What I think of this forum

[FogggyTown]

I recently started a thread which featured a little desk clock I made. Some people commented favourably - a couple weren't wildly enthusiastic. To both groups I say . . . THANK YOU!

My experience in other WW forums has been that everyone is so very careful not to comment negatively about the work of others. Even if it's obviously . . . um . . . deficient. Nail two sticks together and you get a lot of attaboys and woo-hoos and very nices. :roll:

We all deserve (and want) each other's honest opinions. Of course a lot of it is subjective and should always be identified as such. Personal preference is one thing; obvious 85 degree mitre joints are something else.

Keep it up, gang. That's how we learn and progress.

 

[woodbloke]

A critique of a piece of work, be it negative or positive is always useful and I've always maintained that anyone can offer a comment on my work...provided the comment can be justified if it's negative - Rob

 

[custard]

Most of the forums I've seen are so crabby and bad tempered that you wonder why anyone wastes their time visiting! In contrast this forum seems a pretty good natured and helpful sort of place.

 

[Jake]

and pretty much troll-free, which is a massive blessing.

 

[wizer]

I believe I was one of the negative commenters?

We do on occasion suffer from the problem you describe, whereby people often post positive reviews so as not to hurt ones feelings. It becomes a bit sickly Indeed, I've fallen into that trap myself. I encourage constructive criticism with anything I post here. If I don't get that then I sail along in my own little bubble thinking my ideas are supreme. I've learned loads through this process. What I do find offensive is when something is completely ignored. This lets me know you don't like it or you don't agree but you're not bothered about telling me.

We have managed to keep the trolls at bay and generally woodworkers are just nice people (only a few MOBs ).

I do sometimes wish we could build on this community. Wouldn't it be great to have some of the facilities of the bigger US forums, such as LumberJocks and SMC? But what we get is free and I appreciate it very much. I've made some very good friends here over the years.

ccasion5: ccasion5: :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

This is why I haven't shown any of my work on here. Bound to get NEG. feedback

Koolwabbit

 

[Digit]

Certain people I know, NOT on this forum, take a negative critique as a personal criticism, personally I would rather have a neg with a suggestion as to how to improve than a load of BS!
Equally, a negative doesn't have be worded in manner that hurts.

Roy.

 

[The Weegie]

I am a total novice when it comes to woodworking I joined the forum to learn and get advice, which I must say is first class, and so is the work that is on show. Unlike my own :lol:

Criticising someones work is fine, as long as it is constructive. Unfortunately there is one forum (if you can call it that) which I will not name who seem to take great pride in slating other peoples work. Regardless of the quality.

I thouroughly enjoy looking at the forum and keep up the good work guys.

 

[big soft moose]

I am a total novice when it comes to woodworking I joined the forum to learn and get advice, which I must say is first class, and so is the work that is on show. Unlike my own :lol:

Criticising someones work is fine, as long as it is constructive. Unfortunately there is one forum (if you can call it that) which I will not name who seem to take great pride in slating other peoples work. Regardless of the quality.

I thouroughly enjoy looking at the forum and keep up the good work guys.

yep ripping the **** out of someones work is neither big nor clever , but thankfully we dont see much of that here.

a constructive critique on the other hand is always welcome.

the other thing that helps is if you've posted some of your own work for critique before criticising anyone elses- as if i've seen someones work i'm far more prepared to listen to what they have to say about mine.

theres one member here (who i'm not going to name) who loves to criticise but has so far shown us nada of his own work, so i dont give his, rather harsh critiques any credence at all - thankfully he is an exception rather than a rule.

 

[woodbloke]

... personally I would rather have a neg with a suggestion as to how to improve than a load of BS!
Equally, a negative doesn't have be worded in manner that hurts.

Roy.

Roy - agree, my sentiments exactly - Rob

 

[wizer]

theres one member here ....

Perhaps a very strange member? A member who, to date, has never actually spoken to anyone? A member who has just spouted what is generally a load of rubbish?

Nah, no one like that here...

 

[big soft moose]

theres one member here ....

Perhaps a very strange member? A member who, to date, has never actually spoken to anyone? A member who has just spouted what is generally a load of rubbish?

Nah, no one like that here...

:lol:

 

[Ironballs]

Glad you took it as intended, I'll say it as I see it and also appreciate that we all have different views. I'll always try to be constructive and if someone posts up a project that's a few planks of pine with nails hanging out then I'm not going to blow smoke up their rear.

If I make something that has a few things wrong with it I'd much rather know otherwise I'll never learn. I can also appreciate that my Les Paul may be a labour of love to me and (hopefully!) a thing of beauty but to others it may be a waste of mahogany and maple

Now then Foggy, if you want to knock up an evolution of your clock that looks a bit melted with a hint of Dali/Gaudi then you may have me drooling

 

[kityuser]

a while ago I posted a thread about my homemade mini cyclone for my shop vac, it was met with a medium amount of interest, a few negative comments about it being bodged together with duct tape etc etc.
anyhow its all finished now, sprayed up and works like a dream, not sure I`m that keen really to post any finished pictures now though.
to draw on an analogy

"my 4 year old is really struggling with letters at the moment, numbers he is fine with, but letters are a bit of a bind at present... we'll get there
Now I`d never ever consider standing him up infront of 100 scholars and ask him to spell something..... thats the same way I feel with regards to my woodworking abilities around here."

I`m just on the home straight of my "workshop hutch" project, but again I`m reluctant to post it as I seems unable to EVEN produce absolutely 100% square-on housing joints repeatably.

slowly learning and watching what others do, one day maybe, one day :roll:

Steve

 

[Lord Nibbo]

If anyone posts a pic of a project it's probably because they are proud of what they have achieved, it's not for me to criticize the standard of workmanship we all have our own levels of expertise of which we try to better on every project but usually hit a brick wall or drop a clanger (cockup) :lol:

I've only ever copied two projects using bought plans and that was to make a Norm Abrams router table & garden swing seat everything else I designed myself and it's in the design I look for critique be it negative or positive, It's all in the eye of the beholder or so they say :lol:

Personally if I don't like what someone has made, it's the design I might have a suggestion about, never the workmanship, why some people need to knock someone for trying is just plain rude and bad manners as I've already said we all have our own level of expertise and it's not for me to knock anyone for trying.

All said and done if anyone don't like what I make who gives a sh*t :lol:

 

[yetloh]

Whether I give a dung about criticism depends upon my respect for the person criticising. That is often difficult on a forum because, mostly, you do not know people and their work well. For this reason I generally avoid commenting. Also. as others have said, design is such a personal matter and we all have our own personal design path to follow. If I am with someone who I know reasonably well, I will happily talk to them about their design and why they chose a particular path if I feel they are interested in and may be receptive to a discussion, But all this is very difficult on a forum so I will pass an item by if I don't like it. I absolutely agree that there is no point in criticising workmanship on a forum.

Jim

 

[Krysstel]

What I do find offensive is when something is completely ignored. This lets me know you don't like it or you don't agree but you're not bothered about telling

Completely agree - been there and it's very offputting, especially when it is perhaps the first project you've posted and you know people know it is.

Mark

 

[Russ]

We all have different tastes and styles, bringing something different to the table will always bring some negative feedback, but you should never let it get to you.

What I do like is free-thinking and seeing something new and refreshing rather than the run-of-the-mill stuff that looks like it fell off the back of a B&Q lorry, that the market is sadly flooded with.

Russ

 

[TheTiddles]

I do find the inability of some people to say something negative quite funny sometimes. I was wondering recently about putting something really rubbish on the site as a finished project and seeing if anyone would be bold enough to say it's dung, I think someone beat me to it :lol:

If you place anything in the public domain you are inviting criticism, ask an MP! Freedom of speech is the freedom to offend, I'm afraid it comes with the territory, that's the problem with democracy, plebs get a vote.

Generally speaking I think this site is brilliant and some I've the people I've got to know through it are great, hopefully I'll meet some more of you the weekend after next in Sussex

Aidan

 

[FogggyTown]

Whether I give a **** about criticism depends upon my respect for the person criticising. That is often difficult on a forum because, mostly, you do not know people and their work well. For this reason I generally avoid commenting. Also. as others have said, design is such a personal matter and we all have our own personal design path to follow. If I am with someone who I know reasonably well, I will happily talk to them about their design and why they chose a particular path if I feel they are interested in and may be receptive to a discussion, But all this is very difficult on a forum so I will pass an item by if I don't like it. I absolutely agree that there is no point in criticising workmanship on a forum.

Jim

I agree, yetloh, but not 100%. Comment on faulty technique (e.g. bad workmanship) is critical to the development of woodworking skills. A piece may be solidly designed but display obvious shortcomings: patchy finish, glue lines, sunken filler spots, open joints, obvious saw marks, etc., etc. Now if the worker posts such an item to the Forum he must think he's done a good job. Shouldn't the more experienced in here point out where he's gone wrong and what he can do to prevent/correct it? We have to assume that he wants to increase his knowledge and improve his skills.

For example - bare screw heads showing on, say, a coffee table is not a "personal matter" of design. It's bad workmanship. And I would feel an obligation to point out to the person the advantages of making and using plugs.

If someone took offence at that, I'd question their commitment to their own progress.