[Janet Kenny]

Sometimes it's the latter in the eye of every other critter reading it.
We can't write for the uninitiated Lo. If they keep reading the penny will drop.

Which is why workshopping can be as irritating as it is helpful. I think it's also part of the reason why so many people quit workshopping after awhile.
They probably should.

For those who stick around it's major-frustrating because not only is it a waste of time it implies that everyone reading it is considered stupid enough to believe it's true. It may not be hard to convince the author of a poem that the praise is deserved but it's nowhere near as easy to convince the rest of us.
Never? Never true? Nothing good is EVER posted here?

I wish people realized it's counterproductive. Not only does it not help the poet it hurts the critter. Reputations are eventually hard to live down and eventually nothing said gets taken seriously - good or bad.

Rats!