[Okvivi]

I think there are benefits and drawbacks to both being supportive even if you don't think that the idea is good, and to being brutally honest.

After living here long enough I'm no longer trying to judge, it's just the way things are, and I just learned to translate. That's why I made the graphs.

I think it's only irrelevant if you understand this difference of translation and adapt to it.

Not everybody understands it though, specially when you first move here or when you first have contact with the US. I know it took me a non trivial amount of time to realize it.

[jcampbell1]

I think your piece is interesting, informative, useful, and well written. I just don't think others' opinion on ideas are particularly relevant. My opinion on Dropbox/Heroku/AirBnb's ideas would have all fallen on the left side of the bell curve, which only shows my opinion on ideas is irrelevant. I am just saying that the position one is placed on the bell curve is not important. Understanding different cultures is very important.

I won't address the relative merits of different cultural norms on being supportive vs being brutally honest.

[ido]

    I just don't think others' opinion on ideas 
    are particularly relevant. My opinion on
    Dropbox/Heroku/AirBnb's ideas would have all 
    fallen on the left side of the bell curve, 
    which only shows my opinion on ideas is 
    irrelevant.

I think what you are trying to say is "take advice/opinions with a grain of salt".

I've recieved plenty of bad (and good) feedback on products that ended up being successful, but if someone who is considered a world-renown expert in my field tells me I have problems A, B & C I'm going to listen carefully.