- Here are some (modified) guidelines for providing constructive criticism:
This has been modified from a post in the Writing Arena Discussion.
(The basics are still the same, but I've made some changes so that it's more applicable to zOMG feedback.)
- How to Give Constructive Criticism
Constructive criticism not only points out the flaws of a work, but also offers advice for improvement. Here's a basic formula:
Identify the problems and briefly describe them--there is no need to extensively hammer on minor issues, especially if others have already made note of them.
Remedies:
Give a suggestion or two for how to fix the problems you pointed out, and/or ideas for future updates.
- Giving Feedback to Constructive Criticism
Here's another basic post structure:
Find something they did well and comment on it first.
Identify a few of the major flaws and briefly describe them--there is no need to extensively hammer on minor issues, especially if others have already made note of them.
Give a suggestion or two for how to change the problems you pointed out, and/or ideas for future development.
- Extra Notes:
Criticism, however harsh, should never attack the user themselves. It is not the person being critiqued -- just the idea.
It's understood that your work and ideas are a part of you, but if you do nothing but defend, then your suggestions will not improve. Please realize that constructive criticism is not based on you as a person; just the idea(s) presented in your post
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Please use your best judgment when deciding exactly what to say. Try to be as polite as you can and leave out things which might be seen as sarcasm. Over the internet this is hard, but it is possible to give a critique without hurting the poster's feelings.
Comments on someone's grammar, punctuation, or spelling are almost never okay! If you have trouble understanding what someone says, that's one thing. Ask them politely to rephrase what they mean.
If it's a matter of you having issues because someone uses 'u' instead of 'you,' not using punctuation, or using 'their' instead of 'they're,' do not comment! This is unproductive and can easily lead to threads derailing.
exclaim exclaim
Please use your best judgment when deciding exactly what to say. Try to be as polite as you can and leave out things which might be seen as sarcasm. Over the internet this is hard, but it is possible to give a critique without hurting the poster's feelings.
Comments on someone's grammar, punctuation, or spelling are almost never okay! If you have trouble understanding what someone says, that's one thing. Ask them politely to rephrase what they mean.
If it's a matter of you having issues because someone uses 'u' instead of 'you,' not using punctuation, or using 'their' instead of 'they're,' do not comment! This is unproductive and can easily lead to threads derailing.
exclaim exclaim
