In Regard to No Words

Not a criticism, but the more specific your title is the less folks can likely contribute. More general titles offer more opportunity for participation. If you say a Piper Cub as opposed to Small Aircraft, as an example, the first particular, the second broad brush.

Absolutely true and worth a reminder, but many of us scofflaws go ahead and post any way assuming that more generality was intended

:rolleyes:

Absolutely true and worth a reminder, but many of us scofflaws go ahead and post any way assuming that more generality was intended

:rolleyes:

No law or rule involved, you can title and post as you like. No Words being such a popular feature, it is useful to make the most of it!

Perhaps it's worth mentioning too that titles should not specify the equipment used, thus ruling out members who don't have that equipment.

Good point! Another is not to specify a time frame, like Taken Today which would generally exclude film users, or specify film which would exclude those who don't use it. I got chastised for the former when first a member.

There will always be someone who will upbraid others over what their interpretations of a category or title should be. It's like those threads named "Wednesday" or "Monday." And just exactly does Monochrome mean? If I shot it in color and rendered it in B&W, is it inappropriate?

 

I agree with Sandy, that titles like "Brown Puppies with Five Legs" become problematic. There are often threads I see that of all the thousands of photos I have, none actually match the topic. I also note that those threads often cap themselves fairly quickly. Then there are those that will post a picture of a pumpkin in a thread titled "Child's Play."

 

I could go on, but I am starting a thread called "Monochrome Wide-Angle Fish Who Roller Skate on Mars Today."

"Monochrome Wide-Angle Fish Who Roller Skate on Mars Today."

I had that covered until I saw "mars".

Thanks Sandy for reiterating this information. These guidlines have been in place for many years, even before my tenure as moderator, and are listed in a "sticky" thread at the top of the NWF. What confuses me is why people ignore them.

What confuses me is why people ignore them.

Maybe for some, it’s just a matter of not having read the guidelines. It might be worth considering having a mechanism for participating members to read and *agree* to these guidelines annually as a fairly simple reminder.

 

Unfortunately, for some, it might be a case of personal exceptionalism, which seems at least sometimes to be behind the making of comments other than by way of introducing a No Words photo. In these cases, the often swift deletions are a good antidote.

Thanks Sandy for reiterating this information. These guidelines have been in place for many years, even before my tenure as moderator, and are listed in a "sticky" thread at the top of the NWF. What confuses me is why people ignore them.

 

@WJT times they are a-changing as Bob D. once sang. For the past 6 years, I have been paying particular attention to how PN has been performing. It makes me sad to think of the hundreds of avid photographers who have departed our community. Some of this is to be expected--as in any forum of longevity. Others have left because of the inattention and lack of functionality and support of the last few years.

 

I started bucking the "No Words" convention a couple of years ago. Simply said, unless we were only sponsoring a back-seat petting party amongst ourselves--certain information might be helpful to other photographers. Such as camera & lens, film & process, or perhaps a working title or location. I cannot help but think how many times the latter would have helped me with understanding & interpreting a fantastic image.

 

What happened post-Greenspun--and particularly in the past few years of PN blundered versioning--is that we must preserve as well as we can the comfort of long-term members--and more importantly look toward bringing new blood into the mix. Do you ever look at the metrics for our plinking home? Here is an example:

 

https://www.similarweb.com/website/photo.net/#overview

 

Then we need to look at those who are logged in and either sandbagging or contributing. There was a movie once called "The Usual Suspects." We need new blood--and avenues for them and us to express ourselves.

 

Most forum rules are made of common sense and legal decency. We are now confronted by international statutes and following them. Younger people have a greater expectation of what is possible in the venues they frequent. Thank's to the Fivver team, to preserve and expand PN--changes are underway. Honestly, a number of us may not like it.

 

Some of the rules and membership policies need to be updated and expanded. We have a lot of arbitrary stuff in various fora and the site going on--the product of many years of accretion and relation to a certain demographic of users. Not to mention, but very important for what must happen--the arousal and expectations of social media by those who have been inured in it.

 

Everything changes, and we need to move along with this for the gestalt to remain solid into the future.

 

Just my humble opinion, and for internet rank, we do not beat KenRockwell.com...

 

Think about that for a bit.

Edited September 27, 2022 by PapaTango

The 'PLEASE READ THIS' rules post at the top of the No Words forum includes this:

 

'A sentence or two regarding how you made the photo, the technique, or about the subject is permitted, however discussions and comments about the submissions are not allowed in this forum.'

PN? So many other places to play and display in 2022. Not so in the mid-90s.

The 'PLEASE READ THIS' rules post at the top of the No Words forum includes this:

 

'A sentence or two regarding how you made the photo, the technique, or about the subject is permitted, however discussions and comments about the submissions are not allowed in this forum.'

 

Yes, but somehow by posting edicts of the true, keepers of the flame, this practice was discouraged.

 

What is written may not come to pass...

The 'PLEASE READ THIS' rules post at the top of the No Words forum includes this:

 

'A sentence or two regarding how you made the photo, the technique, or about the subject is permitted, however discussions and comments about the submissions are not allowed in this forum.'

Yes. Quite clear and easily followed.

Perhaps I missed something. I don't recall ever seeing guidelines that would discourage film shots or limit the photographer's ability to post to No Words because he/she did not have the "right" equipment. Otherwise, I would agree to all of the other comments about avoiding very specific title, commenting, etc...

Keeping it open, right?

Perhaps I missed something. I don't recall ever seeing guidelines that would discourage film shots or limit the photographer's ability to post to No Words because he/she did not have the "right" equipment. Otherwise, I would agree to all of the other comments about avoiding very specific title, commenting, etc...

Keeping it open, right?

Mickey, below is the pertinent paragraph from the guidelines regarding equipment. Limiting a No Words thread to film or digital would exclude those who don’t use one or the other. So, you’re right that there is no guideline limiting anyone to having the right equipment. It’s just the opposite. The guideline states that No Words threads should not be limited to a particular kind of equipment. Obviously, there are many equipment-specific threads on PN, but the No Words guidelines make it an equipment-specific-free zone.

Contributions to this forum should not be so specific a subject that it would be exclusive of members of this site. For example, do not start a thread with a title such as "Aunt Emily and her new dress holding an afghan hound in her arms". We want as many members as possible to be able to respond to the No Words Forum threads. Likewise, a post that restricts to just digital cameras would also be exclusive. And so on.

WARNING: Thread creep...

 

My apologies for a comment that seems to have been misconstrued. I did not mean to intimate that ANYONE had ever been smacked for posting B&W renderings of color photos. The hyperbole used seems not to have traveled well. I do know however that there are those who think about such things--but that is not the issue. Such is better left to the Philosophy board...

 

I have seen hands smacked over a posting or so in "No Words." Not so much in the past few years, but once upon a time there were more than a few self-appointed thread police who seemed dedicated to upbraiding some on forum etiquette and content. But let's not rehash the past.

 

Nor do I have any idea how the concept of "not the right equipment." What I meant and will reiterate, is that having a fore note about equipment and location can inform a viewer. Not a requirement, but definitely useful in understanding the hardware that made the image.

Edited September 28, 2022 by PapaTango

The idea is simply to form your post in such a way that any member who cares to can contribute. If you post a scan of a slide and don't identify it or specify such, so be it. If you post a black and white conversion of a color image without suggesting that is necessary, again all good. The point of my original comment was to try and increase usage of and participation in a most successful forum. Read the rules, follow them, and you are good to go. As stated, within the rules you can post camera and exposure info and brief further details.

There is a series of threads with one requirement.

 

There is, if I remember, wide angle Wednesday, fixed focal life Friday, and maybe others.

But they don't restrict in other ways, so it mostly isn't so bad.

 

The fixed focal length lens I use lately is a 500mm catadioptric, so I know where those go.

 

I once did monochrome conversion of one that I wanted to post on Monochrome Monday.

 

Only one time did mine get removed for writing too much about it. Maybe three sentences!