User blog comment:GreyOwl/Constructive Criticism/@comment-25052433-20160706023930

Excellent blog. This has been a long standing debate on this site and one that I doubt will ever be resolved. Many users do indeed confuse flat out insults with "harsh" constructive criticism, and I have tried to point out the differences in previous blogs that have touched on this subject. Being harsh is okay, if that harshness builds and develops someone as a writer, or even just serves to point out flaws in the story while moving the writer in a somewhat positive direction.

Think Gordon Ramsay, he's mean as hell, but his cruelty is also refining. His anger serves a point in other words. Then you just have the flat out bully types that want to slash up someone's work while offerning nothing of a productive nature. Like I said, this has been a long running discussion here, and thus far, it seems that as long people can hide behind their keyboards, they'll always find that courage to insult.