How often do you leave constructive critiscism in your comments?
Besides telling an author how much you like their hub, and maybe sharing a story or info of your own, do you offer constructuve criticsim? Do you tell them exactly what you liked? Would you ever offer a suggestion for how they might make it better? Why or why not?
No, I have found in life, that no amount of constructive criticism is considered OK with the recipient, and I guess with hubs maybe that idea is taking hubs a little too seriously. I would not offer suggestions of the nature you are considering, although I have encouraged people who have expressed a desire but perceive themselves as not having the aptitude to try and do what they want, irrespective of outcomes. I think it is important for people to just do what they would like to do, without criticism really, they often just need to build up their confidence.
I have suggested to some hubbers that their hubs would be great if they had photos especially travel hubs but thats about it .
I find that most of what I read, I enjoy. I also realize that we all have different writing styles. If I see a grammatical error or if I become bored from the piece being too "wordy" then I may make a suggestion.
I try to stay positive and encouraging, but have no trouble letting someone know of a REAL error.
I don't consider myself as a frequent commenter, but I believe in DISCUSSION more than criticism.
I love to talk more to the hub author about how their thought is justified and how i think over the same thing.
Criticism, no matter constructive, can subtly demoralize the author sometimes, especially when he/she has put a lot of efforts in writing it.
But discussion and encouragement are different than criticism and they boosts the morale making the author realize that their work is worthy to be discussed and praised!
If I like a hub in what way shall I be constructive in my criticism? I would understand if I did not and I would feel compelled to reason the writer (who am I to do so? I know) or at least bring on the table FACTS.
When I first joined HubPages, before I understood the HP culture, I left a few constructive comments. Some were not well received. Since then I don't do it. I really don't think that people want to hear criticism of their writing.
Occasionally, I'll send an email if there is a typo or error that looks like a mistake in an otherwise well written piece. However, when a writer misuses words, misspells many words or has many grammatical errors in his/her writing, its just poor writing. I wouldn't know how to give helpful criticism without offending the writer, and probably all his readers, too, so I keep quiet.
In the spirit of being encouraging and supportive, I look for good points in an article and comment on them. I follow my mother's advice and if I don't have anything good to say, I keep quiet.
I will tell people what I enjoyed about their hub, but I do not criticize it unless asked. If a person is willing to publish a hub, they are saying they think it is good enough to be read. If I think that something needs attention I will flag it or contact the author in some way. But there is no reason to make it public. It is like offering advice when not asked for in my opinion.
I do not normally offer any kind of critique unless it is asked of me.
I will tell someone if they ask me to edit, but no, not unsolicited. I don't mind helpful suggestions myself. If I've misspelled something or made grammatical errors, I'd love for someone who's more experienced to help me out with that. I'd be ever so grateful!
I only offer criticism if there is a factual error and I will try to give the right information and my source. If the Hub is an opinion piece, I will offer my opinion if I can do it politely and the issue is important to me.
I wish the people on the Hub Forum would learn to follow the same guidelines and they probably would say the same about me. I have decided to give up the forums. They go on forever and no consensus is ever reached.
I will not do it unless asked. I have asked some writers ,whom I am impressed with to give constructive criticism to me. In that way I hope to improve. I would not do it unless asked to do so. And then it would be to help. I find that giving help that is not wanted or asked for it a bad idea.
No, I never leave such in the comments. Some people don't mind, but most will bristle if left in such a public forum. Most times, I say nothing at all but if I feel something MUST (which is very, very seldom) be said or the writer may welcome such, I'll send them a message through the HP contact or via email if provided.
Actually, I have not offered constructive criticism and this question has gotten me to rethink that. I have received some constructive criticism on my hubs and I have accepted it because I want to improve. Yet, I seem to hold back with others. I think I may want to adjust my approach to my comments in the future. Thanks for asking the question.
If there is a glaring error, then I tend to write one comment that is positive about the hub, then a second comment to highlight the error and advise then to just delete the comment after fixing the error. This seems to work well.
However, I would not tell someone how I thought the hub could be improved, as everyone has different styles and are at different stage of development as writers. It has been my experience that Hubpages is used more as an outlet or to make an extra income, at least initially. It is later on that writers start to develop, research and want criticism...
While I ask for and seek feedback, both good and bad, for my own hubs I am careful when leaving "comments" on another's . Some do not take well to "constructive criticism" while others welcome it. I believe I have become a better writer because of "comments" from fellow hubbers that have helped me improve my writing skills. I appreciate their "help" but I know that many are not prepared for criticism........constructive or otherwise. Good question Dana!
I never do unless it;s specifically asked for or it;s an author that i know that would be okay with constructive criticism. Otherwise, it's not my place.
When I started hub-hopping, I left more constructive criticism than I do now. It was either ignored or the write took umbrage at my suggesting that I know everything. Now, when I find a hub that is grammatically wanting, I just vote down.
Yes I have. I try not to get defensive when experienced writers take the time to comment. They do it because they care. It's humbling but it's a good opportunity to learn. I've also had writers message me instead of publicly leaving a remark. That's much appreciated too!
It really depends on the type of hub and whether or not the existing comments are constructive or if they are ranting and raving. If they are the latter, I rarely leave any comments as I have learned that it's a waste of time.
I had the fortune of being a new hubbers first readers and pointed out a misuse of the key word in one their main ideas, I suggested they fix it, delete my comment and no one would be the wiser.
That is exactly what happened two writers bonding by conspiring to correct an Ooops!
I encourage folks to point out inconsistencies in my writing so that I can get better.
I leave them if they are obvious and could help but grammar is my weakest link so I don't go down that road.
If I have something to say, I will say it.
I believe that one should not criticise unless it can be done in a constructive manner. Sort of like, if You have nothing good to say then, say nothing. I think constructive criticism is important, as it is a way to learn and further develop our skills.
I always welcome constructive criticism and I certainly do not refrain from discussions and such. I cannot help but be honest and speak my mind and I encourage others to do the same.
Thank You for the question. Cheers!
constructive criticism is always a useful tool for any author. however, there are a lot of authors and readers that are leaving criticism for many writers that is not constructive.
comments should be thoughtful and considered useful for the writer, even if you your viewpoint differs. always consider what you would like to see if this was someone leaving a comment on your work.
i try to leave constructive criticism if warranted and if i do have something to say that may be perceived as negative i always try and find something positive to say. there are things such as how nice the subheadings were arranged or even the pictures attached to let the writer know that the work they created does have some positive points to offer along with anything they may need to work on.
I have on occasion suggested that photos would add to a hub, or that I would like to know more about something that was mentioned. If there is something I especially liked, I would definitely mention it.
If there is a glaring spelling error, like in the title, I might email the person to tell them, I don't know if it would be appreciated, but I would want to know. But I would not ordinarily be directly critical of anything someone has written unless they asked me about it.
i believe perception is the justification for critique, and i find constructive critism to be a demand based on 'readability'- often times just an opinion is good
If there is an obvious error that hinders the quality of the article written I might email the person privately. I don't offer 'constructive criticism', unless someone asks me directly, because each person has his own style of writing. What might appeal to me would not to someone else and vice versa.
I usually leave very motivated comments. by seeing all the different comments made on different Hubs, all are generally positive; however, when I see something that they can "expand on" (NOT improve on), I usually give that thought in a comment. For example, If you are writing about intercultural relationships and your Hub has nothing about Linguistic Relativity, I would make a comment saying like this: "This hub is very informational and i didn't know that _______ leads to ______; however, i couldn't help but think how Linguistic Relativity would work in such a relationship." Normally, I would ask a question to jolt another conversation or something along those lines to keep the comment, still, positive.
I'd say probably 80% of the time.
One young guy I warned against vulgarity so he didn't get pulled.
Every so often it'll be a grammar correction, since I'd appreciate it myself. I once offered a poetry emendation the poet thought improved the work.
I sometimes define what is "interesting," "funny," "beautiful," and "useful" to "sort things a bit" and not leave ambiguity.
I also let folks know I've gotten to a hub by Hopping, since I'm curious on that count myself.
Thanks to Everyone for your answers. The variety of responeses has given me a lot to think about, even write about. Feel free to keep them coming.
I have not offered any constructive criticism because I am not sure I am the best source to do so-I drove my English lit./technical writing professor crazy with comma splicing in college. My last boss and mentor taught me feedback is a gift and people give it to help not hurt you. I would love to have feedback, so I feel like a hypocrite. I like to give positive encouragement, so I need to overcome my own hang ups and be more honest
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