Constructive Criticism: How to actually do it on this sub-Board

This board, more than any other, suffers extremely from people having absolutely NO idea what feedback even is or how to give it. A lot of times you will see people either only say something negative, or what they do comment on is so vague and shortkept that you can start nothing with it. Context is often missed and specifics are lacking, not to mention all the overly aggressive stances that are often taken due to purely personal liking or disliking.

When giving constructive Feedback, it is important to know what you can/Can't do and what you should/Shouldn't do. The Sub-Board after all relies almost exclusively on proper feedback to motivate it's community to continue existing, so considering there is a big lack on how to do it, I decided to be the one to make a proper guide on the functionality and construction of Constructive Criticism.

This post is meant mainly to give a guide on how to give actually constructive criticism and how to differentialize it from Absolute Criticism.

If this Post does not do it for you, or you simply don't want to listen to someone on the boards about it, well here is a secondary option to read which brings down the points just as much, with more emphasis on the proper construct with more detailed examples applicable in real life

The points addressed will be sorted in a List and each point will be given example of a Don'ts filled in The Board's Quotation function followed by a Do's right below and a final summary to highlight the point of comparing the Do and Don't.

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#SHORT SUMMARY:

Constructive criticism is a critical approach with intent to improve the criticised material.

You offer insight in what you think was bad, and empathise on what was good.

You keep a neutral stance to your thoughts and they are completely focused on the topic at hand. To be Constructive means your feedback must Construct.

Everything you say must possess a suggestion of improvement in some shape or form.

Constructive criticism must not be absolute, otherwise it is Absolute Criticism, which does not offer any constructivity, but merely states with no room for debate or improvement.

To give Absolute criticism is to contain a solely negative or solely positive point of view in your critique and to refuse any approach on how to build on weaknesses and specialize in strengths. To give Constructive Criticism is to avoid the bias of Like/Dislike.

#THE LIST OF PROPER STEPS TO CONSIDER:

#NO NITPICKING OR GENERALIZING

Criticism as a whole scorns people who focus on one very small detail and make absolute hell about it. When you give feedback, you do stick to the topic, but you analyze the content in it's entirety and offer said feedback about it wholly. Yes, being specific is usually better, but it still has to properly address what is given feedback to and musn't limit itself to a single point.

The same applies to overgeneralization. Every single post, artwork, suggestion and topic posted is Unique in it's own right and just giving purely negative thoughts about everything just because it's, lets say, a champion Kit, or because it comes from a certain person is not only depressing as fuck, in the latter case is also harassment.

Here is an example:

Don't:

• Nitpick: "Oh hey OP, I noticed that your title has one single little grammar mistake. Didn't bother reading with the rest, it was too funny to go from there".

• Generalizing: "Oh, it's YOU. Your posts suck dude, stop trying."

• Correct Addression: Name is alright, but the title seems a little edgy. The lore was interesting to read, a little short, but I am sure it wasn't too easy. The kit seems a little too simplistic, you can safely add something more to the passive or to the ultimate. I couldn't really find the artist of the artwork-claim for the looks, could you maybe add a source? Thanks.

It's much more helpful and balanced between what's good and not good.

#BUILD, DO NOT DESTROY

The big difference between Absolute and Constructive criticism is that Absolute Criticism just says "Yeah, this is bad". Whereas Constructive Criticism prefers to say "This might not be your best Idea, here's what you COULD do better:"

When you offer criticism is must assume good-faith principle and it must come with actual ideas for correction. Just telling someone he is/did something bad and giving absolutely no reason why will be extremely aggressive towards his/her self-esteem and the person will suffer with demotivation and even slight agitation.

Here is an example:

Don't:

• Destroy: Your idea is uncreative, just another dash with a steroid.

• Build: Your Idea could be more unique. It's a dash and a Steroid, but maybe make the Steroid an empowered Attack instead? And give it more strength if the Dash misses as a failsafe?

See the difference? It comes off as much more open and helpful.

#ASK QUESTIONS TOO

Part of Constructive Criticism is that you try to find out where the errors that you criticise came from. Which train of thought lead to it's creation? How did it go unnoticed? Part of the correction is not just finding out where the flaw lies, but how it came to be so the person receiving criticism can actually learn from it and not repeat themselves. Absolute Criticism would be to completely neglect this post and completely focus on the sole existence of the criticism.

Here is an example:

Don't:

• Not asking: That passive is already in the game with X champ.

• Asking: That passive is already taken, did you maybe not know? Or did you forget to add a differential?

Much friendlier, wouldn't you agree? And it could be that the source of a problem was a tiny misshap, it happens to the best of us that we miss something or forget a thing from our thoughts being deep into something. If you don't condemn yourself for the mistake, don't condemn others.

#IT IS NEUTRAL AND FAIR, NO ONLY BADS OR ONLY GOODS

When it comes to Criticism, both Absolute AND Constructive, you must be balanced in your answers. If you have something negative to say, you must have something positive too. If your reply is solely positive or solely negative, it is biased and less helpful, not to mention that said Bias, if in purely negative Form, furthers the main issue of point 2 "Build, do not Destroy" to make the addressed OP only more depressed and unmotivated.

Here is an example:

Don't:

• Only bad: Dude your kit is uninteresting, lore is meh, you suck, I don't like it so I got nothing to say.

• Only Good: OMZG I LOVE X IDEA PLZ PLZ PLZ RITO GIVE

• Fair: Well, your lore needs some working on, but I think it does compensate fairly with the intereting balance in your Kit. The Powerfantasy comes through.

Only good-comments are unhelpful and do not express anything other than your personal liking, which is not feedback but an expression, and solely negative replies do the same but have a good chance to trespass into aggression or even offensive behaviour.

#IT IS NOT A DEMAND, IT IS A SUGGESTION

Criticism is not a force of Order. When you give criticism, it is not about what YOU specifically want, it's about how to make what you were given even better. When you offer a Critique, it must NOT cater to your personal wishes and education or the lack of either. Demanding a correction is not criticism, not even absolute, it is simply a Demand, as it describes. And only a Boss can make a Demand and only to his workforce. This Board is not a Workforce and the only demands that can be placed is by the mods that the Rules must be followed.

Here is an example:

Don't:

• Demand: I don't like the name, I googled it and out of the 40+ results for a comparison I saw one that is not positive. Change it because I will not like it until you do.

• Suggestion: Hey, the name you used for the passive could be ill-received with haters, maybe write it different or use a synonym of less notice?

A suggestion is polite and it gives the OP the option to explain themselves or to educate if, taken from this example, ill-receptive worry is based on either a miseducation or targeted hate.

#BE OPEN FOR YOUR OWN FAULTS

It is indeed possible that a piece of criticism comes from a simple misunderstanding or a miseducation. Just as the OP agrees to being corrected when creating a Post, you agree to being corrected when you make a comment. That is a mutual understanding everyone must come to when they sign up to post anything. The OP is not Absolute, and neither are you. NO ONE IS.

Here is an example:

• Educational mistake: Wait, your champion is named Azrael, don't you mean Ezreal? Because that name is already taken.

To which the OP, or any other commentators can reply with: no, Azrael is indeed a name, it's the name of the Angel of Death who helps carry souls to either Heaven or Hell and the Champion Concept received that name since it revolves around death.

Educational mistakes are the easiest to forgive and find because they are usually not inherently aggressive by intent. Treat them as such.

#TARGET ACTIONABLE POINTS

The entire point of giving Feedback is to offer suggestions on where things can be improved, so targeting things that are out of someone's control is entirely pointless and will more often than not come off as simply saying something negative for the sake of it. Things like what a Name means or could mean can't be changed and punishing someone for it is plain absurd and aggressive.

Here is an example:

Don't:

• Non-Actionable: You should change your entire post, everything, absolutely everything.

• Actionable: You could maybe add a little differential to the lore, it sounds like your champion is very heavily intertwined with Targon, which has quite a solidified lore as is, changes about it would be massive.

One thing the OP cannot do (Purely technically they can, but who tf would edit an entire post for someone's whim?) and the other thing the OP indeed can and would do.

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#AVOID ASSUMPTIONS

The one thing that absolutely destroys your Criticism is when you start to assume, be it current stand, potential goals or gains for the OP. Not only does it make them feel bad, it makes you look bad, even moreso since you come off as aggressive, and again moreso if you are dead wrong, which assumptions have a big tendency to be. Ontop of that, since assumptions are almost always aggressive, you run a REALLY big chance to violate the board's golden rule of avoiding disrespect and rudeness and so not only are you a dick about it but you can get sanctioned with warnings ontop.

Always formate your Criticism about facts and things you CERTAINLY know about the OP and the Post.

Here is an example:

Don't:

• Assumption: You are just posting this kit because you want to show off how "great" your thinking is and shit on any "feedback" you get.

• Certainty and Fact: Most of your kit is not really that new, and the elements that are were taken directly from somewhere else and weren't even remotely edited, here's evidence: (Insert screenshots or links)

The assumption is not only direly aggressive, it goes too far and will be received as targeted negativity whether that was the intent or not. At the end of the day, rude is rude, and the Aggressive intent stands out specially when the assumption is wrong or thrown out of spite from a rebuttal. Avoid this at all costs.

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#DIFFERENTIALIZE BETWEEN SUBJECT AND PERSON

Part of Criticism is not to target the person who gave the material, but the material itself. If you just go off on the person who made the post, not only are you being, once again, aggressive, but in this case moreso you are being hurtful and have a big chance to get the mod's attention on your ass.

When criticism is given it must remain focused on the singular subject at hand, being the post that was made.

Here is an example:

Don't:

• Targeting the person: This kit is a bit boring, but not a surprise since it's yours.

• Targeting the Post: This kit in particular is a bit boring.

This one should be easy to differentialize since all you need to do for it is be empathetic to the person, see the Post from their side, respect any effort, however miniscule it is, if it is genuine, and be cordial in approach.

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#HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A GOOD CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE ABOUT A CHAMPION KIT:

http://magaimg.net/img/8rd9.png

What does this Feedback do?

0. IT FOLLOWS THE PIP PRINCIPLE: POSITIVE-IMPROVEMENT-POSITIVE

1. IT ADDRESSES BOTH GOOD AND BAD THINGS ABOUT THE KIT

2. IT IS NEUTRAL TO THE PERSON WHO MADE IT AND FOCUSES ON THE POST AS A WHOLE

3. IT THROWS NO ASSUMPTIONS, REMAINS FACTUAL AND OFFERS POSITIVE SUPPORT AND MOTIVATIONAL PUSH

4. IT SUGGESTS AND SUPPORTS, IT DOES NOT DEMAND

5. OFFERS IMPROVEMENT INSTEAD OF SIMPLY POINTING OUT THE FLAWS

6. REMAINS SPECIFIC WITHOUT DERAILING NITPICKING

If you can follow examples such as this one for the boards then you will be able to deliver helpful, precise and effective criticism without being aggressive, douchebaggy or stand in violation of any boards rules.

#TL;DR 1 Constructive Criticism isn't just saying whatever you want and labeling it feedback. There is a certain structure and rule to follow because otherwise it's not criticism.

#TL;DR 2 Constructive criticism is offering critique with suggestions for improvement and also addressing what was well done and empathise on it. Absolute Criticism means shittalk everything that was bad and overly prize everything that was done good with absolutely no context on why for either one.