Subject:
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Re: Feedback thoughts
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.space
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Date:
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Fri, 14 Feb 2003 17:09:36 GMT
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Viewed:
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1450 times
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In lugnet.space, Joel Kuester writes:
> I think its an unfortunate attitude to say that opinions are only important
> if they are positive (which is the implication of what Matt Krotzer is
> saying here).
This has been brought up before. There are those who like to see many
responses to their posts, and there are those who prefer quality responses
over quantity. Likewise, there are those who prefer criticism and those who
just want approval.
That so many people prefer the latter should not be any surprise. When you
work on a hobby like this through childhood and then spend years thinking
you are alone (or almost alone) you feel like an expert in your field. Then
you get online and find Lugnet, and suddenly you realize that you are not
alone in the hobby (an exciting discovery), but also that you are not the
All-Knowing, Super-God of Lego-Mastery that you felt you were because the
community online includes some better builders that have been inspiring each
other long enough to typically have more impressive ideas than you. So, how
does one join the ranks of the impressives and regain that feeling of being
an expert on Lego? Simple. They build a MOC they think will impress
people, post it online, announce it here, and then expect compliments. Such
compliments affirm the builder is indeed a creative and talented one, so it
makes them feel they are accepted by the community.
I suffered this same mental process during my first year on Lugnet. The
MOCs I shared received very little comment, and I was beginning to wonder if
I would ever be accepted by the community that I felt I was supposed to be a
part of (and I felt I should be because prior to getting online, I was the
only Lego Maniac I knew). Then finally when I announced my Moonbase Power
Plant Module, I experienced a ton of positive feedback (and my thread
reached #3 in the top highlighted threads that week). My ego was boosted,
and I finally felt like I had been recognized as a part of the community.
(And when I posted the Castle's Revenge I was surprised that it got so few
responses, but I have grown to understand that some things just get missed,
so I deal.)
I am not certain whether this behavior is good or bad though. Some would
say posting just for acceptance of one's peers is not good reason to post.
But why not? We've spent our lives on this hobby. Why wouldn't we want to
know others appreciate that?
Furthermore, when it comes to how I reply to people's MOCs, I confess I also
tend to post more positive and less negative. I think this is because I see
Lego as a medium in a form of art. Like clay or paint, Lego is something we
as artists shape with our creativity to make works of art. As such, our
MOCs represent a part of the builder's inner self. They are an expression
of the builder, and no one but the builder can really know if it is somehow
wrong. For this reason, I tend to share my opinions on what I like about a
model more so than what I dislike.
However, all this said, there is certainly a place for *constructive*
criticism. For one thing, if a builder says in his post that criticism is
welcome, then he is inviting responders to open up that way. Some builders
like to constantly revise and improve their models and any idea you give
them will be absorbed and processed. Others (like myself) may not have the
pieces to adapt new suggestions, but they love to engage in discussions
about the building of such models (and the discussions tend to be more in
depth following responses that are more than "that's cool").
I think the key thing for everyone to keep in mind is to think through how
you post your response. *Constructive* criticism calls for tact and
diplomacy in how it is written and offered. For example, don't just say,
"Man that color scheme is hideous." That won't exactly encourage the
builder to listen to you, much less fix anything. Instead, explain that you
appreciate the attempt and are just offering your ideas and opinions. Say
why you don't like the color scheme (in this example). Ask why the builder
chose it. And offer an alternative that might help improve it.
Well, that's my two cents for now... :)
-Hendo
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Feedback thoughts
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| (...) (I have changed the subject line because my post has nothing to do with Dan) I'd hate to see a feedback regression now. Besides, if someone doesn't care what anyone thinks about their work, why the heck are they even bothering to post (...) (22 years ago, 14-Feb-03, to lugnet.space)
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