Another way to make a comment more friendly is, when possible, to cast it as a question rather than a statement.  Consider the difference between:


(Answer) doesn't work because of X.


and


When you do that, how do you account for the problem of X?


It could well be that X isn't a problem -- your assumption is wrong.  If you assert it you look bad; if you raise the question the poster isn't put on the defensive, and if it's a problem he can fix it (and thank you for the help).

I used to leave comments like the following that I thought were friendly and helpful:


This question/answer could be improved by adding (details/a source).


I realized that comments like the following got better results and also that I preferred them when on the receiving end:


Could you add more details about X?
Do you have a source?


This approach doesn't always work (e.g. for site policy).  It's also most important for the initial comment, before you and the other person are engaged in a dialogue.

Etiquette for posting civil and informative comments
Was researching this in order to answer How can a Shadowdancer use spring attack with Hide in Plain Sight? I learned a fair amount about these changes and since they&rsquo;re pretty significant, I wanted to write it down.

How have the rules regarding sneaking around changed from Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 to Pathfinder?
