Tips for Giving a Good Comment!
There is nothing I hate more (and I am sure you would agree) than when people write bad comments about your library submission. I feel it is necessary to give out a few pointers to everyone on how to write a better kind of comment that will make the person reading it not quite so angry, sad, or whatever negative emotion they may feel upon reading.
- You should actually read the entire submission through before commenting. I am sure many people read the first few paragraphs of the piece and judge it on that. Just reading a few lines does not enable you to give an accurate rating and comment.
- Please judge the submission on how it is written. Don't say things like "I completely disagree!" and give you a rating of 4 or below because you do not agree with the author's opinion. You should review a submission on how well it is written and uniqueness &mdash not whether you agree with the author's point of view.
- If the piece is badly written, don't just say "I didn't like it" and then give it a low rating; tell the person why you didn't like the writing style and what needs improving for next time. It's also helpful to try to find something good about it such as "It was a good idea" so that the author has something with which to work. You should never leave a harsh and rude response.
- On the flipside, if the article was really good in idea and in writing, don't just say that! Tell the author what you loved about it so they can continue with great work.
- Don't stick to the bare minimum in the word count! Go above and beyond in the 8 word minimum. You should never be commenting just to gain beans!
- Avoid being biased. If it is obvious which house the author is from, don't rate them because of that. You should take a neutral stand when reviewing and voting in any of the HOL Departments and in HOL Contests!
I hope you enjoyed reading these few simple tips and that you can apply them to the next review you write.