Hey John really no problem. We are all mature adults and I like healthy debate and yes I do listen. As you can see I did make some changes after your first contact to try to make it more clear where I was coming from. However, I did feel your comments re Stuart's story were a little on the harsh side, which I can see you realise and apologised for, which I really do appreciate.

Please bear in mind one or two things; Stuart in my opinion is a good writer as I said, but also like myself he gives up vast amounts of his own free time to edit and help others on a voluntary basis.

Our job here is to help, support and promote our writers on their journey to be the best writer they can be. I come across a great many writers whose work leaves a lot to be desired, but I do try to choose my words carefully as I know all too well how negative comments can be so hurtful rather than helpful and even disuade a writer from continuing on their journey.

What's more, if I have comments to make which may be percieved as negative, here on Illumination at least, I make those comments via a private message to the writer. I was tempted to delete your comments but in the end decided that that was something that ought to come from you. I'll leave that one with you if you don't mind.

I take your point about writers groups, but I believe even that old style of pursuing a writing career would be positive in their criticism. If on the other hand we were writing a professional critique in some sort of commercial publication, then the comments you made might well indeed be seen as fair play. But I do not believe that that is what we are about here on Medium, at least not in my view. What's more, if I did feel the need to make those sort of comments, I would in all likelihood choose to make them in private so as not to publicly offend the writer in question.

Sorry for the long reply and thankyou for your responses.