Reviewers Anonymous

I've been accused of all manner of offensive behavior with my reviews. I've been told I should encourage writers, not beat them down; been called mean and nasty and generally indicted for crushing their frail spirits. Interestingly enough, most of those accusations have come from third parties who stumbled on one of my reviews and took it upon themselves to tell me what I should be doing instead. Most of the people who respond to a review of one of their items thank me.

That said, I do take considerable care to focus on the mechanics of the piece, not the author's intent. I try to be pretty clear that I couldn't care less about what they're trying to say, only whether or not they've chosen the best means of saying it. Usually they haven't and so I'm never at a loss for things to talk about, and usually those things are bullet-points for someone trying to make a case that I'm mean and nasty. I would never say "You're really stupid for writing this," though I might suggest that they are misguided to expect to get published without doing any apprentice work in preparation. The only time I might get a little snarky and do a Simon Cowell on them is when smug self-satisfaction over inferior results would leave them impervious to ordinary commentary. Then, I might... I just might... indulge myself in a bit of sarcasm. Judiciously applied, of course.

1) Should in-depth, careful review be reserved for those items and/or authors who request them? If so, what, if any, reviews should be given to items that have not requested specific reviews?
I never go trolling for hapless victims. Everyone I review has asked for it and if they haven't read the intro to my forum and don't know what they're in for, not my problem.

2) Should newbies be treated especially gently in their first few days/weeks/months? How can we encourage newbies by showing the potential rewards of the site without scaring them off in the process?
I point out bad habits and clumsy technique that will prevent them from ever being taken seriously. I offer suggestions on how to modify their thinking in ways that will enhance their efforts. If that's not viewed as a reward, I can live with myself; no one dies, afterall, though I'd assume I won't again cross paths with those who take offense. But if someone simply gives up due to a review from me, they were never serious in the first place. I did them a favor.