User blog comment:Webkinz Mania/Writer's Workshop: Commenting Etiquette/@comment-1874924-20100507044029

Webkinz, I would suggest adding the following to your lists, if you're so inclined:

Helpful: Specific, constructive criticism

Average: Comparing a story unfavorably to another story

Not So Helpful: Saying a story or character is bad, without giving a reason

Not So Helpful: Saying a story or character needs improvement, without citing a specific problem and/or suggesting an improvement

Unfavorable comparison to another story is "Average" because it can leave the writer unsure of the commenter's reaction to the story in question. Did the commenter not like the story? Or did he think it was OK, but just not as good as the other story?

If you make an unfavorable comparison, therefore, be sure to make clear whether you liked the story in question in spite of the differences from the 2nd story, or didn't like it because of the differences.