A recent discussion about thank you notifications has really got me thinking.
I ALWAYS try to say thank you when someone comments on my photographs because I really appreciate it! It really makes my day to have such sweet and kind comments on my work, so I want to show that appreciation with a thank you. Never even though twice about it...now, I'm a lil worried.
I don't want to annoy people by clogging up their notifications with thank you's, and yet, I don't want people that are use to my thank you's to be offended if I don't continue to post them.
So, from here on out, I am going to be more selective with responses. I don't want to become an annoyance, so I will only respond if there is something to really say other than a quick thank you.
Good plan? Thoughts? Lemme know, commenters :)
Cause you ALL make my day :)))
I read that discussion last night about the 'thank you' issue. I'm the same way as you are. I like to say 'thank you' to everyone who takes the time to look at my photo and comment because I appreciate it and it makes me happy about my own work especially when I'm thinking, "eh, you didn't turn out like I wanted" and when people like it, it makes me happy and I want to show them my appreciation. And as you said, I'm now thinking twice about replying to these thank you notes. I never thought that maybe these people don't want their notifications clogged by "thank you for the comment" and such. So I guess being selective about what to reply to is a good idea.
I don't respond to every single comment, nor do I comment on every picture just because I am following them, it means that when I do make a comment even just "nice pic" it is because I genuinely love their picture.
I do my level best to look at all pictures posted by persons I am following which takes time (and then checking PP, suggestions and day by day... well you understand) and I really do appreciate all comments on my own pictures but if I went through every single one saying thank you I would be sat in front of this computer even longer than I am now and this has already become a little obsessive, you ask my husband!!
@michellegaynor I do agree with you there. I follow over 100 people and they all have great photos, but I don't comment on every single one; I comment on the ones that catch my eye and it varies each day from artist to artist. Also, it would be very hard to comment on each photo of 150+ people.
@ kimafury i know! i am kinda shocked i am having to think twice about showing kindness and appreciation, but i guess it sort of makes sense to me. I'll just monitor myself...just feels weird because i thought i was doing the right thing! @michellegaynor hahaha, yes, i am way too obsessed too!! i definitely don't comment on every picture from the people i follow...it would take too long, and you are right, it wouldn't carry as much weight. I try to comment meaningful things on pictures that really strike me. I comment if I really really like it, or love it!
It's not that the thank yous are annoying, but it IS disappointing to get a notification of a comment for you, expect a personal interaction of some kind, yet discover you're just one in a long line of [@name]s. It is certainly not unpleasant or unappreciated to be thanked, but I certainly don't comment expecting it, and I would be just as happy and not feel any less about anyone if I was never thanked at all for my comments.
Nice to know I'm not the only one this has made second guess themselves. I guess I feel it's MY photo and I should be able to thank people for their comments without fear it 'might' annoy them. Maybe what I'll do is instead of thanking everyone on an Individual basis, is wait until the next day and then go back and write a general Thank You and not include the @so and so. Still doesn't seem right to me, I would rather let my followers ( all 67 of them ) know that I appreciate the time they took to comment. Anyhoo, I'd rather not alienate people so maybe a more general approach is needed. I guess this is the reason I try and make sure the people I follow are the ones I'm interested in and not letting my list get out of control, so therefore I can have a more personal approach to my followers and Project
What a funny old world we live in where people can get annoyed at being thanked. What next? A driver might give me the finger for courteously allowing him to merge ahead of me. Oh, wait - that happens already :-(
I try not to reply with just "thank you." If someone asks a specific question or makes a comment I feel like responding to in full, I will reply to it. It doesn't really bother me when people reply with "thank you" but I just prefer not to do it myself.
If people want me to stop thanking them for their comments on my photos then I will try to stop doing it but no guarantee because I think its only manners to do so. I appreciate each and every thank you that I get.
I agree with you @sarethephotos if somebody comments on something they are usually more specific than just " i like this" so i usually comment with more than just " thanks!" i do not have so many followers that any kind of back and forth interaction would be annoying though so maybe it would be different if i had 100 plus people
this is the first i have read or heard about some not liking to get a thank you message for a comment.
i thought that is what this all was about.... looking at photos, commenting and being helpful and giving suggestions.
and being thankful for people making the effort to comment
I don't comment on every photo of everyone I'm following. I'd rather sincerely comment on the photos that speak to me on a particular day. Nor do I keep score about who does or doesn't reply to my comments. I'm happy to received 'thank you' comments, and don't mind if I don't.
I appreciate ALL the comments from people who look at my photos. I don't have hundreds of comments, so do try to find the time to acknowledge the ones I get - and yes, sometimes that is with a simple 'thank you'. (I don't have the time or headspace to try to remember which people do like their comments acknowledging, and who doesn't!!)
So, some people seem to be offended if their comments aren't acknowledged, others are irritated if their comments are acknowledged with 'thank you'. Well, you can't please all the people all of the time! :o)
@mollyanne31790 Interesting question of etiquette! I imagine you would have to thank all or none to be even handed. I can't imagine thanking every single comment as that would look a bit spammy and uninteresting for a third party just reading the comments...
I do love comments though and I love to engage with people on location, subject, technique, ideas and any emotion the pictures conjure up. I think that's more what comments should be about, I will always respond to things like that :)
And I like to take the time to comment on others' pictures that I like, and I will gladly critique them (but only if invited to LOL)
I read the discussion, too, and stopped thanking everybody now as I did before but I put a message up on my profile and on the latest photo explaining why I won't thank everyone any longer. I will thank by commenting back now - I guess that's the nicest way to do it. And of course I comment, when comments on questions and such are due.
Really??? Annoying to 'thank people' ??? I do not mind it all all. Who doesn't want to be appreciated and a simple 'Thank you' can make your day or someone else's. It bothers me that people are annoyed by being appreciated and simple kind gestures.
I always thank everyone who makes a comment on my pics. I don't comment on every photo of those I follow, just the ones I especially like or find interesting or funny. If someone asks a question about my photo I answer it, but otherwise it's 'thanks'. I don't mind the notifications acknowledging my comments. I also comment on photos I've browsed from Popular or New Members or Suggestions and don't mind acknowledgments of those comments either.
I do find this time-consuming, but that's fine with me as I'm retired. But I can understand the other points of view mentioned.
@melmellow I agree.
I really wasn't that pleased to read the previous discussion you refer to - if people are innundated they are following too many people, I don't always get round all the people I follow each week and there're people on here following hundreds more than me i don't understand why they do. For me thanks are nice, and I keep commenting on people I know are reading the comments and appreciate it. I often write short descriptions of my photos and then if someone is interested and says they're nice I offer a few more details, whether about location or weather etc. just to make it seem more, but i like straight thanks anyway, even if it is a group thankyou.
@jesase Agreed. It's not that the "thanks you's" are annoying, it's just expecting a personal interaction and receiving a generic; @@@@@@ Thank you everyone! is a little disappointing sometimes. Plus, sometimes I find I am missing out on personal comments because the "thank you's" take up space in the Notifications.
the way I "thank" people is to comment on their pictures if they've commented on mine rather than the reply thank you in my own thread. I'll do it if I'm answering a direct question about my picture. otherwise the notifications get clogged up.
I feel it's common courtesy to say thankyou if someone has taken the time to comment on your photos. I comment when I'm drawn to a particular pic and want to show encouragement to people as they improve. I could never NOT say thankyou as I think it's disrespectful although it gets more tricky and time consuming the more followers you have :o)
An interesting discussion. I think I will just keep on thanking people like I have done from day 1 in my project.
Like I mentioned in the other thread the interaction has become part of the project to me. I hardly ever do mass thank-yous as I don't really see the point, but if people choose to do it who am I to judge?
I do combine comments sometimes - e.g. when 5 people comment on the texture of a shot of mine, I reply to all 5 of them together and give my opinion about the texture. When 5 people say "nice shot" I reply to all 5 of them together with "thank you". Both types of comments come from the heart!
Anyhow I'd prefer a generic thanks over not acknowledging other people's feedback at all, either on your own page or by commenting on a shot of the person who commented on yours. But of course that is a personal choice as well. I would hate for this to be regulated :S
I personally don't mind the generic thank yous but it seems kind of pointless. I understand that people want the people who commented to know they are appreciative but I have never sent a random thank you and I don't think anyone finds offense to it. I know I don't if I don't get a thank you in response to a comment. I will usually go back and comment on their photos. That is more of a thank you than saying it is. Why can't everyone take the time to do that?
I thanks people because I want to aknowledge their comments especially since they often include thoughts or suggestions about my photos.
I don't want to offend anyone but quite honestly if my thanks annoys them then they are free to stop commenting on my photos and then there will be no more "annoying thank yous". Surely that is the better way to go than just blanket making people worry about what they write:)
Also it kind of gets on my nerves that people are complaining about manners being annoying??? I'm never bothered if people thank me and i am also not bothrered if people do not thank me for comments - everyone is on here for the amount of time that they can spare and sometimes there just is not enough time to do all that we might want to.
I think we should all carry on doing what we think is best and for those that do not like thanks from others then don't comment in the first place :D
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I do my level best to look at all pictures posted by persons I am following which takes time (and then checking PP, suggestions and day by day... well you understand) and I really do appreciate all comments on my own pictures but if I went through every single one saying thank you I would be sat in front of this computer even longer than I am now and this has already become a little obsessive, you ask my husband!!
@michellegaynor hahaha, yes, i am way too obsessed too!! i definitely don't comment on every picture from the people i follow...it would take too long, and you are right, it wouldn't carry as much weight. I try to comment meaningful things on pictures that really strike me. I comment if I really really like it, or love it!
i thought that is what this all was about.... looking at photos, commenting and being helpful and giving suggestions.
and being thankful for people making the effort to comment
I appreciate ALL the comments from people who look at my photos. I don't have hundreds of comments, so do try to find the time to acknowledge the ones I get - and yes, sometimes that is with a simple 'thank you'. (I don't have the time or headspace to try to remember which people do like their comments acknowledging, and who doesn't!!)
So, some people seem to be offended if their comments aren't acknowledged, others are irritated if their comments are acknowledged with 'thank you'. Well, you can't please all the people all of the time! :o)
I do love comments though and I love to engage with people on location, subject, technique, ideas and any emotion the pictures conjure up. I think that's more what comments should be about, I will always respond to things like that :)
And I like to take the time to comment on others' pictures that I like, and I will gladly critique them (but only if invited to LOL)
I do find this time-consuming, but that's fine with me as I'm retired. But I can understand the other points of view mentioned.
I really wasn't that pleased to read the previous discussion you refer to - if people are innundated they are following too many people, I don't always get round all the people I follow each week and there're people on here following hundreds more than me i don't understand why they do. For me thanks are nice, and I keep commenting on people I know are reading the comments and appreciate it. I often write short descriptions of my photos and then if someone is interested and says they're nice I offer a few more details, whether about location or weather etc. just to make it seem more, but i like straight thanks anyway, even if it is a group thankyou.
Like I mentioned in the other thread the interaction has become part of the project to me. I hardly ever do mass thank-yous as I don't really see the point, but if people choose to do it who am I to judge?
I do combine comments sometimes - e.g. when 5 people comment on the texture of a shot of mine, I reply to all 5 of them together and give my opinion about the texture. When 5 people say "nice shot" I reply to all 5 of them together with "thank you". Both types of comments come from the heart!
Anyhow I'd prefer a generic thanks over not acknowledging other people's feedback at all, either on your own page or by commenting on a shot of the person who commented on yours. But of course that is a personal choice as well. I would hate for this to be regulated :S
I don't want to offend anyone but quite honestly if my thanks annoys them then they are free to stop commenting on my photos and then there will be no more "annoying thank yous". Surely that is the better way to go than just blanket making people worry about what they write:)
Also it kind of gets on my nerves that people are complaining about manners being annoying??? I'm never bothered if people thank me and i am also not bothrered if people do not thank me for comments - everyone is on here for the amount of time that they can spare and sometimes there just is not enough time to do all that we might want to.
I think we should all carry on doing what we think is best and for those that do not like thanks from others then don't comment in the first place :D
So I want to say a big thank you to my followers who comment on my photos and I'm not ignoring you. I still read all your comments and love them.