[Lynn O. Doughty]

On another thread a carver has opened theirselves up to receive a critique of their work. While some of the comments are pretty direct, I think I can speak for all when I say any suggestions made are done so from a positive standpoint. I think this is exactly what this forum needs a lot more of. There's much to much back-slapping going on when an honest observation would be much more helpful. To further new openness here is what I am going to do from now on.

1. If you ask for an opinion on a piece you're working on I'm going to give you what I honestly think. You might not agree and that's okay with me. After all, it's only an opinion. Hopefully, we can still be friends.

2. If you don't ask for an opinion I won't give you one. I might even blow a little smoke smoke your way. After all, everyone needs a little encouragement sometime, but let's not go overboard with it.

As I have said before, my good friend Gerald Sears and I critique each other's work all the time. Hey....we can take it! I value his opinion and I think he values mine. I can go back to before we became aquainted and compare our work to what we are doing now and see a definite improvement. I like to believe that the comments each of us have made about our work is part of that improvement. I know it is on myside.

So there it is.....Ask me what I think and then stand back....cause I'm going to tell you.

In a nice way of course!

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

be careful throwing smoke! You might attract "incoming"!

[Mitchell]

I sometimes use the PM feature for "honest criticism". This allows me to be a little more descriptive in my evaluation and I don't have to worry that others will "pile on" also. I also suppose I feel that it saves from POSSIBLE embarassment.

[BobD]

i tend to agree with Mitch. While most people can handle honest criticism, I don't think the message board is the place to pile it on. If someone offers their piece up for criticism, I think it may be better to PM them and at least ask if they would prefer if you gave your honest opinion on the open forum in in a private message.

Bob

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Who said anything about piling on? When someone asks me for my opinion am I supposed to say... "Lets go over here and discuss this.....we, or I, don't want the others to really know what I think!"

I don't think anything I've said on this forum has embarrased others or myself. A forum is supposed to be a place for "Open" discussion not a meeting place to check in to pick a topic to discuss somewhere else. Who's going to learn anything from that?

Incoming??? Bring it on. I'm a big boy...I can take it!

[Irish]

(Pulling my soap box out of the closet and setting it up next to Lynn's ...)

There is a huge difference between critics and cristism. And it's all in the attitude of the JUDGE!

ing digital words to a forum leaves so much to the imagination of the reader - attitudes, emotions, emphasis - that what you think might be a positive critic can so easily be read as a direct attack against the carver. It's a very different situation when you are being criticed in person (live) as compared to some posting on the net. In person you can hear the vocal inflections, see the facial expressions and see the body language. Here you only have the words.

Example: There is a big difference between the two statements of "Why I use other sealers than BLO" and "Why I HATE BLO". Both thread can contain the same information but one is clearly positive and the other is not.

Example: After having posted here to the forum for quite a while I read a thread that named me directly and used the word "intimidating" ... I was pretty upset. I believe/hope/feel the person that started the thread did not mean it in the literal definition of the word ... to browbeat, to threaten into submission, to overpower violently ... but that is how that thread title read.

I do critic, critic heavily and oftern. I just chose to do so in a positive manner to reenforce what the carver is doing well and what they want to do more of ... IN MY OPINION. I will not use a potentially destructive manner.

SUSAN

[Irish]

Originally Posted by Lynn O. Doughty

Incoming??? Bring it on. I'm a big boy...I can take it!

???Lynn??? Are you TRYING to start a fight on this forum??? And how is that going to add to our community???

Susan

[Juhani]

I guess in my book if I am asking for a critique I would kind of like one. As a beginner these critiques are the greatest thing that helps me expand my horizons. They make you take another look at what you did and how you did it and see it from a different angle. It has many times been said that the artist is hardest on his own work because he knows what he feels were the mistakes that he made in the process. It also helps me to read critiques of others work to see how the more experienced carvers look at a piece of work. What they see when they look at something is amazing to me, it seems as if they would be doing the whole carving in their head, seeing the form and so on. Just my few pennies to add to the mix.

[Kenny_S]

Blowing smoke? Hmmm, sounds political to me! Hearing a lot form Hilary lately.

Hey, when I ask for comments, Good or bad, that be what I ask for.

I would hate to see this board degrade down to a point that it isn't fun participating on.

PMing may be the right avenue but then others don't learn from that critique either!

However, opinions do help a carver grow.
So the big boys tell me.

Nothing wrong with back slapping!
Who doesn't like back slapping. Everyone does, or they would not display their work here on the board.

Remembering a passage from the Bible, you reap what you sow!

Now that is JMHO!

[Juhani]

Nothing wrong with back slapping!
Who doesn't like back slapping. Everyone does, or they would not display their work here on the board.


Exactly Ken, a person can do a critique of someones work and still say good job!. I appreciate the valuable knowledge here on this board that is being passed down to me and others.