Quote - "There is a curious implication above that
(a) amateurs are automatically worse artists than professionals
and
(b) professionals respond to criticism in a more temperate way than amateurs.
Neither would appear to be a standpoint that bears up very well to analysis."

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***Not really. I was mostly saying that I'll respect a critique from somebody who is a better Poser artist than me over somebody who isn't. I'd also pay more attention to diet advice from a fit athlete over that of a 600 lb couch potato. It doesn't mean that any of the advice is wrong, but that the advice from the person who can personally apply it to themselves carries more weight than the advice from the person who has not demonstrated the ability to improve themselves.

***Firstly, I wasn't aiming that at you, gagnonrich, so I'm sorry if I gave that impression.   Nobody  readily takes slimming advice from someone who is twenty-three stone, because the too, too solid flesh of that adviser suggests that he or she may not be speaking from a position of genuine authority.   Those that bestow artistic advice don't advertise their qualifications - or lack of them -  quite so conveniently.   The problem with the concept of the Critique Forum is the blithe assumption that the critics know more than the artist, have better taste than the artist and have a technique superior to the artist's technique.   Where is the evidence that such assumptions are justified?