Board Thread:Official Rules and Announcements/@comment-4869113-20150510130534/@comment-3454557-20150510132000

I think harassment is a personal attack, or a deliberate and repeated attempt to stalk and instigate arguments with a person for the express purpose of hurting his/her feelings or inspiring anger.

I think criticism is feedback (negative or positive) about a person's work, given with the intention of providing advice or suggestions for improving it.

People make the mistake of conflating negative criticism with harassment to their own detriment. I understand people become emotionally invested in their characters, and many perceive their creation with a parent's eyes; their character is exemplary and special, perhaps even flawless. When someone has invested personally in something, they feel personally affronted or insulted when the subject of their devotion is criticized. This applies to all kinds of fandom or creative endeavors, from celebrities to art, to writing.

Regardless of a person's feelings on the matter, there is still a clear difference between negative criticism given with the intent to improve, and harassment. A writer will not be able to discern the difference if he is biased by his own love for his creations; he will not be able to rationally accept a logical criticism if he cannot distance himself from his characters and assume an objective perspective.

I side with being able to criticize others' works, even if it makes them uncomfortable, or maybe even especially if it does. If they have an emotional overreaction to the criticism, it means they are nursing guilt and are employing avoidance tactics to deny it.

My advice to the community at large; grow a thicker skin, see criticism as the crucial and necessary step of self-improvement it is.