SC - Re: Worst Critique Ever

[Catherine Deville]

> And if that person isn't reading this list, you've done nothing more then
> lower people on the sca-cooks list opinion of you and your handling of
this
> matter.

Huzzah...

I personally don't know *any* of the people involved in this discussion,
but it has given me only one impression... that the SCA is not as focused
on Chivalry and courtesy as it used to be.

The awards that I hold I hold for service, and that service included
service in the kitchen, even though the knowledge that I had of
authentically period food at the time pales in comparison to the knowledge
which I have garnered in just a few months listening to the people on this
list.  (Something for which I would like to take the time out of this
response to acknowledge once again with gratitude.)  But had I *ever*
recieved such a scathing review with such a lack of constructive content as
this one I would likely have disregarded it out of hand as being unworthy
of review before I got past the first few paragraphs.

The purpose of a scathing critique is to provide entertainment to those
readers who enjoy verbal gladiatorial games and to impress those same
readers with the elitism and knowledge of the reviewer.  A constructive
critique seeks to avoid emotional content, provides as much positive
feedback as is possible and doesn't bury constructive suggestions so deeply
inside of symantically loaded remarks that they can hardly be found.  Ms.
Anderson's *rebuttal* (a debating term) further illustrates her intentions
and desire and leaves no doubt to an unbiased reader where her priorities
lie.

IMO it is irrelevant at this point how bad the feast was... those of us who
might have benefitted from an understanding of what went wrong and how it
might have been corrected have by now mostly been lost by the context in
which the criticism was expressed.  I would suggest that those who wish to
write critiques which will serve as more than entertainment for those
satisfied by "bread and circuses" that they seek to include more substance
and less "sound and fury".

At this point, since I truly wish not to develop further negative opinions
of the level of courteousy of those involved in this discussion, I'm going
to have to simply trash the remainder of the thread.

I remain, in service to Meridies,
Lady Celia des L'archier