Where have all the critics gone?

I agree that authors need real critics - real readers, not friends or those who read yours because you read theirs. I don't see how sites can pay for that kind of traffic. To me, that's cheating just as surely as bot traffic is cheating. That said, the competition for search engine traffic is fierce and promoting content through social networking and other methods takes a lot of time and effort. To have to write a piece, then go and "sell" it to whoever you can find wherever you can find them doesn't seem right somehow. If you're a good enough writer (and a lot of people who write for places like that are), you should be writing for places that will pay you a good sum outright and leave you feeling good about your writing rather than feeling like the job has just begun once it's published.

I think that people are afraid of hearing that their writing is not good, me, I'm always open to tips and suggestions, for me, what I look for in good writing is, does it give me the information I'm looking for, and is it well written and have correct spelling and grammar.

"Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" That seems to be the norm in most of the writing forums. Not good for anyone to know how good they really are. This really kills the growth of a person as a budding writer. Been on Triond and Hubpages and made loads of friends. I still don't know where I am as a writer. More serious forums test, pick and choose. If one passes this test it is okay but then it is really hard to get into them. Wisegeek is one such site. Being an Indian, I am not eligible to join most of these sites. I should work on and hope for the best, I suppose.

I would prefer a real critic.I would trust the information more coming froma a real critic. Not people the people down who do this.I would just prefer someone who knows about writing the proper way.

This endless chain of recycling information admittedly gives a derogatory reputation to online writing, by which those seeking merely to write for money are indubitably willing enough to be enslaved. Criticism is only primary among the priorities of writers dedicated to their art, seeking constantly opportunities to hone their capacity for the written word... I assure you, criticism would be the last thing you'd find in paying writing platforms such as Triond, Helium, and so on. Try more reputable writing forums you can find on the internet. There's one in Facebook too, frequented usually by more professional writers to critique any of your written work...