keith turrill

At the risk of being a PS Elements 2.0 nut, I have been experimenting with attempting to duplicate filter effects by creating Red, Green, and Blue copy layers. I then turn off the color on each layer and compare. Additionally, after converting each color layer to B&W, contrast and brightness can be adjusted. The unwanted layers can then be deleted.

The example that I use is a clouds in a blue sky through a red filter. I have not tried it yet with foliage and a green layer but it should work.

If you can work out a digital filter technique in your editing software, it would save some money in filters. The only glass filters that I use consistantly are a polarizer for some outdoor work and a UV to protect the lens.

Sitthivet makes many good points and raises some good questions. Probably the only real recourse is to look in the rating details and look up the work of the users giving the ratings.

Try not to take the ratings seriously. A person who is capable of giving a serious rating is probably going to have their own work to show also.

If you used the PS Elements "Save for Web" function, there is an "APPLY" button half way down in the pop-up screen.

If you do not hit the APPLY button, it will save the image full-size. I forget it all the time.

The ratings that I give are generally centered around an average of 5. The reason that I give a higher average is that I skip over poorer work to try and avoid Retribution Rangers.

If I rated more photos, my average ratings would be down around 3.5.

Michele, it might be amusing to have a friend or relative actually puchase a copy of the item in question and save a copy of all records from the transaction. Ideally use delivery of the goods through the Post Office. In the United States, transactions conducted via the Post Office can be subject to mail fraud which gets very ugly.

Once you get receipts for the transaction, it would be time to ask the company that hosts the website or webpage for a little financial contribution to your bank account.

My recent experience would lead me to believe that the "BOT" passed at least the introductory statistics couse in college. Hence, the ability to project himself without an easily detected numerical spread.

As to an automated program, I more likely suspect some misguided social isolate who may or may not keep more than one internet session open under different names.

From my own ratings, if I rate blind, probably 90 percent of the time I fall within +/- 1 point of the photo's average. So if I see a pattern of 1's or 2's showing up in clusters of 5 to 6, something smells funny.

I did file with USTPO, just in case. I am not a lawyer so the legal stuff is just plain fun. However, in light of the RIAA success with audio recordings, I'm willing to give it a go with my own work.

If there is a website involved, look up the website registration on one of the WHOIS services like Network Solutions. Websurfers frequently use academic or employer's networks. Hence, there may be money in the deal after all.

It is good to hear that somebody is watching the ratings. I can usually guess how one of my photos will do.

Several times I have seen unusual ratings disappear after checking later.

It is good to hear that somebody is watching the ratings. I can usually guess how a photo will do.

Several times I have seen unusual ratings disappear after checking later.

Internet fraud always concerns me. I paid the $25 dollars after watching for a week or two to make sure everything was legitimate.

Without a free trial, I would have just surfed by.

Generally, I try to ignore occasional bad ratings and try to look a statisical distributions. If I see a low average or cluster, then I know that I missed something and take the photo down.

My own reason for posting on PN is that it gives me a good idea of what maybe worth printing and displaying. Still it annoys me to see a "one-day newbie with a snap-shot" slamming dilegent work.

Perhaps when PN gives out passwords, there should be "required-read" and check-box about ettequite and ethics.

I joined in October 2004 and found an interesting pattern. In the USA it appears that many people join during the holidays, (Thanksgiving and Christmas). The very worst ratings that I have ever got have been by new people (M.W. in particular) on the first day of membership.

In the future, I will probably quit posting on holiday weekends.