What is your preference for a player to get a commendation?

[Knahli]

But on the other hand, if I were that tank, I would probably slowly quit doing my job if I began to feel like my ability to play my job goes ignored and unappreciated because having skill is no longer a factor in getting a commendation.

Basically what I'm getting at is, when people are giving out commendations just for saying something as simple as hello, and nothing more. All incentive for me to want to try my hardest goes out the window because I could Heavy Shot my way through a dungeon without using any other skill at all; and still get commendations all because I said hello. See where I'm getting at here? Not trying to sound rude, just being brutally honest. Some of us do want the commendation rewards, and if being good at your job is no longer a requirement to getting it, than, why bother? Your commendation is basically teaching me that it's okay to be bad as long as I'm friendly and talk.

Netflix and chill mode engage!

I don't require validation to enjoy the game so I have difficulty relating to that. I will (usually) play the game near enough to the best of my ability - assuming I am not taking part in a conversation on a shell or something - and I don't look for commendations at the end of the run to determine how "noticeable" my efforts were, regardless of how casually or seriously I took a particular run. If they commend me then great, I am happy I made enough of an impression to make their run slightly more enjoyable; if not then I do not take it personally and treat it as a reflection of their verdict on my overall efforts. I wouldn't commend anyone I noticed being lazy with their rotations or otherwise, but I am not interested in evaluating their performance as if it were anything that by definition mattered very much to them. For all I know they have no interest in end-game raiding and just like relaxing in the game while throwing themselves into a roulette or two now and then.

See, this I don't agree with. Based on your scenario, that tank pulled out victory from the jaws of defeat. They went above their basic rotation; maybe popped a perfectly timed Hallowed Ground or worked LB3 into their cooldown rotation to save the group from a wipe. Not giving them a comm because the healer apologized for mistakes feels cheap to me-- like you're giving them a participation award. I'll still be nice to said healer and tell them not to worry about it if it were an honest mistake, but I have to give the tank the comm because they did their job well and I like encouraging that.

But honestly speaking, they really didn't. It is up to everyone, no matter the job, to respond to the scenario as presented to them regardless of whether they wanted to or not. A Tank that clutched the raid from a wipe is not a hero. Personally, I place the experience of party members above my own unless they give me good reason not to, but even with that said, if I am the last person alive and I have a chance of finishing off the boss then all of my efforts build toward an outcome that is just as beneficial to me as it is for the rest of the dungeon/raid, so I have every incentive TO try my best. Now consider the same scenario from the point of view of someone who is a little more self-centred which, frankly, I think it quite typical of your average DF encounters.

Even with all of that said, they will nonetheless be praised by everyone and have all of their appreciation(mine included) and unless they have an insecurity complex then they certainly don't need anyone telling them that they did a good job. And let's be honest, they're already going to get a handful of commendations from the rest of the party anyways. If someone fails on the other hand, if they have half a conscience about it then they will actually feel guilty and - particularly so in raid environments - that can be stressful and embarrassing. That's what my commendation is for. To put it bluntly, I am far more concerned about about the feelings of someone who made an honest mistake than I am about the ego of someone who was only looking out for themselves. If they can own up to a mistake then they have my respect because too many people today are shameless enough to not take responsibility for something as basic as that. As Clover has already mentioned, I will encourage that behaviour and show my support for people like that, not someone who can just play the game well. Their substance and actual character behind the avatar has a lot more meaning to me than any perfectly timed Hallowed Ground ever will.