My show

[DeterminedJuliet]

Because if someone thinks that something is fantastic, they're implying they don't think it needs to be changed.
If you are saying that it sucks, you're saying that you do think it needs to be changed. If you make those comments without anything constructive to add, you might as well say "I think it need changes, but I won't tell you what".
In other words, it's a dick thing to do.

[En_Route]

Because if someone thinks that something is fantastic, they're implying they don't think it needs to be changed.
If you are saying that it sucks, you're saying that you do think it needs to be changed. If you make those comments without anything constructive to add, you might as well say "I think it need changes, but I won't tell you what".
In other words, it's a dick thing to do.

I don't think it needs to be changed, just binned. If you truly believe it is beyond improvement, then I envy you in a way because there is so much out there for you to enjoy.

[DeterminedJuliet]

Because if someone thinks that something is fantastic, they're implying they don't think it needs to be changed.
If you are saying that it sucks, you're saying that you do think it needs to be changed. If you make those comments without anything constructive to add, you might as well say "I think it need changes, but I won't tell you what".
In other words, it's a dick thing to do.

I don't think it needs to be changed, just binned. If you truly believe it is beyond improvement, then I envy you in a way because there is so much out there for you to enjoy.

I didn't say it was beyond improvement, my original comment was that I "liked it". I wasn't offering a constructive critique, just emotional support. But thanks for the condensation about my tastes.

You just seem to enjoy being nasty. There isn't a creative work out there that can't be improved; saying it just needs to be binned is a cop-out. Which, fine, you're entitled to being nasty if you like, but at least acknowledge it as such.  You said you offered critique but, you didn't. You offered unspecific and generalized criticism. There's a difference. I work a lot with peer review of documents and part of the process is being able to take constructive criticism - if someone reviewed my work and said "it's shit - bin it", that's more a reflection on their inability to properly review something than on my actual work.  

So yes, go ahead and say whatever you like, but don't pretend it's helpful. Saying "oh, it's good. I like it" might not help improve the show, but at least it's nice. If you wanted to get the point across that it wasn't something you'd watch - you could have said that. Coming up with a list of negative descriptors with no other input is just being mean, pure and simple.

[En_Route]

Because if someone thinks that something is fantastic, they're implying they don't think it needs to be changed.
If you are saying that it sucks, you're saying that you do think it needs to be changed. If you make those comments without anything constructive to add, you might as well say "I think it need changes, but I won't tell you what".
In other words, it's a dick thing to do.

I don't think it needs to be changed, just binned. If you truly believe it is beyond improvement, then I envy you in a way because there is so much out there for you to enjoy.

I didn't say it was beyond improvement, my original comment was that I "liked it". I wasn't offering a constructive critique, just emotional support. But thanks for the condensation about my tastes.

You just seem to enjoy being nasty. There isn't a creative work out there that can't be improved; saying it just needs to be binned is a cop-out. Which, fine, you're entitled to being nasty if you like, but at least acknowledge it as such.  You said you offered critique but, you didn't. You offered unspecific and generalized criticism. There's a difference. I work a lot with peer review of documents and part of the process is being able to take constructive criticism - if someone reviewed my work and said "it's shit - bin it", that's more a reflection on their inability to properly review something than on my actual work.  

So yes, go ahead and say whatever you like, but don't pretend it's helpful. Saying "oh, it's good. I like it" might not help improve the show, but at least it's nice. If you wanted to get the point across that it wasn't something you'd watch - you could have said that. Coming up with a list of negative descriptors with no other input is just being mean, pure and simple.

. I'm sorry, but in my opinion it was risibly dreadful. Why should I say other than I find.?  I'm not sure why you feel it incumbent on you to lend emotional support to a complete stranger but I certainly don't. This isn't a peer review process, it's a guy asking for comments on his video on the net. Those whose verdict is crap are under  no more obligation to expand on their rationale than those whose verdict is awesome

[DeterminedJuliet]

Because if someone thinks that something is fantastic, they're implying they don't think it needs to be changed.
If you are saying that it sucks, you're saying that you do think it needs to be changed. If you make those comments without anything constructive to add, you might as well say "I think it need changes, but I won't tell you what".
In other words, it's a dick thing to do.

I don't think it needs to be changed, just binned. If you truly believe it is beyond improvement, then I envy you in a way because there is so much out there for you to enjoy.

I didn't say it was beyond improvement, my original comment was that I "liked it". I wasn't offering a constructive critique, just emotional support. But thanks for the condensation about my tastes.

You just seem to enjoy being nasty. There isn't a creative work out there that can't be improved; saying it just needs to be binned is a cop-out. Which, fine, you're entitled to being nasty if you like, but at least acknowledge it as such.  You said you offered critique but, you didn't. You offered unspecific and generalized criticism. There's a difference. I work a lot with peer review of documents and part of the process is being able to take constructive criticism - if someone reviewed my work and said "it's shit - bin it", that's more a reflection on their inability to properly review something than on my actual work.  

So yes, go ahead and say whatever you like, but don't pretend it's helpful. Saying "oh, it's good. I like it" might not help improve the show, but at least it's nice. If you wanted to get the point across that it wasn't something you'd watch - you could have said that. Coming up with a list of negative descriptors with no other input is just being mean, pure and simple.

. I'm sorry, but in my opinion it was risibly dreadful. Why should I say other than I find.?  I'm not sure why you feel it incumbent on you to lend emotional support to a complete stranger but I certainly don't. This isn't a peer review process, it's a guy asking for comments on his video on the net. Those whose verdict is crap are under  no more obligation to expand on their rationale than those whose verdict is awesome

And yet, you went to more effort in choosing a string of pointedly nasty words than most of the people who said "awesome" or "I thought it was good." Anyway, I won't belabour it. I think we understand each other. This is the second thread of the OPs I've derailed in two days, so I'll be on my way.

[En_Route]

Because if someone thinks that something is fantastic, they're implying they don't think it needs to be changed.
If you are saying that it sucks, you're saying that you do think it needs to be changed. If you make those comments without anything constructive to add, you might as well say "I think it need changes, but I won't tell you what".
In other words, it's a dick thing to do.

I don't think it needs to be changed, just binned. If you truly believe it is beyond improvement, then I envy you in a way because there is so much out there for you to enjoy.

I didn't say it was beyond improvement, my original comment was that I "liked it". I wasn't offering a constructive critique, just emotional support. But thanks for the condensation about my tastes.

You just seem to enjoy being nasty. There isn't a creative work out there that can't be improved; saying it just needs to be binned is a cop-out. Which, fine, you're entitled to being nasty if you like, but at least acknowledge it as such.  You said you offered critique but, you didn't. You offered unspecific and generalized criticism. There's a difference. I work a lot with peer review of documents and part of the process is being able to take constructive criticism - if someone reviewed my work and said "it's shit - bin it", that's more a reflection on their inability to properly review something than on my actual work.  

So yes, go ahead and say whatever you like, but don't pretend it's helpful. Saying "oh, it's good. I like it" might not help improve the show, but at least it's nice. If you wanted to get the point across that it wasn't something you'd watch - you could have said that. Coming up with a list of negative descriptors with no other input is just being mean, pure and simple.

. I'm sorry, but in my opinion it was risibly dreadful. Why should I say other than I find.?  I'm not sure why you feel it incumbent on you to lend emotional support to a complete stranger but I certainly don't. This isn't a peer review process, it's a guy asking for comments on his video on the net. Those whose verdict is crap are under  no more obligation to expand on their rationale than those whose verdict is awesome

And yet, you went to more effort in choosing a string of pointedly nasty words than most of the people who said "awesome" or "I thought it was good."

it's called a vocabulary.

[DeterminedJuliet]

Yeah, I stand by "you enjoy being nasty" remark.

[En_Route]

Yeah, I stand by "you enjoy being nasty" remark.

I never asked you to withdraw it.

[joeactor]

(moderator hat on)

Ok kiddies...

Enough of this "I know you are, what am I?"

Please try to keep the conversation civil.

Critiques can range from "Fantastic!" to "Delete it!".
A bit of *why* you feel that way can help immensely, IMHO.
It allows the OP to understand your comments, and possibly adjust their production to make it better.

(moderator hat off)

[cgmccall]

Wow...this party got wild while I stepped out.

I always appreciate input, positive or negative. Just so long as there is something detailed enough for me to learn from or work with.

Peace.

[En_Route]

Wow...this party got wild while I stepped out.

I always appreciate input, positive or negative. Just so long as there is something detailed enough for me to learn from or work with.

Peace.

Well I agree, being merely told that your work is fabulous in itself is no more informative than being told that its rotten. Praise offered  because the person responding to it wants to be nice or supportive doesn't even give you a proper sense of what people truly think about your stuff, and while well-meant is essentially useless to you.

[Tank]

Wow...this party got wild while I stepped out.

I always appreciate input, positive or negative. Just so long as there is something detailed enough for me to learn from or work with.

Peace.

Well I agree, being merely told that your work is fabulous in itself is no more informative than being told that its rotten. Praise offered  because the person responding to it wants to be nice or supportive doesn't even give you a proper sense of what people truly think about your stuff, and while well-meant is essentially useless to you.

But giving constructive criticism (that could be considered negative by the recipient) while being supportive are not mutually exclusive conditions. I have found that the tone/style used when offering potentially negative comments can have a huge effect on the way they are received.

[En_Route]

If you choose to put your work out in to the public arena and invite comment then you have to take the rough with the smooth. There is no onus on somebody who has a low opinion of it to sugar the pill or to worry that the author is going to take exception to their adverse judgement. In fact, cgm has not been precious at all about this, it is DJ who has taken up the cudgels on his behalf.

[Tank]

If you choose to put your work out in to the public arena and invite comment then you have to take the rough with the smooth. There is no onus on somebody who has a low opinion of it to sugar the pill or to worry that the author is going to take exception to their adverse judgement. In fact, cgm has not been precious at all about this, it is DJ who has taken up the cudgels on his behalf.

In my decades of negotiation experience it is almost always better to be perceived as supportive rather than arrogant. And it is definitely better in a situation like this to be perceived as an allie not an enemy. Criticism should be intended to get the recipient to see your point of view and change their own. If not the criticism is simply an example of self indulgent intellectual masturbation of the part of the critic. Thus a supportive attitude is more likely to be perceived as friendly and positive, even if the content of the criticism could be construed as negative.

For example. One may find that the background music on a video is too loud thus making the voice difficult to hear. A comment like 'The loud bloody music pissed me off!' is aggressive and thus likely to be ignored. Whereas 'I found it difficult to hear the narration as the music was too loud.' is informative and suggests a potential solution to the problem and is thus supportive and non-adversarial.

Sugaring the pill isn't necessary, I'm sure Christopher Hitchens didn't even know what sugar was! But that only made CH look like an arsehole, which may be good for his PR and ego, but I wouldn't give him the time of day. On the other hand Daniel Dennett gets his points across just as effectively and to a wider audience because he is polite to the sensibilities of his audience. So there are more ways than one to skin a cat, and I'm more of a DD than CH, while you may be the opposite. Each to there own I suppose.

[En_Route]

With respect, you are conflating quite different things. Criticism of creative work is not an educational dialogue designed to persuade the author of the error of their ways. It is simply a passing of judgement on the perceived merits of the work in question. I couldn't care less whether or not cgm places any weight on my opinion or not.