Boosting criticism on photo.net (suggestion for a new forum)

What's "grinch", Carl, a name, a ghost, or some imaginery (bad) creature ? :-)

Sorry, I found it. Thanks. Regards.

KISS

 

THE BEAUTY OF THE FOLLOWING IDEA IS THAT IT WORKS USING THE SITE AS IT

CURRENTLY IS USED.

 

What about a facility that allowed you to view in one gallery (like TRP) the images which all

your favourite photographers had commented/rated in the last month. I would then see

all the images commented on by Marc, Carl, Rene, Jacques etc together.

 

This selection by ALL my favourite photographers requires no extra work on their part but

would present me with imho a GREAT range of images to view and comment on.

 

NO need to pick judges/moderators etc.

 

The big point is that it is a gallery of NOT JUST ONE favourite photographer but a

composite gallery of ALL the new images commented or rated by ALL of MY FAVOURITE

PHOTOGRAPHERS in say the last month in ONE gallery.

 

It totally bypasses the rating race and mate raters.

 

It would help increase the visibility of "critique only" posters as the gallery would be

selecting images on the basis of whether ?your favourite photographers? thought them

worthy of commenting/rating.

 

It is totally inclusive. No one is excluded. Images do not need to be reclassified. Nothing

needs to be removed or altered in the existing system.

 

Louis

Louis, either you've modified your proposal or, more likely, it's taken me this long to understand it. I like the idea a lot and think that once the sort options are in place, it would be easy to use. Since the current TRP views come mostly from nonmembers and people not even logged in, this option shouldn't reduce the number of page views or image views. They might even increase slightly.

Carl

I can see this option might be a demand on the system but my compromise suggestions

would be any or all of the following.

 

Do the sort/selection by the pnet computer once at the end of the month and the

generated gallery would be fixed until the next month end.

 

Only have this option for subscribers.

 

I am pleased you like the idea.

 

Louis

Louis,

 

If you understand the original post in this thread properly, and if I understand your post properly, I think what you suggest is a great idea, but does by no means achieve the same goals as the above.

 

Still, perhaps you should post a thread with your idea somewhere: I think it would be very interesting. Regards.

Marc, he's suggested this more than once, including his own thread.

 

Louis, 'subscribers only' works for me, but forget the EOM idea. It isn't a drain on the system to offer additional sorts. The problems arise when the sorts requested involve too many variables (compared to the alternatives you might use which can be calculated faster.) Your sort essentially replaces date of upload and 'average' calculation with 'friend' and date of rate (or comment).

Marc

 

My suggestion was a very simple way for me or anyone else to RAPIDLY review the images

which my chosen favourite photographers have deemed worthy of attention (by

commenting).

 

For example if you comment on worthy , interesting/controversial images then these

would be easily viewed by me. Therefore I would see all the controversial images you

commented on. This would increase visibility/critiquing by a HUGE factor for these images

because everyone who has you as an interesting/favourite could see these images also.

 

NOW EXPAND THE ABOVE TO INCLUDE ALL IMAGES COMMENTED BY ALL My or Your

FAVOURITE

PHOTOGRAPHERS and there is the power of the idea. A new system to improve visibility

which

promotes worthy images and bypasses the rating circus.

 

I think your suggestion is too complicated, bureaucratic, and restricted.

 

My suggestion requires no further classifications or forums or judges and is tailored to

each members needs/tastes.

 

I suggest my idea will not only achieve all you want but considerably more and with no

additional effort by you or anyone else except the site programmer. It is very relevant to

the this thread.

 

regards

Louis

Nobody is interested in my crappy picture.....

I say to PN, let?s do away with photo of the week as it is now, and let?s have a place where the most controversial images appear. Also, the image shall only be selected to be featured if it has enough plus and minus ratings that go along with observations to the photo. Would this be a solution to the ?mate rating? and ?witch-hunt?? Just my input.

Well, it wasn't exactly controversial, was it.

I was just fishing...took a series of crappy pictures, slammed them together and presented it as a view from the Eiffel Tower, taken from Trocadero (and made some effort to give the proportions this effect). Amazingly, nobody questioned the image and it actually got some good ratings.....

But...to return to M. G's original concept, some time ago I set forth an idea of a selection of images that were clearly superior that could be used as samples of "what it could look like" Such samples would be elected by choice and could be rotated as newer ones materialized. Once "elected" they would be located in a folder where folks could retrieve them for comparative sample use. Some potential for misuses was noted but in the discussion string I noted that disuse was easily controlled. This string as brought up by Marc is more or less in the same conceptual vein. The problem as I noted before, is the overall scarcity of critique anyway and the preference of some to only critique a limited number of images posted by a limited number of posters, i.e. there's a lot of exclusion ALREADY going on. Another item of concern here is the potential for elitism, that will turn off many amateur posters of images. The tendency/trend toward elitism is a gradual but perceptual trend that uses exclusion as it primary tool. I believe that Plato already addressed this in a discourse where an elite albeit intellectual should really be the only party/parties that would have the privilege to govern, and history has clearly shown that folks will only put up with that kind of crap for a very limited amount of time. But in Marc's case I feel the intent is sincere in taking images and working them over....the problem lies in the checks and balances and the self-election of the "elite" which by its insularity, would almost automatically put itself in a gradual failure mode. As far as the excessive worthless praise, this kind of pattern can be checked by a statistical engine that should limit input of an excessive type to an image. i.e. if an image start to collect an excessive number of ratings within a given period of time, the ability to input to the image needs to be cut off.

Egads. This stuff does generate responses, doesn't it?

 

Three quick thoughts:

 

First, I think Spaghetti Western's idea of "Image This" (well, I don't like the name, but whatever) has a couple redeeming qualities. Most importantly, it goes after the problem of there being limited visibility for images that don't make the TRP in a positive way. It has the drawback that systematic implementation would ultimately be subject to misuse, of course, as all such implementations are.

 

Second, despite that good idea, I doubt SW will be invited to the Elves' holiday bash after the "simpleton" comment.

 

Third, there is still some merit in the idea of having empowered selectors of images for more attention, as Marc suggests. But it will be difficult to get enough volunteer attention to do it right unless it is a fairly broad group of selectors and fairly easy for each one to participate in. Since management hasn't given indication of interest, I doubt it's coming soon.

 

Bottom line: I like the idea of generating visibility for imagery that might not otherwise make the TRP, which has been tried a couple different ways. I just haven't seen the best way to accomplish it yet.

 

Ah, well.

well, whatever it could be called, my idea was to start something rather "free form" without an a priori structure put into place. It would be open to everyone, but in practice only those interested would be motivated to participate. Here is how it would work...

 

1 - a commonly accepted BUZZ PHRASE be it "hear ye, look at this photo" or "image this", or whatever, would be something any member would quickly learn and could announce albeit followed with a strictly defined PN photo-link html string and 1-sentence rationale (so that others know it can be taken seriously). at first it could be done as sequentially visible threads in the site-feedback forum, but then administration could channel these into its own forum (just like "words/no words" has its own)

 

2 - since this idea eschews using mainstream PN space (eg, the POW with its prominence on the home page) to cater to those especially interested in giving critique and discussing interesting or controversial images, then only interested members would be motivated to participate. that should keep the unintended nonsense to a minimum since there would really be no incentive to create mayhem since few are paying attention

 

3 - even if theres a plethora of notices (some properly done) pointing to rather uninteresting or non-controversial images, so what? since no one will give those images a serious critique, then really there be no harm or foul. only those images that participants come to 'agree' meet the "interesting or controversial" image test would end up with discussions materializing on their own photo page

 

4 - if a forum is given this by PN, then interested members could volunteer perhaps on rotating basis to monitor and highlight which images appear to be having currently significant discussions going on, so that others who are interested to participate can know precisely where to click to get there and participate too

 

5 - the elves are welcome to test their nominating mettle sans their POW imprimatur - SW :-)))

oh and

 

6 - if this 'free form' idea takes hold, then it could form the germinating basis and provide a solid foundation to evolve a more sophisticated and mainstream structure given a regular participation following by interested members. otherwise if we start something like marc g suggests with some elite structure it may quickly end with a house of fallen cards

SW - I think that you're onto the right way to experiment (non-"mainstream" space). I'm not sure how or if any of this meets the site management's criteria for prioritization, but we'll see...