Commenting on EVERY thread?

[Mad Aussie]

I've just spent about an hour trolling through threads I've found mostly with 0 comments in them so I thought I might raise my thoughts on this.

No Obligation
Of course nobody should feel obligated to have to reply to every thread and I certainly don't want to suggest such a silly thing either. Sometimes we are just too busy. I know there are times when I can't get here at all or for only a few minutes. Lately obviously that's not the case and I can find time. But when pressed for time I, like most of us I suspect, simply look quickly at the most interesting threads to us and move on. And so we should if we are that busy.

But it is disappointing when you go to the trouble of posting a photo for whatever reason and nobody at all comments.

Worthy Photos Go Begging
Looking at many of the threads I found tonight it certainly wasn't because the photos were of no interest either. Some were beauties that have simply somehow slipped passed all our eyes. Amazing how that happens but it does.

I usually try to watch for threads that get missed and try to make some sort of comment in them even if the photo isn't of interest to me or I struggle to find anything positive to say about it. I know a few others here do the same.

Speechless
Sometimes it is hard to know what to say and I leave a thread hoping someone else will comment instead. I'm sure many of us do the same thing. Sometimes the photo isn't very good for whatever reason but usually with some thought I can find something in it that is positive.

Raising the Bar
I think this is the best photography forum I've been associated with and the people's attitudes here, the advice given, the encouragement, the learning experience, are all of high standards and well delivered.

It would be great to elevate that to just a fraction more by more of us being vigilant to any posts getting missed.
So I'm hoping, this is something we can keep a bit further forward in our minds, and when we have some spare time, and are starting at the screen wondering what to do next, we take a moment to troll through a few pages in the Show Your photo and Critiques threads and find those ones that snuck under the radar.

One day it might be yours that gets found.

Don't be Shy
I think also, if you can see one of your threads has been missed (I'm positive it's very rare for a thread to literally be ignored) ... then don't be shy ... post in it yourself to bring it back up the top of the list (it's bumping the thread) and say 'hey slack bums ... get in here and talk to me dammit!'

[casil403]

Points well made MA...
Makes for a happier sense of community in here if we all do our best to support each other.

Can I add also that if we make the effort to post a photo, it is always a nice thing if before leaving, to take a moment to comment on at least one other photo.
Not at all mandatory to be sure, but definitely a courteous and kind act in return. I know at times I am guilty of this due to time etc and when I do leave after posting without commenting, I usually feel a bit guilty.

If I want comments on my posts, I think it's only fair to post comments on other people's posts in return....that way everybody wins!

[Bambi]

wonderful points MA.

I will confess to sometimes feeling like I cannot comment due to my own lack of knowledge. However, I will do my best to more diligent.

[tomorrowstreasures]

you have articulated nicely what i have felt.

mankind's nature is to BE nurtured. it is harder to DO the nurturing.

[Marko]

Speechless
Sometimes it is hard to know what to say and I leave a thread hoping someone else will comment instead. I'm sure many of us do the same thing. Sometimes the photo isn't very good for whatever reason but usually with some thought I can find something in it that is positive.

Wow what a nice thread MA - very community oriented

I think you hit the nail on the head for a lot of people in the text I quoted. Sometimes the photos aren't great or inspiring and we don't know what to say or are afraid to hurt people's feelings. This is especially true when the image is NOT in the critique section but in the show section instead...

But you are SO right. People post because they want comments.

I will keep this in mind when I look at threads without comments in the future.

Thanks MA - you rock!

[kat]

I've thought of this many times..but never articulated it!


Well said.

[Iguanasan]

Excellent to bring this up. It echos my thoughts as well and is a great reminder of the details.

This actually brings me to a "problem" or "feature" of the board software. I live by the "New Posts" link which shows me the posts I haven't seen yet. The problem is one of timing. I log in at 7:00pm my time in the evening and click "new posts" and it comes back with a list of say 20 new posts. I click on the first couple, enjoy a laugh, post a message, etc. and then my son wants me for something or my wife wants to take a quick trip to the mall. Whatever the case, I am away from the computer for 20+ minutes and when I come back I click "New Posts" and instead of showing me the 20 originals minus the two I've read it assumes I've seen the other 18 and only shows me the 2 new ones that have come in since then.

Now to find the 18 I missed I have to go forum by forum or click "Today's Posts" which shows me all the ones I missed PLUS the ones I didn't miss and I have to weed through them. It would be nice if a session timeout did not automatically mark all the items as having been read.

Board setting or software "feature"? Can it be fixed or do I have to live with it?

[kat]

Excellent to bring this up. It echos my thoughts as well and is a great reminder of the details.

This actually brings me to a "problem" or "feature" of the board software. I live by the "New Posts" link which shows me the posts I haven't seen yet. The problem is one of timing. I log in at 7:00pm my time in the evening and click "new posts" and it comes back with a list of say 20 new posts. I click on the first couple, enjoy a laugh, post a message, etc. and then my son wants me for something or my wife wants to take a quick trip to the mall. Whatever the case, I am away from the computer for 20+ minutes and when I come back I click "New Posts" and instead of showing me the 20 originals minus the two I've read it assumes I've seen the other 18 and only shows me the 2 new ones that have come in since then.

Now to find the 18 I missed I have to go forum by forum or click "Today's Posts" which shows me all the ones I missed PLUS the ones I didn't miss and I have to weed through them. It would be nice if a session timeout did not automatically mark all the items as having been read.

Board setting or software "feature"? Can it be fixed or do I have to live with it?

That is a problem for me as well! My husband likes to come in now and then too (he likes the photos) and that really gets me screwed up! lol

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks all. Glad my thoughts are well received. Love Casil's suggestion of commenting on at least one thread you haven't been into every visit.

For people like you and Kat Ig ... you are here every day pretty much so perhaps just use the Today's Post function. It's highlights the ones you haven't seen anyway so kinda does the new post thing for you as well.

[zenon5940]

Good point MA, I try, when time permits to see all the new postings and I do answer to some of them. Sometimes I just don't have any idea of what I should say so I don't say anything... I'm learning a lot on this site and I am very grateful to all those that comment or critic my photos.
I'll try in the future to post more often.