Is it better to leave or receive "No Comment"?

This is a question I recently thought I'd ask the YCF members.  This can go both for what kind of comments you'd prefer to receive from others about your work, or what kind of reviews you like to give to others' topics.  If you don't see your preferred choice in the poll, check "Other" and reply to this post!

Hey Peter,

I choose the option "any publicity is good". Of course it would be perfect to receive constructive criticism as this will be the most beneficial. I am forever grateful to @Omicronrg9 @Thatguy v2.0 and @gmm , especially Vince for their constructive criticism on my Clarinet Quintet in C minor, since they help me stay in the forum, explore more and become a better composer. But I know that to write a constructive criticism needs much energy of active listening and attention to detail, it's too big a thing to be expected. I am happy enough to have received any comment since it will enhance its publicity, and it's already less frequent to receive any kind of reply here on YC, since more frequent for members to post rather than reply.

Henry

Hello
Among the survey options, I prefer to receive constructive criticism.
The truth is that this space is very peculiar.
On the one hand it is about something specialized such as composition. On the other hand, it accommodates all kinds of levels, from the amateur beginner to the more or less professional.
This is good, although on the other hand it can create imbalances. However, it all coexists very well.

Also the people who comment the most, have very different backgrounds and points of view, which I think is perfect.
What always strikes me is why people, in general, are not encouraged to comment more. Yes, there is the excuse that “I don't have enough knowledge, etc...” It doesn't work for me. Simply commenting I like this or I don't like that is positive.
Besides, to reach something as a composer, even as an amateur, you have to listen and analyze many works, of all kinds.
That is what this forum gives me the most, to know the work of others.

We are all busy people. So even if there is a negative comment, at least the work sparked some interest intriguing enough. To be honest there are a lot of posts on YCF I ignore, I just don't have the time and effort to listen and analyse every work here. It might sound arrogant, but as much as music being a crucial part of my life, it isn't the only thing. I simply am not obligated to use my work and study and family time to scroll through YCF. If I ever comment I always try to find things to appreciate and praise before pointing out how I feel it may have problems. If I can't even think of a single positive thing to say, I don't comment (this was not always the way I am, I learnt to be like this with time as I get slightly less immature than my past self)

And the way I use web browsers, I am not always privileged to play the voice files on the forum, and I "listen" through reading scores. If your post does not contain a score it immediately reduces the chance I would even touch the composition by that much. I can't speak for others, so I'd be interested if there are other positions.

I'm always happy to see comments, especially from non-composers on my stuff. So I went with "any publicity is good publicity".

I don't get too many negative comments, and I listen to anything that is constructive, but I must admit that I don't pay a great deal of mind to it because now, any track that I release, I only do once I am completely satisfied with it, and so is the client if there is one. So in the off chance now that somebody just doesn't like it, and voices their anger at it...I honestly just don't care lol. It's adding more comments and helping the YouTube algorithm and such. 

That probably sounds very "up his own @$$" in writing, but it honestly isn't. I think it eventually happens to all composers where, for better or for worse, you are satisfied with what you're doing and if you do look back and realize that you've eclipsed your old stuff and that negative feedback on it (assuming there was any) was correct after all, you just accept it, move forward, and can be proud of both your past work and what's next.

Hmmm....'No comment' is what I usually have to say to the police..... 

No, seriously, I submit music here and occasionally (rarely) on another site.   I have no wish to publish scores unless one was accepted by the BBC of which there's less chance than me swimming the Pacific Ocean it seems.

I sometimes get 5 minutes or so for canned music to be played at a local appreciation group or live - quite rare now - at local concerts. Last one was before the pandemic. For that it has to be simple and fall into the 'light music' category.