Is it OK to be negative on DUP

Just getting a general consensus...I'm relatively new......so many of the comments here are "nice ink" "good write" etc etc... is it ok to be negative? Some shit that gets written here freaks me the fuck out(the erotic stuff in particular...  Is it OK to be honest? I see that most people want honest criticism but do they really? Or should I just be polite and write "nice ink" or not say anything at all? Whattaya think ? Also it's easy to throw stones...

Honest criticism is not negative and it can be delivered without being rude. In fact you can help others grow that way.  As for throwing stones, you have to take that in your stride. It is okay to be Honest, edead. Just how.

Comment without fear, exercise professionalism whilst under the guise of poetry.

"This kinky shit sucks because it's weird." is not appropriate negativity. People wanting honest critique don't want to know how bad their piece is, they want to know how good it could be if they fixed or edited it.
Just don't be a jerk. Common sense man.

Good advice Madi---I swear I'll try it! I really will even though poems about feet freak me the fuck out!

I think that honesty it the best route in all things--if you don't particularly care for something, then say so.  There's nothing wrong with having an opinion and expressing it, but personally, I try not to do it in such a way that it comes across in an ugly or hurtful manner, or in a way that makes me look like a jerk, just dissing on someone's work that they put effort into creating.   If I don't like something (be it a piece of writing, or anything in the world, be it online or in life outside the internet), I'll try to accentuate something positive about the piece, person, situation, whatever is in question.

For example, I'd say something like "I appreciate that you have put a lot of effort into this, but it's not my personal taste."  or "I think that you did a really good job on this or that, even though, overall, I feel it's lacking in this area."  or  "Overall, I can see where you're going with this, but if I may offer a suggestion..."

Just something to keep it more professional, and classy as opposed to saying "Yeah, your stuff is crap."  Even if you completely hate what it is, see if there's a way to find something positive about it, and give some attention to that part.   And like you say, you could just not say anything at all, and move on/skip it all together.

I think there are two ways to review
a poem, one is to comment on what
it says, the other how well it says it...
the first tends to be more common...

There's so many people writing the same old cliché's(and I might be one of them!) that to not let them know seems like doing a disservice to them. I'd actually love it if people told me the truth about my writing. " Keep the day job, Mayakovski got a statue in Red Square, you'll get a body bag in Pittsburgh if you're lucky"....  

Remember though that same old clichés are seen through different angles by different writers.

Trophy counts often correlate to the amount of worthless, self-serving comments by apparent 'writers' on others work.. I could name quite a few..

i say just be honist about how you feel about it  as for me if i read a peom and dont like it i say nothing and if i like the poem i wright will great job or other things .

Opinions and assholes...that grand 'ol sayin' comes into play with comments as well-critique, no matter how versatile someone is or isn't...
is still one sole opinion.
Who claims to know another persons gold...if it strikes me I comment according to my mood.
if I don't care for it-I probably wont comment-some days I don't care to comment anyone, other days I try to comment as many as I can.
I'll use the same 'ol catch comments at the end a lot-"Ink on" "Excellence" one out of ease to do it-two for a positive relay.
I don't tend to review negatively to someone's Write, if their new to playing the game, Because in short-who the fuck am I to trash or tear apart someone elses tripe-Ive written enough crap writes of my own.
As for suggesting fixes....my suggested fixes are of my own style-why should I be pompous enough to think my way is right.
Once in a very blue moon I may suggest something-if I see a misspelling or something that looks off to my eyes and ears...but even then its treated with kid gloves...the last thing I wish to do is make someone think I'm pissing on their canvas.
many I comment have been known to me for a while-so their style and ways are why I keep coming back to them-I consider them my friends-and another voice to sides of my own character-so support them and their voice is why I lean towards positive commenting-I Love what they do.

I spent most of my life playing the musicians gig...I've dealt with egos to no end...their in every form of accomplished art and swagger of human-my patience for it is thin-so in my own self-guidance is one thing...but truly the style of guidance someone wants should be specified and sought by the person-not thrown upon them as
arrogant suggestion of how I would do things-Unless You are truly comfortable with how the other person will interpret You -It truly is someone's Baby. (Sporadic, or in-depth)

Had every writer from the beginning of time had that attitude, poetry & writing would've never progressed from shit smeared on walls to the exquisite likes of William Shakespeare & Edgar Allan Poe or the more gritty works of Charles Bukowski.

Seek for the truth, dig deeper into the words, unravel the meanings & help refine others (as well as your own) writing ability & thought process. You help nobody in leaving ultimately useless & often damaging one worded compliments.

There is constructive critique and there is completely dissecting a persons piece and making it more the critiques work than the writers, in MY opinion.

I read and "comment" more so on poetry I like, I read many I do not like and hence do not comment (my choice, no one else's) I sometimes critique, especially if I like a poem and I feel just slight changes will improve said poem (on most of those occasions, I have received a condescending thank you)  So fuck it.

MadameLavender said:
Just something to keep it more professional, and classy as opposed to saying "Yeah, your stuff is crap."  Even if you completely hate what it is, see if there's a way to find something positive about it, and give some attention to that part.   And like you say, you could just not say anything at all, and move on/skip it all together.

Mlavender:)I agree with that.