Thread:Kefke Wren/@comment-11079349-20131109012612/@comment-4332975-20131109104249

Kyosuthefirst wrote: I get what you're saying, sir prawn, but all I'm saying is that Kefke could have gone about it better, that's all i was trying to say. Just like being new to SOG isnt and excuse to write poorly, being admin isnt an excuse to act mean. And yes, i also understand that the criticisms were purely for constructive purpose, but they came off as trying to point out each and every possible flaw. Hate to say it, but it was hard to focus on the criticism when there was so much negativity.

I could have, yes. However, to say that I was being cruel is missing the point of why I wrote the post in the first place. As Flaky points out, most admins will simply delete, or at best slap a 48 Hours tag on a low quality pastas. I show a great deal of leniency with my reviews, as I am not only allowing, but encouraging the author to improve. I don't do that to tear them down, I do it to help them. Telling someone what's wrong is not the same as being mean. People have to know where they made mistakes in order to improve. So, yes, I was being very specific in pointing out flaws, but not to be negative. Giving specifics on where there are problems is the most helpful thing that a reviewer can do, because it tells the author exactly where they should focus on improving. You might notice that I also provided specific and detailed suggestions on how each flaw I addressed could be made better.

Also, the opening lines may have been harsh, but that was only to make a point of the severity of the mistakes made. Sugar-coating things does nobody any favours. If someone thinks that their mistakes are minor, they will make only a minor effort to improve, if they make any at all. They will be more inclined to blame bad reception on the reader, rather than looking at how they can write better. Reviewing a piece of writing places a degree of responsibility on the reviewer. They have a responsibility to be honest in their review, and provide useful information. Failing to do so can be more harmful than not saying anything.