Hi, I'm new to this comm, and I have some questions about the Comment Quicky challenges and about commenting customs in the comm:

1. If I post a haiku in English, must it have exactly seventeen syllables, or is less than seventeen syllables OK? (I've heard that haikus in English should have less than 17 syllables, to get a "feel" in English that's similar to one that seventeen syllables in Japanese would evoke...)

2. Must shortfic and haiku responses to Comment Quicky challenges always include the prompt word, or is it OK for them just to be inspired by the prompt word?

3. Are brief explanations OK, or should Comment Quicky responses stand without them? For example, would it be OK to say something like the following before a haiku?:

"This is what came up for me for the prompt word 'velleity:'

[followed by short work that was inspired by but doesn't use that prompt word]

4. What are accepted community customs for commenting on others' works? (I can imagine that one or more of the following might apply...):

a. Don't ever do that?

b. It's OK to react in DW comments, but ONLY IF the creator says they want reactions?

c. It's OK to react in DW comments, UNLESS creator says they DON'T want reactions?

d. If the work is hosted somewhere off DW (like ao3), it's OK to comment there unless the creator explicitly says otherwise.

e. Don't react to Comment Quicky responses?

f. Or other? (please specify)

Thanks!