> "even if I agree with an author, I will occasionally post some criticism [etc]" I would classify that as positive or neutral. It seems the original author w

> "even if I agree with an author, I will occasionally post some criticism [etc]" I would classify that as positive or neutral. It seems the original author would also classify "substantive criticism" (his words) or "constructive criticism" that way. But he notes that none of the criticism he received was of value, consisting mostly of insults and straw men, which are rightly classified as negative. His tone may at least be partially to blame. But I've witnessed the larger pattern in plenty of circumstances where tone is not a problem -- it's easy to get insulting, empty criticism from strangers, but it's hard to find substantive criticism except in places that intentionally foster it.