I think the most objective line I would draw would have to be with intent. However, that’s almost never clear when reading something, so I draw the line at attacks against the person (such as “you’re uncreative” or “you suck at writing”) or comments that could not be realistically expected to help anyone with their writing (“I don’t like the main character”, “Your story looks terrible”).
Some comments have made a point of offering suggestions for ways to improve, however I think that isn’t necessary for something to be constructive. Constructive criticism should be clear with a goal of facilitating the author’s improvement. Statements such as “In this particular scene, the zooms cut off large portions of the character’s faces while they’re talking” help to direct the author’s attention to a specific point and have a clear thing to fix, as opposed to “that scene sucks,” which provides one clear path forward.
It’s a lot harder to be objective when hearing about your own writing, however.
Unfortunately, yes. Some people just act rudely and some well-intentioned people can say things that are more rude than constructive.
If their intention was just being rude, definitely. Inviting constructive criticism is not the same as inviting rude comments.
A simple thank you goes a long way. It shows that you appreciate their critique and also shows (at least to me) an interest in self-improvement, which is always admirable.
Personally, I’m a fan of not responding and ignoring it. I’ve found that responding to inflammatory things tends to make the entire situation worse rather than better, and I find it easy enough to let it go over the internet.
For me it’s all about tone and the words used. Which can get difficult over text with sarcasm, some people who aren’t native english speakers, etc. I know when I was doing reviews I would try to say things as nicely as possible so that there were no hard feelings and I’m sure I still offended people so.
See, I don’t think so, if by “rude” you mean people who are just plain mean. If it’s things that need to be pointed out or things the author is perhaps being stubborn on then pretty much any “criticism” is going to be seen as rude by some authors.
I will add though, that on such a public platform like episode that sometimes people just give unsolicited criticism whether you ask for it or not. It’s just something to learn to be prepared for.
I think if people are going to ask for a review or critique then they shouldn’t have to deal with someone just saying, “Your story is the worst,” because at that point it’s not constructive criticism anymore it’s just the person being rude. As for how to hold people accountable, eh, I don’t really know how that could be done beyond the author/editor/artist just being honest that they didn’t enjoy it.
With class is always best in my opinion.
With class, but don’t feel afraid to stand up for yourself if the reviewer/critiquer is just being plain rude.
As for how to hold people accountable, eh, I don’t really know how that could be done beyond the author/editor/artist just being honest that they didn’t enjoy it.
