NOTICE:Change for the DSS challenges

JAG

Starting on DSS round #135, we will be extending the challenge time frame to 4 weeks instead of 2. This is due to low participation. Hopefully, this will give everyone more time to enter something! All the other rules will stay the same! Thank you for your participation!:thumb

I have already edited the rules to show the 4 weeks, but again, it will apply from #135 and on.

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=162657

tinamarie52

Hmmm. I wonder if the long stretch will make us lose interest altogether, give us time to find more shooting time, let us find lots of options to shoot & change our entries (lots of 'please deletes') or bump up participation. It will be interesting to see.

The thing that I have been missing more than the number of entries is the participation in the threads prior to entering an image in the gallery. We used to have quite the banter going on. Even if I wasn't able to enter, I always learned something from the feedback given to others. Is there a way to encourage it? That's where so much of the learning takes place. Shooting and entering is great practice, but reading and reacting to the comments of others adds so much to the experience.

Chris

PedalGirl

4 Weeks seems like a long time. I will admit I've missed the last couple just due to other projects I was working on and some health issues. Like Chris, I miss the banter as well. Seems like the conversation is at a minimum as well as the comments in gallery. I'm sure tho, that things will pick up. It's summer and people just get side tracked I think.

JAG

I do not know how too get the people to start utilizing the main challenge forum board for pre challenge comments and critiques. I do agree that is a big portion of what made these challenges a learning opportunity. It would seem that after a few unsavory posts a while back that hit the forum, seemed to had squelch this part unfortunately. However, I do see a few people who are at least trying to start that back up. It is up to this community as a whole to decide what they would like to gain from the challenges and dispite those that might hold a negative view of pre posting images for feed back, do what will help them grow in photography and help this community grow back to what it was set up for.

dnie

I think that is a part of the reason for lack of conversation, a few comments that were made sounded like they thought it was like cheating for post for comments. I always wondered if that is why some stopped pre-posting. I learned a lot that way and I am very grateful that I found this forum at a time when I had great people to learn from. It makes me sad to see how little everyone interacts anymore. It seems to me also that despite people saying they did it for the sake of learning and for fun, that when the prizes were scaled back, participation went also.
Personally I have just had so much going on that I never seem to find the time anymore. I think I may have to go work on something right now.

tinamarie52

I missed that discussion about 'cheating'. I've been AWOL for most of the late spring and summer. I'm just getting back into it. I'd like to read the variety of perspectives that I'm sure were expressed. Can anyone point me back to that chatter?

I know there's been some speculation that limiting the prizes and getting rid of the Mega challenges ha s hurt participation. i do wish they'd bring back the Megas, even if it is without prizes. It was a good target to shoot for (no pun intended). And the Mega, itself, was some really fun, but tough competition.

Chris

sapphire73

I've been relatively quiet lately, but it is largely because of other commitments and needing a knee replacement. Looking forward to getting more involved at some point. JAG thank you for continuing to post creative challenges and starting the alphabet game.

Gretchen

dnie

tinamarie52 wrote: »

I missed that discussion about 'cheating'. I've been AWOL for most of the late spring and summer. I'm just getting back into it. I'd like to read the variety of perspectives that I'm sure were expressed. Can anyone point me back to that chatter?

I know there's been some speculation that limiting the prizes and getting rid of the Mega challenges ha s hurt participation. i do wish they'd bring back the Megas, even if it is without prizes. It was a good target to shoot for (no pun intended). And the Mega, itself, was some really fun, but tough competition.

Chris

I'm not sure those were the exact words, and it might be just the way I took it. It has been a long time ago, I don't even recall what the started it or where to find it.

JAG

Lets just leave those posts back in the past where they belong and begin again to build a better forum! It takes a little of everyone to participate with discussions. Even if its just a simple as, "I like/dislike your image because....." This is part of why I put up a discussion thread for the new Never Ending Alphabet Challenge!

DsrtVW

A lot has changed over the past six years, Smugmugs target users have changed a bit too. Seems more geared towards professional and serious amateurs with new pricing setup. It kind of discourages the new and learning camera users to put out money when they can go to other sites for free or less.
Prizes have had an effect for sure. It is nice to have an incentive along with the learning. I found myself working harder and trying more things when I did not place.
I know work and family health issues have taken more of my time. When I do go out shooting it is chasing my favorite subjects. I do come in and look at what is going on, but have not been able to participate like in the past.
I do try and steer new shooters to this venue when ever I can, I still think it is one of the best forums.

juanheredia

It sounds nice to have more time to participate in the challenges. Let's see the results.

CHANDLERJA

"I do wish they'd bring back the Megas, even if it is without prizes. It was a good target to shoot for (no pun intended). And the Mega, itself, was some really fun, but tough competition."





Bring back the Megas. No need for a super prize.
Stretching out the challenge time to 4 weeks will kill the board completely IMO.
The main reasons I loved entering these challenges besides the feedback, was the challenge of getting into a Mega and the quick turnaround.

Just bring back the Mega rounds with a lessor prize than before.

JAG

I understand you all enjoyed the mega's, but they will not be coming back anytime soon. However, I am not saying we will never bring something similar to them back, in the future. At this time, we need to regroup and build this community back into what it was designed for! Baby step for a while. It's up to you all to make it happen!

grandmaR

I wrote a whole message and then it disappeared. Probably means I was too wordy

I enjoy the challenges more if it pushes me to develop some skills rather than the ones which rely on setting up and photographing props of some kind. Not so much interested in product photography.

I agree that 4 weeks is too long. Maybe three weeks when people are out and about on vacation or holidays and go back to two weeks during the regular years? I don't think the lack of participation is because of the time frame. It may just be that this time of year people are busier.

I find it clumsy to go to comment on photos being considered for the Challenge to other threads. I hesitate to post photos in another thread because I don't want to impose on people's good nature to give me criticism. I don't often go to other people's threads to comment and I should, but sometimes my comment would be that I don't like the picture (and that goes for commenting on the actual Challenge submissions also). I have specific likes and dislikes that are not mainstream opinions. For instance I really don't like straight black and white photography done digitally. When we were using film and the printing was a part of the process, there was some artistry to it. Not so much just doing stuff on the computer.