low nr of comments ? want more? can give more?

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

02/17/2020 01:05:05 PM · #1

I recently re-activated my account after a bit more then 12 years of absence from this site. Looking at the statistics of the Woodbury challenge (I am happy to be on the front page, thanks for voting) it strikes me what a low number of comments have been made in total in the challenge.

61 comments in total, by 15 different persons. Also the number of votes is much lower than in the past, but in my view especially the comments are important.

This time I commented on every single image. That might not always be useful or doable but I try to make a decent number of comments each time, just about what I feel or what I notice when looking at the image, sometimes positive, sometimes constructive, sometimes maybe negative. For me this is the purpose of the site, to find out how others are seeing the image, how it comes across, to then find how it could have been improved. With only 27 images in the challenge it does not have to take a long time either.

What about you all? Would you appreciate getting more comments? If so, can you also spend more time commenting?

Best regards,

Willem

kiwinick

Sony DSLR-A550

02/17/2020 01:41:48 PM · #2

Willem, I don't want to be a wet blanket but I don't think it will happen, I felt like you once so I started to comment on every challengeI could.What happened.
Well not a lot got a few back but onthe whole most didnt.it didnt jog many into get into passing a few words on any more per challenge. I very get the odd onenow and then

PennyStreet

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 17mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko

02/17/2020 02:48:09 PM · #3

Kind and thoughtful comments are always appreciated. I try to do my share. Thank you.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

02/17/2020 04:43:04 PM · #4

I do love giving and receiving comments!

You've commented enough for a ribbon for your profile, Willem!

More here: Commenter Ribbon Awards

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

02/17/2020 05:52:56 PM · #5

Originally posted by willem:

I recently re-activated my account after a bit more then 12 years of absence from this site.

You and a remarkably large number of folks -- welcome back!

For a while, there seemed to be a large number of significantly negative responses to comments, which discouraged the practice. We will never be able to force people to comment, but perhaps leaving more comments and thanking those who do may help encourage a reversal of that trend.

mariuca

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS

02/17/2020 08:54:46 PM · #6

Originally posted by Lydia:

I do love giving and receiving comments!

You've commented enough for a ribbon for your profile, Willem!

More here: Commenter Ribbon Awards

Lydia you reminded me to affix my over 10,000 comments award - but I am just average comparing with others

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

02/17/2020 09:18:21 PM · #7

Originally posted by Lydia:

More here: Commenter Ribbon Awards

If you separated wisecracks from comments, I would be in a league of my own.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

02/18/2020 10:33:39 AM · #8

I've been here about 12 years, so probably joined about the time you faded away.

When I first started, I did a lot of commenting and found that I got the most benefit from commenting on the pics I voted a 5 on. The fantastic or really bad ones were easy to identify why it was so. But the 5's I had to give some serious thought to what did or didn't work.

We've had less activity over the last few years, but most of the be regulars are still around. My commenting now is mostly when an image jogs a memory or inspires Grog to come out.

I do love the rare occasions when I get conflicting comments about some aspect of my entry. ("Would be better without X"/"X" makes the scene").

tnun

Ricoh GR III

Pentax DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL [IF] WR DC

02/18/2020 12:40:18 PM · #9

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Originally posted by Lydia:
More here: Commenter Ribbon Awards

If you separated wisecracks from comments, I would be in a league of my own.

So what am I, chopped liver?

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

02/18/2020 12:59:44 PM · #10

Originally posted by tnun:

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Originally posted by Lydia:
More here: Commenter Ribbon Awards

If you separated wisecracks from comments, I would be in a league of my own.

So what am I, chopped liver?

Non, paté, s'il vous plait ...

Message edited by author 2020-02-18 13:05:28.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

02/08/2021 01:16:41 PM · #11

Free study: a total of 96 comments. So disappointing. I did approx. 1/3rd of them. Does not take a lot of time. Please ...

Venser

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

02/08/2021 02:07:28 PM · #12

I'd comment more, but time is severely constricted.
And if I do comment I'd rather it be something critical, insightful, and/or meaningful.

02/08/2021 02:19:29 PM · #13

Originally posted by willem:

Free study: a total of 96 comments. So disappointing. I did approx. 1/3rd of them. Does not take a lot of time. Please ...

I'll try to step up my game, Willem.

I noticed that you don't mark most of the comments you receive as being "helpful". What's your theory behind that?

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III

02/08/2021 02:27:54 PM · #14

Originally posted by Lydia:

Originally posted by willem:
Free study: a total of 96 comments. So disappointing. I did approx. 1/3rd of them. Does not take a lot of time. Please ...

I'll try to step up my game, Willem.

I noticed that you don't mark most of the comments you receive as being "helpful". What's your theory behind that?

That does not help anyone to become a better photographer and that is why I am here and expect many others to be here.

roz

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm 1:2.8 Macro

02/08/2021 03:08:46 PM · #15

its interesting to read everyone's different approaches to commenting ..
and i feel all approaches are valid ..
its great to have such diversity .. :)

when i comment on ppl's photographs i want to inspire them .. and i know from my own experience in dpc that getting positive feedback has been a huge motivator and confidence boost in my photography ..
when one of my photos has received a less than glowing comment i take that on board .. sometimes i will agree with the critique and i will see what i missed .. other times it doesnt fit with my own opinion .. and that's ok .. we all have different likes and dislikes ..
for example i love shallow depth of field .. used 'appropriately' .. other ppl are less enamored by it .. etc etc ..

i always hesitate to give a 'negative' critique as i recognize that it is only my opinion .. and someone else may have an entirely different opinion .. so i leave that to people who are more confident in giving that sort of feedback ..
that way whoever receives the comments will get a variety of 'positive' and 'negative' ..

hope everyone is having a wonderful day ..
mine is just beginning here in australia .. :)

Venser

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

02/08/2021 03:43:36 PM · #16

Originally posted by roz:

i always hesitate to give a 'negative' critique as i recognize that it is only my opinion .. and someone else may have an entirely different opinion .. so i leave that to people who are more confident in giving that sort of feedback ..
that way whoever receives the comments will get a variety of 'positive' and 'negative' ..

hope everyone is having a wonderful day ..
mine is just beginning here in australia .. :)

I always find it easy to describe why I don't like something. But there's only so many ways you can say bland, mundane, boring, cliched, or I've seen it too many times before.
Now explaining why I like something is the real difficulty. It often just works.

And we'll see how the day goes. The market is still open and Trump's impeachment is underway.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

02/08/2021 03:46:28 PM · #17

Originally posted by roz:

... hope everyone is having a wonderful day ..
mine is just beginning here in australia .. :)

roz

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm 1:2.8 Macro

02/08/2021 04:18:55 PM · #18

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by roz:
... hope everyone is having a wonderful day ..
mine is just beginning here in australia .. :)

hahahaha .. !! .. ;)

02/08/2021 04:44:58 PM · #19

Originally posted by willem:

Originally posted by Lydia:

Originally posted by willem:
Free study: a total of 96 comments. So disappointing. I did approx. 1/3rd of them. Does not take a lot of time. Please ...

I'll try to step up my game, Willem.

I noticed that you don't mark most of the comments you receive as being "helpful". What's your theory behind that?

That does not help anyone to become a better photographer and that is why I am here and expect many others to be here.

I was thinking that marking the comments you do get as "helpful" would encourage that commenter to comment again... knowing that the photographer appreciated the effort they took to leave a comment.

And, also... the reverse. "Why should I comment, if no one thinks my comments are 'helpful'?"

Or... maybe we aren't talking about the same thing?

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

02/09/2021 05:20:38 AM · #20

Originally posted by Lydia:

Originally posted by willem:

Originally posted by Lydia:

Originally posted by willem:
Free study: a total of 96 comments. So disappointing. I did approx. 1/3rd of them. Does not take a lot of time. Please ...

I'll try to step up my game, Willem.

I noticed that you don't mark most of the comments you receive as being "helpful". What's your theory behind that?

That does not help anyone to become a better photographer and that is why I am here and expect many others to be here.

I was thinking that marking the comments you do get as "helpful" would encourage that commenter to comment again... knowing that the photographer appreciated the effort they took to leave a comment.

And, also... the reverse. "Why should I comment, if no one thinks my comments are 'helpful'?"

Or... maybe we aren't talking about the same thing?

You might be right. People might be sensitive to that (although I am not), so I will go and mark all 69 comments now that I received the past year.
There are still a lot of people that don't comment at all, so for those it will not make a difference.

Elaine

Canon EOS R5

02/09/2021 07:30:06 AM · #21

Originally posted by Lydia:

One reason I don't comment much is because most aren't marked helpful. If my time is not helpful then why do it?

MaryO

Nikon Z8

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

02/09/2021 09:57:07 AM · #22

Originally posted by Elaine:

One reason I don't comment much is because most aren't marked helpful. If my time is not helpful then why do it?

I find that figuring out how to articulate my reaction to an image often helps me learn, and trying to be polite about critiquing some aspect of it forces me to look for something to appreciate about an image. There's usually something. Although there are those images I just don't get no matter how long I study them. And the images that are technically fine, meet the challenge, and completely underwhelm me. I'm not sure commenting on those is all that useful if I can't see how I would have done it differently. But stopping to think about it has value for me.