On Sat, Aug 08, 1998 at 12:12:54PM -0400, Pnt wrote:

Who says a commentator needs to mince words?  He has something
to say and he just gets down and says it.  I'd rather have this
Guy critique my works, over someone who can't bring himself to
say something negative.  Yes, some of his opinions don't agree
with mine (although I am personally inclined to see things his 
way in terms of self-insertion fics), but he's just another 
commentator.

So here is what you do.  You read what he has to say.  You
take the parts you agree with and keep in mind the parts you 
don't.  You also take into account other peoples' opinions
on your writing.  Then use what you have found to improve your
fanfic!  Remember, he's just a commentator.  He can't make
you do anything.  He can't make you change your fic.  All
he can do is try to help you improve your fanfiction.  Sure
his words are harsh, but who cares?  He encases his meaning
in hard-to-swallow capsules.  Get the meaning and discard
the capsules.  Accept the fact that, maybe, just maybe, he
can only write in the 'tactless' style.  Get over it.
He's just another commentator.

The problem (at least at first) wasn't really his tactlessness.
Rather, it was the fact that his commentaries tended to boil
down to "this sucks", which isn't terribly useful to the author.

However, I noticed that he has been improving on that count
as of late, which is good.

Also, tact is really a useful thing to have.  If he can't write
tactfully, perhaps he should learn how.

-- 
  -Sean Connor (sec@softhome.net)

    The day Microsoft produces something that doesn't suck is
    the day they start making vacuum cleaners.