Image Gallery Apathy

[TrevorW]

Ok it's happened to me and it's probably happened to others as well were we have posted images to the gallery and although quite a number of people may have looked at them no one has bothered to make a comment, albiet this apathy is more prevalent in the solar system gallery :(.

If it was only me then I could cry conspiracy :P.

Personally I find any apathy abhorrent and always when I view an image in these forum galleries I make a comment albiet mostly short and sweet but nevertheless a comment :thumbsup:.

Criticism as long as it's constructive is always welcome :welcome:.

I know that sometimes we post these images in a vain attempt to get recognition for our efforts but we also post for each others enjoyment and as a way of improving upon what we do :help:.

So go on make your peers happy make a comment even a short one it makes the effort worthwhile :hi:.

IMO

:D:D

[MrB]

No Comment...

[iceman]

I know what you mean, Trevor. Sometimes I post an image that I think is good and it only gets 1 or 2 replies. Other times I post a mediocre image and it gets 10+ replies :)

There's no consistency to it.. I guess it's just a symptom of busy people and with a lot of new posts every day, sometimes they get missed or have no time to reply.

I try to reply when I can, or if an image really grabs me, or if I feel I can offer constructive comments or feedback, but I don't have the time to do it for every thread either.

ahh for the days at my old job where I had much more "day time" time to browse forums :)

[iceman]

lol :lol:

[Astrod00d]

Well said!

Although I must admit to being a bit slack in the comment stakes.
A lot of the time I just don't feel qualified to critique an image that is far superior to anything I could achieve.

I greatly appreciate comments and tips on the images I submit. Experienced imagers often see things that I miss and their hints are worth their weight in gold.

Cheers,

Rob

[TrevorW]

Thanks not what I meant by short and sweet ;)

[Alchemy]

hmmmm . food for thought, i generally look at a couple i find interesting and comment, plus a beginner and offer some encouragement. i dont want to reply to every image put up for the sake of it. have a look at how many people have viewed it , just because people dont reply doesnt mean its bad , there a lot who just like to sit back and admire without being interactive


if you want people to reply to your post you can speciffically ask ( ie HELP ME I DONT KNOW WHERE TO GO FROM HERE) or....

perhaps put up 2 versions and ask people to vote......

you can bait them a bit to get a response....

be creative try imaging something others havent done before.

engage the people more in their posts so they will get to know you more, so they remember you when its your turn.

put up several images at once, then they can say.... i like that one best (often people dont want to critique so say nothing)

pick your times..... certain times will have less posts so yours will be noticed ...ie full moon or just after in the deep sky section is slow for new posts, so you have it all to yourself.

a tactic used with good response is MY BEST EVER (moon, crater neb , whatever)

Sell yourself a bit perhaps



there.... you got a good response from me, so it can be done.

[rogerg]

With my current lack of enthusiasm for astronomy I only occasionally post and only occasionally view images in the galleries. I sometimes think I'll take a quick look at a few then leave it at that, so I do, but don't post. I don't see any problem with that.

In the past I have often posted images which have only received 0 through 2 replies. It's always nice to get more but I don't care about getting so few - I know what it's like, I don't always feel like replying.

For me, I find it easier to post comments on images when I'm into imaging myself, as I have a more appreciative and critical eye then.

I also don't like clocking up posts just by saying very little, I prefer to post when I have something useful to say. I know the flip side though, that the image owner would like anything, be it "nice!" or 5 pages of response.

Ahh well, such is life, it is how it is :)

[PCH]

I'm with Rob (AstrodOOd) on this one. Many who look - certainly myself included - just don't feel qualified to comment on the terrific images seen on this forum.

For instance, the other day when Jase 're-did' Dennis's M16 data, I have to admit I could barely discern any difference. And yet, the experts amongst us were falling over themselves with praise for Jase's attempt.

I'm sure it was well deserved, but all I'm saying is that clearly what the experts see is vastly different to what us (much) less experienced people see. So don't feel aggrieved Trevor (et al), we do enjoy the posts just as much as any other, but in a more peasantish way :lol:

Cheers,

[spearo]

Everyone is so busy now, and there are so many posts too! The number of images of all caliber is sometimes quite large. Perhaps the number images posted per month can be graphed over time by Mike?

I've read somewhere some negative comment about people who post (as I often do) a brief, "great shot keep it up" kind of comment. I think it might have been referred to as spam or something like that.

I found this affected my postings for a while after I read that.

Personally, I love getting comments, even one word. It must be some kind of pride thing but it does boost the ego and encourages me to keep trying when I see some concrete evidence that people have looked at my image and found it nice (or bad) enough to motivate them to say a little something to me.

I certainly have reduced the amount of "spam" comments I make but certainly still try to encourage newcomers/starters. I'll never forget the anxiety I felt when I posted my first shot! Getting positive feedback sent me into a huge amount of excitement. I remember in particular Mike Sidonio making a comment at one of my first few posts and I think I told everyone who'd listen how this guy with awesome experience, published etc had actually bothered to reply to my pretty pathetic image.

No matter how we rationalize it to ourselves, when we post our work to the community, we hope for some positive feedback.

I never minded the constructive criticism I got, probably because it was always constructive and usually included suggestions as to how to improve. Comments I always note and applied.

This thread is a good timely reminder to keep up the great supportive work of this community.

Its one of the few, last places I can turn to see lots of positivity and people helping each other out.

frank

[GrahamL]

happens in observational astronomy all the time :) .


http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=35269

;)

[TrevorW]

Some of your issues are well taken and others imbue negativity while Nightstalker I see your point regarding other threads.

Personally I post what I believe to be a good, bad or indifferent image then thirst on the opinions of my peers in an egotistical desire to know whether what I've posted in worthy of being posted or do I need to go back to the drawing board and start again but that's me I'm an artist at heart.

:painting:

:thumbsup:

[Gargoyle_Steve]

Just to add a different slant on this - I almost NEVER even look inside the various imaging areas to even see what threads exist, let alone post comments. Maybe once every 4-6 weeks I may have a quick look at the thread titles, possibly if I'm extremely bored and filling in time, and I may even open a particular thread and view the image if I'm really interested in that particular object. On the rare occasions that I do post a comment it is because an image has really caught my interest, and I feel that the image and Imager strongly deserves praise.

There are very few images that have really impressed me and have stuck with me: Dennis's Simmonds amazing Moon on Andromeda Galaxy composition, there was also a particularly stunning image of Saturn some time ago (sadly I can't recall who captured this one), I was impressed by 2 images Paul Russell captured at the 2007 Qld Astrofest, and Tony Surma-Hawes LMC image from the same event. There was an image of the Jewel Box captured by Jase some months ago, and of course Chrissyo's amazing series of frame grabs of the ISS passing overhead, tracked through the finder of his hand driven dob.

This isn't meant to say that any other images didn't impress me, etc, but the majority certainly don't stand out in my memory. I can appreciate the talent and time required to capture all these images, but after the first thousand "My best ever Jupiter" threads it all becomes very "so-so" as there are very few that stand out from the crowd (to my untrained eye).

My interest lays in visual observing, and no matter how bright and clear and wonderful an image I still prefer to look at it through my own scope every time. When I want to see an amazing image of something I go looking for the Hubble shot. :lol:

I mean no offence to anyone by any of these comments, I simply don't get "excited" by the vast majority of images.

But hey, what do I know? ;)

[Jen]

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: yep and when i FINALLY LEARN :screwy:how to take my first pic and post it in here you all better reply dam it cause your all gonna know about it when i do you will hear me in the forums LMAO :D:D:D
:whistle::whistle:
ok nextttt........
:P

[strongmanmike]

Yeh?? Gee I am glad it meant so much to you Spearo! I am just a man...a big (now fat) funny (not as in humorous but more strange) man :) Oh no no no, I am sure it wasn't pathetic at all....I wont be seen associating myself with pathetic images (unless they are mine) :D

Mike

[Tandum]

Steve, Come round here and try visual. I do imaging cos it is the only way I can see what is up there....

On the other hand .. how does one comment on something which is so subjective or prone to individual tastes. I'm guilty of viewing lots of images and not commenting. But who wants my comments, I dunno 5hit from shinola :)

[Ric]

I always try to comment on images that I view, all encouragement is good encouragement. I try to add some constructive help if I can but most people here are way above me in either skill or equipment.

Cheers

[sjastro]

No comment is a far better alternative than "Your images are crap" that I get from time to time (private E-mails of course).

Regards

Steven
http://users.westconnect.com.au/~sjastro/small

[TrevorW]

I was always told that unless you have something good or constructive to say don't say anything obviously your emails are from unintelligent, demented, jealous individuals who have no appreciation of art.

:thumbsup:

[Bassnut]

mmm, Ive often wondered if ppl find a critisim more usefull than a "its great" (if required of course).

Im a bit dislexic when it comes to what ppl feel, so its often hard to know when to praise or offer a critique. Is it better to say nothing rather than say why an image is a bit soso (that just doesnt deserve an "its great") :shrug:.

I cry when a simple level adjustment could make an awefull image good, but if its a 1st light?, what to say?, especially when it gets a heap of praise. I find often I do nothing just not knowing the proticol :P.

Id rather get slammed than nothing at all :D.

[sjastro]

In some cases the images could have been better but it's no excuse for destructive criticism.

Regards

Steven

[bloodhound31]

Great thread. :D


.....how's that?:P

Baz.

[erick]

Well, I know what I like and what I don't, but beyond that I don't know anything about imaging. I've been caught a few times jumping in early and saying "super" to be followed by a series of posts from people who do know their stuff pointing out (in the most helpful possible way) how the image could have been better. So I've been more hesitant to go early and prove myself to be a goose :P

[tornado33]

How on earth can anyone say that?, your images are excellent, especially as you go after the more obscure and challenging ones.
Scott

[Jen]

Well for people like me who have never even taken an image of something so imazing from up above YET i think they are all great pics cause its better than what i have done so far (i would be so happy if my first pic of jupiter was all fuzzy lol :screwy:) and im sure every one that has taken pics of the heavens above has had a fuzzy pic or two :lol: we all learn from them right :thumbsup::thumbsup: if somebody gets upset from being told there pic needs some work they will never learn from it. :D

[sjastro]

Thanks Scott.

I don't really know.
I suppose there are some ultra competitive astroimagers out there.

Regards

Steven

[MrB]

I wonder how many of these comments come from people that aren't into astronomy or astrophotography and are just surfing the net, stumbled across your site and are comparing with what they're used to seeing... Hubble images.

[sjastro]

Of the three occasions this has occurred, two of them are well known astroimagers.

Regards

Steven

[MrB]

Hmmm, thats pretty sad.
Atleast you now have some insight into what sort of person they are and how big their ego is.