The polls are closed.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

We asked the question: Do you comment?  View the results here
Please understand that the following is an editorial response.  I love entitlement.
In a nutshell, most people comment in order to encourage, while a portion feel that only the most exceptional story deserves commendation.  Considering how few stories garner remarks throughout LJ and beyond, most of us are, apparently, falling short of that mark.  I'm not sure if that viewpoint encourages writers to do better or simply shrug and walk away.  It is, in the end, a good thing that the key impetus for writing is the enjoyment of getting a story told, regardless of who else enjoys it.  Brava to the bold.
Many feel that a Kudos button would be helpful 'sometimes', but several are vehemently opposed.  Don't push the button if you hate the story.  
My mother had a friend when I was growing up, and she had an interesting sense of humor.  I recall one of her stories: When confronted with a couple's new infant, who was according to her narrative definitely not cute, she simply replied, "well, that's a baby!".
Perhaps we need a button to convey that same response.  I believe the parents were still proud of their accomplishment, and none the wiser.

Comments

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

OK I get you better now, Kudos isn't feedback in the true sense, but it is an acknowledgement. Though giving a Kudos means you like what you read, so in essence, it is a form of feedback, though the barest.

Kudos is for people who don't know what to say, there's a lot of shy people out there who just don't comment for that reason. So Kudos would be a nice option for them to acknowledge to a writer that they liked what they read. It's not for everyone... that's all.