[puts on his best David Attenborough voice] Today, on "Life on FurAffinity", we are examining the behavioural traits and interactions of artists and watchers.

Among the artist colony, there are those who post for exposure, those who post for their fans and those who post for want of constructive feedback. Across the divide, in the watcher colony, there are those who watch for quality, those who watch for "release", those who are fanboys, those who are here on the off-chance they can catch a favourite artist giving commissions and those who want to provide meaningful feedback.

There is some overlap between motives or groups, and even varying degrees to which these statements hold true, but for simplicity's sake, let's assume that the groups are distinct.

* For the "Showoffs", the implication of comments will be taken to extremes; they are here for ego-stroking, so even the slightest criticism will be like a dagger to the heart.
* For the "Fan-Pleasers", comments are irrelevant, but they come anyway; they know their audience and don't venture far enough beyond their comfort zones to upset their base or attract newcomers.
* For the "Struggling Artists", a comment, any comment, would be welcome and taken (with a grain of salt, sometimes) as a sign post along the road to improving or broadening their abilities. Whether this is done for the sake of improvement itself or for the sake of eventually becoming a "Showoff" or a "Fan-Pleaser" is another matter.

Now, that having been said, comments have be given.

* "Appreciators" are generally reserved in giving comments unless something really catches their eye. The assumption is: "I'm watching you because I like your work, therefore, I have no reason to comment unless I can find something to nitpick or something to commend." This motive, however, is not usually known to the artist. They will observe all three types of artists, but may migrate to the "Struggling Artists" if their sensibilities are offended by the first two groups.
* "One-Handed Browsers" comment often, but are prone to typos, LOL-speak, overuse of emoticons, improper grammatical conventions, etc. Example: "wow ur pron iz hawt i cummed hard i wish i was that fox in the hanreds rofl" Generally stays with the first two groups unless a newcomer who wants feedback makes toe-curling porn right out of the gate.
* "Fanboys" also comment often, but for a different reason. Similar to the "One-Handed Browsers", their comments are generally better-worded and more glowing, overlooking minor or even distinct flaws in the hope of ingratiating themselves with their artists of choice.
* "Commish Whores" exhibit some of the less admirable traits of the "Fanboys" and "OHBs". They comment as frequently as they can come up with something coherent to say and wait until an artist whose work they enjoy says three magic words: "Now accepting commissions." Often, no attention is paid to the cost. Commissions from well-known artists are Veblen goods; the price is inconsequential next to the ability to say, "I have a commission from so-and-so," particularly if that artist is rarely in the habit of doing them.
* "Critics" may not have artistic skill or training, but nonetheless have some idea of when a work doesn't seem "right". Providing comments, however, can prove tricky; there is no perfect knowledge here, only observation and gossip. Upon a first encounter, a "Critic" will be deliberate and sometimes stilted in his wording, but future exchanges will flow more easily, often leading to the formation of friendships, if they were not friends to start with. </Attenborough>