A comment on the leaving of comments

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

05/31/2005 10:12:17 AM · #1

After reading the recent discussions about the lack of comments being left, I decided to go back and leave comments on as many photos as I could last night before shutting down the computer. Well, I only got to leave a few. Why you ask? Because while I was leaving comments I got three emails from people I had just commented on all arguing/yelling at me about my comments. What's up with that? If you want an honest comment I will leave one. If you don't like it I am sorry, nothing personal. But please don't email me and tell me why I am wrong in my assessment or that I am ignorant or blind. I didn't know who took the photos before I left the comments, but I do now.

Now I know why people don't comment.

LucidLotus

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

05/31/2005 10:16:20 AM · #2

Does this happen often? I don't think I've ever rec'd a negative response to my comments, even when I've pointed out things I found to be detrimental to the image. I guess the old adage of not being able to please everyone fits for comments too.

Oddly enough, one of the comments on my own image was "no comments".

Heh. People are funny. :)

CEJ

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

05/31/2005 10:17:50 AM · #3

I don't know if it happens often. It just happened last night while I was leaving comments.

05/31/2005 10:19:36 AM · #4

Originally posted by Alienyst:

I don't know if it happens often. It just happened last night while I was leaving comments.

Become a sackhead.

cpanaioti

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

05/31/2005 10:20:11 AM · #5

This is the very reason you are given the choice of hiding your name during voting. This is for challenge entries only of course. You might want to go that route.

Also, take a look at the tutorial on providing and receiving feedback. It may help in understanding why you received immediate negative response to your comments.

emorgan49

Olympus E-5

Olympus 50mm f/1.8 MF Normal Zuiko

05/31/2005 10:20:17 AM · #6

Put a bag on your head. By the time the challenge ends and the bag heads are revealed most comment recievers have cooled down enough to respond more thoughtfully.

2Shay

Nikon Z7 FX

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

05/31/2005 10:24:57 AM · #7

I know that it has happened to me while leaving comments. People will PM me to explain their photo or challenge my comment. I have to admit that I have replied to comments during a challenge, but only to thank the user for leaving one. I have since decided to remain anonymous during voting to eliminate this as an issue. I am starting to find that I am caring less about the actual score I receive, and lusting for comments. I am sitting here in this challenge not really caring about my score, currently 4.7, and wishing I had more than 2 comments. Thank you for the two who have left them for me!

Message edited by author 2005-05-31 10:38:21.

05/31/2005 10:53:40 AM · #8

Originally posted by 2Shay:

I am starting to find that I am caring less about the actual score I receive, and lusting for comments.

Same goes for me sitting at 4.5 with 1 comment in the Beauty Challenge.

CEJ

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

05/31/2005 11:18:25 AM · #9

Baghead applied.

I too would like more comments. I got a lot on my really crappy silhouettes photo, only one on light (wish I had more on this one), a few on granular and none on beauty (really wish I had some on this one - I would love to know what is thought about it especially since it is doing poorly.)

Message edited by author 2005-05-31 11:19:38.

muckpond

Nikon D200

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Diagonal Fisheye for Nikon

05/31/2005 11:27:26 AM · #10

the occurrence of someone PMing you to argue with a comment is a long, old story. it's really unfortunate when it happens. you're really best to just ignore it.

i am a big fan of being a "baghead" specifically for that reason.

please be advised, however, if someone sends you a PM for any reason that you think is way out of line that you can forward it to an SC member for review.

personally, i preferred all comments to be anonymous but...

Shannon

Nikon Coolpix 5700

05/31/2005 11:56:44 AM · #11

I love comments of any kind, which in the beauty challenge I currently have a score of 5.2 and not a single comment, this is the first time this has happened to me, I usually have atleast a few by now?

sofapez

Canon EOS-10D

05/31/2005 12:08:21 PM · #12

I am a baghead and proud of it. I think everyone should be bagheads until or even after the vote is over, well maybe not after since that would be an open invitation for some people to be "not so constructive".
I opted out of voting or entering the last few challenges for being overwhelmed by work and DPC and having a life. But the last challenge I was in, the trend seemed to be comments were dropping. When I comment I always try to be kind, even if I am critical and have never, once received a PM back (hopefully, that won't change). I try to find something nice to say and a pleasent way to criticize as well.
I have never PM'd during a challenge, it would be unfair to the commenter/voter/and other entrants as the identity of the commentee is the revealed. It shouldn't matter who the entrant is, comment fairly anyway. I would NOT change my vote if someone could/did PM me either, it would have to be EXTREMELY litigimate for me to even consider doing so.
Yesterday, I went back through alot of the comments I have left just to see if I was making fair assessments of the images and if my votes where in line and why some people do not mark the comments as appreciated. I found that I was in pretty good shape overall, and those that didn't mark them, don't mark a large portion of the comments, good or bad.

05/31/2005 12:19:21 PM · #13

You know something, usually I don't like people PMing me about a comment while challenge is still on.
But something else had happened to me once, when I left a comment:
During the billboard challenge, I completely missed something in a photo and voted rather low at it because I thought something was missing.
I then received a PM from the photographer, pointing me to what I was missing.
On this case, I thought it was really a good thing that the photographer PMed me. (I bumped his score in like 3 or 4 points!!)

After this, still don't like to be addressed while the challenge is on, what I do in the rare cases of really having something to say about a photo is sending a PM saying that I appreciate a certain comment and would like to responed. and without giving any details about the entry or the challenge it's in or teh comment itself, I ask for it's author's premission to respond.

I don't like baghead. can't explain why...

05/31/2005 12:29:22 PM · #14

Ok, I appologise to everyone... I just had to respond to a comment I received... LOL the timing was just perfect...
Anyway, didn't cover my entry what so ever, but I got such a nice comment that I had to say thanks!
I had to let the commenter know how much the comment was appreciated.

Could you guys ever forgive me?

sofapez

Canon EOS-10D

05/31/2005 12:33:24 PM · #15

Originally posted by Jinjit:

Did you give away what image or exactly what comment?
hmmm....I'll have to think about that.

05/31/2005 12:35:05 PM · #16

Originally posted by Jinjit:

Could you guys ever forgive me?

How could we not forgive you?

05/31/2005 12:35:40 PM · #17

Originally posted by sofapez:

Did you give away what image or exactly what comment?
hmmm....I'll have to think about that.

No no no no no I didn't!!! cross my heart!!! I didn't, really!!!

Edit: just saw Rex's reply.
Thank you so!! :-)
For that you deserve a comment yourself.

Message edited by author 2005-05-31 12:37:42.

sofapez

Canon EOS-10D

05/31/2005 12:46:37 PM · #18

AT the end off the challange when voting is done I like to go back and review the comments I have received. I have then PM'd to say thanks and only once to say basically, "your rude, and mean", because I felt that the commenter was. Incidently, I was then chided by another commenter for not marking the rude, mean comment as appreciated... it would've been rather hypcritical of me to do so.
I wondered how the second person would have felt if he/she received the same comment, starting with "Well... this is really aweful...." and ending on the same tone. It was my first challenge entered, and maybe I was a bit sensitive, since I new alot of what the (1st)commenter said was not true, still I thought there was some issue with that person's monitor or something.
And I definately forgive ya Jinjit.... (this time..lol)

05/31/2005 01:05:18 PM · #19

Originally posted by Jinjit:

Edit: just saw Rex's reply.
Thank you so!! :-)
For that you deserve a comment yourself.

You are so awesome. I love getting comments from anyone but from people I admire and look up to to improve myself upon are great. You rock!!!

Kavey

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

05/31/2005 01:15:38 PM · #20

Originally posted by sofapez:

Let me preface what I'm about to say with a message that I'm totally understanding where you're coming from on the perceived TONE of the comment in question. Certainly the opening and closing phrases could have been worded more sensitively.

However, I think the comment was clearly made in a spirit of genuinely wanting to help by communicating honestly and in detail what the commenter found lacking in the image.

One doesn't take the time to write a comment of that detail just to piss someone off! I can understand your instinct to disregard the entire comment (or most of it) because of the commenter's failure to sugar-coat what he said but... I think that would be your loss rather than his.

I have to say that, whilst I would have worded my opening and closing differently, I agree pretty much completely with the assessment of the image itself. Taking the criticisms onboard would likely help rather than hinder future efforts.

Most participants on this site are clamouring for more detail in the comments they receive - they don't just want to know that someone didn't like their image much, they want to know exactly what that someone felt could be improved.

When someone takes the time to tell them, it's often dismissed out of hand.

Believe me, I'm not trying to pick on you personally. I totally sympathise with your feelings since it was your first challenge entry to boot.

But I just had to give you my alternative perception of that comment.

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

05/31/2005 02:01:57 PM · #21

I 2nd what Kavey said. I was going to write a similar response but got sidetracked. I'm seeing a tendency in this htread of helpful/insightful/well-thought-out comments getting criticized because the perceived tone of them is perhaps more blunt than the photographer would have preferred. I think this is discouraging, frankly. Not all of us are diplomats, but this doesn't mean we don't have valid things to say. Speaking for myself, I pay NO attention to the perceived "tone" of the comments I receive, only to their usefulness to me.

Robt.

05/31/2005 02:10:04 PM · #22

Originally posted by bear_music:

I 2nd what Kavey said. I pay NO attention to the perceived "tone" of the comments I receive, only to their usefulness to me.

Robt.

I agree with you. You can tell me it looks like sheot and tell me why you think this way and I find it helpful.

05/31/2005 03:59:37 PM · #23

Originally posted by rex:

You are so awesome. I love getting comments from anyone but from people I admire and look up to to improve myself upon are great. You rock!!!

I'm really not worthy...

thanks!!!
I know exactly what you mean. Actually, this is the part that is the most enjoyable about commenting and about this site for me!!

Originally posted by sofapez:

...And I definately forgive ya Jinjit.... (this time..lol)

Thanks.
I appreciate it and you deserve a comment to! Will be getting there in a minute! :-)

Kavey

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

05/31/2005 04:09:50 PM · #24

To join the comment-fest... jinjit, you got another one...