Helpful box upgrade - DPChallenge Forums

10/10/2007 12:30:51 PM · #1

Yeah, this one's been out there for a trot a few times and has probably even taken a few whacks with the DHS (dead-horse-stick).

Just thought I'd drag up some muck...

Would it be useful to split the 'Helpful Box' into these five categories?

namely:

The Photographer found this comment helpful.
The Photographer would like more information on this comment.
The Photographer appreciated the comment.
The Photographer has given this thought and respectfully disagrees.
(hidden) tracking box

Each check box could be used cumulatively, so an image could have multiple checks (ie found helpful, would like more information and appreciated or Appreciated the comment and has given thought/disagrees).

The statements could be given cute little GIF's, perhaps even color coded to allow a 'verbose/non-verbose' mode for those concerned with pagescrolling.

This could benefit a few different aspects of the commenting cycle that are currently the source of some discussion and possibly contention in the forums.

Just an idea for the powers that be. the rest of you can discuss this as you like too :)

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

10/11/2007 05:31:43 AM · #2

I find it amusing that people would suggest censoring others' comments on their own images, but they would ignore a suggestion that increases the usefulness of feedback in a generic way to those same people.

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

10/11/2007 05:37:29 AM · #3

I like the idea in general. Would not add the 4th checkbox, though. I often disagree with comments, yet they may have been helpful.

surfdabbler

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II

10/11/2007 07:36:19 AM · #4

Most of these are pretty much covered. If you want more information, you'll have to contact the commenter anyway, so it's no good just ticking a box. You can PM them.

If a comment is helpful or appreciated, that's kind of the same thing.

As for disagreeing, you can leave a comment on your own images, so you can always refer to another comment, and respectfully disagree with it, and state why. Although there was a slight problem with this recently where a flaming war started in the photo comments when a photographer respectfully disagreed with someone who left a comment, and the original commenter respectfully disagreed back, and it kind of got out of hand. :) Ah well.

I just use the "helpful" flag to mark for myself whether I've read a comment.

strangeghost

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

10/11/2007 07:47:10 AM · #5

RayEthier

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

10/11/2007 08:07:39 AM · #6

Originally posted by eschelar:

Perhaps this comment might give you some insight as to the possible reason why the response has to date been somewhat vapid:

Originally posted by eschelar:

Yeah, this one's been out there for a trot a few times and has probably even taken a few whacks with the DHS (dead-horse-stick).

Telling people that this issue has already been kicked from pillar to post may not be conducive to attracting additional comments... but I coudl be wrong.

Ray

10/11/2007 08:39:55 AM · #7

Originally posted by RayEthier:

Originally posted by eschelar:
Yeah, this one's been out there for a trot a few times and has probably even taken a few whacks with the DHS (dead-horse-stick).

Telling people that this issue has already been kicked from pillar to post may not be conducive to attracting additional comments... but I could be wrong.

Ray

I was more hoping to open it up as a direction for a new proactive discussion, and was trying to avoid the immediate "dead horse" and "rant" response that plagues so many Web Site Suggestions.

Strangeghost. I like your suggestion. I add my support to it. Perhaps a tiny bit more tact than 'absurd' might be called for...

danielv

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

10/11/2007 08:44:46 AM · #8

I agree that I always found the "helpful" box quite useless. Most of the time they are checked irrespective of the comment.
The last one I was:
Comment "What?"
Useful: yes

ok...

On a similar note, the system could also grade people on the number but also the quality of their post. Some more elaborate mean to "reward" the heavy commentators.

10/11/2007 08:55:41 AM · #9

Originally posted by surfdabbler:

Most of these are pretty much covered. If you want more information, you'll have to contact the commenter anyway, so it's no good just ticking a box. You can PM them.

Actually, the amount of time to respond via PM and the possibility for misinterpretation is enough to deter this in many cases. Either way, by using the tick box, you place the onus back on them. If the commenter had something to contribute but wasn't clear about it, this allows them the option to make sure they are heard. They might not understand that their comment was appreciated, but not quite understood, but that the photographer didn't have the time or see enough value in the incomplete thought but would still appreciate more information.

Ultimately, keeping things simple for both parties is a definite goal for this idea.

Originally posted by surfdabbler:

If a comment is helpful or appreciated, that's kind of the same thing.

It is? I'm sorry, but I disagree. A comment that could be appreciated might be a simple "nice" which isn't specifically helpful. These are VERY common. I've written long drawn out blatherings on people's comments and then gone back months, sometimes years later and scratched my head as to what the heck I was thinking. If I were to have received a comment now from myself back then, I would probably choose to say something like "thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to say something... I don't think it will help me particularly, but friendly thoughts anyhow"

Originally posted by surfdabbler:

As for disagreeing, you can leave a comment on your own images, so you can always refer to another comment, and respectfully disagree with it, and state why. Although there was a slight problem with this recently where a flaming war started in the photo comments when a photographer respectfully disagreed with someone who left a comment, and the original commenter respectfully disagreed back, and it kind of got out of hand. :) Ah well.

I wonder if you are thinking about what I'm thinking about... If you are, the sad fact is that "said" event was not an isolated incident, just a slightly more public one. Plenty of this goes on outside of the public eye. If we 'pre-programmed' tact into the process, maybe some of these sorts of misunderstandings could be avoided.

Originally posted by surfdabbler:

I just use the "helpful" flag to mark for myself whether I've read a comment.

actually, I also do something similar. I try my best to return comments, but if I browse a 'tog's portfolio and find nothing with no comments or few comments, I may simply use a return thank-you note. I use the 'Helpful' box to track this. I recently had a bit of time, so went back to check and found about 35 comments which had gotten neglected and buried for around 9 months. I wonder how many people got the wrong impression during those 9 months where their comments were left un-ticked. Again, this is a very common practice that really shows the need for more options with comment check boxes.

10/11/2007 09:00:01 AM · #10

Originally posted by mouten:

Question: Why?
I'm always hesitant of suggested methods to 'grade' the people in this community.

When I first started here, most of my comments were pretty shtty. I kept making them. Some people responded and I changed according to the response.

This makes commenting a part of a learning curve. Why should we reward those who are at a more advanced stage of that learning curve? I feel that we should do our best to encourage commenting honestly and freely by any and all participants. No hierarchy please.

strangeghost

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

10/11/2007 09:22:29 AM · #11

Originally posted by eschelar:

Strangeghost. I like your suggestion. I add my support to it. Perhaps a tiny bit more tact than 'absurd' might be called for...

Yeah, my box has a definite element of smartassiness to it that would need to be cleaned up in the implementation, but I'd like to see what you're talking about move forward. I like having the opition to mark a comment as "appreciated" as opposed to "helpful."

Nikon D200

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

10/11/2007 09:52:33 AM · #12

Originally posted by strangeghost:

Originally posted by eschelar:

Strangeghost. I like your suggestion. I add my support to it. Perhaps a tiny bit more tact than 'absurd' might be called for...

Yeah, my box has a definite element of smartassiness to it that would need to be cleaned up in the implementation, but I'd like to see what you're talking about move forward. I like having the opition to mark a comment as "appreciated" as opposed to "helpful."

I could get on board with "appreciated" or simply "Thank You."

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

10/11/2007 10:35:37 AM · #13

I was informed some time ago that the beauty of a check box is that more than one could be checked. For example, one could check three boxes to say: "The Photographer found this comment helpful", "The Photographer would like more information on this comment" AND "The Photographer appreciates this comment". Or any combination thereof. On the other hand, someone could also check the box "The Photographer appreciates this comment" and "The Photographer has given it some thought and respectfully disagrees"

L2 - I do my best to send out thank you notes, and I don't think I would really stop that, but it does take a fair bit of time. I would really like to see more options for these 'quick and easy' check boxes and there does seem to be the real estate available. It's impossible to get rid of negative comments (indeed it's quite counterproductive in my opinion, I have asked for negative comments on several occasions in the past) or the negative feelings that result from 'less than glowing' comments, but it might be possible to make the medium of conveying these differences of opinion more civil.

I feel fairly strongly that having a polite version of 'thanks but no thanks' or 'I disagree' would really smooth out a lot of speedbumps. As mentioned earlier, there is a lot less sting in seeing a little checkbox ticked than in reading through a nasty or unpleasant PM trying to determine if it's awkwardly trying to be helpful or trying to be rude or if it's crossed the line or.....

A checkbox could allow a person to forego the scalding retort, opting for a generic and inoffensive option that allows them to express their POV without getting worked up about it and without having to waste their time in building up a little 'situation'.

A fair bit of that could be eliminated... would you agree that it's possible?

Message edited by author 2007-10-11 10:42:46.

Nikon D200

10/11/2007 10:46:34 AM · #14

Originally posted by eschelar:

L2 - I do my best to send out thank you notes, and I don't think I would really stop that, but it does take a fair bit of time.

Do you think it takes more, or less time than writing the comment to begin with? :)