Sharing it here:
https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/28395-state-of-the-stomp-lets-remember-to-be-kind

An excellent reminder.

On a related note: I rediscovered one of my early ccM uploads after someone remixed it. My early track sounded decent back then but now it would be something I’d find cringeworthy. Re-reading the comments for that upload, I was also reminded of the rather gracious comments from the community. Not so much as condescension but an understanding that everyone is at a different level of skills and musical maturity. That’s one outstanding aspect of ccM and it makes me glad that culture seems to have remained consistent for over a decade. Big thank you to all you admins & ccMers.

Ok, end of soppy pontification.

I went and listened to it (White Knights.) I kinda like that, nothing to cringe at.

Thank you for this post Ivan! It really struck a chord for me (pun intended LOL). I, too, look back on my early uploads here with some degree of horror — terribly pitchy vocals, timing errors, and mixes that just sound really off. Thanks to the positive feedback of the ccMixter community, I’ve continued to improve every aspect of my art. And similar artist development is observable with other members of our community.

Kindness works. Encouragement is more productive than cruel criticism. Thanks for reminding us Ivan. xxx