"Critique" or "Review"?

[Andy]

Shaun and I are planning some improvements to Literature. One issue is whether we should refer to literature comments as "critiques" or "reviews". Answer the poll, and give your reasons. Shaun and I have ours, but I don't want you all to be influenced or anything until you've had your say. ;)

[GeorgeMichael]

Honestly I've just grown used to critiques so I feel that it would be better to leave it that way

[Nyx]

Hm, they're synonyms so I don't think there'd be a huge difference, however I'd prefer we go along with critique as that is what most of us already refer to it as. Also because critique can be shortened to crit. Anyways, I don't see why we should change it now that mostly everyone refers to it on the site as critique.

[Andy]

If you want my two cents....
I was thinking that newbies would be more used to the term "review" than "critique" and would get the idea better. Not much of a reason, but yeah. It went through my head. :)

[Ichigo]

Most newbs who come here have some idea what critique means though...
I think. :rolleyes:

Either would be fine really.

[Shaun]

Well, my two cents on this would be: isn't the point of dealing with newbs to teach them how things run around here? Lots of newbs have no idea that they're supposed to critique, doesn't mean we should let them get away with it :P.

[Imelda]

Uh reviews are completely different to critiques.

[Guessed]

"Review" and "critique" can mean very different things or very similar things. "Review" is a friendlier, warmer word, I think - but it brings with it that wrong connotation that the reviewer needs only to voice their opinion on a piece of work - maybe throw in a score. Both of those things are well and good, but a "critique" is more in-depth. It's a thorough examination of strengths and weaknesses. I think that's what we're looking for here.

I think that if a newbie doesn't understand the general concept of critiquing, we don't really want that newbie on this writing board... not to sound like an elitist. On the other hand, Shaun's right about newbies not understanding YWO's expectation of them to crit others. I, personally, was surprised to discover the heavy responsibility of each member to crit others, although I agree with the policy.

[Zaphkiel]

I think we should stay with critique...

[jordanisonfire]

When I first went on TW, which was the first writers' site I'd ever been on (before the dreaded AOL Chatroom "Writers' Corner", which should be renamed "Cliche Corner", in my opinion), I had no idea what a critique was. But after a few hours I soon got the idea. I was very nervous when I gave my first crit, which I cannot remember, because I thought I may have done it all wrong, but it turned out to be okay. But I knew what a review was. However, yes, reviews tend to be more friendly and focus more on the good side of things, unless the reviewer is reviewing something terrible. Critiques seem to be more helpful. I'm sure we'd all rather have someone being incredibly awful to us but actually helping us improve our work rather than someone praising us like Gods and never actually helping us at all. I know I would. In conclusion, I say I wouldn't mind either, it's just the newbies we should be concerned about. So, choose whichever you wish, though i don't think we should be imposing any rules which say that using the word 'critique' is banned and we should all say 'review'.

[Andy]

Thanks for the feedback, Shadow. Very helpful!

[jordanisonfire]

...Seriously?

[Andy]

The part about your first experience with critiques, yes.

[jordanisonfire]

...Thanks? Heh.

[Carraka]

Aww ... if I had known that Reviews would be so lonely, I would've voted for them to make them happier. Otherwise they'd become depressed and commit suicide, and I'm very anti-suicide. We should all be anti-suicide.

I don't think I have any great, unique experience to add when it comes to critiques. I think I did my first one for kelseyak90 --> aSaaS, but only because he requested one. I was terribly afraid I had messed up on it somehow, but I guess not, because he made me crit the rest of his novel. Sometimes my fingers still hurt. xP

List of Reasons

- All of us here seem to refer to them as critiques.
- Review is a gentler term, at least to me.
- It makes me think of book reviews, actually, which makes me think of Shaun's blog.
- Happy blog.
- And although book reviews are great, it seems more like they're written for a reader.
- Whether you should read this book, not whether you should edit this section and move that comma.
- So although we could use Review,
- Let's just use Critique instead,
- Because no one gives Review Tickets,
- because Crit Ticket rhymes.
- Hooray.

[dragonheart]

I like critique because it can be "crit" and I think the people who have been here al ong time will have trouble converting. :) I can't wait till I can claim to be one.

[ManyIdeas]

I'd say keep with critique, it's more in-dept and more colder than a review, and if anyone gets published, these 'reviewers' will find something to hate about your work, so critique works better, since it can be colder and strengthen people for writing careers.

[lango]

I'd say I'd review a simple, perfectly written story, and critique a good story but with some flaws.
Think of the Book reviews we do, we don't do them so much in-depth as critiques (although we should... I know my reviews suck, for one).
Plus, for some reason, critique sounds more professional. Sure, when I joined the site, I knew what a review was, and only had a vague idea of what a critique was. If I was asked to review someone's story, I'd think I knew what reviewing was about, and I'd make a poor job of it. But the word 'critique' sounds much more serious and professional, so like the coward I am, I read about 10 critiques before posting my first critique, and I was hoping I had nailed it.

Review is much 'nicer', but just too light for me, they're somewhat synonyms but they mean entirely different things for me. :P

[MetallicGryffon]

I really do not know why, but review sounds better, but critique sounds more official. Anyways, I went with review because on my other site (who's name I cannot mention on other forums, sorry) we review, and I guess I am use to saying review

[Majyk]

I'm going to close this thread so people stop voting because it's from 2008 and doesn't need to get dragged up every time someone votes.