Posted by Rene de Heer on March 7, 2010 at 1:16 PM
When i post an image, i always make sure i visit a number of other threads to comment on the underlying images.I think it is the decent thing to do as often the owners of those threads take the time to look at my images and images of other photographers who take the time to look at their images. I very much appreciate this and i am sure so do others.
Last week i noticed a thread where the owner was able to respond a number of times on his own thread but didnt bother to comment on ANY of the images that were posted after his own image.... i think thats wrong.
I know; we are all busy, no time or whatever....but i do believe that when you are able to post an image, you also have the time to stop by a number of other images to comment on them.
After all: the traffic on the forum depends on reciprocity.
I know that this subject has been covered many times but there is nothing wrong with a small reminder. I hope that other members will agree with this.
Couldn't agree more Rene. There are a few people posting at the moment who are very guilty of this. As you say if they have time to post an image, they have time to comment on other peoples images. After all the rest of us find the time to do it.
Agree 100% no matter how small the reply,as those fews words can help 'lift' a person,in turn making a better image for them.I try to comment and be as helpful to others as much as I can without sounding like I know it all,without the massive fancy words,working class man,working class answer, even if I have'nt got an image to post I still like to help or reply.
Rene
I aggree entirely. !! - and i.ve hinted at this a few times.There are occasions however when I have posted an image and had to suddenly do something else and then the next time I return there's a load more pics been posted. Its not always possible to catch up straight away and so some get missed. Having a slow connection doesn't help either.
There is always the point that sometimes there is nothing to say !!
It was pointed out some time back by the mods that they were trying to get away from the "nice one Ethel" kind of comment ( but we all do it )
Your post has made me look at my post to comment ratio too
Cheers
JohnR
I agree too Rene although as John says, there are some days when I might post one or two comments and then get called away by work (or the wife ). It's therefore best to look at someone's overall replies to topics ratio rather than what they might do on certain days.
Matt
Posted by Rene de Heer on March 7, 2010 at 3:44 PM
Matt/John
....ofcoure you can't always comment. That is NOT what this thread is about. Its about a group of photographers that aways expects to get comments and show very little reciprocity. Unless it is someone they know and admire.
There is a very simple solution; don't reply to their threads, I am sure they will start to see the light.
Rene de Heer
I can see your point to a certain extent but sometimes life can be too busy at times. I have not had much time lately because I am away a lot at the moment but I still like to drop in now and then. I think that might have been me you refer to but in my own defence I was in and out and just had time to respond to the questions on my image as I didn't want to ignore them. I think sometimes we look too deep into this but I do feel my comment ratio is not as high as others but it is still not too bad.
The only additional point I would like to raise is, if you cannot add anything to the thread, should you post 'something' and is that wrong? Is it better to comment with genuine comments, thoughts, praise etc rather than posting a 'token' comment ie 'nice image' which really, IMHO has NO real substance and as JR has pointed out, sometimes we all fall foul of posting it.
ie, those that 'freely give, stand to gain in return'.
We don't keep a tally of comments made to comments taken. It's not what it's about. There are many that willingly and freely give of their time and energy on the forum, and expect little or nothing in return. Their gift is freely given, they will be paid back many times over at some other point in time.
I agree. If someone has time to post an image then they should have time to comment on a few images from other people.
If they don't have time to do both, well maybe they should comment on images on one forum visit and post an image on the next, rather than just posting images time after time. Saying you are too busy to comment but that you do still view others images (which I believe was said on another thread very recently) is even worse! Or you get the clique where certain members seem to only post on each others images, ho hum, that's as predictable as the apparent content of the images on the forum of late - according to the other topic being discussed!
We are all equal here, sure some photographers are better than others but this is supposed to be a community where every member is equal. As it stands in my opinion, if any of the 'better' photographers (and I sum that up as the ones who get loads of comments regardless of the picture they post) left, this forum should feel like it's lost something, but I don't think it would because they are more often than not the ones that don't post on anyone else's work and that's what helps the community move forward - not posting their latest image and sitting back to wait for the praise before posting another. That helps nobody, especially not those who look up to the 'better' photographers for help and inspiration.
I hope this changes, but I can't help but think after a couple of weeks of change this thread will soon be forgotten and it will go back to normal...I vote for making this thread a sticky
Posted by John Chapman on March 8, 2010 at 4:00 AM
I would agree if you have time to process and post your image you should make time to comment on others,if you expect comments you should give them also
A difficult one to comment on as I have just watched one of my images get 14 views before being commented on,so thats 14 of you without any feedback or point of view,there are many photographers on the forum that get 300-400 views ok some come back for a second look but they only get 17 or 18 comments,seeing my point now? There are several photographers on here who have never commented on any of my shots,no skin off my nose and I have to be honest and say that I don't comment on any of theres!
This point gets raised quite often and will never be resolved,for some its a showcase of there latest images for others its a learning tool,I view to see where most peoples images are going in terms of style and composition but you can't force people to comment,time can be and is an issue!!!
A question that's been raised previously and no doubt will again. There dosen't seem to be a complete answer.
I for one use the forum to learn and broaden my scope. I struggle sometimes and also find it difficult to commit a written judgement on work that I'm really not qualified in. During three score years of life I've learnt to keep my mouth shut on subjects that I lack knowledge of.
An opinion as too whether you like a photo or not is another thing.
In seeking to further my knowledge I probably approach the forum from a different perspective than most. I'm not seeking masses of comments with my subjects just and indication where I went wrong.
I think you all make a fair point and I have took it on board and I have been guilty of this comment per post ratio of late but I just don't have the time at this moment so it is a shame but very difficult because I also use the forum to keep in touch with the many friends that I have made whilst being an active member. Its a shame but I do see your point.
Cheers Everyone
Danny
Posted by Rene de Heer on March 8, 2010 at 4:10 PM
Danny as I explained over the phone to you as well; its not about you, there are many more who could step up his or her effort.
There are many examples, and again over the weekend I noticed other examples of limited, exclusive replies to threads.
There is NO way one can keep up commenting on all the images that appear on this forum and I do not think that anyone would expect that either! So as far as I am concerned the thread seems to have attracted a fair amount of interest of other forum participants who seem to have the same sort of feeling about this subject..
Let's now move on. For me the subject is closed.....
Good luck in Scotland.
Rene de Heer
will keep an eye on those who keep on replying to a limited number of threads and if I feel I should address it...I will!
OK I don't like where this is going... it is starting to feel like some form of witch hunt, run by some form of self appointed posse.
This forum definitely isn't a place where, providing you stay within the guidelines, you should feel pressured ,or held to account, for your (number of) contributions to others, by others.
There are loads of reasons why peoples contribution to this forum periodically wains, then rekindles; believe me in the past 7 years Nick and I have seen most of them from numerous contributors, numerous times rangeing from international travel, work pressures, family pressures, to a disability affecting people being able to type.
Should anybody choose not to interact with fellow forumites,for whatever reason, for whatever time, that's their call and I object to anybody exerting any pressure over anybody on this forum to say why they have not met some notional criteria, or worse, attempt to sully a persons name because of it.
Give your time freely and take it freely, no strings attached other than the rope you create for yourself as obviously, a symbiotic, rather than parasitic, approach to this forum is a distinct advantage to any forumite. A symbiotic approach to this forum can, and has, built friendships, opened doors, created opportunities and, more than anything else, improved photography; it is no accident that this forum has a high image quality, it is an artifact of this forums purpose - critique.
T
Posted by Rene de Heer on March 8, 2010 at 5:04 PM
Thanks for your valid input Tom.
It is not a witch hunt and neither is it a posse and maybe I should have phrased it a bit better.
Rene de Heer
I will keep an eye on those who keep on replying to a limited number of threads and if I feel I should address it...I will! So as far as I am concerned the thread seems to have attracted a fair amount of interest of other forum participants who seem to have the same sort of feeling about this subject..
Sorry, but I don't like it very much either. I feel as though I am being told to comment a certain number of times according to the number of pics I have posted - some sort of target in fact.
Rene's post infers that I and others will be watched and counted. ! Dear oh dear !
This is not what this forum should be about surely.?
I will post comments as and when I feel like it, on whatever pictures I feel like doing so on and that certainly won't be everbody's ! - And it certainly will not in order to keep my "numbers" up to standard with rules that others have decided and deem to be appropriate !I
I have left two other forums for almost exactly the same reason as is becoming evident on this one. Such a shame.
John Robinson
Posted by Rene de Heer on March 9, 2010 at 12:39 AM
I already stated that it was formulatted in a wrong way and I have adjusted my reply accordiongly. Apologies for that... so let's move on and watch some pictures.
Rene de Heer
Discussion
24 repliesLast week i noticed a thread where the owner was able to respond a number of times on his own thread but didnt bother to comment on ANY of the images that were posted after his own image.... i think thats wrong.
I know; we are all busy, no time or whatever....but i do believe that when you are able to post an image, you also have the time to stop by a number of other images to comment on them.
After all: the traffic on the forum depends on reciprocity.
I know that this subject has been covered many times but there is nothing wrong with a small reminder. I hope that other members will agree with this.
Rene de Heer
I also agree 100% by not doing so you do not enter the spirit/purpose of the forum!
David
Rene
I aggree entirely. !! - and i.ve hinted at this a few times.There are occasions however when I have posted an image and had to suddenly do something else and then the next time I return there's a load more pics been posted. Its not always possible to catch up straight away and so some get missed. Having a slow connection doesn't help either.
There is always the point that sometimes there is nothing to say !!
It was pointed out some time back by the mods that they were trying to get away from the "nice one Ethel" kind of comment ( but we all do it
Your post has made me look at my post to comment ratio too
Cheers
JohnR
Matt
....ofcoure you can't always comment. That is NOT what this thread is about. Its about a group of photographers that aways expects to get comments and show very little reciprocity. Unless it is someone they know and admire.
There is a very simple solution; don't reply to their threads, I am sure they will start to see the light.
Rene de Heer
Rene de Heer
I can see your point to a certain extent but sometimes life can be too busy at times. I have not had much time lately because I am away a lot at the moment but I still like to drop in now and then. I think that might have been me you refer to but in my own defence I was in and out and just had time to respond to the questions on my image as I didn't want to ignore them. I think sometimes we look too deep into this but I do feel my comment ratio is not as high as others but it is still not too bad.
Danny
The only additional point I would like to raise is, if you cannot add anything to the thread, should you post 'something' and is that wrong? Is it better to comment with genuine comments, thoughts, praise etc rather than posting a 'token' comment ie 'nice image' which really, IMHO has NO real substance and as JR has pointed out, sometimes we all fall foul of posting it.
Congrats on raising this very valid point.
Steve
Givers gain and paying it forward.
ie, those that 'freely give, stand to gain in return'.
We don't keep a tally of comments made to comments taken. It's not what it's about. There are many that willingly and freely give of their time and energy on the forum, and expect little or nothing in return. Their gift is freely given, they will be paid back many times over at some other point in time.
If they don't have time to do both, well maybe they should comment on images on one forum visit and post an image on the next, rather than just posting images time after time. Saying you are too busy to comment but that you do still view others images (which I believe was said on another thread very recently) is even worse! Or you get the clique where certain members seem to only post on each others images, ho hum, that's as predictable as the apparent content of the images on the forum of late - according to the other topic being discussed!
We are all equal here, sure some photographers are better than others but this is supposed to be a community where every member is equal. As it stands in my opinion, if any of the 'better' photographers (and I sum that up as the ones who get loads of comments regardless of the picture they post) left, this forum should feel like it's lost something, but I don't think it would because they are more often than not the ones that don't post on anyone else's work and that's what helps the community move forward - not posting their latest image and sitting back to wait for the praise before posting another. That helps nobody, especially not those who look up to the 'better' photographers for help and inspiration.
I hope this changes, but I can't help but think after a couple of weeks of change this thread will soon be forgotten and it will go back to normal...I vote for making this thread a sticky
Dave
This point gets raised quite often and will never be resolved,for some its a showcase of there latest images for others its a learning tool,I view to see where most peoples images are going in terms of style and composition but you can't force people to comment,time can be and is an issue!!!
Craig
www.craigchurchill.co.uk
A question that's been raised previously and no doubt will again. There dosen't seem to be a complete answer.
I for one use the forum to learn and broaden my scope. I struggle sometimes and also find it difficult to commit a written judgement on work that I'm really not qualified in. During three score years of life I've learnt to keep my mouth shut on subjects that I lack knowledge of.
An opinion as too whether you like a photo or not is another thing.
In seeking to further my knowledge I probably approach the forum from a different perspective than most. I'm not seeking masses of comments with my subjects just and indication where I went wrong.
I think you all make a fair point and I have took it on board and I have been guilty of this comment per post ratio of late but I just don't have the time at this moment so it is a shame but very difficult because I also use the forum to keep in touch with the many friends that I have made whilst being an active member. Its a shame but I do see your point.
Cheers Everyone
Danny
There are many examples, and again over the weekend I noticed other examples of limited, exclusive replies to threads.
There is NO way one can keep up commenting on all the images that appear on this forum and I do not think that anyone would expect that either! So as far as I am concerned the thread seems to have attracted a fair amount of interest of other forum participants who seem to have the same sort of feeling about this subject..
Let's now move on. For me the subject is closed.....
Good luck in Scotland.
Rene de Heer
OK I don't like where this is going... it is starting to feel like some form of witch hunt, run by some form of self appointed posse.
This forum definitely isn't a place where, providing you stay within the guidelines, you should feel pressured ,or held to account, for your (number of) contributions to others, by others.
There are loads of reasons why peoples contribution to this forum periodically wains, then rekindles; believe me in the past 7 years Nick and I have seen most of them from numerous contributors, numerous times rangeing from international travel, work pressures, family pressures, to a disability affecting people being able to type.
Should anybody choose not to interact with fellow forumites,for whatever reason, for whatever time, that's their call and I object to anybody exerting any pressure over anybody on this forum to say why they have not met some notional criteria, or worse, attempt to sully a persons name because of it.
Give your time freely and take it freely, no strings attached other than the rope you create for yourself as obviously, a symbiotic, rather than parasitic, approach to this forum is a distinct advantage to any forumite. A symbiotic approach to this forum can, and has, built friendships, opened doors, created opportunities and, more than anything else, improved photography; it is no accident that this forum has a high image quality, it is an artifact of this forums purpose - critique.
T
It is not a witch hunt and neither is it a posse and maybe I should have phrased it a bit better.
Rene de Heer
Sorry, but I don't like it very much either. I feel as though I am being told to comment a certain number of times according to the number of pics I have posted - some sort of target in fact.
Rene's post infers that I and others will be watched and counted. ! Dear oh dear !
This is not what this forum should be about surely.?
I will post comments as and when I feel like it, on whatever pictures I feel like doing so on and that certainly won't be everbody's ! - And it certainly will not in order to keep my "numbers" up to standard with rules that others have decided and deem to be appropriate !I
I have left two other forums for almost exactly the same reason as is becoming evident on this one. Such a shame.
John Robinson
Rene de Heer