Animation Source Forums

Thank you for that analysis, Imagine. You pretty much nailed it. Though I don't personally think I set out to be blunt at any point, and am getting less so. I just am direct. The notion that members need to be "protected" from that, as a certain mod or two seem to think (other more disturbing personal issues aside), is ridiculous. It's not a mod's job to hold members' hands and shield them from direct critiquing, or to "punish" members who offer it. Sooner or later, they need to either get that into their thick skulls, or be removed from their positions...because it's becoming an increasingly serious and more prescient issue. And it's going to boil over...soon. And get UGLY. It's certainly not going to get any better if they stay on the path they're on right now, I can assure you. It's gonna get worse.

On this negative criticism business, I've always said this: if you don't want to run of the risk of having your artwork being disliked and critiqued by people you can't see, don't put it up on the internet. Yes, it's a great way of getting positive feedback and making friends and such but if you're easily hurt by a blunt statement (which you will come across in real life, anyway), better just to keep your artwork within close family and friends.

Yes, it may be under the First Amendment for you to do as you please on the internet and to be able to put up your artwork, regardless of what people think, but your critics also have the right (under the same deceleration) to state their opinions about your work. Also, don't start a witchhunt against someone with an honest opinion. Actually, people who have the guts to be honest with their opinions actually hold a level of respect for you to do that, rather than be outright mean or feed you some positive feedback that they don't really mean and go make fun of you in private.

So, think about that, dear children, before you baww and cry about how unfair life is on the internet is and how THESE WOUNDS WILL NOT HEAL! Thank you.

Regarding the mods, I think part of the problem is that some of them are children themselves and do not have the emotional capacity to be mature and play fair in this business. Yes, we can have mature teenagers and such but I think it has been said somewhere else that mods here need to be at least 16 or over. I think the 4/5 mods we had when BS first started were adults themselves. At least, they acted like it.

I've also tried to get that point across, but I'm not allowed. lol


Not here. Not on Animation Source. There are certain staffers who have made that contradiction very evident (regardless of whether or not it actually in the official rules, and certainly regardless of whether or not they have any RIGHT to enforce the one-sided, fascist mentality -- which, as we all, know, they DON'T).


Which is precisely a large part of what this topic is about, and which is precisely what is going on. Witch hunts. And an absentee webmaster who doesn't know and certainly doesn't care even if he DOES know. Obviously. Well, he cared once in recent history...and a good moderator was demodded for it. We may never see that again. Because it's not about fairness on Animation Source...it's about the little "club". And forever blacklisting anyone either the webmaster, or a certain number of "club" members, don't happen to like very much...no matter how old the grudge is that caused the blacklisting.


^ That. VERY that. Either literally or figuratively. And that is the root of it. Especially when they are faced with what they must perceive as the problem of interacting with adults...like me.

JC, being someone who occasionally writes fanfiction (okay, I have one running story on FF.net ), having someone give me constructive criticism on my story is incredibly helpful. It lets me work out what I need to fix, and how I should go about it. I assume it would be the same for artists. Or in fact, anyone that makes anything. What would the world be like to today if nobody ever said, 'It's good, but how could it be improved?'

Some people need to realise that being criticised is not always a bad thing, on the contrary, it's a lot better than a group of people responding with one word answers.

Moderators on the other hand...well...they're about as useful as Prince Harry's security team. It's disgraceful that they appear to have the audacity to delete comments and ban users when the 'offending' member is quite clearly attempting to offer useful advice and be a good all-around critique.
Will I get banned for saying that?



It's becoming apparent that you are not allowed to do anything these days...



The First Amendment allows freedom of speech (and opinion), not 'freedom to do as you please.'

Also, the First Amendment doesn't apply here, as the site is hosted in Germany. But, both the Basic Law for the FRG and the EU Charter allows freedom of expression (in articles 5 and 10/11 respectively).

Note for people who don't like being criticised: Freedom of expression means freedom to criticise!

The only reason this is a problem is not because of the criticisms, but of the REACTIONS to those criticisms. I swear, if every member did not flip out over anything that wasn't "That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life!" then there would BE no problem.

Look, I don't post criticisms. I only post nice things, but that's just me. Everyone should have the right to post any opinion they want as long at it's not "it sucks" or "I hate it, its stupid." Respecting others still needs to come into play.

I believe that was the point I was making with my post? That people are allowed to state their opinions about anything in the free world, positive or negative. I never stated anything about 'freedom to do as you please'.

Otherwise, my bad.

I understand it was, but you specifically said 'for you to do as you please on the internet'.

Ah, OK. I missed that. xD


Could've sworn freedom of action was included in the First Amendment but, alas, that probably came later. :c

The internet is a lawless land of sketchy websites and cat macros with lots of capital letters on them. You can cry freedom of speech until the cows come home but let's face it; the web is global and that amendment applies to the US government prohibiting speech, not some joe shmoe on a cartoon fansite based in France.

Regarding criticism; The internet has bred a horrible monster when it comes to criticism. Along with lawlessness the internet has fostered a thin-skinned special snowflake syndrome out the wazoo. For every naysayer who offers criticism, there's at least one other person that will kiss your ego and make it feel better. I have no idea why this weird dynamic shows up but it's been prevalent on every single art site I've ever been on.

It's another two way street; along with teaching people how to critique, we should be teaching people have to take critique. I cringe every time I see some artist with rice paper skin say they're going to go to art school or the art industry or something. As someone who has done work in the graphic design industry, if you can't take criticism, you might as well find another job.

...let me just say that I agree with just about this entire topic.

Not much new material to add, but similar things have happened to me a few times. Y'know how we have the whole renders and blanks arguments and the questionable creativity of them (please bear with me here, I promise this is related,)?

Well, as someone who's worked hard to get to where I am in art, I find it very disappointing to see the lack of effort that it takes to make images. First we had renders, which were pretty much tracing, so you didn't have to draw out of your own mind. Then the blanks came around, so you didn't even have to trace anymore, just draw some markings and use the flood fill tool. And then just a few weeks ago, I saw someone upload a blank that already had "the most common markings added in, to make it easier to use".

Alright, so the laziness of AnimationSource just continues to increase. And I said that.

Now, note this: I said nothing mean to the artist. I didn't bash the render. I didn't troll or flamebait or call names or anything along those lines. Didn't even use an exclamation point.

But the next thing I knew, a certain moderator came in telling me to "knock it off", saying that there was nothing wrong with the image.

Well, I'd never said that there was. All I had done was express disappointment in the fact that it's taking less and less effort for kids to color these things. Never did I say there was anything wrong with the image nor did I say anything rude to the creator.

So I replied explaining that. One or two members even posted in agreement with me. Yet when I came back to check for replies, a moderator--likely the same one--had ever-so-discreetly deleted my comments and every comment agreeing with it.

Yeesh.



I also agree with what has been said about criticism. Yes, it feels good to have your work praised. Trust me--I get absolutely ecstatic when I see positive comments on my artwork. However, if you can't learn to take criticisms, as well, you're not gonna get very far. Sure, maybe you'll eventually improve by sheer repetition and practice, but if you're willing to let your ego down a bit and listen to other people's critiques, that improvement is going to come a LOT faster and you'll go a lot farther.

(Not to mention that you'll make a much better impression on the rest of the site community by showing that you can handle it maturely. Believe me, NO ONE is impressed by people "baww"ing about insults that were never there.)

Now, actual insults are another thing. But alas, it seems that a good portion of the site has zero ability to tell an insult apart from a constructive criticism. As far as they care, anything that's not happy-happy-joy-joy is a rude remark, bullying, and I even saw one member referring to it as "harassment" (though knowing the people he/she was referring to, I'm at least 98% sure that this "harassment" was simply a disagreeing comment. Hn.)

This kind of thing is really disappointing to see happening, I've been on this site for...A long, long time(albeit under a different use account). and the downhill decline it has been taking is..Sad to say the least.

There have been plenty of times where I've wanted to post a constructive criticism on something, had it nicely typed out, then thought to myself 'what's going to happen when I post this?' Needless to say I usually refrain from posting any crits. The way you're treated is, to be frank, unfair. You've contributed a lot to this site...It's a shame to see all the sensible mature members screened and silenced in a way. :\

One cannot evolve as an artist if they don't strive to be better. You have to take the bad with the good, not everyone is going to love your work.

Anyway I have nothing of much value to add, just wanted to toss in my 2 cents of agreement.

The Once-ler! He exists! XDDDD

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Why of course.
I'll be taking my 2 cents back aswell, as if I'd just toss that away.
(Icouldn't resist doing that, LOL, I'll stop now)

Just when I thought there might be a point to anything you posted...and thought you were on the right track, you go and take your "two cents" back. Huh.

I personally think they were joking and talking about taking literal cents back and not their comment, because the Once-ler is a greedy character who is out for money. xD