Was this talked about before? - DPChallenge Forums

07/31/2009 07:32:40 AM · #151

Originally posted by Melethia:

Up and comers are covered by the 6+ score bit. They'll have the required ribbons soon enough.

True that.....and it's nice to see the quick studies. I guess three years is an eon by quick study time frames, but I've been excited by my curve after shooting snapshots with the occasional glimmer evey now and then for the 25+ years before I got here. But......like the blind pig, you find that acorn more often if you look for it more often.

vawendy is a good example of someone who's done well in a short period of time.....I'm averaging a ribbon a year.

I also know some people here whom I consider immense talents, and most knowledgeable folk that are impossible to categorize by their standing in points.

Would it be possible to somehow help people to find these people without having to intimately know some of the people who you'll ONLY know by having been here and being involved?

zeuszen,

ubique, and

posthumous come to mind to me as extremely competent influences, at least in the learning curve for me, to understand how to see more in an image.

Yet it took me a while to recognize and understand each one of them. How can we draw people like that out into a mentor type of area?

Don does an immense amount between having founded Team Suck and his coveted awards; both Zeus and

ubique are more subtle, yet every bit as influential IMNSHO....

Originally posted by Melethia:

We have had some mentorship groups - problem is usually that the extraordinary talents are usually very busy.

Yeah.....but maybe if there was a more efficient way that they could mentor, that'd help....

Originally posted by Melethia:

Not sure how tiered standings would work - and how would they take into account those who've been on the site for ages and will therefore never leave the tier they get stuck in? (Not whining - don't go off on me - just a question!)

There's another good point......I'm pretty much not going to ever get to a 6.0 average.....I don't care enough to be super-careful enough to never submit something that MIGHT tank.....I actually have gotten to the point where I'm genuinely interested in why something might not be well-received.....trouble with that is all too often you don't get enough comments to give you a feel.

Anyway, would there be some way to have a separate category for those of us who are perfectly comfortable with doing it the same old way?

One interesting aside.....I just recently got my first blue ribbon. I was *THRILLED*!!!!

However, that said, I really had mixed feelings about it being a lower score than my last red ribbon, and I wonder what's wrong with me that my brain is locked into a thing with the numbers........8>)

Just for the record, I think it's a better image than my red, but......8>)

Edited for bad typing....

Message edited by author 2009-07-31 07:36:54.

07/31/2009 07:57:03 AM · #152

Originally posted by Ivo:

On the most part, I get a chuckle out of entering the challenges though I find many migrate to this site for the social aspect and less for the eagerness to learn and excel.

I think that the social aspect is every bit as important. Had I not approached my mentor(s) on this site through personal and social interaction here, my learning would have been strictly by osmosis, and that doesn't always work as well for me.

Originally posted by Ivo:

I'm sorry but I don't want to learn photography from a majority of the members on this site. They have little to teach me....... sorry. A "few" do but it seems less every day. What can we do to retain the extraordinary talent that had developed on this site and left?? We lose them with a fair amount of regularity and this is a problem. These are, and should be, our mentors! Create an environment where they want to be. If it means stroking their egos, do so. Who cares, its a fantastic investment! We need to learn from these masters, we need access to them.

I think an ebb and flow of talent is an essential part of any site......the same people hang around year after year and things will stagnate. I have noticed that about other sites. Not that I'm advocating losing any wonderful people, but neither am I lighting candles for those who have moved forward in their journeys......may they grow and flourish, and thanks ever so much for what you shared while you were here.

I like seeing the n00bs of yesterday growing into the masters of today.

Originally posted by Ivo:

If you turn around and say they got their nose out of joint and left, then you have to try to get their nose "in" joint again. It just makes sense ........ for a learning site.

Again......I hope that when someone leaves, it's for the most part because their needs have outgrown us, not because they've gotten their nose out of joint. You only carry anger and resenment by choice for the most part.....I hope that not too many retain that if they left because of it.

Originally posted by Ivo:

Too many students here and not enough competent teachers. There are some good ones, don't get me wrong, but there are a whole heap of amazing artists that have left. This makes me sad when we should have tried to keep them.

I'd like to think that the amazing artists are stillamong us, though some are works-in-progress. Dude, you're not exactly chopped liver.....8>)

Originally posted by Ivo:

It always comes down to the same complaints, people want change. Yes they want some change. I know Langdon is trying and he has created something that is a very strong draw. The change may be slow, but a great place to start is the willingness of the community to discuss it. To embrace change as something better and not ostracize those who are bold enough to speak up with ideas now and then.

Conflict always arises from talk of change. The personal attacks and general denigration are unnecessary, but that's human nature to an extent.....change causes fear, and fear begets confrontation and resistance.

Originally posted by Ivo:

I have been here for 5 years now and feel familiar with the setup. It works for me on the most part. I feel I have become a "photographer". Wow,I can actually say that with some certainty and confidence. Why is it unreasonable to ask for the site to grow with many of those who have grown up on the site? Many of the photographers here have completed DPC grade school. Let them continue their learning here by providing them with a environment where they can be challenged and praised at the same time. These are the cream of the crop and will be ambassadors to the site. They will be the wisdom that makes this site flourish.

I agree.

We should at the same time remember to make this site an inviting place for someone who knows little, has the equivalent experience, and is looking for a place to learn.

I really think that's where the attraction lies, and todays 4.1 average shooter could be next year's Manny......you never know!

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

07/31/2009 07:59:21 AM · #153

Originally posted by Ivo:

I feel I have become a "photographer". Wow,I can actually say that with some certainty and confidence.

I did specifically want to call this part out....I feel the same way.

To me, this is the most extraordinary gift I have gotten from the site and the people who make up the community.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

07/31/2009 10:12:57 AM · #154

You posted this at 12:13am on the 31st.

Originally posted by Ivo:

The part that really gets my goat is when someone tables an idea and all of the lame ducks jump out and bash the OP for an idea. Just an idea for goodness sake and thats all.

(Quoted for brevity.

at 11:28am on the 30th, I asked this --

Originally posted by karmat:

As to the "paring down" idea.

A challenge has 200 entries. I vote through so that I can help decide what stays and what goes. Votes cast = 200.

50 are eliminated.

Now, do I have do vote on the remaining 150 again? or does voting continue with whoever is left?

If the former, I have a hard enough time allowing the time I want to spend on voting. Now, I'm going to have to vote more?? on the same images??

OR

If the latter, I've already voted on the original 200. My favorite 40 were in the 50 that were outcast. Great. If I didn't vote, I can now, but I only get to see what others thought was good. :( Or in an even worse, though not totally inconceivable situation, of the 220 possible votes that I may get in any challenge, 150 vote my picture "passable" in the first round. In the second round, 50 more people vote. That means that a very small handful of people get to decide whether or not my picture is good.

The idea may have merit for some shows, or sites, but for the purpose of this site, and how it is set up, I really don't see it being workable and being truly effective. I think what would happen is that "dpc friendly" would become even MORE than what it is now. And while those are good pictures, there are some "unfriendly" images that are also merited in their own right.

So, I ask again, how does this idea work so that it is effective for the site? I'm looking for logistical setup type answers. You've already answered "why" you think it is a good idea.

ambaker

Google Glass Google Glass

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

07/31/2009 10:19:42 AM · #155

If you want to have more "Master's Challenges" that's fine with me.

If you want tiers to feed your ego, then have a nice day and I'll see you around. As one of "the chaff, and craptographers" around here, I pay my $25 a year just like you. If I wanted classes and homework, I'd already be taking them.

The best can already compete against the best in every challenge. All it takes is an entry. If it offends you to have to look at my images in the same challenge as images from people who are really good, vote 1 and move on. I can live with it.

I have no desire for "amature" or newbie challenges. If I can't beat you on your own turf, then I don't deserve to win. I do not need charity or handouts to help my self esteem.

To get back on the original topic of this thread... I personally, do not vote in challenges where I am competing. However, I do not have a problem with it being allowed. It is a personal choice on my part, not a statment towards anyone.

Y'all have a real good day... I am!

FocusPoint

XIAOMI Redmi Note 8 Pro

08/01/2009 01:10:00 AM · #156

I really want to know, for real, who is voting today and why scores are going down that fast... Why not just once releasing the statistics of first 20 votes of Free-study, any of them and only once, show us... I don't want to know the names, just the statistics. Participants vs. non participants

driving me crazy... I can smell it, low votes coming from the Participants (no, nothing to do with beans)

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

08/01/2009 11:30:53 AM · #157

Originally posted by FocusPoint:

I'll live with some people cheating in order that I can vote. I actually learn the most when voting on the challenges I've entered. In two of the three competitions in which I've ribboned--I guessed correctly what my competition was. And in both competitions I gave the blue ribbon winners a 9. I pretty much knew they were going to beat me, but the photos deserved 9s.

I'm more interested in the challenges I've entered, and I spend more time looking at the photos to figure out what works and what doesn't work. I realize there may be some people that cheat, and it's unfortunate. But I figure it probably doesn't change things all that much. Yes, my score would be higher, but so would the other good photographs around the same average as mine. I'm also guessing that pretty much, the people at the top don't feel a need to cheat. So I don't think it's changing the ribbon winners. So I'll continue to gripe about the stupid trolls, and be happy voting!

btw, I haven't voted yet.

Message edited by author 2009-08-01 11:32:22.