Be nice to your fellow bird photographer's POSTS

[Keith R]

I will never - directly or by implication - suggest to a fellow photographer that their picture was better than nothing - and that's "saying something for the sake of saying something" is doing, IMHO.

With all due respect for your position, Mitch.

[canonloader]

Not quite sure what that meant, but I don't say something for the sake of saying something. I sometimes leave a comment in a thread where no one else has bothered posting anything to, for the sake of letting the member know that someone found a few seconds of their precious time to actually leave a comment, rather than let it pass with nothing. That's how these forums work, heh. Imagine if people posted their work and no one ever posted any comment to it. How long would this forum last?

[gymell]

Admit it Mitch. You're just wanting to up your post count.

[canonloader]

HAHA, I wish I could turn it back. I don't even know what it is anymore. High post counts are proof you don't have a life.

[Levina de Ruijter]

What I want to know is what to do with those people who won't leave any comments with other people. I mean, some people come in, post their images, sometimes asking for C&C but they don't seem to realise (or possibly don't care) that other people like comments as well. We have someone like that in the bird forum right now. First time poster in our section, dumps his images, demands C&C and is gone. I hate that and I'd wish for people to ignore him, which of course they won't as there are way too many kind and decent people here in the bird forum... But why do some people not realise that this is NOT a one way traffic?

Pfff, glad I got that off my chest...

I'm fine now!

[canonloader]

As bad as it is in Birds, the bird forum is the best. Some forums are really bad, and some are loaded with cliques that ignore new people altogether. I have participated in high traffic forums since 1998 and have been a mod in a few of them. If you do a search for forums of any kind, you will see plenty of them with no member posting or visiting anymore, and it's because those who do post get no feedback. Lot's of people going through and stealing images, but none leaving feedback. Pretty soon, no one posts their images anymore.

When I first started here at POTN, I read that post about all of us doing our best to not let a zero post thread fall off the first page. We all know how that feels. Since then, I have made it my hobby to try and prevent that, in any of the forums I post in. Which is probably why my post count is so outrageous. LOL

[Levina de Ruijter]

I hear you, Mitch and I hunt for those zero reply posts as well. Not always, but regularly. However, if it's someone who will never post a comment him- or herself, I don't bother. Same with newcomers. I will comment, welcome them to the forum but if the newcomers turn out to be of the hit-and-run kind, then I stop being nice and let them slide of the radar with a big fat zero too. That's me. I'm nasty!

But I do love the bird forum. It's a great place to hang out and there's a bunch of people there that are simply the best you will find anywhere! Actually, I like POTN altogether... How sick is that?

[canonloader]

Yeah, I understand. I started here in the Macro forum, then came to birds. Now I am back over in Macro more than anywhere, since I bought a microscope, but I'm still around every day, and I come back to check out the Bird forum several times a week.

[REC500]

I can't speak for all noobs but if a senior member posts a photo which is clearly better than any of mine and does not ask for comments I feel a little like a smart ass to comment even if the post is at zero response in the 5th page. I'm a bit scared I might annoy someone who obviously has more talent and experience than me. Praising a photo without any constructive comment feels like I'm just trying to up my posts even though most of the time I just can't help it.
After reading some discussions about POTN ethics I'm also a little reluctant to say thank you to 2/3 comments in my post which is now in the 3rd or 4th page because it will bump the post. I have already learnt a lot from the few conversations I have had here and I'm trying to be careful not to get in anyone's bad eye.
I believe though, that I'm going to be here for a long time and when I have more experience I am going to hunt for those zero response posts like you guys.
Wanbor

[Pete]

Some good points there, Rec. But don't forget that people are just as flattered by questions as they are by praise. If you see some striking photos, feel free to ask the photographer questions to help you gain an understanding of what makes a shot that good.

[Levina de Ruijter]

You make some good points indeed, Rec, but don't forget that the image sharing sections are not meant to give critique (unless people explicitly ask for it) but for sharing and it doesn't take any expertise to say you like a picture. Even the best photographers like a bit of acknowledgement.

[Flo]

That's the fine line, giving C&C when it's not asked for. How does one improve if no one is gently nudging them in the direction that would help the photography? I have seen so many times, one person getting that Atta boys, and every post after that is exactly the same, no improvement what-so-ever.
I totally get the first time and Life time list posts, that is about getting the species, not the Nat Geo pose
Just me though, I am no where near the expertise or technical standards that so many here are, but I try to improve each time I press the shutter. Thats WHY I keep coming back, to see what folks that post here have done lately, and read how they possibly tried something new to give them a clearer perspective on techniques etc.
Thats why I haven't posted in a while. I haven't upped my game as of yet, lol!

[Levina de Ruijter]

Originally Posted by Flo

That's the fine line, giving C&C when it's not asked for. How does one improve if no one is gently nudging them in the direction that would help the photography?

That's an excellent point, Gail, but there's not much point in giving a bit of advice when it's not appreciated. My experience is that people often get offended if you try to nudge them gently into the right direction. So unless somebody explicitly asks for C&C I'm very very careful these days. And even those that ask for "brutal honesty" often don't mean it as they too more often than not have a hard time accepting that C&C, making all kinds of excuses and basically dismissing what you said.
So, it really is a fine line and I often choose to stay on this side of it, meaning not leaving a comment at all or if I can find something positive in the image, say something about that.

[Flo]

Originally Posted by Levina de Ruijter

That's an excellent point, Gail, but there's not much point in giving a bit of advice when it's not appreciated. My experience is that people often get offended if you try to nudge them gently into the right direction. So unless somebody explicitly asks for C&C I'm very very careful these days. And even those that ask for "brutal honesty" often don't mean it as they too more often than not have a hard time accepting that C&C, making all kinds of excuses and basically dismissing what you said.
So, it really is a fine line and I often choose to stay on this side of it, meaning not leaving a comment at all or if I can find something positive in the image, say something about that.

Point taken and observed

[OhLook]

Originally Posted by REC500

I can't speak for all noobs but if a senior member posts a photo which is clearly better than any of mine and does not ask for comments I feel a little like a smart ass to comment even if the post is at zero response in the 5th page. . . .

Me too. Every day I see photos in Birds (and Wildlife) that are truly pro quality. They attract a string of compliments, usually pretty much alike. Who the hell am I to add my "Wow!" to the list and deplete POTN's supply of electrons?

Sometimes I want to say "How did you do that?" but I remember that an advanced photographer who posts hasn't necessarily volunteered to give free lessons.