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09/17/2013 09:23:05 PM · #101 |
i wish there was a place for the ones that are not photoshop savvy nor care to be...DPC seems to be ruled by composites or at least what the mass general voting seems to lean towards, which are images heavily manipulated. i have nothing against it...just a shame there is no place for SOOC or minimal editing photographs...because there is just no competing against manipulated images. I'm new to the site but there is just no place for me here...i'm not expecting to win ribbons, but when you know that you wont win no matter how good your photo might be due to the simple fact that your photo is...well...'simple'...there's just no shot. i cant even help the people that i voted high which are generally minimally edited photos...what's the use? i know i wont be missed, but i wish there was a place for me here...hence i feel like i wasted $25.
great community here however...it's a shame really.
my 2,500¢. |
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09/17/2013 09:28:12 PM · #102 |
As far as I can tell, there are still challenges being created. The site might be a little dated as far as aesthetics go, but that shouldn't affect your ability to get the most out of its functionality.
To me, it's like Facebook or Twitter or most other "socially participatory" sites the web - the content is almost entirely user-created. If you stop contributing, there won't be as much to enjoy. If no one made wall posts on Facebook or took the time to send Tweets, those sites would be pointless as well (maybe to some they already are). :)
The point is, you are what makes DPChallenge great, not Langdon. He put up the foundation (and did a great job with the construction, no doubt) and gave you the means to share. But the onus is on you. If you stop entering challenges or making comments, then sure, the site will start to "die." The site itself hasn't changed in nearly ten years from what I can see.
Message edited by author 2013-09-17 21:33:39. |
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09/17/2013 10:18:24 PM · #103 |
Originally posted by glassappeal:
i wish there was a place for the ones that are not photoshop savvy nor care to be...DPC seems to be ruled by composites or at least what the mass general voting seems to lean towards, which are images heavily manipulated. i have nothing against it...just a shame there is no place for SOOC or minimal editing photographs...because there is just no competing against manipulated images. I'm new to the site but there is just no place for me here...i'm not expecting to win ribbons, but when you know that you wont win no matter how good your photo might be due to the simple fact that your photo is...well...'simple'...there's just no shot. i cant even help the people that i voted high which are generally minimally edited photos...what's the use? i know i wont be missed, but i wish there was a place for me here...hence i feel like i wasted $25.
great community here however...it's a shame really.
my 2,500¢. |
Minimally edited images have ribboned, even in expert challenges. But they have to be exceptional, just as heavily edited images have to be. A great photo is a great photo. Because this is a "learning" site, most people want to try new things, new editing, new techniques, etc. Many of these techniques (such as IR, double-exposure, etc.) can create stand-out images which require little if any additional editing. I understand your position about image editing, but perhaps you can expand your capture techniques to create winning images.
There are also side challenges which are non-competitive. |
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09/17/2013 10:25:54 PM · #104 |
| Can u put this on pause for a min.... I have to go P....B right back.... |
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09/17/2013 10:31:09 PM · #105 |
| Phew, Thanks ok press play I'm back... |
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09/17/2013 10:49:30 PM · #106 |
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09/17/2013 11:00:19 PM · #107 |
Originally posted by glassappeal:
i wish there was a place for the ones that are not photoshop savvy nor care to be...DPC seems to be ruled by composites or at least what the mass general voting seems to lean towards, which are images heavily manipulated. i have nothing against it...just a shame there is no place for SOOC or minimal editing photographs...because there is just no competing against manipulated images. I'm new to the site but there is just no place for me here...i'm not expecting to win ribbons, but when you know that you wont win no matter how good your photo might be due to the simple fact that your photo is...well...'simple'...there's just no shot. i cant even help the people that i voted high which are generally minimally edited photos...what's the use? i know i wont be missed, but i wish there was a place for me here...hence i feel like i wasted $25.
great community here however...it's a shame really.
my 2,500¢. |
If you're interested, and need help editing - ask away in the forums, just post a new thread.
I'd be glad to assist, and I'm sure others would as well.
Heck, I can even show you how to get 95% of the way 'there' using free tools. |
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09/17/2013 11:16:12 PM · #108 |
Originally posted by sfalice:
Originally posted by mpeters:
I re-upped for a month back in August(first time I've ever renewed for a single month). That period ended and I'm now part of the unwashed masses.
Real life gets in the way but the $25/yr was the best money I ever spent on photography anything.
Guess I'll head over to flickr and try and collect spinning gifs and self-affirming feedback from the Pros. ;) |
Hey, neighbor - come back when gif spinning and pleasing plaudits run their course...and when real life moves over a bit. |
Hello to you neighbor. For the record, I'm not into spinning doodads but I track with some local stuff on Flickr.
As for real life? I drive a minivan, if that helps paint a picture. :) |
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09/17/2013 11:18:30 PM · #109 |
Originally posted by Haakon:
As far as I can tell, there are still challenges being created. The site might be a little dated as far as aesthetics go, but that shouldn't affect your ability to get the most out of its functionality.
To me, it's like Facebook or Twitter or most other "socially participatory" sites the web - the content is almost entirely user-created. If you stop contributing, there won't be as much to enjoy. If no one made wall posts on Facebook or took the time to send Tweets, those sites would be pointless as well (maybe to some they already are). :)
The point is, you are what makes DPChallenge great, not Langdon. He put up the foundation (and did a great job with the construction, no doubt) and gave you the means to share. But the onus is on you. If you stop entering challenges or making comments, then sure, the site will start to "die." The site itself hasn't changed in nearly ten years from what I can see. |
This is a good post Haakon. |
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09/17/2013 11:48:17 PM · #110 |
I've decided I'm only going to renew if Puppy Bear will agree to give me free cooking lessons...17 days and counting.
Message edited by author 2013-09-17 23:49:36. |
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09/18/2013 12:15:50 AM · #111 |
Originally posted by hihosilver:
I've decided I'm only going to renew if Puppy Bear will agree to give me free cooking lessons...17 days and counting. |
Sure, you can have free cooking lessons. |
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09/18/2013 12:18:18 AM · #112 |
Originally posted by glassappeal:
i wish there was a place for the ones that are not photoshop savvy nor care to be...DPC seems to be ruled by composites or at least what the mass general voting seems to lean towards, which are images heavily manipulated. i have nothing against it...just a shame there is no place for SOOC or minimal editing photographs...because there is just no competing against manipulated images. I'm new to the site but there is just no place for me here...i'm not expecting to win ribbons, but when you know that you wont win no matter how good your photo might be due to the simple fact that your photo is...well...'simple'...there's just no shot. i cant even help the people that i voted high which are generally minimally edited photos...what's the use? i know i wont be missed, but i wish there was a place for me here...hence i feel like i wasted $25.
great community here however...it's a shame really.
my 2,500¢. |
I believe that SOOC or minimally edited photos can compete with heavily manipulation, you just need to pick the right subject matter and you need to nail the image. Great images are great images. Use the site to demonstrate your point. Enter minimally edited photos in open challenges... there is no rule that says you have to manipulate your image. Ribbon and build a following. One thing that we should have all learned from dpc heroes, past and present, is that it takes at lot of work and determination. Also, were does no manipulation suggest an images has to be simple. Build a complex layered image using existing light and don't touch it afterward... there is nothing simple in that, that is mastery. |
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09/18/2013 12:24:34 AM · #113 |
Originally posted by RayEthier:
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I've kept my eye on membership numbers as the site slowly dies and each time this conversation comes up. DPC has bled another 150 members and is at 850. It seems to be slowing, but the decline is certain. In December, 2009 it was 1953. On March 6th, 2013 it stood at 1006. Today it is 850. |
Fess up Jason, you left when there no longer were mechanics, electricians and other trades people that could give you assistance on your projects of the day.
By the way, I seem to recall that you had promised to come back and inform us on some project you were wording on with your church... how did things turn out.
Please don't jump on me folks, Jason knows I am simply pulling his leg here...:O)
Ray |
You'll have to refresh me. I have lots of projects at my church. :)
I stick around (mainly lurking) because I have friends here. I enjoy their company and I wait for signs of life. After 8 years, however, there aren't many threads and conversations that are new and exciting. My personal enjoyment of challenges is over save the rare exception. All things have a season. That's not a knock.
I do like the DIY knowledge DPC can provide. :). I've been talking with Brennan about woodworking in just the last two days. |
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09/18/2013 12:37:20 AM · #114 |
If you are going to promote something to improve visibility and get the word out then you need to evolve beyond the soap box and start using the next amazing breakthrough; the telephone... How many of you have promoted DPC outside of these forums, on your Facebook pages, on Twitter, your web pages, elsewhere? A very small handful. DPC needs to also make that easier by spending a small amount of programming time and money on creating Like, Share, Tweet, Retweet, G+ etc functionality. I have promoted it (since 2009) by manually linking to pages and entries via my web site, facebook and twitter pages but in order for it to grow, get new blood and to be seen some SEO and Social Networking functionality will do it a world of good.
Do something positive. Complaining from within serves no purpose and as has been seen, changed nothing. You are preaching to the converted. SC have also never openly said they have a direct line to Langdon, by voice or otherwise and what his reaction has been to their queries, the communities questions and requests. Who has actually had a voice conversation with him of late?
The Get Satisfaction program also appeared to serve no purpose either...it has come to a grinding halt.
I currently have two tickets outstanding for two+ weeks and the unpaid hired help SC are not responding, getting to the faults/bugs on my profile. If this is a business, run it like one, make it succesful and word of mouth will spread like wildfire.
Unofficial Facebook Page here
Message edited by author 2013-09-18 17:00:49. |
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09/18/2013 12:54:39 AM · #115 |
Originally posted by Stagolee:
Originally posted by Simms:
I guess I just remember the best days of the site - Heida, Saberi, DrAchoo, JSetzler and all the others - the golden age of DPC.. a fading memory now sadly.. I guess thats where my bitterness comes from - Langdon made this site great and now he is running it into the ground.. It's his prerogative I know, but it still leaves a slight bitter taste in ones mouth.
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and some people live in the past and some move on! There is no need to drop in here with all your negativity and attitude. If you want to contribute then enter challenges, comment on photos, help people in the forums or just go away and stay away. |
I suppose I'm one of the whiners who shows up occasionally to complain and then slither away again. I show up to look for the sense of community that I once found here. I'm not as angry at Langdon, but I do feel a sense of lose. I don't know the current state of the site is... I just happened to have rough day in the none DPC world of photography, stopped in to renew my membership and happened to find this thread. I'm not one to look backwards, but when asked why the site might be in decline it seemed like an opportunity to look back and access why dpc was once so important to me. I remember Simms, his excellent photography and his role on the forums. I have no idea what has gone on, but this feels like showing up just in time to see and old friend get kicked around a bit. It's pretty clear I'm an outsider to this place now. What I miss is the times when we all met here to talk about photography. I'll probably end my saying that, I'm very glad to see that bear_music is still here, simply seeing that name pop up made me smile a bit.
Message edited by author 2013-09-18 00:58:27. |
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09/18/2013 07:27:47 AM · #116 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
After 8 years, however, there aren't many threads and conversations that are new and exciting. My personal enjoyment of challenges is over save the rare exception. All things have a season. That's not a knock. |
Aren't you forgetting the 'ask a Christian anything' thread? - Or did the Atheists win that one? |
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09/18/2013 09:48:41 AM · #117 |
Originally posted by HarveyG:
I currently have two tickets outstanding for two+ weeks and the unpaid hired help SC are not responding, getting to the faults/bugs on my profile. If this is a business, run it like one, make it succesful and word of mouth will spread like wildfire.
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Actually, I see no tickets from you since March (which seems to have been answered). So, it would appear that perhaps you submitted an "administrative" ticket, and we can't see those, thus are unable to respond. |
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09/18/2013 11:14:43 AM · #118 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by hihosilver:
I've decided I'm only going to renew if Puppy Bear will agree to give me free cooking lessons...17 days and counting. |
Sure, you can have free cooking lessons. |
::Oh...sweetest beams at Puppy Bear:: DEAL!!!!
I enjoy any thread with Adonis  DrAchoo...
I'm in awe of his record breaking number of green ribbons!!
*ducks and runs* |
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09/18/2013 11:15:06 AM · #119 |
Originally posted by Nusbaum:
I'll probably end my saying that, I'm very glad to see that bear_music is still here, simply seeing that name pop up made me smile a bit. |
Waving back wildly! Set and chew the fat a bit, old friend :-) |
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09/18/2013 12:59:21 PM · #120 |
Hey, David! Glad you dropped in. I suppose that to an "outsider" it might seem like we're beating up on each other. There are threads where that happens, and this happens to be one of them. But believe it or not, most other threads DO discuss all sort of photographic things :-)
It is very hard to be a part of something, go away, and then come back. Even if we tell ourselves that it is likely things have changed, the experience of that change is unsettling and melancholic. Our favorite person is no longer active, but there are new people who have the potential to become our new favorite, if we took the same time we did in the beginning to get to know them. Some things are better. Some are worse. Some are just the same.
On the bright side, from a functional standpoint, very little has changed so you'd feel right at home :-) |
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09/18/2013 01:16:03 PM · #121 |
Ok, you've proven me wrong. I actually do enjoy watching people argue with math.
But I still don't dig it when the people who describe the problem are accused of doing nothing to solve it. Defining a problem is the most important step to solving a problem. |
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09/18/2013 01:24:33 PM · #122 |
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A very special THANK YOU and warmest beams and hugs to my extraordinary hero and Mystery Man who renewed and gifted to me a membership this morning!
WHAT A SURPRISE!!!!
My faith has been been restored and I feel...oh my...
::promptly faints::
Message edited by author 2013-09-18 13:36:33. |
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09/18/2013 03:21:35 PM · #123 |
Originally posted by posthumous:
Ok, you've proven me wrong. I actually do enjoy watching people argue with math.
But I still don't dig it when the people who describe the problem are accused of doing nothing to solve it. Defining a problem is the most important step to solving a problem. |
If by defining the problem, you mean blaming everything on Langdon, and damning the guy as a loser who is only out to pick our pockets, well... I don't really find that to be very useful in fact.
Or did I miss someone who actually defined the problem, then was taken to task for it?
As I see it the problem is exactly as HarveyG defined it.
We need evangelists, people who encourage others to experience DPC. And sadly, some of our very best and brightest from the past do nothing to bolster this place, when they, with a single mention, could do much to restore this place with a fresh stream of new people.
Even some advertising could do the trick - but, you see, there I go again, proposing solutions.
..
You know, it comes back to sometime my boss rode my ass about years ago.
I used to come to him with problems, thinking, exactly as you seem to, that defining the problem is helpful... He succinctly explained that while it is indeed a first step, defining the problem does nothing to help, and in fact, if it is defined repeatedly, it gets annoying, and doesn't move anything forward.
So, in the end, proposing solutions (that YOU can enact) does a hell of a lot more good. |
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09/18/2013 03:45:07 PM · #124 |
Originally posted by JH:
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
After 8 years, however, there aren't many threads and conversations that are new and exciting. My personal enjoyment of challenges is over save the rare exception. All things have a season. That's not a knock. |
Aren't you forgetting the 'ask a Christian anything' thread? - Or did the Atheists win that one? |
2009 called. They want their thread reference back. :P |
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09/18/2013 03:55:20 PM · #125 |
Originally posted by Cory:
Originally posted by posthumous:
Ok, you've proven me wrong. I actually do enjoy watching people argue with math.
But I still don't dig it when the people who describe the problem are accused of doing nothing to solve it. Defining a problem is the most important step to solving a problem. |
If by defining the problem, you mean blaming everything on Langdon, and damning the guy as a loser who is only out to pick our pockets, well... I don't really find that to be very useful in fact. |
I find facts to be useful, in fact. And that's all I've been talking about so far. Number of users declining, and Langdon's neglect of the site.
Originally posted by "Cory":
So, in the end, proposing solutions (that YOU can enact) does a hell of a lot more good. |
OH, so when the NRA proposed the solution of arming every teacher, that does a hell of a lot more good than defining the problem. |
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