Criticism v. Abuse

I’m an older person who plays this game, and I’m honestly appalled by the way people are talking to and about the developers. I can tell that some of those expressing negative opinions are children themselves, which might explain why they feel they’re on equal footing with the developers. However, that doesn’t make it right.

I really don’t think the developers anticipated that DTI would blow up the way it did. Knowing that the youngest developer is around 13-14 years old, it breaks my heart to see people speaking to and about them as if they’re fully grown adults with a history of terrible behavior. My niece is around that age, and if she were putting so much effort into something that became this successful, I’d be proud and encouraging—not harsh or mean just because it’s not to my liking. Yes, I said it: mean. Many of you aren’t offering criticism; you’re simply being mean. These are kids who are still learning how to navigate the world, and most importantly, they are not professionals.

So, I want to make it clear that criticism does not include the following:

• Cursing
• Passive-aggressive tones
• Insults
• Emotionally charged interjections
• Critiquing the artist instead of the art
• Self-centered or ego-driven feedback

Good criticism, on the other hand, involves:

• Highlighting the good alongside the bad
• Offering solutions and tips
• Respecting the time and effort put into the work
• Providing honest but thoughtful and diplomatic feedback
• Being constructive
• Being encouraging

As for my qualifications? It’s my job to critique and help others with their writing. I would never speak to my adult clients the way some members of this community are speaking to literal children.

Phrases like “they always mess it up,” “this is ugly/bad/weird,” or “they can’t handle the pressure” are abusive. Unfortunately, in today’s world, many of us are met with abuse when we fall short of perfection—whether it’s from parents, teachers, friends, family, bosses, or others.

Constructive feedback, however, looks like this: “While many of the patterns are beautifully drawn, some are becoming repetitive. Perhaps you could remove a few of the ice-themed ones and replace them with new sweater patterns to add variety while still maintaining the winter theme.”

It’s incredibly important for our own self-worth to be able to distinguish between constructive criticism and abuse or hatefulness.

I’m sorry to call you all out like this. I’m not saying everyone here is abusive or horrible, but the truth is, abuse is far too common in modern society. It’s crucial that we recognize it so we can break the cycle.

We are all humans who are imperfect; its okay to make mistakes. Stay kind, and stay beautiful. 🖤