Voting Down Just to Vote Down! - DPChallenge Forums

01/28/2004 02:14:36 PM · #1

I have a serious gripe. As of late, I have noticed that people seem to be looking for things to vote a shot down for & I don't get it. Either people didnt meet the challenge (in the voters opinion) or the shot met the challenge but for some reason or another it is not the representation as the voter would see it. I use "representation" for a lack of a better word bc I don't know why people would take a specific 'content' & judge that even after it meets the challn=enge.

The voting rules states, "Each challenge will state its dates for voting. Users should rate each and every photograph in the challenge on a scale of 1 to 10 (with "1" being a "bad" photo and a "10" being a "good" photo). At the end of the week, the photograph holding the greatest average of votes will be declared the winner of that challenge. Second and third place photographs will also be recognized. While voting, users are asked to keep in highest consideration the topic of the challenge and base their rating accordingly.

If you feel a photograph deserves a vote of 1, 2 or 3, it is suggested that you include a comment with your vote explaining why you felt it deserved a "below average" score.

Users must vote on at least 20% of the entries in order to have their votes counted towards the averages. Until a user votes for 20% of the images in a challenge, his votes are ignored. Voting patterns are also automatically monitored. Users whose vote patterns suggest an intent to unfairly disrupt the system will have their votes ignored and may be suspended from site functions.

If you feel a photograph has violated the site rules, you may click the "Recommend Disqualification for this Picture" link and enter your reason why. You should then vote on the photo as if the rule was not broken, and leave the determination up to the administrators.

Users are highly encouraged to leave comments on a photograph by using the comment box under each photograph. Criticism, praise, and other constructive comments are all welcome. Blatantly slanderous, rude, or profane comments may be removed, and the owners of such comments may be suspended or lose their accounts..."

No where does it say (or not say) that a shot should be voted down bc it isn;t the way you interpret it to be. Let me drop a few examples wihtout giving too much away. In the ZC, I used the sign Gemini. Now I used subjects that were alike but differed slightly. Now, clearly I have met the challenge. Instead of being voted for meeting the challenge (as the base) & then on photographic integrity, I am getting voted dowm for neither of those things, as requierd by the voting process, but bc my subjects differ & doesn;t meet the voters "preception of things". Is this fair? I mean, do people even know that the symbols for the sign Gemini are rarely exactly the same?
I just think people take TOO MUCH liberties at times & they usually do so for negative reasons. For once I would like to get a comment & vote that is either negative/positive and on point for how the voting process is supposed to work.

jonpink

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2

01/28/2004 02:35:39 PM · #2

if everyone voted just on the photographic qualities (or lack of), and not on the 'meeting challenge criteria' then it would just be 3 "submit your best pics" every week - now that wouldn't be fun would it.

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

01/28/2004 04:10:00 PM · #3

Originally posted by jonpink:

jon, that was not my point. My thoughts are more towards the shot meeting the challenge & THEN finding some little thing that doesn;t agree with you & voting down from there. If meeting the challenge was not my point, I wouldnt have inputed the voting rules.

Beagleboy

Canon EOS-30D

01/28/2004 04:17:22 PM · #4

You have to remember that photos have to be easily interpreted by each and everyone of the folks who vote. If you are too specific or treat a subject that is unfamiliar to many, the "Huh?" factor creeps in and your score reflects that.

All the top producers on this site have grasped the concept of producing images of easily recognizable subjects with proper lighting, focus and composition. Don't get too discouraged. You'll eventually figure out this formula.

Keep shooting and learning

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

01/28/2004 04:18:39 PM · #5

Originally posted by Beagleboy:

All the top producers on this site have grasped the concept of producing images of easily recognizable subjects with proper lighting, focus and composition. Don't get too discouraged. You'll eventually figure out this formula.

Keep shooting and learning

Urgh - sounds like the most souless condemnation of the winners ever !

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

01/28/2004 04:20:39 PM · #6

Originally posted by Beagleboy:

I feel you! I wish could show the example bc I think my point would be more clear. I guess I'm whinning a bit but wiht the monitor calibration stuff & then the slight details of what people have been commenting on has me a bit frustrated. Still gonno keep at it tho!

Beagleboy

Canon EOS-30D

01/28/2004 05:18:51 PM · #7

Originally posted by Gordon:

Urgh - sounds like the most souless condemnation of the winners ever !

Not condemning. It's just the facts. You have to figure out what people like before you can start scoring high.

darcy

Canon PowerShot G3

01/28/2004 08:18:15 PM · #8

I'm going to state the obvious here for a moment, Rooster.

You think that your ZC submission meets the challenge requirements as you have interpreted them. Apparantly, other people don't interpret things the same way as you do, and they are commenting and voting accordingly to their beliefs.

Does that sound about right?

I'll assume it does.

Now, in my experience, this is a fairly common thing.

An extreme example of different people interpeting something in different ways is the Bible. How many different religions have come out of that?

A less extreme example of this is color - some people say its blue, others, green, and still others split the difference and call it aqua. Even if the person who mixed the pigment stands there and says, "no, its green," people are still going to look at it and say, "no, thats definately blue, to me." "Are you kidding? That's totally aqua!" "No, no, I'm telling you, I mixed it, its green." "Yeah, well you're blind, 'cuz its definately blue."

... and so forth.

Who's right? Who's wrong? Who's to say? My point is, you can't knock people for seeing things the way they see them. That's their perspective, and they have to depend on it to make judgements.

If you shoot photographs with the intent of only satisfying yourself, then you don't have to worry about the unique perspectives of others. If, on the other hand, you shoot for the satisfaction of yourself and anyone else who gazes upon your work, and you care about how those people judge your work, then you may have to consider more carefully what those other perspectives are, how they operate, and what is effective at pleasing the most of them at once.

Furthermore, if you have come to DPC in order to improve your work as a photographer, as I know I have, then you may want to consider that while ranting is, at times, a healthy way of cleansing the spirit, it will in no way improve your photography to complain about the way other people view it. Those people are your audience, and they are telling you something. In my opinion, you'd do well to listen to them.

My humble 2 cents, which I offer to you. Cheers.

01/28/2004 09:13:06 PM · #9

Darcy,

thanks for your two cents :). I wasn't really knocking people tho on their opinions on my shot meeting the challenge. In fact, my gripe is not about that at all. Rather on parts that have nothing to do wiht meeting the challenge. It's hard to express wihtout showing an example but I am getting comments on stuff that have NEITHER to do with the shot meeting the challenge or on technical merit. Can't say anymore without giving my shot away. So when all the voting it said & done, I will try & post it so folks can see where I'm coming from.

And ranting is a good way to learn as well. I get to whine about something that bothers me & then folks like you can tell me stuff like you did. I did come to learn as well & sometimes I am judged on things that have nothing to do with the voting process, IMO. I hope I am allowed to say that without offending anyone.

Message edited by author 2004-01-28 21:16:01.

Neuferland

Google Pixel 2

01/28/2004 09:46:54 PM · #10

How about people who vote down because they don't think it's original?

My Road Signs Revisited got voted down by a few because it was the same theme as the Irony Challenge winner. I was told to come up with something fresh. I had been wanting to shoot that road sign for some reason and when I finally get one I get voted down by some. I can't complain overall because I did end up in 28th but I have to wonder how much better if might have done if people didn't vote down for that reason.

Deannda
I know some shots get boring after awhile but still.......

GoldBerry

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

01/28/2004 09:50:14 PM · #11

Originally posted by Neuferland: