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DPChallenge Forums >> Rant >> "Are you going for the brown?"
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03/03/2007 02:55:03 AM · #1
Before I say anything else I want to make it very clear that this post is NOT talking about people who do try for the brown. I think it makes the situation I'm going to talk (rant) about worse, but that is not what I am trying to point out as bad. Okay? Okay.

What I do want to say is bad is when people make comments like "Are you going for the brown?". In my opinion it is lazy commenting. It offers no real substance, nothing to help the photographer understand anything beyond someone thinks their picture sucks. It's the same as getting a comment that says "This is crap" with nothing else to explain why.

Furthermore, I personally find it more offensive than a comment that says "This is crap." That's because most people do *not* try for the brown. They try their best. And to imply that not only is the picture crap, but it is so much crap that obviously nobody would ever consider this a heartfelt try... that's just something that I don't feel comfortable with.

People have different levels of skill, right? So why would we insult - yes, insult - someone who works hard on an entry? Why not either leave a constructive comment or (because I understand the limits of time in regards to writing comments during voting) simply do not comment?

This post, please understand, isn't coming after any comments like this I have received. I think I've gotten a couple of them over time, but honestly I score pretty badly most of the time and I really am okay with that. This post is directly prompted by encountering this type of commenting on the entries of others. I'm not happy when I get lazy, insulting comments, of course, but I'm even less happy when I see it happening to other people.

And believe me.. it does NOT take a very thin-skinned person to be a bit annoyed by this. I know someone personally here on DPC who is very thick-skinned but annoyed by these types of completely worthless comments.
03/04/2007 11:01:03 AM · #2
I try to avoid these threads; and am a strong proponent of the "Get a thicker skin" mentality. However, this issue has hit close to home, and I agree with you 100%.

I agree that this approach is lazy and inconsiderate. It's a shame that these people don't offer to take the beginners under their wings and constructively help them improve instead of dropping such sarcastic comment bombs.

Message edited by author 2007-04-19 14:39:41.
03/04/2007 12:05:56 PM · #3
Maybe people have been watching too much American Idol ...
03/04/2007 12:29:44 PM · #4
There are plenty of threads addressing very similar issues, and although I have never had the misfortune to be on the receiving end of a less-than-thoughtful comment, I try to make my opinion plain in every such discussion, because I think it bears repeating. In my view, it all boils down to a matter of character. The world, quite frankly, is drowning in assholes. Lazy, insensitive comments are merely a hint of the character of such people. I am truly mystified why some feel the need to leave words of acerbic discouragement to photographers who obviously need help and a finger pointed in the right direction, not derisive mocking delivered by some cynical half-wit with a superiority complex. Arguably the raison d'ĂȘtre of this site is for learning, since that was its mission statement at its inception, but even this simple fact is lost on those with some kind of self-important point to prove.
03/06/2007 02:42:27 PM · #5
I got my first such comments with my Wildlife III entry:

"trying for a browie hugh. Okay I'll help."

I had to chuckle. It is pretty witty. I was a little disappointed that it finished last concidering it was better than the crap that scored better.

I got a bunch of other worthless comments. I made a point then to only flag comments as helpful if they really are helpful.

What really annoys me is when I give some good lengthy critism on some picture, and instead of my comment getting marked as helpful, the "Nice Shot" get's flagged as helpful.
03/06/2007 02:51:50 PM · #6
What annoys me are people who call shots that finish ahead of them crap, then call comments they get worthless. I find that extremely annoying.


03/07/2007 11:16:01 PM · #7
Can someone explain to a somewhat-of-a-newbie to the site what exactly "Are you going for the brown?" means. I'm sure it's not good and what does brown have to do with it?
-Brian (the not up to speed newbie)

03/07/2007 11:18:03 PM · #8
Originally posted by RazorsEdge:

Can someone explain to a somewhat-of-a-newbie to the site what exactly "Are you going for the brown?" means.


Brown Ribbon - Last place
03/07/2007 11:18:15 PM · #9
Originally posted by RazorsEdge:

Can someone explain to a somewhat-of-a-newbie to the site what exactly "Are you going for the brown?" means. I'm sure it's not good and what does brown have to do with it?
-Brian (the not up to speed newbie)


The brown ribbon is DPC-speak for last place.
03/07/2007 11:18:47 PM · #10
The borwn ribbon is the last place in a challenge. It's not a ribbon per se, but a convention adopted by the members. Brown of course being the color of poo.
03/07/2007 11:31:30 PM · #11
Originally posted by Nullix:

I got my first such comments with my Wildlife III entry:

"trying for a browie hugh. Okay I'll help."

I had to chuckle. It is pretty witty. I was a little disappointed that it finished last concidering it was better than the crap that scored better.

I got a bunch of other worthless comments. I made a point then to only flag comments as helpful if they really are helpful.

What really annoys me is when I give some good lengthy critism on some picture, and instead of my comment getting marked as helpful, the "Nice Shot" get's flagged as helpful.


Strange.... your profiles shows as never having made a comment...

eta; Oops, evidently we have a stats problem!

Message edited by author 2007-03-07 23:32:52.
03/08/2007 03:30:55 PM · #12
The issue becomes complicated when some very talented people deliberately attempt to gain that "brown ribbon".

As a voter and commenter I would feel insulted and tricked if I offered an opinion on a picture which had been entered as a joke. But not for long. It's only the internet, it's not like real life ;)
03/08/2007 03:43:29 PM · #13
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

The borwn ribbon is the last place in a challenge. It's not a ribbon per se, but a convention adopted by the members. Brown of course being the color of poo.

Healthy poo, anyway ...
03/08/2007 04:05:31 PM · #14
Observation: The internet and real life are not mutually exclusive.
03/15/2007 07:49:51 PM · #15
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

The borwn ribbon is the last place in a challenge. It's not a ribbon per se, but a convention adopted by the members. Brown of course being the color of poo.


Actually your sorta wrong a coupl eof people actually won a brown ribbon and its in their Honorable mentions


//www.dpchallenge.com/images/ribbon_for_fools!.gif

//www.dpchallenge.com/profile.php?USER_ID=2716
04/11/2007 03:46:31 AM · #16
bump.
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