i think we all are capable of adhering to a parlance that upholds a certain degree of artistic respect...meaning we know how to compliment and we know how to afford 'constructive criticism' - but it's imperative to value ART at all levels of interpretation. Marcel Duchamp featured urinals as sculpture. that kinda kickstarted the whole Dada movement. when it comes to criticism, we really also have to remember it's only one individual's point of view...and it's not the end of the world if someone doesn't like it, or doesn't like the recording technique or technical prowess. it takes a lot of balls to be creative; never cower to another's opinion. if people are being outright rude...then i think it's acceptable to tell them politely to go f*ck themselves and put them on 'ignore'. a lot of music is written for a status quo...and it's safe in there, like a harbor for a ship. but that is not what ships are made for. we should respect forays into more uncharted waters, and restrict comments to possible technical improvements if the song is not really something you would play in your car stereo. suffice to say i'm pretty new here and have not noticed any threads that are impolite and most comments are very helpful even though i know a lot of what i do is not really mainstream. but i'm not here to impress anyone. just enjoy feedback on demos. anyway, like Kurt Cobain said, i'd rather be hated for what i am than loved for what i am not. i must say that this is one of the better forums around; and the peeps here are pretty cool.