[MR] A&S Judging Question Part Two

[Richard Mowbray]

Whenever i judge or leave comments, i always ask the entrant to come
and find me for explanations. Denegrating someone's effort without
offering a hand in improving it is bad sportsmanship. Personally, I
prefer constructive criticism to lambasting an attempt that is well
intentioned.

Syr Richard


--- Marsaili Johnston <ladymarsaili at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Thanks for the many thoughtful replies and hopefully useful
> suggestions -- I'll give it a try and see if combining the 'executive
> summary' with the more complete documentation helps!
>    
>   However, from some of the off-list responses, this leads to a
> second question:  Why do some of the judges (who seldom, if ever,
> sign their comments!) feel that they need to be as nasty as possible
> and tear down the item submitted, as well as the person doing it? 
> While I get far more positive critique than negative, the negative
> has made me want to say, "Well, I'm never subjecting myself to THIS
> again!"  I know I'm not the only that feels that way from comments
> from other people!
>    
>   Is it because that person has suddenly found themselves faced with
> judging things they know nothing about?  Example, Lady Whosis is an
> Expert in Old Swedish Viking Snarfleblatts -- and proud of it,
> because there's not many people that know about them! -- she agrees
> to judge an A&S competition and is faced with an Elizabethan
> Pincushion.  She knows nothing about this inferior art form, so feels
> the need to let the benighted being that presented this, know what a
> lesser life form they are and what a dreadful thing this is they've
> done.
>    
>   Or Lord Whatsis is an Expert in Elizabethan Pincushions and the one
> being displayed is not up to His Level of Perfection, so he must
> demolish it (and the character of the person that made it.)
>    
>   Or maybe they're just having a Really Bad Day.  
>    
>   Whatever the reason is, is it really necessary to be so vicious? 
> Perhaps a future university class suggestion, in addition to How To
> Do Documentation, one on How to Write Judging Comments.  It IS
> possible to critique without tearing down.
>    
>   Thanks for your consideration.
>    
>   Marsali Johnston
> 
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