New Site feature proposal - Encouraging our younger photographer members

[Overread]

Recently we've had a short discussion behind the scenes about considering reaching out and promoting/helping/encouraging the younger members of our forum in their photographic interests. These would essentially be our "under 18s" photographers who at present, whilst we have some on the site, are mostly overlooked.


In the view toward promotion of photography and the community toward all segments who make use of the forum we are considering taking up an initiative to focus upon the younger members.

At present we've no fixed or formal idea as to how to approach this matter, we've some ideas (some of which I'll outline in short in a moment), but no actual firm plans. Thus to not only gauge the sites feelings on this matter (from both the old and the younger members) we are starting this thread. We greatly welcome your ideas on this matter in both general and specific terms. Be you old or young we'd be greatly interested in reading your ideas on how we can best approach this matter.


A few ideas we've had would include:
1) Use of the groups feature to form a specific under 18s group - sadly the practical side of using groups has shown that even popular ones die very fast and, with its current implementation, its at best a short term solution. Whilst its not off the cards, its something that would need a lot of dedication to make it work.

2) Addition of an under 18's "gallery and discussions" section. This would be more than just a gallery (in fact I'd like to remind users that the galleries we have here also serve as a discussion subsection for their specific topics) and would focus around giving the under 18's a specific section to socialise in and ask questions of the forum at large. Whilst this won't change what they can do already, its been noted that providing a specific subsection for an interest/group also serves to generate increased attention to that subject/focus and to attract more of a like mind to it.
Downside is that it is adding another subsection to the already large list we have on the site.



If you have more ideas or expansions on those suggested please chime in - we really want to get your feeling for this and if its worth approaching as an idea at all.

 

[gw2424]

I would have to agree with #2. I just hope we don't generate a bunch of Instagram users. :lmao:

 

[manicmike]

I like the second idea.

 

[sam_franklin]

I like the second as well!

 

[runnah]

I vote nay.

Not sure what a person's age has to do with judging their work and their skill level. Seems like unneeded segregation. I will judge people on their work be them 8 or 80.

Does anyone know how old I am? Do they care? Do I care?

 

[480sparky]

I agree with runnah. If someone comes here for help, they'll ask questions. We may ask what camera or lens or software or whatnot they're using. But I cannot, for the life of me, ever recall someone responding to an OP, 'How old are you?"

Coming here with a desire to improve in the craft is not dependent on the four digits on your birth certificate.

 

[thetrue]

I'll agree with sparky and runnah to a certain extent. Some of the youngins might not feel as comfortable posting in the galleries. It could be more of a confidence booster rather than an identifier. I think it would be beneficial, having a "spot" for them to help them feel more confident and more likely to share, learn, and grow as photographers. I like option #2 best, it ensures optimal exposure to the masses and still maintain an almost "protected" feeling for the under 18's.

 

[Overread]

This isn't just about critique on photographs (which I agree is something that shouldn't be age dependant) its about making the site more welcoming and accessible to the younger photographers. Like a lot of high cost hobbies photography tends to have a lot of older members, whilst younger ones are a smaller number; however I think that with encouragement and some direction we can make younger members welcome and also show that we listen to all age groups in our membership.

I agree that we don't want to insult those members by speaking down to them because of their age, but I do feel that we could do more to make the site more usable by them.

 

[runnah]

This isn't just about critique on photographs (which I agree is something that shouldn't be age dependant) its about making the site more welcoming and accessible to the younger photographers. Like a lot of high cost hobbies photography tends to have a lot of older members, whilst younger ones are a smaller number; however I think that with encouragement and some direction we can make younger members welcome and also show that we listen to all age groups in our membership.

I agree that we don't want to insult those members by speaking down to them because of their age, but I do feel that we could do more to make the site more usable by them.

I will counter with the question of what about the forum now isn't conducive to younger members? Heck online forums are by design targeted at a younger audience.

 

[Overread]

This isn't just about critique on photographs (which I agree is something that shouldn't be age dependant) its about making the site more welcoming and accessible to the younger photographers. Like a lot of high cost hobbies photography tends to have a lot of older members, whilst younger ones are a smaller number; however I think that with encouragement and some direction we can make younger members welcome and also show that we listen to all age groups in our membership.

I agree that we don't want to insult those members by speaking down to them because of their age, but I do feel that we could do more to make the site more usable by them.

I will counter with the question of what about the forum now isn't conducive to younger members? Heck online forums are by design targeted at a younger audience.

And yet our population here is dominantly much older. Heck we've done some "how old are you" polls in the past and (from memory) we have a much larger peek of members of older generations over younger ones (with a jump in the young 20s). So clearly something isn't quite working to attract and encourage those younger members to take part. This initiative (which I stress is still open to suggestions on how to approach it) is aiming to bridge that gap a little or at least ensure that our younger members are not overlooked.

 

[runnah]

This isn't just about critique on photographs (which I agree is something that shouldn't be age dependant) its about making the site more welcoming and accessible to the younger photographers. Like a lot of high cost hobbies photography tends to have a lot of older members, whilst younger ones are a smaller number; however I think that with encouragement and some direction we can make younger members welcome and also show that we listen to all age groups in our membership.

I agree that we don't want to insult those members by speaking down to them because of their age, but I do feel that we could do more to make the site more usable by them.

I will counter with the question of what about the forum now isn't conducive to younger members? Heck online forums are by design targeted at a younger audience.

And yet our population here is dominantly much older. Heck we've done some "how old are you" polls in the past and (from memory) we have a much larger peek of members of older generations over younger ones (with a jump in the young 20s). So clearly something isn't quite working to attract and encourage those younger members to take part. This initiative (which I stress is still open to suggestions on how to approach it) is aiming to bridge that gap a little or at least ensure that our younger members are not overlooked.

Well like you said, the demographic for most photographer is older because of the cost to entry.

Why do you want a younger audience? What would they add/take away from the forum?

Again I would say it's not so much about younger members, I would say its more a matter of not scaring away beginners with point and shoots. My suggestion would be to add a beginner's gallery where people with lower gear/skills don't get hammered as much during C&C.

 

[Overread]

Again I would say it's not so much about younger members, I would say its more a matter of not scaring away beginners with point and shoots. My suggestion would be to add a beginner's gallery where people with lower gear/skills don't get hammered as much during C&C.

We tried this before not so long ago. Sadly the term "beginner" means different things to different people and when the beginners section was also a gallery it became heavily over used. It also had a massive range of skilled people in there, some who had been shooting for years but who still considered themselves a beginner. It got to a point where there was a general undertone of "post it in beginners or it won't get any attention" which further led to the single subsection being bombarded with far too many new threads (new threads could end up on page two or three within a single day of being posted).

As a result we clamped down and kept photos in the galleries only and since then this problem has gone away.




As for what a younger audience adds or brings to the table, its another dynamic in the sites population; one we already have and which gets less attention than some others. Furthermore its not just what they can bring to the site, but what the site can do for them. Already we know that the beginners section attracts and makes beginners feel more welcome on the site - this would be an aim to do similar (through whatever means) for those under 18 members and future members.

 

[sm4him]

I agree with runnah. If someone comes here for help, they'll ask questions. We may ask what camera or lens or software or whatnot they're using. But I cannot, for the life of me, ever recall someone responding to an OP, 'How old are you?"

Coming here with a desire to improve in the craft is not dependent on the four digits on your birth certificate.

Actually, *I* once asked that very question--"how OLD are you?" to someone on this forum, but it was NOT because of anything photography-related they'd posted.

I'm really on the fence about this. I agree that a person's age should have NO bearing on any photo-related posts--if it did, old age would have to be considered as well, since the eyesight is often not what it once was and other physical limitations begin to take their toll.

The groups idea--I dunno. The groups seem to be a nice idea that don't work here.
The gallery idea--I'm okay with that, but I fear that if we DO have a "18 & Under" gallery, the older, more experienced folks who could really help out won't really frequent it because it'll have too much stuff that only teenagers really care about. Like...like...well, how would I know? I haven't been a teenager in a VERY long time.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I think that with encouragement and some direction we can make younger members welcome and also show that we listen to all age groups in our membership.

I think this place, as a whole, with few exceptions, treats everyone as equals. What it comes down to whether any individual feels welcomed, often comes down to their personality, and whether they can accept being treated as an equal, and that they actually have an interest in learning/self teaching.

I agree that we don't want to insult those members by speaking down to them because of their age, but I do feel that we could do more to make the site more usable by them.

So segregating them, and singling them out, won't indicate different treatment should be given? You don't think that putting them at the childrens table isn't akin to putting up a sign saying "Hey, go easy on them, they're just kids"? Perhaps under their username you can put the title "Coddle Me", to further point out they are different and should be handled differently?

 

[amolitor]

I think some subforums that are dedicated to younger shooters is a fine plan. I would actually restrict it to them. Yes, yes, then they won't get the help that us older people would so willingly give them. Guess what? They don't want our help.

Possibly allow people who want to be "mentors" to post, but only after they've explicitly agreed to a pretty stringent code of conduct that's aimed to make them not be pompous asses or outright bastards to the younger people, and to also behave in a way that the kids won't hate (whatever that means). Probably it means only replying to direct questions with concise and non-judgmental answers.

But, basically, it would be a kids-only space.