What is your post-to-comment ratio?

I recently noticed, REALLY noticed, the little data byte that accompanies our name when we post or comment on NPN forums. Our registration date is noted, along with the number of image postings we have made and also the number of comments we have made. The reason I paid attention to this little bit of trivia is that I was surprised at how few posts I have made for being on this forum for about 2 years (Only 60+ images???). And then I was further amused by the number of comments I have made (over 1000) If I divided my posts by my comments, then I am at about 6% posts to comments.

Which got me thinking...what is the ideal post-to-comments ratio for these kinds of forums? Most likely, the balance will and should favour comments. But what is YOUR post-to-comment ratio? Now that you know, will you change it?

Some fun trivia for the day.

I believe the guideline is 5 comments for every post. Sadly, I'm under that, but have been making a concerted effort in recent weeks to get my comment numbers up.

I think im over 20-1, but much of that is due to the fact that i comment on every shot in the gallery i moderate. I forced myself early on as a member to comment on as many shots as possible, because it really helped me get a feel for what works and what doesnt work for me in a photograph. I noticed that some of the folks who had the largest comment to post ratio also seemed to be improving the most as photographers--probably not a coincidence.

I think a lot of folks don't want to comment if they can't think of something substantive to say, but while i cant speak for others, personally I don't mind hearing a simple 'thumbs' up or 'thumbs down'--and that takes all of 5 seconds to do.

I think the 5-1 suggesiton is a good target to shoot for, although in ESS the average # of comments is something like 14 or 15, so in theory the optimal ratio should be similar.

I think as with all things a good balance works the best. Commenting makes you look closer and more critically at an image and decide what you think works and doesn't work. It also heps to clarify that beauty is in the eye of the beholder as not everyone likes the same stuff. Posting your own images helps you to determine if you are self-critiqueing (sp?) well and using what you are learning here. It also makes you put yourself in the line of fire rather than hiding behind the scenes. I think there is a wide range for the ratio of posting to comments that works but that if you find yourself at the extreme of either (always posting but never commenting/ rarely posting but always commenting) then you may want to try to find a balance to best use this site for improving your photography skills.

Hmmm, never thought about it but mine is 1 post for every 16 comments (185posts/3026 comments) or 6%. Mostly I post on ESS and somethimes in WC and M&N. There is a big difference in the traffic and post/comment ratio between sites in general for me.

Looks like my ratio is 6%, or about 15 to 1 comments to posts. I would like it to be 20-1, but it's tough sometimes to keep up. I do notice that the comments I recieve are higher in number when I am making a more active participation in it myself, generally. I used to get caught up in quantity of comments recieved on my images. I try not to do that anymore. If I only get six comments, but thay are all good, then great. If the six comments all make suggestion to improve the image, or improve me, and my approach, then also great.

Chris

Ok, I was going to comment on those new pics tomorrow, but I can do it now just as well...

My ratio seems to be 21 to 1. The reason for that is that when I posted my first photo, I already had at least 150 comments (too bad this topic wasn't brought up then! ). My overall numbers are also still pretty low (less than 300 comments); so, my ratio is inevitably coming down.

Sally has a good point there. Also, if you want to keep your ratio as, let's say 15, it may require commenting in at least two galleries (if you post often and your regular gallery doesn't receive 15 posts in two days). I'm just not so comfortable commenting in the others (obvious solution: start learning! ). I mainly post in Macro, and I try to comment on most or nearly all posts there. If I post in WC, I comment there too that week. I feel this has been a good way to contribute.

Stan: your ratio is 18. That really is impressive, as is your overall number of comments! I noticed pretty quickly that you comment on each and every post on WC, and I'm sure all of us posters appreciate it (I certainly do!). Good job there!

The thought of over 1000 comments makes my head spin, let alone several thousand! I hope to achieve that eventually, and still keep my ratio somewhere around 15 or 16. 18 probably is an impossible task...

This is an interesting topic. Thanks for bringing it up, Samantha

Being new here, I'm a not quite to 4:1 and trying to move up to 5 or more. I'm trying to to make it more than a "nice shot" counter and inject something useful. I need to work on that aspect, especially with things I'm not fond of. I tend to not comment on those and I know I should say something
I've recently started to comment on the images around my most recent post when I view "All Photos" to make sure my post is correct. I'm finding that it takes me out of my comfort zone and makes me more thoughtful of what I'm looking at and things I need to work on. It has made me post images that I have struggled with, or am struggling with, to evoke responses from others, not just the images I'm comfortable with and proud of. I find the approach to be cathartic. Like the caterpillar, I've no idea how I'll emerge. The journey being more important than where I'm going or how I get there.
Thanks for the thread Samantha, The interaction of all the moderators I've encountered here has been way beyond any expectations I may have brought to the table.
I also try to visit the web sites and portfolios of the imagers I comment on as well as those that comment on my images.
My education continues!
Neil

I have a approx. 200(pix) to 6600(comments) ratio. I was postig images as a non member, so I had a week of just commenting. Then I was 2.5 months in finland w/o techncial possibility to post but just to comment.
Here's my philosopy on commenting:
I ususally try to comment on the first 5 images at the time when I post mine and usually on more older ones as well. Of course, you receive more comments when you comment more on other' work. If I post images in a gallery, then I do it for receiving feedback. So I just think it is fair to put in as much as possible into something were I expect an outcome. Input = output so to speak. I want to get feedback on my images. But not for my ego as some might think, but the more people click and comment, the more statistically sound is the "average" opinion on the image I can derive from this. To each his own ability to decide if his photographer-ego swells by 20+ comments, or if he reads the true feedback (between the lines). I agree with Chris, if it's just one comment and it is well written and makes the point clear, than that's great as well.

Thanks, everyone, for the comments. When I first joined this site, I was overwhelmed by the quality of the posts continually made here. (Who was I to critique or comment on other photographers' images??) I am still in awe of the photographs posted on this site on a daily basis. But I learned to jump in, to put myself into the 'line of fire' as Sally King posts in this thread, and my risk was amply rewarded. So post! and comment! and take what you can from such wonderful sites as NPN.

You get out what you put in, plain and simple, folks.

In the Gallery I have 2945 replies and 373 image posts. Here I currently have 85 tpoics and 860 replies. My forum participation varies with what things I am involved with in the rest of my life. However, I strongly believe that NPN has been one of the most valuable things in my photographic activities. I have learned so much here. This learning only comes from participation.

My biggest issue with that statistic Sam is that if you post a photo and then immediately delete it because you discovered that it was the wrong version or the color didn't look right or something it counts as a post. Even if there wasn't anyone who actually viewed it. For instance, I think I have something like 12 posts, but really it should be about 7. Also, the other issue is the length of the comments. So people actually put more effort into what they write in the comments instead writing one word answers like "great!" or just choosing one of the smiley faces down below. I do agree it is an interesting statistic and I often look at it - It can be misleading though....

Interesting topic. When I joined 2-3 months ago, my goal was to comment on 20 posts for every shot that I post. I think I'm somewhere in the ballpark, though it's not terribly hard since I only post a shot every week or so. There's no magic for me in the number "20." I simply chose that goal because, after all, this is a "forum" that is driven by collaboration, and if I want to receive the benefit of that I've got to accept the corresponding burden as well. I sure as heck do not typically receive 20 responses to every shot I post! But like some others, I find the process of commenting to be very helpful in my own photography and thus it has its own benefits. And it is kind of fun.

As for myself, I'm shooting (no pun intended ..... too late ) for a 50-1 reply-to-post ratio.

I comment way more than post because it is faster and easier.. Posting requires going into PS and resizing and sharpening......PS already is a black hole in terms of time so I only do so when I have something unusual to share in terms of subject matter. I shoot between 10,000 to 15,000 images per year which means a lot of face time with my computer.

I don't know how I came up with it, but I always thought the suggested comments to post ratio here on NPN was 10:1.
My comment to post ratio is around 13.5:1 or 7.4%

My comment to posts is a bit over 9:1 in the critique galleries, such as ESS. I also comment on most of the images posted at the California regional group forum, as well as topics in the other discussion forums. My overall comments to posts ratio is 7.5: 525 posts/3940 comments.

As I see it, the main thing is to be an active particpant providing comments that are constructive and/or instructive.

Cheers,

-P

My comment to post ratio is 24:1 or 4%. Right about where it should be.

If I notice, I will not comment on a photo where the photographer does nothing but post photos, with few comments. I feel as a participant in the NPN communtiy, one should contribute comments and critiques to others if you want the same for your images. Just my way of thinking about it.

Overall I know this subject has come up and been presented in various manners with I'm sure an intent each time to raise a consciousness and to help promote commenting on images in general. Always taking this in the positive light it is meant to be I applaud the general idea.
However, I have to agree wholeheartedly with Harley's point of view and acknowledge to a very similar approach. I do hold an almost 17 to 1 ratio if my math is correct for 249 posts and 4209 comments.
There are other factors that can be items of interest on all posts. Obviously the total comments is one, the total number of views to total comments being another, as well as comments by genre in each gallery. Such as; seascape, beachscape, mountains, trees, rocks, abstracts, desert, etc. in the ES&S gallery.

Sam,

Thanks for bringing up this topic. Like Paul eludes to, it's nice to hear and respond to this approach rather than the opposite of why some images get more comments than others....

I noticed this too, but I think it caught your attention because I believe Jim moved the post/comments numbers from where they used to be. Didn't those stats use to be below the image near the signature? I think at the same time he introduced the "member gallery" link is when he moved the stats - and that's why you noticed them - at least that's what I think.

Yes, the site guidelines do suggest 5 comments for every image posted. I think that's not a very difficult goal to reach. Anyone who has to take the time to crop, adjust color, contrast, sharpen and resize for the web, save, sort, organize.... can certainly take the time to comment on a few images.

No scientific study here... but I think this last year there have been fewer times where I've had to encourage members to make more comments. I know there are many folks who have made an effort to increase the number of comments they make and I know it's recognized by those receiving the comments and those folks have benefited by receiving more comments as well.

I also absolutely believe that there is much to be learned from evaluating and writing critiques for other people. Too often we hear, "I don't feel qualified or have enough experience to comment." Well, it certainly is true that everyone has an opinion and a reaction to the imagery and there's really no reason why everyone can't comment.

I expect I'm the odd-ball here at over a 48:1 ratio. The only other person I know who has a high ratio is Tony Kuyper and he's over 51!!!!! That's insane! DJ above I think was joking that he wanted to get to 50:1. Well, I had thoughts of trying to reach that and have since given up. The only way to do it would be to not post any images for a couple months and continue commenting. I do take personal pride in commenting on as many posts as I can. But folks have probably noticed that I'm most active posting comments during those times when I have an active image on ES&S.

Maybe being a moderator has something to do with it, but certainly the moderators are not required to comment. But somehow I feel like I should be commenting more, so I do. And if I didn't enjoy writing comments and the interaction with other photogs, I wouldn't do it.

In the end, it's a community of like-minded folks interested in nature and photography. And as others have said, you get out of it, what you put in to it. Pay it forward....

Lon

I don't have the number of posts or comments that a lot of people on here do but with 150 comments my ratio comes in at over 4:1 or 21%

Bruce

I comment each time when I'm in the office working on images on the PC. there are just so many good "empty" minutes, waiting for the scanner to be ready again, waiting for sy to pick up a phone call etcect. I'm one of the folks who can't stand to sit in front of the Pc and wait...
the ratio is pretty irrelevant, imo, because you can easily improve it with comments like "nice shot", cool! or just with toasts, that'll bring you 100 comments in an hour. I do look at these stats and keep wondering how much time I have spent on commenting and posting on NPN and sometimes it gives me the creeps and sometimes I am convinced its all for the better. what really would scare the hell out of me is thinking about the folks who blog and twitter and myspace and facebook and all that, and I wonder if that is time well spent. for the time being, I am very convinced its NOT. therfore NPN is my only virtual outlet, with no plans to change anytime soon.
I believe, with all sympathy for NPN folks (who really are classy) one should monitor the time spent with this and be real honest about the output he gets compared what other things he could do with that time.
well, just some sidenotes, probably unwanted ones...

georg

My ratio is no where near the freakish number that Lon and Tony have It probably is high enough to have cause for alarm at allmost 30:1. I, like Harley will hold my comments if I notice someone with a ridiculously low number who has been a member for awhile. I don't think this is the place for one to use as just a place for advertising. I feel my participation in the forums contributes to my growth as a photographer. I also think that Lon said it beautifully. Hey, Stan, do weathermen not have to do math? Your ratio is about 11:1 looks like to me. (Still quite admirable, Dude)

With regards to not commenting on someones photos who has not provided comments as part of their participation on this site, I do that...but for different reasons. I don't find it to be a reason to judge the individual. Rather, they have a different goal in their use of the gallery (I hope/assume). As much as I value the input of the fine members of NPN, I use ESS as an outlet for my work. I just want people (lots of them) to see my photographs. Similarly, when I was most committed to being active in the galleries, I wasn't trying to comment on every photo. I was trying to view every photo. I think if someone is slow to comment, they probably don't post expecting you to comment. They certainly must not want you to feel an obligation.

I work hard to keep my ratio at about 20:1 because I want people to like me, but I also want them to think I'm honest, so I don't comment that often. I have to post less often.

71:1 for me
(1346 comments, 19 posts)

I was following a 1:100 ratio until this past summer, but I've recently started posting more of my own work at more like a 20:1 ratio, although overall I've been pretty inactive due to being so busy with my non-photography life. I've found that commenting on other people's photos has helped my own photography more than having other people comment on my photos.

I'll keep it simple... just over 20 to 1. *edit*- in ESS

I have always tried to maintain 10 to 1 comment to post ratio

I am approx 5-6 to 1. Usually I try to comment images that have less comments than others. Sometimes less comments means lower quality, thus commenting them is kind of forcing yourself to be positively constructive, while your only constructive thought is: "hey, this image belongs to the recycle bin".
However, quite often you can find very creative images that don't fall into the mainstream category of saturated eye-pleasing stereotypical vistas, therefore collecting fewer comments. In those cases, discovering and commenting those images is a real pleasure.

Mine's a little less than 5 to 1 but I try for quality instead of quantity. Make no mistake there are some great commentators on this site, its why I joined in the first place I thought I would get honest opinions on my images. I think my time on this site has made me a better photographer, it definitely has helped with my post processing and my web posting. When I comment I try to explain why the image does or doesn't work for me. I haven't touched the Happy faces ( mostly because i don't know how to use them, but my comments generally are in depth) I probably should be a prescribed insomnia relief medicine.

Paul

117 posts & 4424 comments. Like many of you I feel that commenting is an important part of making NPN work. And I too tend not to feel as enthusiastic about the small number of posters who don't comment on other's images.

I've been absent lately but my ratio is 26 Posts, 2832 Comments! I should post a little more often!

Well, I'm currently at 1 post/6 comments, but I'm just getting started. Early in the thread Stan said that commenting on others photos helped him get a feel for what worked and didn't work for him in an image and I totally agree. Analyzing and discussing the outstanding work of others here is a tool I intend to use often to improve my own skills and since I can only post a photo every 48 hours I'm sure my post to comment ratio will continue to soar. Interesting topic.

I noticed that many people make their percentage by giving a big number of completely meaningless comments like: gorgeous photo, fantastic comp, awesome light. They are kind of nice, but at the same they are like rather useless and shallow patting on the back. They don't point any direction, they do not contribute to the learning process of the photographer.
There are very, very few meaningful comments that touch the essence of the photo, either in a positive, or constructive negative, way.