Being on the internet means that you will encounter different people. Some would be better than others, depending on your point of view. Among this sea of strangers is someone who we will call the Big Guy.

We all have encountered a Big Guy before. Sometimes they take the form of a Grammar Nazi, a virtuoso artist, or someone who has sold books worldwide, according to their humble description of themselves, of course. They lurk everywhere, waiting for an artist or a writer to post something they are proud of just so Big Guy can comment unhelpful things about it. The most common ones are: "This artwork is weird.", "Maybe try writing real poems instead of this garbage.", "This sucks.".

But first, let us talk about what a critique is.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online, a critique is a somewhat formal word that typically refers to a careful judgment in which someone gives an opinion about something. Review can refer to an essay analyzing a literary or artistic work, but can also sometimes imply a more casual or personal opinion.

Making a critique is usually part of our learning process, may it be in the creative or academic world. This is where we can figure out our strengths and the weaknesses we can improve on.

This practice is incredibly helpful for everyone to improve their skills. It is considerably harder to get better at something when we do not know where to focus. By receiving critique from our fellow creators, we are able to know the things that we might have missed in our works and we can also return the favor for them. This is why critique sharing is important. Not only does it builds our skills up, but it also helps everyone receive help from others which improves camaraderie.

So why is an unsolicited critique a bad thing? Isn't the goal of the person to help you improve?

While that might be the case for kind netizens. However, there are times when these so-called critique left on the comment section of a poor fellow is not really a critique but an insult. In a critique, you would have to point out what looks weird or what looks wrong then suggest ways on how to improve the piece. Since the goal of providing a critique is to help the creator improve, comments such as "This is not your best work, but you still did a good job.", "This looks weird, dude", or the trolls' favorite, "Wow, this looks like trash." do not qualify as a critique.

That means that it is only bad when it is unhelpful right? If I point out where they can improve then that does not make me a Big Guy.

Well, the answer is no. The difference between solicited and unsolicited critique is consent. When people asked for critique on where they can improve, that is when you can give your opinion. It means that the creator is in the right state of mind to accept criticism and to apply all the ideas to their works. Their consent means that they are expecting the critique that they will find in their comment section.

Now imagine if you spent days on an artwork or an article and then find an unsolicited critique like "This could be better if you just *insert various things*". Sure, maybe the intent of the one who commented is good. Maybe they saw something where the creator can improve on but really, how hard is it to just scroll past that post?

Is it really that difficult to not rain on someone's parade? Can't you really stop yourself from seriously bringing down the mood of someone who is obviously proud of their work?

Imagine a beginner who against all odds managed to beat their fear of posting their works on the internet only to find unsolicited criticism everywhere. Do you think that newbie will feel welcomed? Will they feel as if everyone is just trying to help them out?

If they are made of stronger material, they might just weather through those unneeded criticisms. They might even get used to it and just deal with it in their own way. But what if the creator is someone who is easily discouraged? What if the one who receives that unsolicited critique felt so bad that they decided to stay off the internet for good?

"If they post their works on the internet, they should be ready to face negative comments. It is their fault if they cannot handle criticism," this might be what some of you are thinking. To which I would say, everyone should do their best to create a welcoming community.

Imagine an internet where everyone is welcome no matter where they are right now, no matter their skill levels.

Wouldn't that be great? We should all strive to make the community be a haven for creators. If we see something we do not like but someone is proud of, then we can just scroll past it. It literally takes zero effort to not engage and not leave an unsolicited critique.

If you see something drawn or written in a way you do not like, skip that post, and just find something that you like. It is really easy to do that. It is not difficult to just let people be proud of their works, it is not like they are harming you in any way because they are doing things in a way that you are not fond of.

This is just what I personally feel about the topic. If you feel any different, I respect your opinion and we need not argue about this. Feel free to share your thoughts about this topic in the replies. Let us exchange ideas about this.