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I'd like to see someone clearly articulate the difference between critical analysis of something and just plain bitching about it. Unfortunately the internet I

I'd like to see someone clearly articulate the difference between critical analysis of something and just plain bitching about it. Unfortunately the internet I have here is permeated by the latter and contains very little of the former. For me, I think the difference is that good criticism acknowledges that every decision is a compromise, and of course every time you compromise you're giving up something in order to gain something else.

gabriel 17y ago
In "The Intellectual Situation" front-matter of Issue #6 of n+1 magazine about our "Book Review Nation" the following statement was written about the modern literature critic: "...what separates us from, say, Edmund Wilson? It is not taste; it is not even erudition. The profounder difference is the ability to place the products of literary work into a system of belief that appeals to something outside the literary work and the literary culture that produced it. This--not the status of the outlets for reviews, not their forum in newsprint or online--is what marks distinction in reviewing." I think there is a general truth in this statement.
gizmo 17y ago
Interesting, I find that almost every comment section here on HN contains at least one useful piece of criticism (when there's criticism at all). The difference may be that good criticism in my eyes doesn't need to be a complete analysis. Earlier today I dismissed an article by saying it had "unsubstantiated claims" and was "sophomoric". That was it. No additional details or explanations given. I still consider that good critical feedback, because a sufficiently motivated person could improve the work based on it. If somebody looks at my code and says: "that's too brittle", that's good criticism. If somebody points at something and says: "unpythonic", that is good feedback too. Other people are not obligated to tell you what you need to do to improve. Even when their dissatisfaction takes the form of a rant, there's often a rational cause underneath. (The cause may be completely unrelated to the work he's criticizing, but humans are funny that way.) The difference between a critical analysis and bitching is only intent. Bitching is an attempt to make yourself feel better by making somebody else feel worse about his accomplishments. Criticism is trying to tell others where to improve. So the exact same one-liner (e.g. "that code sucks") can be nasty bitching from one person, and good feedback if it comes from a respected peer.

gabriel 17y ago

In "The Intellectual Situation" front-matter of Issue #6 of n+1 magazine about our "Book Review Nation" the following statement was written about the modern literature critic: "...what separates us from, say, Edmund Wilson? It is not taste; it is not even erudition. The profounder difference is the ability to place the products of literary work into a system of belief that appeals to something outside the literary work and the literary culture that produced it. This--not the status of the outlets for reviews, not their forum in newsprint or online--is what marks distinction in reviewing." I think there is a general truth in this statement.

gizmo 17y ago

Interesting, I find that almost every comment section here on HN contains at least one useful piece of criticism (when there's criticism at all). The difference may be that good criticism in my eyes doesn't need to be a complete analysis. Earlier today I dismissed an article by saying it had "unsubstantiated claims" and was "sophomoric". That was it. No additional details or explanations given. I still consider that good critical feedback, because a sufficiently motivated person could improve the work based on it. If somebody looks at my code and says: "that's too brittle", that's good criticism. If somebody points at something and says: "unpythonic", that is good feedback too. Other people are not obligated to tell you what you need to do to improve. Even when their dissatisfaction takes the form of a rant, there's often a rational cause underneath. (The cause may be completely unrelated to the work he's criticizing, but humans are funny that way.) The difference between a critical analysis and bitching is only intent. Bitching is an attempt to make yourself feel better by making somebody else feel worse about his accomplishments. Criticism is trying to tell others where to improve. So the exact same one-liner (e.g. "that code sucks") can be nasty bitching from one person, and good feedback if it comes from a respected peer.