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02/21/2010 09:24:46 AM · #1 |
I'm relatively new here, and searching for this topic brings way too many results so forgive me if this has been discussed before. In scrolling through the archive and photos, I notice so many excellent photos receive a surprising number of 1's. Are people scoring what they deem to be photos that are going to win with the lowest score possible so as to better their own chances? I can think of no other reason why astonishingly good photos are given 1. If voters are doing this, I think it's cheap and totally not in the spirit of DPC.
just two bits from patagonia |
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02/21/2010 09:35:26 AM · #2 |
you're right.
 got 4 1s
 got 6 1s
 got 7 1s
 got 4 1s
the list goes on.... |
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02/21/2010 09:50:31 AM · #3 |
Yes, and like this one (which still got a ribbon, even with 6 1's!
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02/21/2010 09:55:17 AM · #4 |
Originally posted by patagonia:
I'm relatively new here, and searching for this topic brings way too many results so forgive me if this has been discussed before. In scrolling through the archive and photos, I notice so many excellent photos receive a surprising number of 1's. Are people scoring what they deem to be photos that are going to win with the lowest score possible so as to better their own chances? I can think of no other reason why astonishingly good photos are given 1. If voters are doing this, I think it's cheap and totally not in the spirit of DPC.
just two bits from patagonia |
This issue has been discussed ad nauseam and the fact remains that we are speculating at best when we suggest that individuals vote in this manner to better their own chances. I have yet to see a thread bemoaning the fact that some spectacularly horrid images managed to garner votes of ten and often wonder why we as a collective are so consumed by the fact that some individuals dole out low scores.
Fact is we all have differing opinions as to what constitutes a good image and I would hazard my voting patterns on some images could be considered rather harsh. An example of differing tastes might be this image  which I personally found fantastic. You will note however that it garnered several votes of one and several 10 votes. The question that begs to be answered is "Which of the two voting extremities is right?" and the answer of course would be "They both are".
That would be my take on it anyways.
Ray |
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02/21/2010 10:11:47 AM · #5 |
| I, too, am fairly new here and have voted in challenges several times and have just entered for the first time. I have also wondered what the criteria "should be" for scoring photos. For myself, the challenge "theme" plays a big part first and then personal appeal along with photography skill (according to me). At first, I did not feel qualified to vote on challenges due to not being such an accomplished artist as those I see here; however, as RayEthier said "we all have differing opinions as to what constitutes a good image." I, too, liked the photo RayEithier found fantastic, however, I could not correlate it to the theme (I probably miseed something, lol). So,one, I am curious why there is a theme if the theme is ignored and still garners high scores, and, two, should personal taste carry weight. Like, I said, I am new here so forgive me if this topic is old hat. |
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02/21/2010 10:12:02 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by patagonia:
Yes, and like this one (which still got a ribbon, even with 6 1's!
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Well, THIS one got a bunch of 1's because there's a core group of people who are tired of meaningless, plastic, abstract shots of water drops and other emotionless things winning ribbons, so they make protest votes.
Let's rephrase that:
Well, THIS one got a bunch of 1's because there's a core group of people that value emotive content over technical excellence and won't give a high score to anything that doesn't engage them emotionally or intellectually.
It's a valid point of view, and in fact one of the luminaries of this group is the quirky-but-beloved member-known-as-posthumous, the revered leader of the Team Suck brigade and the bestower of the much-coveted Posthumous Ribbons. That's the guy that posted the pictures a couple spots earlier that, you will notice, all finished in the nether reaches of their respective challenges but, in his eyes, represent some of the best images in the challenge.
*******
That's the crux of the matter, you see. We don't need any conspiracy theories or supposed "trolls" to account for these votes. People react differently to the same stimuli, and that's just a fact. There's no point in getting torqued up over it, which (unfortunately) quite a few people do. It is what it is, and it's not going to go away.
R.
P.S. ΓΆ€” You want some 1's? Here's 65 of 'em :-) Read the comments, mine in the "notes" and everyone else's in the comments, and see what you think. I was new here then, and a little passionate :-)
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02/21/2010 10:18:59 AM · #7 |
Originally posted by grahamgator:
I, too, liked the photo RayEithier found fantastic, however, I could not correlate it to the theme (I probably miseed something, lol). |
Well that image, not coincidentally one of Posthumous' efforts, has a lot in common with the one of my own I just posted; one's a shot of a chair with no chair in it, and one's a self-portrait with no person in it. Theme-wise, this is called "thinking outside the box" (snicker) and it always gets punished. Doesn't stop us from doing it, though.
I love that image, myself, it's essence-of-rocking-chair, plain and simple... I gave it a 10 in voting.
R. |
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02/21/2010 10:39:43 AM · #8 |
I gave the "rocking chair" photo a "5", and I did think that the photo was taken whilst rocking. Great image. I read through the thread on the "self portrait" image and can appreciate what he was going for. More and more, I find myself scoring photos based on personal appeal and artistry than the topic.
Enough from me. |
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02/21/2010 11:14:08 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by grahamgator:
I read through the thread on the "self portrait" image and can appreciate what he was going for. |
The "he" was/is ME :-) I'm a veteran of these wars.
R. |
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02/21/2010 11:27:33 AM · #10 |
When we see what appears to us to be a good photo, and we see that it has earned some votes of "1" we naturally ask ourselves, "what were they thinking?" IMO, it's a useless question. Their opinions are different from ours.
Look at the situation a different way... if an image was rated 5 on average, some people felt it was worse, and some better. Get enough votes compiled, and inevitably you'll find some curmudgeon that voted it as low as (s)he could. Conversely, you'll find some lighthearted voter that voted it much higher, possibly a 10. That spread of values is natural; it represents our differing perceptions, moods, interpretations vs. the challenge topic, even the differences in the monitors we are viewing them on!
All that said, there are a few (really a very few) predatory voters that will try to vote down very good images, thinking it will help their chances. They are wrong. |
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02/21/2010 01:07:14 PM · #11 |
| One thing we all learn from this site is that it is impossible to please everybody. Sometimes a successful entry is one that appeals strongly to a narrow group. It won't do well score wise, but you can tell from the comments and vote distribution if you hit your target. |
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02/21/2010 02:07:35 PM · #12 |
Sometimes the sheep stray far from the herd and in doing so discovers the slaughterhouse just over the hill.
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02/21/2010 04:08:10 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by yanko:
Sometimes the sheep stray far from the herd and in doing so discovers the slaughterhouse just over the hill. |
As well as the grammatical error that makes me twitch, I have *NO* idea what the hell you mean by this! LOL!!!
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02/21/2010 04:24:07 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
I have *NO* idea what the hell you mean by this! LOL!!! |
If you stray from the pack (and the accepted idea of what a good photo is), will get slaughtered for it in voting. |
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02/21/2010 04:30:05 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
I have *NO* idea what the hell you mean by this! LOL!!! |
My interpretation.....if you leave the comfort of your splash shots, over processed HDR, flowers, etc and stray into a new area with your submission then you will get slaughtered in the voting:)
oops...too slow
Message edited by author 2010-02-21 16:30:40. |
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02/21/2010 04:30:56 PM · #16 |
| 'When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.' Eric Cantona, philosopher. |
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02/21/2010 04:46:52 PM · #17 |
In some cases they are voting with hopes of helping their own score. In other cases they simply do not like the subject and vote in protest as Bear stated. I understand that some will say this is ok. while others will disagree. I for one think that if they do not like the subject, They should just click on the next image and move on, They should not punish the photographer of a nicely presented picture just because they don't like the subject. That in itself is definately not in the Spirit of DPC or good sportsmanship period. No matter what way you look at it. Voting a 1 on a very good photo for any reason is not right unless it is doesn't meet the challenge and even then it is harsh, a 3 or 4 maybe, because then at least you can say you gave it some credit for being a well taken photograph.
But this is DPC which at times stands for Diligent Photography Critique. |
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02/21/2010 07:15:45 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by Bugzeye:
No matter what way you look at it. Voting a 1 on a very good photo for any reason is not right unless it is doesn't meet the challenge and even then it is harsh, a 3 or 4 maybe, because then at least you can say you gave it some credit for being a well taken photograph. |
Ah! But you are imposing *your* voting structure onto others which is not acceptable.
If someone does it to be mean, or petty, that's wrong, but only they know that for sure, hence it is something that cannot be policed.
If someone, consistently rarely votes above a three unless the image speaks to them, how is it wrong?
If they feel that a well shot, yet dull and ambiguous image is only worth a 1, so be it.
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02/21/2010 07:39:11 PM · #19 |
| If you are keyboard voting, you can vote a 1 when you think you are voting a 10. Alt+1 is a 1. Alt+0 is a ten. But honestly, I have to wonder if some people are not using keyboard voting to vote every entry in the challenge a 1, without looking. |
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02/21/2010 07:43:35 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by pixelpig:
If you are keyboard voting, you can vote a 1 when you think you are voting a 10. Alt+1 is a 1. Alt+0 is a ten. But honestly, I have to wonder if some people are not using keyboard voting to vote every entry in the challenge a 1, without looking. |
Except, if all votes from one voter are 1 they are thrown out but the scrubber at rollover. |
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02/21/2010 08:18:52 PM · #21 |
| I suppose you could vote all 1's and 3 2's. |
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02/21/2010 08:45:48 PM · #22 |
| I am fairly new here (November 2009) also, and have not entered a challenge yet as I have no camera. I have voted however, but never a 1, even on those I don't particularly like. I DO vote higher on those which engage me or speak to me for some reason, I also consider what the Challenge theme is, but won't necessarily vote down something if it is not my interpretation of it. I try to study the entries here and show respect to those who took them and sometimes it is an effort to try to figure that out. I do love the site however, and have learned much from it already. |
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02/21/2010 08:48:25 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by Bugzeye:
In some cases they are voting with hopes of helping their own score. In other cases they simply do not like the subject and vote in protest as Bear stated. I understand that some will say this is ok. while others will disagree. I for one think that if they do not like the subject, They should just click on the next image and move on, They should not punish the photographer of a nicely presented picture just because they don't like the subject. That in itself is definately not in the Spirit of DPC or good sportsmanship period. No matter what way you look at it. Voting a 1 on a very good photo for any reason is not right unless it is doesn't meet the challenge and even then it is harsh, a 3 or 4 maybe, because then at least you can say you gave it some credit for being a well taken photograph.
But this is DPC which at times stands for Diligent Photography Critique. |
You're the one who thinks it's a good photo. I think it's a crappy photo. And that is why I gave it a 1. I'm not protesting. I'm not punishing. |
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02/21/2010 09:01:20 PM · #24 |
And then you get smart alecs like me who ever so often go through and gives everyone either 9 or 10's just to ballance out all the ones, and the only reason I throw in a few 9's is so all my votes don't get thrown out.
I once voted a picture a 1 because I had a visceral reaction to it. I found it offensive. Later I thought it must've been a very powerful (good) picture to get such a strong reaction from me.
Message edited by author 2010-02-21 21:02:22. |
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02/21/2010 09:22:09 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by ragamuffingirl:
I once voted a picture a 1 because I had a visceral reaction to it. I found it offensive. Later I thought it must've been a very powerful (good) picture to get such a strong reaction from me. |
I'll often give some extra points to something that evokes a memory, emotion, or makes me look at it harder for some reason. |
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