Here's a little Excercise the Noobies Can Play........
..... but let me give you a little back story first. When I first joined TPF I had been on a several year hiatus from shooting much of anything and previously it had all been film. Digital photography was completely new to me even though most of the basics remained true. I was just the terms being used, the slang and acronyms took a while to set in my mind. Hell, I didn't even know what RTFM or STFU meant with only four letters, much less what ROFLMAO was supposed to be about.
So after that bit of acclimation became more comfortable, I wanted to learn AND be a contributing member. Yep, I started out with the "I like it"; "Good job" and such. But back then, there really was more support of the community with helpful advice. Not just on my photos, it was evenly distrubuted. I started to really pay attention to the other members that I found particularly gratious with their time for commenting on photos that were in dire need of assistance. Then I had a thought.....
Here's the Excercise Part.....
Before I would read any previous comments on a photo posted for C&C, I would study the image. I would deconstruct it to the best of my ability and elvaluate it on its own merits. Initially, I would jot down notes on paper and shortly aftewards I would trust my memory.... always a bad move on my part. 
Only after my own analysis would I read the other comments. The more times I was in the concensus, the more confidence I had to actually type my comments for C&C. The kick in the pants was when some of those same members that I held to high regard began to comment on my comments in a positive manner, that I felt that I actually have learned a few things about photography.
So there it is. If you're intimidated to comment on a photo due to insecurity, do it anyway, but just keep it to yourself. Was it Mark Twain that said "It is best to be considered a fool, than to open your mouth and be proven so"? (or something like that).
Ha! This is *exactly* what I did--still do quite often, truth be told, because I'm not yet completely confident in my ability to accurately assess a photo for C&C. It's not really about caring whether I'm in the majority opinion, it's more about wanting to learn. So I look at the picture and think about MY thoughts on it, but I don't post a reply. Later, I'll look back at it and see if anyone whose opinion I value and trust has commented, and see whether my C&C is pretty much in line, or if they point out things I missed. Sometimes, their C&C disagrees with mine, but in a way that is clearly just a matter of opinion, which is fine.
I read at least four of the replies to this--I guess I shouldn't be surprised that threads like this go on and on, while the threads actually ASKING for C&C can die such quick deaths of neglect.
I typed a long, incredibly insightful treatise on all this--but then I deleted it, because even *I* didn't want to read it all.
Basically:
I personally LOVE any response to my threads at all. Even if it's "great pic" when I know that, in fact, it is NOT a great pic, is appreciated because if nothing else, at least it bumps the thread so that maybe someone whose opinion I value will now see it and comment.
I do get what the OP is saying, that several "cool!," "awesome," "great pic" comments can make someone think their photo is better than it is, and then perhaps when a more qualified C&C comes along that pans it, they dismiss that.
But I honestly can't see anything that will ever change that, short of requiring moderation on every single comment before it's posted. And I'm sure our volunteer mods would LOVE doing THAT!!
People are either willing and eager to learn, or they aren't. If they really want to improve, they will quickly learn that while the "great pic" comments are a nice ego boost, the REAL value is in those who give you ways to improve or help you learn how to better evaluate the photo yourself.
My skills have probably increased threefold since I came here (which still don't really make them anything to brag about!), and I mostly attribute that to the fact that I found probably five or six people whose opinions I really valued (and one or two that I valued enough to consider them to be mentors, and pestered them with questions unceasingly.
) and when one of those people comments on a photo, whether good or bad--I LISTEN.
And while most of the time, I do try to give practical C&C (to the best of my still limited ability), sometimes, I just "like" it. Or I just don't like it. I personally think it's valuable to know the overall response your photo has with people of varying skill levels.
