My time on 365 has come to an end. Many great photographers on here and I have learned a bunch from a select few. Just not feeling the love here anymore, It's a fact you have to comment & fav on this site to get it in return and I just don't have the time. So any how as Phil Robertson would say.... "He's Gone"
Me too, this is my fourth year, and I think it will be my last sadly, I would love to comment back but just don't have the time at the moment, and as you say it seems as soon as you stop commenting your views and comments dry up :(
This is my first year on 365 and have to say I'm loving it. It is hard finding the time to comment on other people's pictures. I only follow 74 and missing one, two or three days of uploading and commenting can be hard work. But I enjoy my immediate 'community' and look in awe at those pictures posted by the 'hardcore' members. I still have so much to learn so will definitely stick at it.
365 has its difficulties but has huge rewards too! Seeing new places, ideas and artwork from all round the world enriches my life. I do not comment on heaps of photos now but answer any questions. Sorry to see you go, Al along with so many others!
i enjoy the immediate interaction of seeing an image from someone else but its become all about challenges and voting - the latest topics on the right are typical - theres hardly and tips and tricks thread visible in 'the latest' now or photo sharing its all vote for this, wwyd, song challenges, mfpiac, get pushed, csc, - i think this is a big part of the issue - the community is now just for those who take part in the 'competition' threads and the support and interaction threads are never visible.
I've always totally ignored all the competitions and challenges, "get pushed", etc. I just post the pics that I want to post! I do try and comment when I can, but it takes commitment. I think it has been noticeable, however, that from the start of this year, in particular, there have been a lot of new 365-ers who never comment at all. You can only give as much to the site as your time will allow. I've thoroughly enjoyed my 2 years here, but next year I will probably go to one post a week, instead of one a day.
It's definitely a reciprocal thing and the reason it is for me is because I don't have time to go through pages and pages on the home page so it's easier to visit those that visit me then if I have time I scroll through the home page and find shots to comment on. It's a shame you are leaving on a bitter note but I imagine Flickr would be more what you're looking for.
I also think the reason the challenges are so popular is because some people like myself have been here for years and find inspiration in them. I didn't participate in them myself until this year but when you're lost for inspiration a challenge is a great way to go.
Sorry to see you go, Al. I guess if we expect people to take the time to comment on out photos we have to take the time to comment on theirs, we all have the same 24 hours each day.
I have to say that I agree with what you say about comments. But, for me, 365 is also very much a personal journey and I'm glad for the opportunities it gives.
Hi Al, I am coming back on the day you are leaving. I wish you all the best. I spent hours commenting on pics prior to leaving some months ago, but unfortunately I no longer have so much leisure time, so now I am making it a personal diary/log. If people comment, that's fabulous, if they don't then I guess they are as busy as me! Be lucky and happy always x x x
1st off, I'm not leaving bitter by any means and I know you get what you give. That's my problem, not enough time to support others. I started my project in July of 2011 as a 1 year 365 project and looked forward to posting along with making & receiving comments. Loved seeing my pics on the PP and a few made the TT which always makes you smile. This site challenged me everyday to improve my skills and really made me aware of my surroundings looking for my next photo op. It's great seeing pics from all over and again there are many awesome photographers here along with tons of knowledge. I have enjoyed 365 and it's time to move on.....
@stevej I am going to have to disagree with " we all have the same 24 hours in the day." Some people work all day long during the week ....and then do housework all weekend long. Some people are retired or don't work. They are home all day. I know the two polar ends of the spectrum because I am a teacher. During the year, my 24 hours are filled with work and more work. I cannot get on and comment much. During holidays (such as this one) I CAN get on here and do so. We do all get 24 hours a day, but they are not the same.
@lyndag I am like you Lynda. And even more so when I finish my year on Dec. 31. I will have done two full years of daily posting and a year and a half of 'when I want to" posting. I like the photo diary aspect and will do some challenges when I want to. Whether people comment or not is not an issue for me. But I will say this...I am glad the site was not like this when I started in 2011....because you would have NO HOPE of recognition on the TT unless you got in the clique and faved everything the other members of the clique put up. That is getting old. Now, the PP does showcase some great pics...and is more about quality and less about the constant faving and campaigning to get one's shot on the TT. So there's that. But I am sorry for new members right now.
So sorry to see you go, Al! I've learned a lot from your photos and enjoyed them immensely! Glad I have lots of them in my favs to look back on. I, too, am finding it very hard to comment very much, so am just looking at it as a way to post a bit of a personal photo-log as I have time. Please let us know if you decide to post elsewhere. I hope you do! Would love to keep following your incredible work! Wish you all the best, and you'll be greatly missed!
@espyetta Hi Mary Beth. Thanks for pointing that out, I certainly agree, we do all have different responsibilities that consume those 24 hours. One of the reasons I commented on this topic is, I found myself in the same situation and only posted a handful of pictures and probably didn't make any comments on others photos. Now, I've had some time free up and can get back to my project.
@stevej so you see how it can be...sometimes some of us are lucky to have enough free time to get on and sometimes we don't. I think that there are other sites' like Flickr that you don't have to put in quit the time "campaigning" to get yours pics noticed. If they are quality, they will get noticed. And flickr has groups you can share you pics over to so that people who like that type of photo can see and appreciate .... But I prefer 365's diary/calendar view for what I need ...any day. So, even if I am busy 24-7, 365 wins for me.
Aw, you will be missed! I have made a big change this year also, once I completed my year. I just couldn't continue devoting the same amount of time to 365, as much as I love it. I just dialed it waaay back, post a picture when I have a good one to share, and don't worry about the comments or PP's or whatever. I still enjoy stopping in and seeing what others have posted. And did I miss your answer, are your photos anywhere else? Facebook or Flickr or ? Wishing you the best, but hoping you will still post once in a while...
You have some wonderful photos, especially those birds. If you do post on other sites, let us know! Best wishes. And thanks for the comments when you were able.
I have done my first project here then started and not completed a couple more. I just love this site, I post on flickr, 500px and facebook and this site is one of the most interactive I have experienced. I am a believer that it comes down to give and take, you can't just post and expect to have your pictures viewed without taking the time to check out other peoples work. Ross has added the trending page and the newbie page which helps get your image out there but it comes to a point where you have to work at it getting yours out there, it's the same no matter where you go.
I also would like to point out that even famous artists like Adrian Sommeling, Caras Ionut and Glyn Dewis take the time to check out their fans pictures. :D :D I wish you all the best and I hope you find what you are looking for at another site :D
I too agree. Having been on year for 3+ years feel its reached a new low in enthusiasm and quality that has made me feel not that interested anymore. All the best Al.
I've really enjoyed your work! Fellow birder here who wishes I could reach the quality of work I see you do all the time. I'm near the end of year two--I don't have the time and commitment I had my first year, and my goal posts have shifted a whole bunch. I put on my profile at the beginning of the year that I would not be commenting much. I had to be honest but I have felt bad all year about the non-reciprocal approach I have taken, so I'll probably close up shop officially when I hit the end of year two, but I'll stay on as an ACE to post occasionally and check in. You have been a great inspiration to so many. I'll miss following you. :)
@hollandcrew Like you I don't have as much time to comment these days, and consequently get less comments in return. So, because of my lack of comments, although you probably don't realise that I have even seeing your work, I have been and will miss it. I have got to the point when I know a shot will be one of yours before I have even seen the name of the poster. So, you will be missed!
@espyetta hiya, good to meet you x yes, I hear what you are saying about the new folk, I am hoping they will be enthusiastic commentators as well as posters as it does help a lot and keeps you going in the beginning, I do love 365 but my spare time is VERY limited now (my partner has progressive MS and is now almost bed bound) so the perspective of my project has had to change a lot. Hope you have a lovely day x
I'm so sorry to see you go Al! I so enjoy your bird shots, you are a talented photographer and will be missed. I hear what you're saying though and agree. I haven't been able to put in the time myself but can't seem to say goodbye just yet. Thanks for sharing your shots with us. You were definitely a huge influence on me and my work and I learned a lot from you. Best of luck and many blessings to you!
@lyndag Oh Lynda, I am sorry to hear that about your partner. I have seen many on here, in terribly tough time, who find the project can be a distraction and even uplifting.It can keep you "connected" to the outside world in your situation. But if you are not able to find things to shoot due to being busy and indoors, it could be a hassle to. I hope for you it is the former. My husband has Early On Set Parkinsons but is doing well for now. Hang in there.
It just makes sense, I guess, that if we can't find the time in our busy lives to view and comment on others work, then we can't really expect them to find the time to view and comment on ours. Sad but true, if we want people to engage with our work, we have to engage with them.
It is a bit disappointing to realize that the number of comments you receive on a given picture has more to do with the number of comments you've given out that week, than it does with the quality of that particular image, but it is understandable that it will tend to be that way. Still it is nice to have somewhere to get some feed back even if you need to prime the wheel by giving out comments of your own.
@espyetta Thank you so much for your kind response MaryBeth. I am lucky that I can still get out, I am very much an "outdoors" kind of person and would go crazy if I had to spend lengthy periods indoors. I am very sorry to hear about your husband, I know a little bit about PD as my Mum suffered from it for around 10 years. I understand that the researchers are making great progress in this field now and I really hope it happens in time for your husband. I wish you both well x x x
@zosimasy Charles I am so glad to hear that :D sometimes even just the comment great pic is enough. On my facebook Caras once stopped by and simply said that it made my day :D Glyn Dewis has liked a couple of my images and just hitting the like button was enough to totally make my week lol :D it really doesn't have to much.
I so wish I had more free time to comment as viewing the great images you can find on here, learning, sharing and following your peers progress and development is the most wonderful part of the whole thing. It has now become something I must complete to preserve my sanity....lol. The whole concept of faving to receive favs to make TT is bizarre as it's more than apparent which images are there on merit or otherwise........ that said, the few times I managed to get shots on TT or PP it was a nice feeling! Human nature eh? This is a great site, I have lovely followers and I just take that away. It has changed recently though, hey ho
Sad to see @hollandcrew has gone :(
It is hard sometimes to comment but for me the people on this site have been so supportive of my annus horriblis!
I took the pressure off myself and post/comment when I can and if I get less comments because I don't always comment back ... then so be it. The photo's on my profile are almost like a diary for me and I have some lovely friends as a result of being on here.
I do think that the change to the home page made a big difference - although it is nice to see a bigger picture .... it is also much harder to go through all the photo's from people you follow. To be honest .... I stopped doing that a long time ago as I just found it hard work.
I hate flickr with a passion as I find it soulless so I shall be staying here and continuing to do things in a way that works for me. :)
I understand what you are saying. I about went crazy the first year here with trying to stay up on comments. I came to realize this project was for me. So I kept going but now commenting very little. Yes I lost a lot of followers in doing this. But I have found I still inspire a few a long the way. I hope what ever you do have fun! God bless you and your journey=D
@hollandcrew - I am sorry to see you go Al. I noticed that you ended your membership so the likelihood that you read this is almost nill. I have enjoyed your photography immensely! You are a talented photographer and you have played a part in my photography skills improving! I DO understand how you feel! I just saw a member of the Project started a thread, "Your first photo on 365". I went back and saw not only my first, but my first couple I uploaded. Very few views and even less comments. So after I learned the "ins and outs" I have strived to change that. As time progressed I came to the realization that the Project, like anything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it. The Project is a Catch 22. What I first felt that I really wanted turned out to be very time consuming and costly. Looking back, I have made some exceptional friends on the Project! Some I have made contact outside of the Project, but many I don't. The Project is very time consuming and maybe that should be made clear at the get-go before people make that commitment. I believe most artists have a need to have their egos stroked. On here for that to happen, unless you are an exceptional photographer you have to follow people to get them to follow you. But that isn't always the case. Before you know it you are spending a lot of time taking photographs and then commenting on the comments of those who comment on yours and then commenting on their photos. Before you know it you start to feel the stress and what you love and enjoy is all of a sudden not so enjoyable any more. There is no easy answer. We all have busy lives outside of photography and then to spend large amounts of time photographing, editing, posting and commenting can wear a person out. Then we need to step back and make a hard decision as to whether it is worth it? I wish you the best in your photographic endeavors! Maybe we will meet again? Here or on some other photographic website.
I have to agree with most of what has been said on this thread but I am also in my fourth year and still enjoying it .... and still learning a lot, not only about photography but human nature too. Most of the people here (or at least those I have encountered) are invariably polite and comment only on what they understand and sincerely mean, or ask politely about anything which is not quite clear, but there are a few - a very small minority - who just post a hurried and sometimes ill-considered comment as soon as they see the thumbnail appear, and take no further interest when the person being congratulated or questioned takes the time to reply.
My only big problem at the moment is with a member who repeatedly posts a message saying "congratulations on making the trending page, well deserved" in spite of my numerous attempts to explain that congratulations are neither deserved nor expected for something that is automatic and completely out of my control, but he obviously does not read the replies and repeats the message many more times, without ever changing the words or giving any indication that he has read my words, and that is just plain rude and not in the spirit of the project.
Apart from that I am very happy to be here and will continue for as long as my health allows. Now in my mid-eighties it is becoming a little more difficult to get around as much as I would like, but the physical and mental exercise is well worth the effort.
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Oh Al! Darn. I hate to lose a great bug photographer like yourself. Darn.
I also think the reason the challenges are so popular is because some people like myself have been here for years and find inspiration in them. I didn't participate in them myself until this year but when you're lost for inspiration a challenge is a great way to go.
Sorry to see you go, Al. I guess if we expect people to take the time to comment on out photos we have to take the time to comment on theirs, we all have the same 24 hours each day.
I have to say that I agree with what you say about comments. But, for me, 365 is also very much a personal journey and I'm glad for the opportunities it gives.
@kmrtn6 @tande @bjdmum @anazad511 @motherjane @maggiemae @pistonbroke @espyetta @bella_ss @stevej @quietpurplehaze @lyndag
I also agree with you comment to Lynda.
Al, I endorse all that you say. All the best!
I still love checking out everyone's photos & comment when I can but I finished my 1st whole 365 year a long time ago & still upload every now & then!
I agree with you about TT and thanks for being bold enough to say it. I find it's just a bit boring!
It is a bit disappointing to realize that the number of comments you receive on a given picture has more to do with the number of comments you've given out that week, than it does with the quality of that particular image, but it is understandable that it will tend to be that way. Still it is nice to have somewhere to get some feed back even if you need to prime the wheel by giving out comments of your own.
My problem is I never know what to say, so havn't commented much.
It is hard sometimes to comment but for me the people on this site have been so supportive of my annus horriblis!
I took the pressure off myself and post/comment when I can and if I get less comments because I don't always comment back ... then so be it. The photo's on my profile are almost like a diary for me and I have some lovely friends as a result of being on here.
I do think that the change to the home page made a big difference - although it is nice to see a bigger picture .... it is also much harder to go through all the photo's from people you follow. To be honest .... I stopped doing that a long time ago as I just found it hard work.
I hate flickr with a passion as I find it soulless so I shall be staying here and continuing to do things in a way that works for me. :)
My only big problem at the moment is with a member who repeatedly posts a message saying "congratulations on making the trending page, well deserved" in spite of my numerous attempts to explain that congratulations are neither deserved nor expected for something that is automatic and completely out of my control, but he obviously does not read the replies and repeats the message many more times, without ever changing the words or giving any indication that he has read my words, and that is just plain rude and not in the spirit of the project.
Apart from that I am very happy to be here and will continue for as long as my health allows. Now in my mid-eighties it is becoming a little more difficult to get around as much as I would like, but the physical and mental exercise is well worth the effort.