I have read comments (usually of a pompous nature) posted about other people's poetry, in which the critic could not be bothered to use the correct English spelling, punctuation or grammar. If people choose to criticise another's work, surely, they should have the common decency to abide by the rules of the English Language themselves ?

When you say that you've 'read comments... in which the critic...' are you referring to one critic making several comments or several people making various comments? It's just that you've used a definate article and not an indefinate article before the noun.
This can be a little confusing to those of us who don't know the rules.

Bill Lad, behave!! I think it is fair enough if there are typos in the comments - crit sections. We might be busy, we might be distracted when we write them; we might be having problems with watery eyes (that's my excuse, right enough).

We should, however, try to avoid typos and poor grammar and spelling if we are posting poems. But, when all's said and done, these are only blog postings, and quite a few are very performance-oriented, so we can't always expect the exacting standards of page poetry.

PS I went to a propper skool in Wiggin, me. And I've been up the varsity.

Darren, you're definitely a right little article!

Fair and valid point Darren; but, whereas I'm not making any claims or parading my academic status, one or two others do so, and therefore they should live up to their claims. I'm always willing to learn from others.

Sorry Bill - my comment wasn't meant to be a sleight.
Maybe people who do make comments will think twice before contributing though, if there are prescriptive 'rules' to be observed before making those comments?

It's a forum - Inglish lanwidge is flexabul enuff to tolerate typo's and mistooks in gramr.

Not the slightest bit of sleight taken Darren; I should lighten up I suppose.

Isn't it best to take something from critiques that you think have some worth and ignore the others.

Spot on !