How about a new add'n to include with the Editor Pick Gallery: "Comment of the Week"... award and highlight the photo which contained the best / helpful / critical astute comment of the week...rotate it on a weekly basis...say, one week from flora...then landscape...etc....
Posted by Ramamohan Pai on August 7, 2015 at 8:02 PM
Very interesting thought, Ken. Following this post to see other comments.
Posted by Steve Kennedy on August 8, 2015 at 1:02 AM
Interesting idea Ken. Perhaps it could incent people to comment more and give serious thought to the comments. Some people already do a great job with this but it would be great to get more onboard.
Posted by Howard Cheek on August 8, 2015 at 7:13 AM
I'm for anything that will incentivize comments/feedback.
And probably best left up to each gallery moderator as you suggest Ken. I don't think it's too much to ask of them.
Interesting suggestion, and one worth considering, Ken.
Here's another I've been considering to encourage and/or recognize comments and overall contributions to NPN. In addition to the annual EPs which recognize the best images in each gallery, what about an annual "valued contributor" type ward for each gallery (staff excluded, of course) that recognizes or honors a member's consistent participation and value to the gallery? This recogniton would take into consideration both image posts and comments over the course of the entire year. We could come up with a list of factors or criteria for the award to make this less subjective. We could limit it to considering just comments, but I was thinking it should include both comments and posts, and both the number and the quality of each. Again, the idea is to encourage and recognize consistent and valuable participation in each gallery. Just another thought on the subject...
Posted by John Tobias on August 8, 2015 at 8:02 AM
I support these suggestions. I agree that something which helps to increase comments will be a positive addition.
Posted by Steve Kennedy on August 8, 2015 at 5:20 PM
I think Scott's idea is great, but I would also like to see a monthly recognitian. Perhaps a "valued contributor" award per gallery each month focusing on comment quality and frequency with an annual award using posting frequency as an additional measure. I like the idea of recognizing both postings and comments, but I would like to weigh the comments significantly higher as a way to incentivize not just more comments, but more thoughtful comments.
How about a new add'n to include with the Editor Pick Gallery: "Comment of the Week"... award and highlight the photo which contained the best / helpful / critical astute comment of the week...rotate it on a weekly basis...say, one week from flora...then landscape...etc....
I think this idea would be the most workable, taking into consideration the extra time the moderators would have to expend reading all the comments and making a judgement.
--P
Posted by Jim Erhardt on August 16, 2015 at 8:12 PM
Great suggestion, one that we've been thinking about how to implement. But as Preston states above, it would take a lot of time to pick a comment each week.
Another though is (gulp) a "like" link for comments that members could click for comments they think are useful. This could then be used to tally liked comments by members automatically, which would make a weekly/monthly recognition easier to administrate.
HI Jim, the 'like' tally has its merits. Can you elaborate why the 'gulp'?
You can give it a try and always terminate, eh?
My thoughts is it should not turn 'like' giving into a mutual appreciation blah..blah.... I give you a 'like' and expect you to 'like' me in return. What would be the benefit?
Using the 'like' button also has merit for another role...when you see a critique that captures exactly what you were thinking, then you can hit 'like' to show your concurrance. That should give more emphasis to these ones...and it keeps critiques from being redundant where we repeat issues or end up saying 'ditto' to so-and-so's remarks.
I wonder if I've missed other ways it can be abused and mislead?...??
Posted by Jim Erhardt on August 17, 2015 at 8:50 AM
Ken, to further expand on this I think it should be a comment rating system, one to five stars. The larger question is what other functionality should be included? Since DtP charges by the hour, we need to have this thoroughly envisioned before he begins working on it.
Here are my thoughts;
the system would tally an average rating to appear with the member info (next to number of replies)
we would have a "Top Comments" script that would list the top-rated comments in each gallery
we would select a "Comment of the Week" to recognize
I really like this concept of adding recognition to those who provide quality critique. Let's keep this thread going with ideas on how it should work so I can work up a proposal for DtP to quote.
Posted by Steve Kennedy on August 17, 2015 at 12:31 PM
I like the 1 to 5 star rating much better than a Like link. My only concern is, will clicking on the rating make people think it substitues for a comment? It probably won't for people that provide quality comments, and it may give folk that don't want to comment a way to add their voice.
Posted by scott lanz on August 18, 2015 at 1:21 PM
I personally have some concerns about a comment rating system. I am not saying that rating comments is a bad thing, but we've never wanted to "rate" (i.e., judge) photos (other than EPs.). Do we really want to start judging/rating comments? I am in the camp that believes practically any comment is better than no comment at all, and I would not want to discourage even short/quick comments. Would the risk of getting a one star on a comment discourage or intimidate people from commenting at all? I think we want to be sure that we are recognizing participation above and beyond, and not discouraging and/or intimidating it at the same time by judging all comments. I therefore think I would prefer a "like" system where people could acknowlege particularly helpful/detailed comments, but doesn't give low ratings to other comments. Just my initial quick response, of course.
I think giving any number of stars to a comment would be a plus for it; it means people are really reading that comment. I kinda like the idea; giving good, thoughtful comments means a lot and really adds to the community on here. It's part of what sets NP apart.
Posted by Jim Erhardt on August 22, 2015 at 7:15 AM
Scott, I do not disagree with your point! It is indeed a potential downside to the idea, something I believe we could somewhat mitigate through the implementation of the system.
I also agree with Genny's comment above - providing useful critique is the cornerstone of the NPN galleries and is something I believe we should cultivate.
Posted by Mark Seaver on August 22, 2015 at 9:33 PM
It seems to me that one of the implementation challenges in adding button based voting by the members would be whether folks pick comments that only praise (possibly lavishly) a post or would they pick comments that are constructive and instructive. There's also the issue of how many comments won't get read because they're made on an image that many folks skip.
In an attempt to shore up my status as "senior curmudgeon", I'd like to suggest that any button base voting not be called a "like" button (besides, it's probably been copyrighted by Facebook)....How about a "Good" or "Good Comment" button, should that be the route chosen?
Posted by Jim Erhardt on September 7, 2015 at 7:31 AM
Mark, a great point - implementation will be everything.
Another idea is to have a Top Critique button appear with each comment that would tally clicks in the background (but not actually show the tally). Comments with the some minimum number of Top Critique clicks (perhaps 5) would have a Top Critique icon applied to it. Placing a Top Critique icon on the thumbnail and then placing the Top Critiques first in the string of comments for the photo would give those comments recognition and make them easier to find.
We could then do something like this based on the number of Top Critiques a member has accrued;
Reply posted by Mark Seaver on 08/22/15 at 9:33 pm EST
Registered on 01/23/11, 105 Topics, 329 Replies, 79 Top Critiques
We really need to find a way to recognize good critiques without making it feel like a button-clicking contest. As always, feedback is appreciated!
Posted by Mark Seaver on September 7, 2015 at 2:11 PM
Jim, I think your ideas behind a Top Critique button where the tally is not shown are excellent. Currently, members often recognize a good critique by saying, "I agree with ___". It seems to me that a "Top Critique" button would formalize that type of agreement. I think (relevant to your "ruffle feathers" post) that this would be another good way to recognize and encourage the sense of community.
If the moderators are to pick the Critique of the Week, I'm wondering if the Top Critiques selected across all of NPN in a given week might be small enough to make moderator voting an option where each moderator picks and orders a top two (or three) with the votes tallied for the final choice.
Posted by Jim Erhardt on September 8, 2015 at 6:07 AM
Mark, a good thought - I think that could work, much like we do for the yearly EPA awards. This is why we need to figure out exactly what is needed (and what is not) for implementation: to have something functional and easy to use without racking up a huge programming bill.
I can begin preliminary discussions with DtP on the idea and get his input as well.
Discussion
21 repliesHow about a new add'n to include with the Editor Pick Gallery: "Comment of the Week"... award and highlight the photo which contained the best / helpful / critical astute comment of the week...rotate it on a weekly basis...say, one week from flora...then landscape...etc....
Very interesting thought, Ken. Following this post to see other comments.
Interesting idea Ken. Perhaps it could incent people to comment more and give serious thought to the comments. Some people already do a great job with this but it would be great to get more onboard.
I'm for anything that will incentivize comments/feedback.
And probably best left up to each gallery moderator as you suggest Ken. I don't think it's too much to ask of them.
Interesting suggestion, and one worth considering, Ken.
Here's another I've been considering to encourage and/or recognize comments and overall contributions to NPN. In addition to the annual EPs which recognize the best images in each gallery, what about an annual "valued contributor" type ward for each gallery (staff excluded, of course) that recognizes or honors a member's consistent participation and value to the gallery? This recogniton would take into consideration both image posts and comments over the course of the entire year. We could come up with a list of factors or criteria for the award to make this less subjective. We could limit it to considering just comments, but I was thinking it should include both comments and posts, and both the number and the quality of each. Again, the idea is to encourage and recognize consistent and valuable participation in each gallery. Just another thought on the subject...
I support these suggestions. I agree that something which helps to increase comments will be a positive addition.
I like Scott's idea ... a winner. good one....
I think Scott's idea is great, but I would also like to see a monthly recognitian. Perhaps a "valued contributor" award per gallery each month focusing on comment quality and frequency with an annual award using posting frequency as an additional measure. I like the idea of recognizing both postings and comments, but I would like to weigh the comments significantly higher as a way to incentivize not just more comments, but more thoughtful comments.
I think this idea would be the most workable, taking into consideration the extra time the moderators would have to expend reading all the comments and making a judgement.
--P
Great suggestion, one that we've been thinking about how to implement. But as Preston states above, it would take a lot of time to pick a comment each week.
Another though is (gulp) a "like" link for comments that members could click for comments they think are useful. This could then be used to tally liked comments by members automatically, which would make a weekly/monthly recognition easier to administrate.
Thoughts?
HI Jim, the 'like' tally has its merits. Can you elaborate why the 'gulp'?
You can give it a try and always terminate, eh?
My thoughts is it should not turn 'like' giving into a mutual appreciation blah..blah.... I give you a 'like' and expect you to 'like' me in return. What would be the benefit?
Using the 'like' button also has merit for another role...when you see a critique that captures exactly what you were thinking, then you can hit 'like' to show your concurrance. That should give more emphasis to these ones...and it keeps critiques from being redundant where we repeat issues or end up saying 'ditto' to so-and-so's remarks.
I wonder if I've missed other ways it can be abused and mislead?...??
Ken, to further expand on this I think it should be a comment rating system, one to five stars. The larger question is what other functionality should be included? Since DtP charges by the hour, we need to have this thoroughly envisioned before he begins working on it.
Here are my thoughts;
I really like this concept of adding recognition to those who provide quality critique. Let's keep this thread going with ideas on how it should work so I can work up a proposal for DtP to quote.
I like the 1 to 5 star rating much better than a Like link. My only concern is, will clicking on the rating make people think it substitues for a comment? It probably won't for people that provide quality comments, and it may give folk that don't want to comment a way to add their voice.
Mike,
If I undrstand Jim's idea, the 'star' rating would apply only to a comment/critique.
I prefer the 'star' idea since it would give an actual rating, rather than just an affirmation. Besides, I abhor "Like" buttons.
Obviously, there would have to be a way to keep people from giving stars to their own comments either by design or by accident.
--P
I like the star rating system. Good thoughts.
I personally have some concerns about a comment rating system. I am not saying that rating comments is a bad thing, but we've never wanted to "rate" (i.e., judge) photos (other than EPs.). Do we really want to start judging/rating comments? I am in the camp that believes practically any comment is better than no comment at all, and I would not want to discourage even short/quick comments. Would the risk of getting a one star on a comment discourage or intimidate people from commenting at all? I think we want to be sure that we are recognizing participation above and beyond, and not discouraging and/or intimidating it at the same time by judging all comments. I therefore think I would prefer a "like" system where people could acknowlege particularly helpful/detailed comments, but doesn't give low ratings to other comments. Just my initial quick response, of course.
I think giving any number of stars to a comment would be a plus for it; it means people are really reading that comment. I kinda like the idea; giving good, thoughtful comments means a lot and really adds to the community on here. It's part of what sets NP apart.
Scott, I do not disagree with your point! It is indeed a potential downside to the idea, something I believe we could somewhat mitigate through the implementation of the system.
I also agree with Genny's comment above - providing useful critique is the cornerstone of the NPN galleries and is something I believe we should cultivate.
It seems to me that one of the implementation challenges in adding button based voting by the members would be whether folks pick comments that only praise (possibly lavishly) a post or would they pick comments that are constructive and instructive. There's also the issue of how many comments won't get read because they're made on an image that many folks skip.
In an attempt to shore up my status as "senior curmudgeon", I'd like to suggest that any button base voting not be called a "like" button (besides, it's probably been copyrighted by Facebook)....How about a "Good" or "Good Comment" button, should that be the route chosen?
Mark, a great point - implementation will be everything.
Another idea is to have a Top Critique button appear with each comment that would tally clicks in the background (but not actually show the tally). Comments with the some minimum number of Top Critique clicks (perhaps 5) would have a Top Critique icon applied to it. Placing a Top Critique icon on the thumbnail and then placing the Top Critiques first in the string of comments for the photo would give those comments recognition and make them easier to find.
We could then do something like this based on the number of Top Critiques a member has accrued;
Reply posted by Mark Seaver on 08/22/15 at 9:33 pm EST
Registered on 01/23/11, 105 Topics, 329 Replies, 79 Top Critiques
We really need to find a way to recognize good critiques without making it feel like a button-clicking contest. As always, feedback is appreciated!
Jim, I think your ideas behind a Top Critique button where the tally is not shown are excellent. Currently, members often recognize a good critique by saying, "I agree with ___". It seems to me that a "Top Critique" button would formalize that type of agreement. I think (relevant to your "ruffle feathers" post) that this would be another good way to recognize and encourage the sense of community.
If the moderators are to pick the Critique of the Week, I'm wondering if the Top Critiques selected across all of NPN in a given week might be small enough to make moderator voting an option where each moderator picks and orders a top two (or three) with the votes tallied for the final choice.
Mark, a good thought - I think that could work, much like we do for the yearly EPA awards. This is why we need to figure out exactly what is needed (and what is not) for implementation: to have something functional and easy to use without racking up a huge programming bill.
I can begin preliminary discussions with DtP on the idea and get his input as well.