@ethelperry@mastermek I know what you are saying, but it can be a good place to find some great new talent relatively easily. I agree there can be better photos that don't make PP, but it is still a resource.
Haha, is this a real question? The PP hasn't been working since the change in format of 365 about 14 months ago. Some photos stay on there for ages, and some don't change. I find the TP and New Faces, while not great either, is a better resource for finding new talent.
Yeah, it's a resource allright. Lot's of very neat photo's which you can also find in any random stockbook. Do not misunderstand, there's nothing wrong with that. Quite some talent at 365.
I've been on the pp once or twice. It felt good. But... It just doesn't stroke with the essential idea behind the this website though. @kiwisnapper@quietpurplehaze
@Scrivna Thanks Ross. When the format changed, and the feed changed to bigger pictures, I think that the number of actual views of pictures fell of a lot. It would be great if this statistic no longer featured in the equation. My Top 10 are still from my first year, and seem more based on the views than the comments and fav's.
@Scrivna I don't envy your position Ross, you won't keep everyone happy! Perhaps a good start would be if you could tell us how they are calculated currently?
@Scrivna my concern is not really PP, but I do agree with @888rachel that when the format changed with bigger photos in the feed, it caused overall views to drop dramatically. I've found it much more time consuming to view and comment on photos, and have all but given up on ever getting back to being a daily user.
At the moment I think the PP looks awesome :) But seriously I just put it down to the mystery of the algorithm. You are right @Scrivna it is very hard to keep everybody happy. Maybe @888rachel and @nanalisarocks have a point. I must say that I liked the change to the larger pictures (just to make you life harder). There must be a compromise. Unfortunately I haven't thought of one yet. Either way I really enjoy the site, and especially the people on here.
@Scrivna There was some hesitation before hitting the post button. I expected some remarks on my statement but I didn't expect you asking for suggestions. So, now you got me, now I have to respond and explain myself about something I haven't seen in over a year. To be honset I learned about your changes to pp only yesterday (I had seen the difference but thought it was just the mobile version)! Me and my big mouth :-)
My remark is a very personal one. Let me bore you with my story, just to explain. I was introduced to 365 via an acquaintance of a friend of a friend and I visited your site to see what it was all about. I'm not a good photographer and hardly ever use my Canon. I'm still using the same old iphone 4s with crappy camera. But I liked you idea about 365. So I joined. And then it starts. You see all those beautiful pictures on the pp and you want to get better and better and be up there too! The new face page leads to more contacts and followers, which opens the door to the pp in the first 3 months.
After that the tough period begins. You spent more time keeping up your contacts and talking about pictures than actually taking them! I'm not a very social person in the digital world so this was a hard period and I was about to quit when many of my 'year mates' stopped one by one within 6 months. Luckily I remembered your words about the goal you are trying to achieve and I totally changed my attitude towards 365. I started my project as it is now. Little care about others, sorry @kali66, and all about my own little story.
To go short, taking a picture every day is hard as it is, at least in the beginning. Not to mention the psychological burden of the social aspects involved. In my case it was, indirectly, due to the popular page that I was about to quit. Fortunately I didn't. Keeping my eyes on the world looking for something different has become second nature now. Thank you for that. So, to get back to your question; no need to change anything but telling your member to watch out for this trap.
It's a kind of a game, we stick to the rules or bend them a little to our convenience. A different story for you it is indeed, having to keep everyone happy. An impossible task. Believe me, I know.
Now that I think of it. Perhaps a little change in algorithm is what I would do... In my opinion the beauty of a picture lays in it's story. The amount of comments and remarks is undoubtedly a good measure. Quantity is easy to measure. Quality is not, but could tell us more about the picture itself. The number of comments and favs measured against the number of (active) followers could result in a more diverse and interesting pp. You would still be called the magic monkey though.
@nanalisarocks@karlow75@Scrivna I think maybe I have been misunderstood. I love the new format with the bigger pictures. I really don't have a problem with anything on this site except for the algorithms. I just think they might need tweaking now that people are less likely to 'view' a shot.
I thought long and hard about entering this discussion. Let me start by saying that I love this site, the new format and the new additions made a few weeks ago. This is why I was wary of entering the conversation. I think you do a great job Ross and you will never please everyone, but you did ask for suggestions!
I sometimes use the TP and PP to find other exciting photos. I also check out the TT every week but I'm not sure why as it is very predictable and the images on there do not always make me go "Wow" which I think they should.
I have read all the threads about how everything is worked out. But I agree that the algorithm for the PP should be looked at. I would say the same too about the weekly TT. There are so many great photographers on this site and yet every week we see the same handful of people on the TT with a smattering of other shots.
For me, my aim is not about getting onto these pages. But I think there should be a more equitable way to showcase a broader spectrum of users on the site in some way. The New faces page and TP does this really well, I think.
Its funny. I started my 365 journey in Jan 2013 and I am sure I have read similar posts to this at least 5 times.
I agree with @888rachel suggestion that views are not a true indicator of a photo, seeing as how you can comment on a photo without opening it. Also, I agree with @mastermek in part that (and I paraphrase) potentially PP may go against the "spirit" of a 365 project.
A popular photo is a social rating, not a reflection of the quality of the shot. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. We each go on this journey for different reasons. I know for me its mostly about forcing myself to get out of my comfort zone and see the world differently - if only for a second. However, I realised during my 1/2 year absence in 2014 that I missed the social aspect as much as the creative side. That's why I came back. Unfortunately, time does not permit me to comment as often, and potentially my stats suffer as a result. I don't mind because I still have people who follow my work, and I get to follow some brilliant artists who may be doing this for exactly the same reasons as me.
Whatever your individual reasons are for participating in your project, don't begrudge others for choosing to approach their project differently. Just ignore them and focus on your own goals.
And finally, I just want to add @Scrivna I think you've built an awesome website and appreciate the effort. I know you can't please everyone but I think you've come pretty close.
I found that the more followers you have (even thou 40% of my followers are inactive), its more harder to get on the PP page. Fewer of my photos are reaching PP even though they over 50 views/ comments and over 20 favs.
Also you see the same people in the Top 20 every week because they have over 300 followers. Yes their photos are great but I have seen much better photos out there. Yes I agree with some comments it is a popular contest.
But I love the bigger images and the social aspect...so it is hard to keep every one happy.
@Scrivna@leestevo Perhaps it is like Lee-Ann says, and could you give us a way to deactivate followers with inactive accounts like we can un-follow inactive accounts? Also, I love this place, Ross. You are doing amazing work.
Ok a few comments have said "inactive followers mean I can't make it to the PP" - I'll debunk this right now and say that followers has nothing to do with it.
A few people have said the algorithms need tweaking, but they haven't said what the end goal should be. Should the PP feature just the "wow" photos, should it feature a wide variety of people, how frequently should it change, should it show newer people or those more established? Just saying the algo needs tweaking is not very useful.
1) What should the PP show more of?
2) What should it show less of?
Can you answer me those questions and I'll do my best to improve it. I can only make things if I know what I'm working towards. Currently it tries to show a variety of people, so it isn't crowded by the "same old faces" again and again (which some are complaining about in the Top 20) it tries to feature photos that are much better than that persons average. It's pretty simple really, if you average 5 favs and your photo gets 25, then that's a 5x increase and will probably get on to the PP - it's that simple. No magic.
But anyway, I'm rambling. If you can answer the 2 questions above. That would be great.
@Scrivna I'm kinda sorry I started this thread! You do an incredible job with this site Ross, and the fact that you are willing to get people to suggest changes is fantastic! Good luck getting a consensus though....
Now that you have explained how PP works, I think that's fantastic. It challenges people to keep improving. It does explain why it seems to get harder to get on there as you generally improve, as your average will rise. It also explains why some photos on there are not as good as some that aren't there from other users.
My personal opinion is that it should show mostly 'wow' photos. However, I like the fact that some less experienced shooters get the chance to get there as well.
So, I guess for me, the way you have it now it a pretty good compromise.
@Scrivna Speaking of inactive users, I have followers that have not posted anything in over 3 years. I guess they must log in occationally since their accounts are still active, but is it possible to have a function that will let you delete a follower that has been inactive for a long time (f.ex 6 months or a year.) ?
I was wondering about this myself, if something had caused a big change recently... For example, a few weeks ago I had a photo make the PP and the TT for the week (awesome!) with stats of 147 views/63 favs/55 comments, but it never made my personal top ten. Why would that be? My #2 photo is a very similar 147/52/48 from February of this year. It made me think something might have gone wrong with the "popularity algorithm"?
I actually like the PP the way it is, with a variety of different photos and photographers, although I find myself browsing the TP more often and skipping the PP because I'd mostly seen them all on the TP already (but that's just me... PP is great for non Ace members and people who aren't obsessively checking the TP like me, haha)
@Scrivna Ross, I doubt it - my photos aren't that good ;-)
I just think it looks strange that the statistics say I have 96 followers when the truth is that there are less than 10 people who regularly look at my photos.
@Scrivna haha. My goal, and I mean MY goal, would be a more diverse page, as I did mention in my previous statement. However, it seems you already implemented the algo I suggested. I will keep the page within reach to see if it actually does have some diversity! Or maybe there's no one is getting better :-)
Also, I noticed the trending page! That's more like it! Perhaps only a PP-name-change to WOW-page, as you called the factor yourself, will do!
@kiwisnapper Ashley I'm glad you started this thread..now I know how the PP works...as some of my best photos with over 20 favs are not on the PP...because my average has increased. If I I started yo get less favs will my average go down..lol. We just have to wait & see.
@Scrivna@mastermek Maybe Mek is right that every one is improving, their average is up and therefore less of their brilliant photos is not reaching the PP eg one of my great photos had over 100 views/ comments and over 20 favs did not reach PP compared to a photo last year with 5 favs reached PP. That is why Ashley started the thread as the PP page is not changing often because everyone is improving and its hard to get on there I suppose.
But I will still stand from my previous comment: the more followers you have, the more favs you receive from them therefore it will lead to the PP and TT. Some people who have amazing photos cant get many favs as they don't have many followers. As agree with some others, PP does not need changing that much...maybe decrease the average a bit. Maybe the PP name needs to be changed.
But TT maybe needs changing as we see the same photographers over & over again with the same type of images..it does get a bit boring. Eg images of birds, cats, flowers from the same photographer every week.
@polarvrtx I agree with Sara was saying...I had my very first photo in the TT last week it reached over 100 favs but it reached no 6 in my personal top 10, my no I image had 27 favs. How does that work.
since I'm in the thread now. .I always thought the idea of a Random Pic Page would be interesting. Nothing to do with views or favs or comments or how recently they were posted .. just a random sampling of pics. Let the Magic Monkeys run wild!
I love everything about this site first of all :) I love the comments and I love the photos! I love the challenge to get better. I do however feel that it could be simpler. Why is there a Trending and Popular? Can't they be combined somehow? It is hard to look at everything~~ Thanks!
I think the site is amazing, but I do find the pp page overrun with flowers, sunsets and animals. I know it is hard as a PC cannot see what is in the photos. My photos that have made the pp are certainly not my best. Often they are the ones that have been heavily processed. Since getting a decent camera last June, I have improved my skills enormously, producing far better photos but featured less on pp even though my favs and followers have increased. This is a little discouraging. I think the pp should have a range of subject matter, a range of people and a range of effects and natural shots.
My all time top ten seems to be stuck with two average photos near the top taken a year ago with not that many favs. Not sure why?
Having said all that, I am in awe at how you have created such a wonderful site, attracted such a collection of truly lovely people and provided a way to improve photography, share one's work, receive encouragement, learn on links to tutorials, share one's interests and provide such a lovely way to while away an hour or so most days. So thank you very much.
My current account is fairly new but I've been on this site previously under different accounts for a couple of years now, so my comments are based on that experience.
I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with the PP or TT, after all unless a qualified individual or group of qualified individuals want to take on the task of reviewing every single photo uploaded to the site daily and rank them, then there is no option for populating these pages other than an algorithm.
What I think many members have noticed though is that since the "Fav" statistic is a heavily weighted factor of the algorithm it becomes possible to 'influence' the algorithm - intentionally or otherwise. This is augmented by the fact most members are considerate such that when receiving a "Fav", many feel obliged to reciprocate by returning the "Fav". Thus if one were to hand out 100 random "Fav's" today they may receive a good many in return on their most recent image...lets use 30% as an estimated reciprocal response netting in 30 "Fav's" received. Add in 10 more non-reciprocal "Fav's" to that image and 40 "Fav's" are probably sufficient to weight the algorithm enough to get TT and/or PP results. I believe this is the source of the recent discussion over why we see some members consistently in the TT.
Considering all this, I think if there was a way to differentiate between a true "Fav" (I *really* like this image and would purchase it to hang it in my home) vs. a "Like" (hey, cool image...I want to recognize your effort and creativity). TT and PP algorithms could continue to weight "Fav's" as a factor, but would not consider "Like's". This would allow members to acknowledge their appreciation for other's work while reducing potential influence toward the PP and/or TT pages.
I admit though that introducing a "Like" option could be confusing, and its possible it may not at all improve anything, but its the thought I've had for some time toward this subject that seems to keep coming up.
Thanks for all your efforts in providing this avenue for us, and please accept my appreciation for you taking your valuable time to read and consider these thoughts.
@Scrivna just stumbled across this discussion after not being active for a while. I think you do a fantastic job on this site, I've come back on as I really missed the interaction with other photographers, I don't have the time to commit to going to a club, and as a working mum of three - this project is my little bit of me time. Re the popular page , I think one problem is that you may get a shot which gets loads of favs and this takes your average up by a lot and It's very hard to get on it again, I wondered if maybe there could be a method where say after 1 - 2 months your averages are reset again? Many thanks again for all your hard work in the site.
I think that your two questions have merit; I think people struggle with answering from a technical aspect. I would like a "like" and a "fav" opportunity on the photo. It may be impersonal, but it will allow you to record the information for an algorithm. If a fav button has been hit, it will possibly indicate that someone sees merit in the photo aesthetically and a like hit would allow someone to say, "hey, this is great" but not so much so that it goes into the personal library. I've never had any issues with the PP, so I'm just making a suggestion. I only look at Trending Page as I like it very much and it really helps me look at what's going on live. I'm in my third year, sooooooo....not that much invested.
Warning, thread hijack about to happen!...
HOWEVER, I'm going to hopefully snag your attention by addressing something on here that I think needs a serious overhaul, and I sent you an email about it almost exactly a year ago. This week, the discussion thread was practically spammed by one user (they are still there) and it forced all the themes/challenge notices off the "latest" and "general" topics. Now, we are all on different time zones, so, seeing something that was posted often gets overlooked and the time it takes to do an adequate search is very time consuming (especially if challenges do not follow a "naming protocol")
So here is the content of my email to you--to which you very nicely responded--I love this place, so please know I'm just sharing the idea with you again--I think a "calendar view" of the themes/challenges would be a brilliant upgrade!:
" I’m writing because several threads have addressed a hope to improve the site in the area of announcing themes/challenges on the site. The desire for some is that site be improved by using a “calendar view” of the challenges so those across the world and in different time zones can be aware of them as they are announced and when they end. My thought would be that when a user connected to the themes/challenges section, a pop up form could arrive on the screen where the user could then fill in “name of challenge” “challenge instructions” “tag for challenge” “start date” “end date” “prompts for followup” “Vote date.” The user can then “post”the info which would go to a calendar with a link to the info (the calendar would only have the theme name on the calendar with the link to find more information). These are just ideas for the concept. I’m not a techie per se, but I am learning some instructional design from my work as an online instructor, so these are my concepts for someone who could execute the technical aspects of it as I am aware it’s not as easy as some may think.
As it stands, the theme thread is a bit of a mess. For one, some folks have so much time than others that they have the time to do searches for a variety of ways of finding a challenge, but so many challenges are offered without following a protocol. Some may put “NEW THEME” and then that is the thread search item—not very efficient. It also starts to only include those folks who are somewhat monopolizing the theme/challenge area. Not a bad thing, but I remember as a newbie it was frustrating to know what folks were doing and play along. I have suggested on the site to minimally use a theme-naming protocol, but even if I put that in a discussion thread, unless it gets enough views and comments, it will not be viewed to make a difference....
I must say that this site has really been such a wonderful experience for me and so many others. I have dropped out of most challenges and I would love to participate more without the additional time needed to find what I’m looking for.
Let me know if you would like to discuss! I’d love to help give user-end advice if you need it!"
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For a number of reasons it shouldn't be there.
I think you have a good point.
I've been on the pp once or twice. It felt good. But... It just doesn't stroke with the essential idea behind the this website though.
@kiwisnapper @quietpurplehaze
My remark is a very personal one. Let me bore you with my story, just to explain. I was introduced to 365 via an acquaintance of a friend of a friend and I visited your site to see what it was all about. I'm not a good photographer and hardly ever use my Canon. I'm still using the same old iphone 4s with crappy camera. But I liked you idea about 365. So I joined. And then it starts. You see all those beautiful pictures on the pp and you want to get better and better and be up there too! The new face page leads to more contacts and followers, which opens the door to the pp in the first 3 months.
After that the tough period begins. You spent more time keeping up your contacts and talking about pictures than actually taking them! I'm not a very social person in the digital world so this was a hard period and I was about to quit when many of my 'year mates' stopped one by one within 6 months. Luckily I remembered your words about the goal you are trying to achieve and I totally changed my attitude towards 365. I started my project as it is now. Little care about others, sorry @kali66, and all about my own little story.
To go short, taking a picture every day is hard as it is, at least in the beginning. Not to mention the psychological burden of the social aspects involved. In my case it was, indirectly, due to the popular page that I was about to quit. Fortunately I didn't. Keeping my eyes on the world looking for something different has become second nature now. Thank you for that. So, to get back to your question; no need to change anything but telling your member to watch out for this trap.
It's a kind of a game, we stick to the rules or bend them a little to our convenience. A different story for you it is indeed, having to keep everyone happy. An impossible task. Believe me, I know.
Now that I think of it. Perhaps a little change in algorithm is what I would do... In my opinion the beauty of a picture lays in it's story. The amount of comments and remarks is undoubtedly a good measure. Quantity is easy to measure. Quality is not, but could tell us more about the picture itself. The number of comments and favs measured against the number of (active) followers could result in a more diverse and interesting pp. You would still be called the magic monkey though.
Good luck and keep on going!
I thought long and hard about entering this discussion. Let me start by saying that I love this site, the new format and the new additions made a few weeks ago. This is why I was wary of entering the conversation. I think you do a great job Ross and you will never please everyone, but you did ask for suggestions!
I sometimes use the TP and PP to find other exciting photos. I also check out the TT every week but I'm not sure why as it is very predictable and the images on there do not always make me go "Wow" which I think they should.
I have read all the threads about how everything is worked out. But I agree that the algorithm for the PP should be looked at. I would say the same too about the weekly TT. There are so many great photographers on this site and yet every week we see the same handful of people on the TT with a smattering of other shots.
For me, my aim is not about getting onto these pages. But I think there should be a more equitable way to showcase a broader spectrum of users on the site in some way. The New faces page and TP does this really well, I think.
But how, I have no idea!
My 2 pennies worth. Ignore if you wish!
I agree with @888rachel suggestion that views are not a true indicator of a photo, seeing as how you can comment on a photo without opening it. Also, I agree with @mastermek in part that (and I paraphrase) potentially PP may go against the "spirit" of a 365 project.
A popular photo is a social rating, not a reflection of the quality of the shot. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. We each go on this journey for different reasons. I know for me its mostly about forcing myself to get out of my comfort zone and see the world differently - if only for a second. However, I realised during my 1/2 year absence in 2014 that I missed the social aspect as much as the creative side. That's why I came back. Unfortunately, time does not permit me to comment as often, and potentially my stats suffer as a result. I don't mind because I still have people who follow my work, and I get to follow some brilliant artists who may be doing this for exactly the same reasons as me.
Whatever your individual reasons are for participating in your project, don't begrudge others for choosing to approach their project differently. Just ignore them and focus on your own goals.
And finally, I just want to add @Scrivna I think you've built an awesome website and appreciate the effort. I know you can't please everyone but I think you've come pretty close.
Also you see the same people in the Top 20 every week because they have over 300 followers. Yes their photos are great but I have seen much better photos out there. Yes I agree with some comments it is a popular contest.
But I love the bigger images and the social aspect...so it is hard to keep every one happy.
A few people have said the algorithms need tweaking, but they haven't said what the end goal should be. Should the PP feature just the "wow" photos, should it feature a wide variety of people, how frequently should it change, should it show newer people or those more established? Just saying the algo needs tweaking is not very useful.
1) What should the PP show more of?
2) What should it show less of?
Can you answer me those questions and I'll do my best to improve it. I can only make things if I know what I'm working towards. Currently it tries to show a variety of people, so it isn't crowded by the "same old faces" again and again (which some are complaining about in the Top 20) it tries to feature photos that are much better than that persons average. It's pretty simple really, if you average 5 favs and your photo gets 25, then that's a 5x increase and will probably get on to the PP - it's that simple. No magic.
But anyway, I'm rambling. If you can answer the 2 questions above. That would be great.
Now that you have explained how PP works, I think that's fantastic. It challenges people to keep improving. It does explain why it seems to get harder to get on there as you generally improve, as your average will rise. It also explains why some photos on there are not as good as some that aren't there from other users.
My personal opinion is that it should show mostly 'wow' photos. However, I like the fact that some less experienced shooters get the chance to get there as well.
So, I guess for me, the way you have it now it a pretty good compromise.
Keep up the amazing work Ross.
I actually like the PP the way it is, with a variety of different photos and photographers, although I find myself browsing the TP more often and skipping the PP because I'd mostly seen them all on the TP already (but that's just me... PP is great for non Ace members and people who aren't obsessively checking the TP like me, haha)
And, as we often say here on 365, "your project, your way." So, I think the same applies for whatever you decide to do.
I just think it looks strange that the statistics say I have 96 followers when the truth is that there are less than 10 people who regularly look at my photos.
@Scrivna haha. My goal, and I mean MY goal, would be a more diverse page, as I did mention in my previous statement. However, it seems you already implemented the algo I suggested. I will keep the page within reach to see if it actually does have some diversity! Or maybe there's no one is getting better :-)
Also, I noticed the trending page! That's more like it! Perhaps only a PP-name-change to WOW-page, as you called the factor yourself, will do!
@Scrivna @mastermek Maybe Mek is right that every one is improving, their average is up and therefore less of their brilliant photos is not reaching the PP eg one of my great photos had over 100 views/ comments and over 20 favs did not reach PP compared to a photo last year with 5 favs reached PP. That is why Ashley started the thread as the PP page is not changing often because everyone is improving and its hard to get on there I suppose.
But I will still stand from my previous comment: the more followers you have, the more favs you receive from them therefore it will lead to the PP and TT. Some people who have amazing photos cant get many favs as they don't have many followers. As agree with some others, PP does not need changing that much...maybe decrease the average a bit. Maybe the PP name needs to be changed.
But TT maybe needs changing as we see the same photographers over & over again with the same type of images..it does get a bit boring. Eg images of birds, cats, flowers from the same photographer every week.
@polarvrtx I agree with Sara was saying...I had my very first photo in the TT last week it reached over 100 favs but it reached no 6 in my personal top 10, my no I image had 27 favs. How does that work.
Thank you.
My all time top ten seems to be stuck with two average photos near the top taken a year ago with not that many favs. Not sure why?
Having said all that, I am in awe at how you have created such a wonderful site, attracted such a collection of truly lovely people and provided a way to improve photography, share one's work, receive encouragement, learn on links to tutorials, share one's interests and provide such a lovely way to while away an hour or so most days. So thank you very much.
My current account is fairly new but I've been on this site previously under different accounts for a couple of years now, so my comments are based on that experience.
I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with the PP or TT, after all unless a qualified individual or group of qualified individuals want to take on the task of reviewing every single photo uploaded to the site daily and rank them, then there is no option for populating these pages other than an algorithm.
What I think many members have noticed though is that since the "Fav" statistic is a heavily weighted factor of the algorithm it becomes possible to 'influence' the algorithm - intentionally or otherwise. This is augmented by the fact most members are considerate such that when receiving a "Fav", many feel obliged to reciprocate by returning the "Fav". Thus if one were to hand out 100 random "Fav's" today they may receive a good many in return on their most recent image...lets use 30% as an estimated reciprocal response netting in 30 "Fav's" received. Add in 10 more non-reciprocal "Fav's" to that image and 40 "Fav's" are probably sufficient to weight the algorithm enough to get TT and/or PP results. I believe this is the source of the recent discussion over why we see some members consistently in the TT.
Considering all this, I think if there was a way to differentiate between a true "Fav" (I *really* like this image and would purchase it to hang it in my home) vs. a "Like" (hey, cool image...I want to recognize your effort and creativity). TT and PP algorithms could continue to weight "Fav's" as a factor, but would not consider "Like's". This would allow members to acknowledge their appreciation for other's work while reducing potential influence toward the PP and/or TT pages.
I admit though that introducing a "Like" option could be confusing, and its possible it may not at all improve anything, but its the thought I've had for some time toward this subject that seems to keep coming up.
Thanks for all your efforts in providing this avenue for us, and please accept my appreciation for you taking your valuable time to read and consider these thoughts.
Joe
I think that your two questions have merit; I think people struggle with answering from a technical aspect. I would like a "like" and a "fav" opportunity on the photo. It may be impersonal, but it will allow you to record the information for an algorithm. If a fav button has been hit, it will possibly indicate that someone sees merit in the photo aesthetically and a like hit would allow someone to say, "hey, this is great" but not so much so that it goes into the personal library. I've never had any issues with the PP, so I'm just making a suggestion. I only look at Trending Page as I like it very much and it really helps me look at what's going on live. I'm in my third year, sooooooo....not that much invested.
Warning, thread hijack about to happen!...
HOWEVER, I'm going to hopefully snag your attention by addressing something on here that I think needs a serious overhaul, and I sent you an email about it almost exactly a year ago. This week, the discussion thread was practically spammed by one user (they are still there) and it forced all the themes/challenge notices off the "latest" and "general" topics. Now, we are all on different time zones, so, seeing something that was posted often gets overlooked and the time it takes to do an adequate search is very time consuming (especially if challenges do not follow a "naming protocol")
So here is the content of my email to you--to which you very nicely responded--I love this place, so please know I'm just sharing the idea with you again--I think a "calendar view" of the themes/challenges would be a brilliant upgrade!:
" I’m writing because several threads have addressed a hope to improve the site in the area of announcing themes/challenges on the site. The desire for some is that site be improved by using a “calendar view” of the challenges so those across the world and in different time zones can be aware of them as they are announced and when they end. My thought would be that when a user connected to the themes/challenges section, a pop up form could arrive on the screen where the user could then fill in “name of challenge” “challenge instructions” “tag for challenge” “start date” “end date” “prompts for followup” “Vote date.” The user can then “post”the info which would go to a calendar with a link to the info (the calendar would only have the theme name on the calendar with the link to find more information). These are just ideas for the concept. I’m not a techie per se, but I am learning some instructional design from my work as an online instructor, so these are my concepts for someone who could execute the technical aspects of it as I am aware it’s not as easy as some may think.
As it stands, the theme thread is a bit of a mess. For one, some folks have so much time than others that they have the time to do searches for a variety of ways of finding a challenge, but so many challenges are offered without following a protocol. Some may put “NEW THEME” and then that is the thread search item—not very efficient. It also starts to only include those folks who are somewhat monopolizing the theme/challenge area. Not a bad thing, but I remember as a newbie it was frustrating to know what folks were doing and play along. I have suggested on the site to minimally use a theme-naming protocol, but even if I put that in a discussion thread, unless it gets enough views and comments, it will not be viewed to make a difference....
I must say that this site has really been such a wonderful experience for me and so many others. I have dropped out of most challenges and I would love to participate more without the additional time needed to find what I’m looking for.
Let me know if you would like to discuss! I’d love to help give user-end advice if you need it!"
Daryl :)
@Scrivna