I do tend to agree with you. I like CFUD's app system and think it's pretty much the best app system for rps at the moment, but I also totally admit it has lots of flaws. And the imbalance of power between appers and voters and the arrogance and condescension that does tend to lead to has always struck me as being a really big one. CFUD hasn't had a really bad outbreak of jackassery in the voting for a while, but man, there's been some rounds where I was acutely uncomfortable because of how badly the appers were treated.

And yeah, mixing some praise with the crit is...really a pretty basic concept that can get too easily forgotten. Not even just as positive reinforcement or basic politeness (although that's pretty important in its own right), but also because how can people know what they should keep doing if no one tells them what they're doing right? All-negative crit can work okay for getting that one thing out the door, but in the long term it just doesn't help nearly as much as knowing the good and the bad aspects. And I've been as guilty of it as anyone when I'm tired or pissy, but I do try.