GSS (by the way, it's one of my favourite books of all time, Yaroslav Hasek was a great writer),

You say:"...why should Music Critics not learn to improve,why should they be above criticism". I say "Who says? of course they should learn to improve, and of course they can be, and are, criticised".

You also say "...an attitude persists exemplified by Matt Milton,that anyone who wishes to write about music should be allowed to do so. So its ok ,for anyone regardless of their knowledge ,to slag off or praise somebody elses work.,sorry that makes the criticism of little value". I say:" Anyone can open their mouth and make noises, it doesn't mean they are making music. Anyone can offer opinions, freedom of speech and all that, but it doesn't mean that their opinion is valid. The responsibility is with us to be discerning and select the opinions, (the music, the writing, etc etc) that we will value. If we just sit goggle-eyed and accept anyone's view as wisdom simply because they are famous / a celebrity / loud / opinionated / have a great haircut, then we deserve all we get.

"So how can the situation be improved?"

Well, you see I don't think it is broken in the first place; we just need to be more critical readers of criticism, as I said above. We all do have the right to reply, and when we do so we should do it eruditely, explaining why a particular criticism is mistaken or misses the point, rather than simply rant back at the critic's rantings (if rantings they be).

I had my share of negative critiques, some of them unfair, I believe. For example, there was a case where a critic slagged off dismissively and without proper argumentation a song about the turbulent life of a transsexual (a song which many others have praised and which has received recognition from those who know, i.e. transsexuals themselves). To me the critic was simply exposing his own prejudices. Yet I chose not to respond - why? Because a) I am not his psychoanalyst, b) I believe that others reading his critique would have arrived at the correct conclusion, and c) life is too short.

Choices. We all have them.