Photo Net etiquette (I guess)

I hope you will not laugh - but I have registered in just couple of days ago

and still do not have much feel for the place.

 

Couple of questions - maybe someone will give the newbe a crash course ?

 

1) I have noticed that my ratings (on images) do not count - is this because I

am new ? If yes - then when will I stop being new ?

 

2) Because of 1) above - I will try to limit myself to words only. But - when I

see a really nice image - is it really OK to follow this image to the author's

folder and have an opinion on his/her other images (or rate them) ? Or would

it be considered bad manners ?

 

I just do not want to offend people or breach some unwritten (or written rules).

 

Anyone with answers?

I am not sure when new members are no longer new. But Yes, new members ratings are held until they are no longer new. The answer to your second question is yes. Comments on photos are great as well as comments on people's portfolios. I stopped rating photos a long time ago as the numbers realy mean nothing.

Rudi, welcome to PN. To 1) I believe it is two weeks. To 2) Absolutely, you can leave either a comment on the image you like or a comment on the entire portfolio. You cannot rate images in a portfolio unless they have been submitted for critique previously. IMHO, constructive comments are actually more important than the numerical ratings as they provide a good means to share experiences and learn. There really is no defined standard for the numerical ratings and they do not express more than "I like the image a lot" or "I don't like it at all" with some shades in between. Note also that the 1s and 2s have been disabled (you can give them but they are not counted), so the scale is really from 3 to 7. Hope this helps.

Welcome. Its the comments everyone is after, good or bad (bad can be most helpful quite often).

1) Ratings have been a big issue for some time. I wouldn't worry about rating, but rather spend your time leaving comments about why you like a photograph (on why you don't) rather than leaving meaningless numbers. I have no idea why your rating don't show up other than to say go back in a little while and see if they still don't show. It could be that it takes a short time for them to register. You could also look at your own profile page and see what ratings you have left for others. They *should* show up there unless your browser is caching the page so it looks to you like the comment didn't stick.

 

2) I can't really speak for anyone but me, but I regularly browse the portfolios of those that post photographs that catch my eye, and I have no problem leaving comments for anything I see while I'm there. I suppose some people might not appreciate it, but in general I would figure that if they didn't want comments, they would not have posted the image.

 

- Randy

Welcome Rudi. I think you can assume if people put images in a portfiolio they expect it

to be viewed and I would even go so far as to say most photographers enjoy the attention.

A comment on a portfolio page is likely to be interpreted as flattering, as it shows it

inspired you one way or another to look and take the time.

 

While I think comments are far more constructive than the numerical ratings, I would

disagree that the numbers don't matter at all, as images that score low or aren't selected

by staff for showcasing go through their lifespan in public view relatively quickly. On the

few occasions that I have had a high scoring image that was on the top photo section, the

amount of traffic on my portfolio and my personal webpage multiplied exponentially. I

personally exist in something of a photographic vaccum, so I really enjoy this.

 

As far as offending people and unwritten rules, I think you will find a lot of members here

think the practice of leaving 3's as scores and not bothering to express verbally why they

though so little of an image is not very constructive, and causing a lot of questions about

people's motives. I have also seen photographers and their supporters who take offense

to criticism of a particular image, but i think this is missing the point of subjecting your

work for critique, and it seems like this has evolved the forum into something of a feel

good session, with lots of 7's and an emphasis on praise...but you get honest evaluation

as well. Have fun.

welcome

"PhotoNet Etiquette" sounds like an oxymoron to me.

Welcome to PN, Rudi!

 

I can only say that I like for people to pay my portfolio a visit. I guess some people have tens of thousands of views, and maybe it doesn't mean so much to have another visitor.

 

There are so many talented (incredibly!) people here, usually I don't feel qualified to really critique anything. But I leave a remark about how much I enjoyed seeing the image. I haven't left a numeric rating in a long time.

 

I have found that the best way to get more visitors is to visit others's portfolios. So, no offense!

 

Regards,

Tammy

Welcome to PN, Rudi. You can visit my portfolio anytime and feel free to leave any comments negative or positive you care to. I don't rate or critique a large number of images but do try to keep my hand in. I make it a habit to not leave ratings without making comments, the ratings by themselves don't mean much IMO. Generally, there has to be something about the image I like before I make a comment. For me, examining images of others and trying to determine what makes them work and then put it into words is just another way to improve my own photo taking skills.

 

regards,

 

Jim

I am new to this and I find myself paying too much attention to ratings.Some of my favorites have been slaughtered by threes. This site is the best that I have found and I am very much enjoying the content.From here on I will be commenting as opposed to rating.(threes hurt, and I do not have any nudes to bring up my ratings) cheers.