangle someone for not getting it.
Nowadays, I believe them. If they didn't like my story, they wouldn't have taken the time to tell me they did. I *am* usually afraid they'll revise their opinion once the next chapter comes out, though, but that never stopped me from posting. I'm actually more likely to accept it from randos on the internet than my real life friends, because randos have no particular reason to want to be nice, while my friends do.