To the New Members...vetran members look too...

[ender098]

To some of you new members who haven't noticed; if you click on a picture in the "photos" section, on the upper right hand side is a link titled "Rate Image". If you click it, you get a drop down box allowing you to pick a rating from "terrible" (one gold square) to "Excellent" (five Gold Squares). Back in the day (READ; A few months ago) everyone here had some integrity, and when they rated a pic, they left you feedback. If it was good, they said what they liked, if it was bad, they told you what you could do to improve. These ratings really mean VERY little. Their intent was to be a tool to help diographers improve their craft.

What I have noticed lately is someone is lowering a LOT of the pictures ratings out there (probably by making multiple accounts, logging in and using each one to give a "1" rating on a pic). They are also not telling you what you can do to improve. I, and a few other on this board think it is the work of a disgruntled former member. Reguardless of who is doing it or why, my advice to you is to not take any stock in the rating. Read the comments and see what people think. It's easy to lurk and take pot shots from the dark, but the guys who are genuinely trying to help and guide you will back up thier ratings with in depth comments.

The older members of the forum have seen this happen before, and discused it. We take VERY little stock in the ratings system if we see someone has been doing this, but we do try to keep it honest when we rate pics. Don't stress the ratings fella's go by what is said in the comments!

Oh, and this goes for Posts in the forum, how to's, Reviews, etc. All of these things can be rated using that system, so if someone is deliberately lowering it's ratings, as you look at comments, you'll notice what has gotten a lot of attention and what is genuinely a bad post/pic/review, etc.

[ender098]

Oh, and BTW, I rated this thread a "1" because it stinks that someone is doing this and I have to be the one to tell everyone who doesn't know about it! LOL!!!


:D :eek: :rolleyes: :cool:

[Da Talent]

Thanks Frank, it needed to be said. We have a nice influx of new members, which is awesome., and they shouldn't be discouraged by the rating system. While it works half the time, there is always some "ghost" who gives it a one star.

If you have nothing to say about the photo or wont' back up your rating with criticism. That is really lame. I know thats not the best saying but I think that is fitting of those who would belittle the new members.

From experience I know my pics were awful at first and if not for this site, I would not be able to take quality pics today. The sad thing is that this prob. only adds fuel to the fire. But don't be that guy who rates a photo low for no reason. It won't help anyone. We all need a little help to get better. I wouldn't know anything if Criag, Marcos, Jason, dave and Scar didn't give me feedback. This place is great, don't be that guy who scares people away for no reason.

cory

[Mysterious Stranger]

I've never given any thought to the ratings boxes. I know what I think is a good picture and what I think isn't and I don't need a "popularity rating" to tell me what to think. I don't comment a lot and that's not something specific to this site. I don't comment at all the sites I'm on even the ones I moderate. If I see something that really strikes me as interesting or exciting or really needs improvement I'll say that. Otherwise I just sit here in my quiet corner silently admiring everyone's work.

[Agent Viper]

Nice point out Frank

[Sonneilon]

The way I see it...

If I rate something 4-5 stars, I dont' need to explain myself. You are doing something right!

IF I rate something 3 and below, I'll sometimes say it. But c'mon, IF the shot is fuzzy (out of focus), what do you expect? This isn't a math class where you get points for effort. You can have THE best shot in the world and if your picture-taking f's it up, what do you expect?

What I DO NOT like is when someone comes in and rates a pic DOWN just cuz they are biased of not liking the characters or whatever. I've seen a lot of that. Look at the whole picture, y'know? Lighting, composition, has this person improved or changed styles (for the better)???

It's like, I'd be an absolute prick if I rated ANYONE and EVERYONE who uses ARAH figures a 1 star. THAT'S bias. I may no longer have an interest in ARAH, but people who use them, the power's all to you.

We all have our standards. It's very easy to get into the same old groove. SOmetimes, when we get veteran members and things look the same over and over, I'll start grading lower cuz I want to see the full potential. I'm one to talk, right? Everyone's a critic. I just do as I do. And let's face it, my foto manipulated shots make some people go, "oh man..."



I can take some like Nando and say his shots were crap in the beginning. But what he does w/ the 12" figures, WOW!

And ToneGuns, jeez. Us old farts here so this guy improve in a month. It wasn't JUST the fact he learned to use macro or focus, this guy started seeing the world differently. Just as a skater see something to hit that nobody else can. Snowboarders are the same way. What just mundane is a hit. Nature fotographers can be like that. You don't think when I go out, I'm looking at potential shooting locations? It's just hard when CERTAIN people step it up a notch and it's like, "I feel small..." :o

[Urban Saboteur]

Well Said dudes.. :cool:
I think i noticed this recently, one of the lastest posts.. Jcast used a varied selection of figures in his recent submission to the gallery, it was titled 'briefing' i think.. correct me if i'm wrong,
I'd not seen this member post much previously, i thought his figure selection was decent and his shot wasn't bad either.. don't get me wrong the picture wasnt perfect and by no means a complete work of art, but someone rated it one without commenting.. it's things like this that do bother me.. because from my own viewpoint i really didnt think it deserved a 1* Now a 3* would be alot fairer, but my main gripe isn't just about the rating.. it's about the fact someone took the time to rate it.. yet not leave a comment to say why..

This leads me onto the first point Frank mentioned, I want the new members to not worry so much about the ratings, as it can get you down knowing some person is posting 1* ratings to the photo's out of spite.
Instead focus directly on the feedback you receive from comments, and if your really not sure, please pm me and ask, i don't mind giving my honest opinions of photos and would love to have a better insight into peoples work.

I have to admit, my own game has been on the slide somewhat these last few weeks. I should really get back to taking some pictures of some quality joes :D

[silentdusty]

Heck if it wasn't for actual feedback I would never have improved at all. Feedback is the best tool we have. I try to get on as often as possible to look at the pics, and there is some amazing work on this site, I always try to leave feedback for as many pics as possible, and when I post pics I look for feeback good or bad. I generally ignore the rating system.

[haradrel]

I've noticed that you can rate your own pictures as well - as times goes on and I see my own pictures in a new light I usually just rate them down :eek:

I don't normally rate picutures that I don't comment on - I may give one a full score and not comment - because its as close to as perfect as it is.

But the ratings doesn't really mean that much to me - its the comments and possible constructive criticim that I need/want.
So even if a picture of mine has 1 star but lots of comments and constructive criticism given, then I'm happy with the picture - it created some contraversy, go me ;)