Re: Comment on comments (or lack of)

Posted by Vincent on 2007/11/6 23:20:04

hmm...ok, I will go out of character for a moment and actually kind of make a serious post.

first of all, it's important to point out that this is not the only community that I frequent. I started heromorphing in 2005, but where I originally started with PS and digital photo manipulation was in 2001 on fake celebrity boards. I frequent both still (HM and the fake boards). I think it's fair to say that both are very similar...perhaps not in content entirely, but in that both communities have always suffered from similar issues. One of those main issues is posting and comments.

Ok, let's just get it right out of the way. Often times, the concept of wanting to get comments on your work is viewed almost as being...sinister...like how dare you want comments on your work, you're in it for all the wrong reasons! It's about the art man! Do it for yourself...blah blah blah...I've heard it all. Come on let's face it, the sooner everyone admits that they like getting comments the better off you all are. And you can deny it all you want, and you can deny that you masturbate, but that doesn't necessarily make it so. When you make a piece of art here, more often than not it's for free. It's a free image and freely distributed. So essentially the only form of appreciation or thanks or payment for said piece of art is the dreaded comment. And let's be clear, because this is a FACT...art sites like this get more traffic based on the comments. And by more traffic, I mean they get more artists. It's a nice incentive and motivation to make more work and to make it better if you're receiving comments for it. If good artwork is getting just as few comments as the really bad art..then where may I ask is the motivation to do good work? The nature of the beast (the artist) is to have your work appreciated. Let's not be stupid or naive here. If that wasn't the case galleries wouldn't exist, whether they be virtual or in the tangible world, and artists would just keep their work to themselves and not share it. Well sorry but that ain't fuckin so...it would be nice and quaint but that ain't the way it works.

Now in a faking community, when I post a work, I'm looking at 40-80 comments on just one work. That's everything from constructive critisism, to 'good jobs', etc. So what if it's not a creative post or amazingly constructive...it's a show of respect for the work you appreciate, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you enjoy it, let the artist know...even a great work can make someone feel good or motivate them to do more. If you download it, I personally feel you are obligated to let them know. If you can see a way to make something better, or see an error...point it out.

I'll be completely honest. I drift in and out of heromorph. To be quite frank the only thing that actually keeps me here are a small handful of people that I've come to appreciate and respect (even though I'll never say it to their faces). This community is very lucky to have those few people, because without them this place would fall apart because in all honesty, as a whole this community is very weak from my perspective. If I compare this community to the other manip communities I attend, those ones go on with or without a few great people because the community is actually there. People are having discussions and conversations, commenting, shooting the shit, and all that.

I think one thing you always see in any online art community is that people never want to have to be the ones to take responsibility for making their own community great, but that's what any great online community has, are self responsible individuals who go out of the way to make their community the shit. It seems a lot of people are stuck so far up their own asses that they expect comments and posts, yet the actual contribution to the site that they make is little to none. Ok suuuuure they think they're contributing, but in all fairness, what they are contributing is a lot of low quality rubbish. A lot of the time I look at work and I think to myself 'ok...I have no idea how to respond to this. This guy has just made a 20 min one off piece of absolute shit and probably thinks it's the cat's ass...and he wants me to praise him?' Well I can't do that...sorry. People say well they haven't the time to make something better...but that's bullocks...because this isn't a pay check with a deadline...so there's really no excuse. Don't want to get better? Fine...but I'm sure not going to post a comment.

anyways, start taking responsibility for your community...it can't just be up to WH, JR, MB, Bio, etc...it has to be everyone. The best way to make a community great is just to be involved and to be active. I know if the community was more involved as a whole I would probably drift less and actually settle down here...not that that necessarily matters to anyone, but think of all the other people you might attract with a vibrant community.

but ya, I will be the first to admit at the risk of the lynching that I do kind of feel like it's a slap in the face to get 500+ views on an image that I often spend 20-40+ (and much much more time in special cases) hours working on and get a whopping 5 replies. Call me cheap, call me superficial...but I don't think it's much to ask for 5 seconds of your time to make a reply if you enjoyed the work I did for nothing.

that is all.