I often wonder why we do some of the things we do. Example, if one of the reasons for this forum is to get help on improving our techniques, would it not be more helpfull if we comment on the strong points in an image, and indicate how in our opinion the image could be improved. I think we do a dis-service when we are not honest, no one can imporve if we continue in the way we are going. At least that is what I was wondering.
I strongly agree with you, sir. My philosophy on this forum has been to try to find the silver lining in every piece I have ever commented on. There is never anything to be gained by being abrasive. My father, when he was alive, always tried to get thru my hard head was “if you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything at all” so I try to kinda live by that. But if I can give some improving comments for someone here I will try to do that. If I can’t say anthing nice or offer help or something else positive I just wont comment. This does get put to the test though from time to time. But I will never give a false statement to another user about their work though, coz I would hate to have that done to me. There was an incident a week ago at our local university…Austin Peay…an art student made a piece of work on a canvass where he actually smeared his own semen all over the cavass…and he put it up for display in a student show. Thank God I didn’t get the opportunity to see the gallery there that week coz I would have broken my own rules and gave him an ear full…but thank goodness we don’t seem to have that problem here…good topic for discussion Dee 
I would also have to agree with Ron. I practice the same philosophy. I see this forum serving three purposes:
1- The support and consequently proliferation of ZBrush (a good thing)
2- Positive enforcement for the novice ZBrush user (a good thing)
3- Critical evaluation of technique and composition when asked for (a good thing)
The issues seem to be in the delivery. Now I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way or get offended and it’s just my own humble opinion for whatever that is worth but in my observations a great number of people just throw things together and post them and ask that huge ambiguous question “How can I improve this?” That right there sends up a red flag with me because you just don’t know what they are looking for in an answer. Could be they just want validation for what they are doing. Maybe they had a specific thing they want to improve. Who knows? This forum is very anti-negativity when it comes to critiquing a person’s work and that can be a good thing to an extent. Let’s face it not everything is a ten! But we tend to treat it as such. The 1-2-1 rule plays a big part in this. If a person does not ask for that explicitly then it generally is not given. In this case the most often response is one of validation. I think DeeVee that is the crux of your observation. Those that truly want it can get good a good critique of their work otherwise they can pretty much bet on the old “Good job! Nice textures! Excellent Lighting!” song and dance. I would like to see more helpful comments and genuinely warm remarks. Especially from the masters. But keep this in mind. Offering the same suggestions over and over again to the newer people can become extremely tedious and I think in that instance you would see where the more talented members would just shy away from responding because they have done it so many times. One gets tired of repeating oneself! This is where the Quicklinks reference comes in very very handy! So many of the questions can be answered there.
Now for me I have made a personnal commitment to help when I have the time and resources but I am only one of over 1600 members! And you know what else DeeVee? You have the perfect question for newbies. You know what it is? You used it on me once and I’ll never forget it. “What do you plan on doing with this?” I have learned a great deal from that simple, innocent question. 
Most of the sentiments expressed by Mentat resonate with me. I don’t think negativity is constructive, but constructive criticism IS difficult when someone asks ‘Where should I go with this?’
Now, I am, and have always been, a full-time working artist. Graphic arts, gemcutting, carving, calligraphy, jewellery design and construction…I have never gone to somebody and said, ‘tell me what I should do with this…’
No artist does that.
However, this forum in my opinion is not only for artists. It’s for hobbyists, people having fun with their computer, even people who have little artistic talent in a conventional sense, but merely wish to express themselves. That expression is valid in itself.
I also agree, however, when Mentat talks about people just throwing things together in order to post…At times I find this downright insulting…As I’ve said elsewhere on the forum in the past, it’s like somebody saying, ‘I’m bored, this is crap, but what the hell…You have nothing better to do with your time than look at this anyway.’ Now , this is far from the typical attitude of anybody here, but I have seen posts with those sentiments, bored…crap…etc. For myself, if I had one piece of advice I would like to offer, it would be this:
By all means experiment. But before you post, think…Is this the best I could do? Am I showing people anything new, or anything worthy of comment?
And as DeeVee has said, with the wisdom of experience…
Where are you going with this?
We can make this a magical place if we work together at developing our skills. We are indeed fortunate to be using software from a company that works with its users to optimize the power and utility of the application…Now let’s push that app to the limit, and see how far we can go with it…
Mentat7 Ron, and SC, thanks for your well thought out replies. I find the very good members very seldom comment on a newbie’s work, when I think that a word of encouragement from them would go a long way in their development. I admit that a lot of these individuals use this program to make a living and there may be a time restriction, but check out the posts and see how many have commented on the work of others, I will also admit that there are a few individuals who stand out in the amount of help they give, we all know who they are so there is no need to name them. Then it might be no fault of their own, they just do not have it in them to give. My opinions may be over the moon but at least they are my opinions. It is sad, because for all it’s so called friendliness, this forum can be very cold and intimidating to some, so many sign up, are eagerly welcomed,and then they fade into the wings, never to be heard from again. Maybe a more relevent question whould be, “how many active members are there amongst the more than 1600 listed”. You will notice that there is a hardcore of members not numbering over 50, who actually participate regularly in this forum.
Thought-provoking sentiments everyone. I remember the very first post I made in the Blender forum, I literally got laughed at. I haden’t returned there for years until recently.
I guess that’s what made me keep coming back here, was that my first experiences were positive ones and the suggestions on how to improve my work were always helpful and never condescending. We sometimes need to give ourselves a kick in the behind and remind ourselves that we were there once too and help the newbie out and give constructive and helpful criticism when we can.
Just my two cents.
“I find the very good members very seldom comment on a newbie’s work, when I think that a word of encouragement from them would go a long way in their development. I admit that a lot of these individuals use this program to make a living and there may be a time restriction, but check out the posts and see how many have commented on the work of others,…”
DeeVee this is something that has bothered me for some time and I agree with it wholeheartedly. I know I have even e-mailed some of the more talented members and most of them simply don’t respond to my messages. When you look up to someone and they blow you off that is discouraging. Sure they are professionals. Sure they are talented. But we are supposed to be a community after all right? Sometimes I think they are just visiting. Sigh…I could rant about this forever so I will move on.
“Maybe a more relevent question whould be, “how many active members are there amongst the more than 1600 listed”. You will notice that there is a hardcore of members not numbering over 50, who actually participate regularly in this forum.”
I have brought this up before. It was the main impetus for my beseaching the members of the forum to come out from the shadows and participate. It seemed to work. Quite a few new people suddenly popped up. Many of them stating they had been lurking for some time.
The bottom line is I think the more talented/experienced members, who by the way have been here since the get-go, have grown beyond our meager existence so they probably feel (and I would have to say rightly so) that this is old hat and they tire of hearing the same thing again and again. I am going to stop now. I am depressing myself. Hey, Mike! How bout a few words of encouragement to chase those stormclouds away??
I am encoureaged to discover that there are others who think as I do. It is true that this thread just got started, and look who have participated so far ! If an image by some of our “so called professionals” was posted I am sure that at least 10 or more members would have commented by this time. Even though these same individuals ignore their efforts when they post.
I am sorry that I got started on this topic. I have thought of these things for a long time, and as the oldest member of this forum, until proven wrong, I think I have the millage that permits me to wonder. “Quo Vadis”, this forum.
I agree also with the observations at the first of this thread, but it seems to have gotten a little off track in my opinion. I guess I find the terms “ignore” “blow you off” “so called professionals” etc… a little unfair, a little ungrateful and a little bizarre. Zbrush and ZBC has become a big part of my life over the last year or so, in fact too much so, there is a whole world out there and responsibilities. But to expect other people to be the way you would like them to be in a virtual forum is a bit much. The fact that we have some outstanding talent that post regularly to the forum is fantastic to me and in fact some of the efforts by some to give back to the community are sometimes taken for granted. The material that Southern regularly makes available total perhaps 100’s of hours of work, and we ask for more participation, for little reward. Time is the most precious thing if you think about it in the whole world, I will not begrudge anyone the time it takes to live and I will be most appreciative of the time the people spend just to participate in this board with no strings attached.
Anyhoo, that is how I feel about the matter 
Here’s a few words Mentat…As to their therapeutic value, only you can judge that…
First, I have despaired for various reasons at various times in regard to the direction of the forum…I’ve watched people post things that are 90% Poser, or 90% Photoshop or whatever, and I’ve thought, ‘Why not ZBrush?’…Now I know a lot of people like other software in conjunction with Z, and I’ve come to accept that.
Part of the reason I do accept that, aside from peoples right to do whatever the hell they want, is that I came to a realization that the forum is not a structure, but an organism.
In a structure model, you are restricted to the pupose and layout originally designed into it. In accepting an organic model instead, I realized that a lot of what bothered me was cyclical…It comes and goes, with the energy of the structure. In the long run, we collectively decide where it goes, and there are many rooms in our collective creative mansion for many levels of approach, vision, and journeys…
(Help any Lonnie?)
edited…sorry…
I started this thread and maybe I should end it. I would just like to know before I shut up, what is ment by unfair, to whom? ungrateful, to whom? :ex: This forum has become a part of a lot us to the detriment of other more important things Since I used the words " so called professionals" I stand by that statement, because someone is good at doing something does not make them a professional, but in the eyes of some they are, and are treated as such. :ex: My point is made, look at who participated in this debate, look back over the last few days and see how many of these names show up in the various threads, and you will get my point.
These are my last words on this subject. I think people are just expressing how they feel, I for one respect them for doing so.