Grades, Part II

"Ah, they don't make them like they used to."
--Helmut, the machinist in the Research Institutes, commenting on the declining physical strength of physics students, as exemplified by my own inability to loosen bolts.

I've recently been rethinking my analysis of grade inflation. As far as I am concerned personally, the issue is a trivial one. I generally care much less about the actual grade itself than I do about the comments, criticisms, and flaws of my work. The indicator that the teacher chooses to assign to the work is meaningless to me outside of its instrumental value (which is still considerable... I can't pretend to be that idealistic). So the question that really interests me is whether teachers have become less critical of their students' work. Along with grade inflation has there been any kind of criticism deflation? I have absolutely no idea, and it is probably almost impossible to test.