Norma Desmond Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Micki-- 3/3s are not a conspiracy and most likely not from a stalker. They come from someone who does not like your work. I don't like getting them either and sometimes I take them personally. But as I get more confident, I hope that I will accept more and more that people's tastes differ and some people will naturally hate my work, or not get it, or not appreciate it, or however I want to rationalize it. Rating is a strange thing. If I were to rate my own work next to some people on PN or other photographers that I've been exposed to, most things would get 3s and 4s (if I were being honest). That would be, for example, with the recognition that I would hope to be getting 5s and 6s in about 5 years when I've really grown and developed. If I were to rate myself compared to some others I know, I'd get all 7s all the time. I try to figure out what a person's doing, where they fall in terms of experience and vision, and rate them accordingly, rather than solely relative to other photographers, which is why I much more often write a comment rather than give a rating. Because I can say what I mean with a comment. Different people approach ratings differently. A 3 for one of your photos could mean 1) I hate it, 2) It's not as good as a lot of other photos I've seen, 3) It's bad relative to the very best on PN, 4) I'm a jerk who gives everyone 3s. Since you'll never know which, take it in that spirit. Most likely, all of our photos have something in them that's worth a 3 and taking a second look at them to find that 3-like element would probably be a good idea for all of us. My path has been to let my disappointments, ego hits, negative reactions, constructive criticisms, failures, etc. be that pesky gnat or thorn in my side that stimulates me to advance. In the past, with other endeavors, I often felt negative feedback as a hampering mechanism, zapping me of excitement and energy. I think I know why, and am pleasantly surprised that even some of the difficult or negative experiences around my own photography seem to just add to the experience, get put into future work, and stimulate or at least allow me to continue onward. Take your frustrations and put them into your work. That's the most productive thing you can do with a 3 and if the 3 has been given maliciously it's a way to karmically get back at the perpetrator. We didn't need dialogue. We had faces! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 It ain't just testosterone. It might be hormonal but let's not leave out the estrogen floggers. Visit one of the gal-pal blogs on Myspace or elsewhere. Sane men dare not tread where the web flows red with estrogen. The web provides a buffer zone that facilitates free speaking, and not a little careless, rough and tumble discourse. It's always been that way. Nothing recent, nothing new and it's unlikely to change. Tiptoeing up on a subject or critique takes extra time and more words to say the same thing. Do that long enough and you'll get a lot of yawns and TLDR reactions from folks who prefer succinct remarks. And how did yet another conversation get steered back to the same old issue of ratings? Oh, yeh, I remember, it's that free speaking thing I mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norma Desmond Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Lex-- I'll stick to my guns (may be taken as a metaphor for penises ;) ) regarding the point that, *on PN forums*, which is what I was talking about, it's testosterone and very little estrogen. Being careless and rough is different from being obsessively snide and purposefully nasty. I am happy to be provocative and don't need tender loving care but when the same person in these forums over and over again willfully misreads others, makes the exact same tired points over and over again in most every thread, and has a condescending and superior tone that even non-English speakers are able to pick up on, there comes a point when the productive gadfly just becomes the annoying nuisance. We didn't need dialogue. We had faces! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Yeh, most discussion areas around the web eventually will attract a tick who'll try to suck the life blood out of the place. Kinda like real life. Most of us know or have known someone who tries to suck all the air and fun out of a room. Eventually the membership or moderators will dislodge them with a match and tweezers. Just try to ignore 'em and remember that they reveal themselves for who they are, so it's seldom necessary to point it out. You folks need a good laugh: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/local_idiot_to_post_comment_on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norma Desmond Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 "Just try to ignore 'em" Good advice and exactly what I've been doing lately. The link is priceless and, indeed, a welcome laugh! We didn't need dialogue. We had faces! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constance_cook Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 What I really hate are the ones who write their comment and end with, "End of story," or "Case closed," as if their word is the only one that matters. Every time that happens, I boil. Conni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvisionphotography Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Lex, HA HA HA HA ::) great one :) he he ok, I will not complain of ratings ever again Fred Case closed! HA HA HA HA :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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