Offering feedback - Warning-Rant Follows

I had a totally different post in mind (in fact wrote it yesterday but couldn't post as I'm limited to 1 blog a day), but I've just read something that really got me ranting here in real life.

A little earlier someone asked for feedback on their site. He's working on it - it's got a few issues and I gently pointed a few things out to him (careful that you don't look spammy etc.), along with a few positive notes. Sometimes it's hard hearing negative feedback, but we should all seek it (as this member has done). It's hard starting out, particularly if it's your first website - there's so much to think about and it can be overwhelming. And of course you wind up doing a couple of things not so well. That's ok - there are so many members are here to help. I'm trying to help, and asking for help and feedback myself. That's the way it works.

Just now I saw that someone else has provided feedback - and totally shredded this guy's site.

To that person (and anyone else who cares to read)

Your feedback was extremely rude, and unnecessary. It made me angry - what if it upsets this new member who is trying so hard to get it right? What if it discourages him and he just gives up because of your rudeness? What if, in correcting his grammar, you make him feel belittled because you were so rude doing it? How about just saying "Hey, I found a typo - it should be {whatever}"? We all make mistakes in spelling and grammar occasionally - in fact you did in the very sentence in which you criticized his spelling and grammar - one which spell check would not have picked up. I suggest you look up the proper use of "your" and "you're". But that's ok - not everyone is an English Lit major right? In fact not everyone here has English as their first language- that's ok too. I'll be interested to review your perfect website - but I suspect that perfect is going to take you a very long while, so I'm not holding my breath.

Ok to everyone - particularly new members.

WA is a supportive community. I haven't been here long myself, but I suspect that if you're rude, trolling, or just plain nasty, you won't be welcome here long.

Constructive criticism is extremely valuable - not just here but in whatever you are doing. Listening to other people's opinions is essential to growth - you may not agree with them but you never know - someone else's opinion / feedback could change your life. And we all have a right to our opinions.

If someone is rude to you please just ignore them. There is too much going on for you to be concerned about that one person.

Please ask for feedback. It's a bit scary but so helpful to have another person look over your work occasionally.

Please give feedback when it is asked for and please do it in a way that is polite and respectful. We are all here to learn - if you feel you have nothing to learn then I suggest you leave WA and go it alone.

/end rant