GUIDELINES FOR GIVING FEEDBACK

1. The two-for-one rule
Please submit two high quality, detailed commentaries on the poems of other people for each poem of your own you submit to the board.

2. The useful rule
The feedback you give should be USEFUL. Useful feedback—

• is specific about the strengths and weaknesses of the poem
• refers to technique as well as content, i.e. rhythm, rhyme, word choice, allusions, figures of speech, use of poetic devices
• offers suggestions for improvement

3. The acknowledgement rule
Please respond to comments made on your work. You can expand, enlarge, defend or explain. This way dialogue and discussion can take place. To avoid cluttering the board please try to group your responses in a single message and avoid 'n/m' [no message] posts.

4. The kindness rule
Remember the subtle force of kindness and use it lavishly when you are offering comments. Meet the challenge of saying difficult things in gentle ways.

5. The truth rule
Tell the truth, it always helps. If a poem doesn't work for you, say so, and explain why it doesn't work, how it misses the mark. If you really loathe a poem, it may be more constructive to say nothing than to offer only negatives.

Internet Explorer
Go to Tools menu, click Internet Options.
Click the Advanced tab.
In the Multimedia area, clear the 'Play animations' box.

Netscape
Left click on View, go down to Stop Animations and click.

Close your browser and open it again, and you should be blink free!

This stops only gif animations and you'll find that java applets and Flash animations still work. But as most of the nuisances seem to be gifs, I have found the Web [and this Message Board] a MUCH more pleasant place since I changed this preference.