Changing username and Critique

[john foster]

Just a bit of a rant....Why does a poet change his/her name? Is it to hide from other poets?...As their IP address is shown by Becky, it is easy to find out their location...or do they not know that!
Also, I would like to see a section for poetry critique, where some CONSTRUCTIVE comments could be made. If the poet was interested in improving their work, others would be able to make comments on grammar, spelling and layout etc. Not that I am an expert, I would like the same comments applied to my work.
At the moment, if a CONSTRUCTIVE comment is made, the poet concerned might take it as an insult. Any thoughts on this?

[Dreamer]

Actually John the comment area was originally meant for critique. But people changed it into something different than it was intended.. Which happens sometimes.

I think the problems with critiques is that many people don't know how word a proper critique. When they do, it ends up coming across to the sensitive poet, like it is a personal attack. In turn, they react as such. Making a big mess of feelings getting hurt and angry then making reactionary comments in return which takes away from the poem.

How you would feel about a tickbox on the submission page "critiques welcome" that would put those words in the authors note area? That way it is a choice per writer.

Or perhaps it would be better to have an area here in the forum where people can critique without it showing on the poem at all.

I am open to other ideas for a way to impliment if you think of anything that might work better.

As for name changing... Going from a nickname to a real name makes sense. The other way around I am not sure. I guess there could be a few reasons. The one most obvious would be that they are trying to hide their work from someone they don't want to see it for some reason.

Like you said the ip will give up their identity. People also don't take into consideration, or realize, that search engines also make a cache of older stuff from the internet. Even if they change their name it doesn't mean it will keep them anonymous if someone is searching for their work..

People have unique styles of writing. People that know their style will still recognize their work. Only thing it really does is keep their fans from being able to find their work easily.

There have been half dozen of the writers on the site that have done this. I don't ask reasons; I can only guess.

[Tammy]

I am interested in having some constructive comments on my poetry, I am interested in improving my writing skills, and of course I would want honesty, but for the reader to be gentle, because I have noticed on the site where ppl left ppl comments like... U suck, or Your poem sucks. What kind of construtive comment is that? I am all for it John, and Dreamer.