As anyone with common sense knows, not everyone can be pleased all the time. Try as one might, not everyone can be satisfied at the same time, without sacrificing the satisfaction of someone else or even yourself. Once this displeasure arises, some will be so inclined as to inform anyone and everyone they can. This is when hurtful comments can be made, and in their weakened state, someone might say some thing they will later on regret.
Criticism is ever present here in the Times. I am not saying that this is a bad thing, quite the contrary. Criticism is needed to give those budding new writers and poets the boost they need to make themselves become even better and their articles more enjoyable. Heck, even seasoned writers need criticism to become better. There is always room for improvement, no matter how fantastic one might be. This is where criticism comes into play.
Let us create a hypothetical character, named Suzie. Suzie has just submitted her very first article to the Whyville Times, and is very excited. Automatically she assumes that everyone must love her article, because it was fantastic enough to get into the Times, right? So when Suzie clicks into the BBS and sees thread after thread of hurtful comments telling her that she needs to do better next time, she is devastated. Suzie's initial reaction is to respond to every thread telling everyone off. Suzie is instantly bashed with comments on not being able to take criticism, which sparks her to make even more rude remarks.
Some tips for handling criticism:
- Do not make excuses. "It was my first article," or "I didn't expect it to get accepted," are examples of these excuses. Excuses just show that you cannot own up to your mistakes.
- Ask for help. Create your own thread asking if anyone has some tips for you, and remain respectful to anyone who responds.
- Remain mature. If anyone throws uncalled for comments at you, ignore them or politely ask them to please stop.
- When a hurtful comment makes you want to just verbally abuse the commenter, type whatever you want out. Type it all out, but do not submit it. After you've typed all of your feelings out, erase it and either do not comment or comment remaining respectful and open-minded.
- Do not, under any circumstances, ever retort, "Well, I don't see you writing anything for the Times." No one needs to write an article to be able to criticize the content.
Suzie then goes on to read a different article, and finds that is it not to her liking. She decides to go into the BBS and tell the author this, but Suzie does not give the author constructive criticism. Criticism can be extremely hurtful even when done in a respectful manner, but when one is criticized without respect the blow doubles.
Tips for criticizing:
- Say what you liked. Tell the author something you liked about the article after you criticize them. This way, the last thing they read was something positive, so hopefully they will remain positive as well. Another good tactic is to match every negative comment you make with a positive comment. For example, if you say their paragraphs were too short/long, tell them that you liked how they worded something, or that the overall message of the article was good.
- Say what they could've done better. Don't just rattle off a whole list of things they did wrong. Give examples of what they can do to improve.
- If the person you are criticizing reacts badly, don't stoop to their level and fire off insults. Be respectful when responding, or don't respond at all.
- Don't just put negative comments in your criticism. This gets the spirit of the author down, which is never a good thing.
- Don't insult when criticizing. Don't call someone "idiot", "moron", "stupid", or even endearing terms meant in a sarcastic way, such as "hun" and "sweetie". This sarcastic manner will come off very rude, and make the author not want to accept criticism from someone so rude.
Next time you find yourself in one of these situations, try to think about what you're typing. Type out your feelings, but remember that there is also someone else's feelings that could be damaged. Remain respectful to everyone, and in turn you will be respected.
-PhyscoGrl
