This is the beginner's forum right?

[benhasajeep]

I agree with the OP and the beginners should be allowed to ask the same questions over and over agian. Nothing says if you have seen and answered a question 500 times you have to do it again. Nobody is twisting your arm to answer, especially in a short abrasive manner. Let someone else take the reins thats willing to answer. As for honnest critique there is nothing wrong with it. But what you have to remmeber is if you use terms like "the picture is soft" or similar and thats it. Does the newbie know what that means? Have to remember a newbie may not know the lingo. Obviously "picture sucks" and nothing else, that comment helps no one. But even when you take the time to give a short sentence on why you don't like the pictures maybe your use of technical terms is not understood. Replies have to be at the level of the forum. Since its a beginners forum longer explanations are probably in order. Again nobody is forcing you to read them or reply to them. So why reply if you don't want to or will be abrasive in your reply. Stick to the advanced forums. Let others deal with the newbies.

I think people forget an online community is a "social interaction" not just an information source. Yes maybe the answer is in 500 posts or online in websites, or in volumes of reference manuals. But there is no social interaction with those sources. Part of the act of joining the site is not to just get answers, but also the communication between people with similar interests in the subject of the particular site.

Let the beginners be beginners!

 

[manaheim]

A couple things to keep in mind... people with more experience in a thing tend to be more to the point on their comments. There is often less fluff in what they say. This is for two reasons...

1. They don't have as much patience as folks who are newer to the process, because they've been doing this for however long.
2. They understand it at a level where (in theory) a simple one-line remark might be all it should take to convey the idea.

The problem with #2 is that I think that frequently that one line remark that speaks VOLUMES can really only be understood by someone VERY insightful, not at ALL defensive, and sometimes by someone who also understands things at a level beyond the recipient of the remark. Challenging.

My experience with it is to be patient, try not to be defensive, and ask well-thought-out questions for deeper understanding. You'll gain the respect of the critic in question because you'll be taking the time and genuinely trying, and you'll likely get WAY more information out of them than you would otherwise.

Also... and this is something I'm only starting to learn... don't expect that you'll get much more than technical understanding from most forums. And try not to assume that technical excellence is artistic excellence... in fact, don't even assume that there is artistic excellence. Whether it was his intent or not, I had my eyes initially opened to some of these ideas by cloud. Listen to him. He's shmaht.

Anyway, good luck.

 

[Boomn4x4]

.... fill out in triplicate and return to the to moderators of this site.

Some words of advice......This is the Internet... people are blunt... stay at this site, leave and find another... you'll run into the same thing. Its just the way it is.

 

[vtf]

Somehow I'd rather hear something concerning my pictures bad or good even to say Im ugly and disgusting then receiving no responses at all as I've been on the latter too many times.
156 views, 0 responses.

 

[Dao]

Somehow I'd rather hear something concerning my pictures bad or good even to say Im ugly and disgusting then receiving no responses at all as I've been on the latter too many times.
156 views, 0 responses.

If a photo did not have a "wow" factor and it is not technically wrong, it usually will not receive much comments. It happened to my photos as well. In the positive side, at least I know it is not bad (at least technically). However, it also means I need to learn and practice more.

 

[LaFoto]

vtf - the many (!) times my posts with photos go down the drain in no time at all with no replies (maybe one) just tell me that apparently my photos are downright boring. And I must live with that. I also must live with that very notion. Like Dao is saying: unless a photo has a clear "wow"-factor, or sports some clear technical or compositional flaws, few people feel inclined to say anything at all. Happens to me ALL THE TIME, and has happened for my past ... what? Two? Three years on here. Tells me quite something about my photos. Try as I might, I aren't interesting. What now? Since I'm not selling (actually I am, but not to a kind of clientele that counts for HERE) and my way of living does not depend on whether my photography earns the family bacon or not, I just live with the notion. I'm not happy with it, but...

 

[Alan92RTTT]

Interesting thread. I run a rather large car forum. We have a similar issue with new members/owners.

We have the old members that don't want to answer the same question for the 5 millionth time.
The old members that spit out a short and rude response because they thought the question was stupid.
We get the "search noob" response to common and simple questions.
The new users that don't search.
New users that get rude an snotty thinking they know more then members that have been around for years.

Over time I realized severl things:
This will always happen on a forum.
You have to assume new users don't know your terms.
If you don't know the right terms vbulletin search sucks ass.
Existing members have to learn that you can tell someone they are wrong without being rude and condescending. (in other words don't say "it sucks". If you think it sucks explain why or don't post)
Existing members have to learn that they should define terms they use when talking to noobs.

Their is one huge thing we all need to remember, We are not all from the same area this forum spans countries. What I may consider a rude snarky comment might be considered as mild from someone from the UK. Our cultures are different and we need to be mindful of that when reading and posting.


[gets off soapbox]

 

[JillH]

McMommy, I took a look at the threads you've started recently, and the feedback you received from other users. Until the last post, responses were, by and large, warm and fuzzy, and even in your most recent post, I thought the feedback you were receiving was pretty useful stuff, and you're being a bit thin-skinned in reaction to some very pointed, negative, yet constructive suggestions.

Yeah, there are some blunt, somewhat snarky, people who post here - I've had a couple comment on the images I've posted, and I may have learned more about what I'm doing right and wrong from them than anyone else.

 

[McMommy]

McMommy, I took a look at the threads you've started recently, and the feedback you received from other users. Until the last post, responses were, by and large, warm and fuzzy, and even in your most recent post, I thought the feedback you were receiving was pretty useful stuff, and you're being a bit thin-skinned in reaction to some very pointed, negative, yet constructive suggestions.

Yeah, there are some blunt, somewhat snarky, people who post here - I've had a couple comment on the images I've posted, and I may have learned more about what I'm doing right and wrong from them than anyone else.

Like I said, I'm not referring to my posts, but as a general theme I've noticed. I keep posting things here because I do get a lot of feedback and it does help me focus on the things I need to improve.

 

[pbelarge]

Interesting thread. I run a rather large car forum. We have a similar issue with new members/owners.

We have the old members that don't want to answer the same question for the 5 millionth time.
The old members that spit out a short and rude response because they thought the question was stupid.
We get the "search noob" response to common and simple questions.
The new users that don't search.
New users that get rude an snotty thinking they know more then members that have been around for years.

Over time I realized severl things:
This will always happen on a forum.
You have to assume new users don't know your terms.
If you don't know the right terms vbulletin search sucks ass.
Existing members have to learn that you can tell someone they are wrong without being rude and condescending. (in other words don't say "it sucks". If you think it sucks explain why or don't post)
Existing members have to learn that they should define terms they use when talking to noobs.

Their is one huge things we all need to remember, We are not all from the same area this forum spans countries. What I may consider a rude snarky comment might be considered as mild from someone from the UK. Our cultures are different and we need to be mindful of that when reading and posting.


[gets off soapbox]

Alan
This is well stated, and I can see you have plenty of experience to be able to state it.



.......maybe we should have the option to video tape our responses. :lmao:

 

[mwcfarms]

Like I said, I'm not referring to my posts, but as a general theme I've noticed.

It's a reoccurring theme in *every* forum. People either need to learn to be less sensitive or just not post. ::shrugs::

This is why I havent posted any photos yet lol I tend to be b$%chy unless I have my caffeine drip in. :lmao:

 

[Alan92RTTT]

Alan
This is well stated, and I can see you have plenty of experience to be able to state it.

I've been a forum admin for over 10 years. We've got over 2 million posts.

 

[Alan92RTTT]

MY co-workers consistently joke about the volume of Mt. Dew I consume. Programmers need their caffeine

 

[dom yo]

MY co-workers consistently joke about the volume of Mt. Dew I consume. Programmers need their caffeine

yes they do!
redbull, starbucks, and mt dew is all i need in my life

 

[gsgary]

Some get bashed because they ask silly questions before they have even read the manual or searched for a thread where it has been answered before
I think i could be one of them you are having a ***** about I dont like to gloss over the truth because it is no good telling someone a photo is good when its not, they will carry on making the same mistakes