Photo Comments

[Warton GR4]

The Photo Comments section under every photo asks you to "share your thoughts". But as I seem to have found, and I'm intrigued to know if it's just me, the comment is only published if it’s 100% positive. On a number of occasions I’ve posted under pictures when I really like the shot and they’ve always gone on very quickly. A couple of times however I’ve tried to point out mistakes. In one case there were 3 glaring cloning errors on a photo that, given the high standards of screening I’m amazed weren’t spotted. The comment never appeared so I eventually found the e-mail address of the photographer in question and he replied thanking me and explained that he’s uploaded a working version by mistake. Oddly he never did anything about it though and the photo in question is still up. Then again just 2 days ago I commented on a photo that I liked but I tried to point out that the photographer had got the identity of the engine in question wrong. Again the comment didn’t appear and the photo in question remains incorrectly tagged.
Am I going about the system wrong, is there some other way to point out mistakes or to make suggestions?
I’d be interested to know if anyone else has found the same.
Best regards,
Mark

[MagnumForce]

There is the "correct info" for correcting wrong locations or Loco types or numbers, etc. As for other stuff like flaws in the image, either email the photog, keep your mouth shut or bitch about it here.

[KevinM]

Hi Mark,

All you can (or should) do is use the "Contact the Photographer" link on the photo and send the person a private e-mail to point out your concerns. If the person is like most photographers, and has pride in his/her work, the problem will be fixed, and the person will likely appreciate the fact that you kept the errors between you and them. If they don't fix it, there is nothing more that you can or should do. Errors or issues with other people's photos are between them and the Admins.

With regard to posting public comments about errors or flaws in some other person's work.....I fully support Admin's approach in rejecting such efforts. It's just not a very kind way to treat a fellow enthusiast to point out his or her failings in public. Always assume that the person cares about the quality of their work and contact them back-channel. If they do not respond, then MYOB is the best policy.

[CSX1702]

Imagine someone commenting on a photo of you and saying, "You have a booger hanging out of your nose." Everyone's attention would automatically be brought to that.

[tbelton]

I've notice that sometime comments have no name associated with them. Often wondered how that is possible unless it's admin. I had a mistake pointed out to me once with a no name comment. I did appreciate the fact I was made aware of it and would have properly thanked them if I had known who to thank.

Trey

[Holloran Grade]

I have had mistakes (naming and location info) pointed out on comments and by email.

I don't really care how the info is transmitted, I try to be accurate, but alas I don't know everything.

(I also embellish on occasion to see if anybody is actually paying attention - my favorite embellishment is the numerous references to the mythical Barstow Power Pool.)

I have learned all sorts of new things from discussions that started as a comment and moved to an extensive email exchange.

As for the anonymous posters, I am reasonably sure they are not the admins - since Tom Riddle seems to have no problem leaving snarky comments under his own name.

The comments are vetted both electronically (such as for too much punctuation) and they are screened.

The screeners will remove off color comments once posted and I'm sure there are people who request their removal.

I have never done this, I just post an answer like in this forum.

Also, with regard to the anonymous comments it seems I have a small following of trolls who periodically make their feelings known - I don't mind and sometimes their comments are constructive.

(The comment listed below as "most inspirational" was one such comment.)

As for fixing photo errors, sure that would be nice (I have one with a pretty obvious dust spot that I missed) but emailing the admins is not very successful, and I just don't want to throw that much effort at the issue.

[Warton GR4]

Hi,
Thanks for your thoughts. Where is the “correct info” feature and is that something you can only do to your own photos or someone else’s?
I can see why the softly softly approach should be taken as you never know who the other photographer is. I should say I’ve never commented maliciously, it’s always been with respect for the work hence I wouldn’t bother replying. I always think that if I’d made the mistake I’d rather someone pointed it out for me so I could correct it. I just assumed that a comments section was for just that, comments and suggestions. The 2 examples I used were the extreme end where people had made mistakes, though I really don’t think anyone would be that offended by someone pointing out they’d got the engine wrong in the comments. But as nice as it is to get peoples comments saying they like your images, how are we to improve if people can’t post suggestions for ways you could have taken or processed the image differently? Put another way, photographers always go on the forums asking for advice when their photos don’t get on. But just because the photo got on straight away does that really mean they don’t care about how they could have improved it? Maybe it’s just my background where a lot of what I take gets critiqued to some degree weather it’s good or bad and I learn from that. But I guess some people are happy with just getting the praise and if they want help they’ll go looking for it and I should, well, mind my own business.
Cheers,
Mark

[lalam]

Originally Posted by Warton GR4

Hi,
Thanks for your thoughts. Where is the “correct info” feature and is that something you can only do to your own photos or someone else’s?
Mark

Click on thumbnail of any image, scroll down below the underlined words "Post a comment" and you will find the text as below
Do you see any errors or inconsistencies in the data presented above? If so, please use our Correct Photo form to file a correction! with link to correct photo info.
I have once used this feature to correct some information associated with my friends photo.

[Holloran Grade]

I don't tell people how to present their work unless they ask for a crit, such as in this forum.

Few people can take criticism and most just go through life in their own little bubble and so be it.

The other thing that bugs is people that want you to crop a shot different.

Sure there are examples of incorrectly cropped shots out there (ones that just look weird) but for the most part, I think long and hard on what I want to present and how I want to present it, so telling me I missed cropped the image just shows me the viewer missed the point.

And since about 90% of the time I am not interested in changing the look, the suggestion is pointless.

[troy12n]

They usually don't publish them, but I used to make negative comments all the time. Sometimes one slipped through...

One time I got a nastygram from one of the admins about it and I knocked it off for a while. Most of the time it's nothing viscous, just a smart-ass comment like "nice blown-out sky" or "horrible grain" or something like that where it's deserved

I don't think I have tried any lately.

Somebody did call out one of my shots once in a comment, I think it was the infamous "slow reflection" shot. I of course deleted the comment. Aint nobody got time for that...

[MagnumForce]

Speaking of comments, how does one continue to allow this Dana M to post incredibly wrong information?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphot...=481617&nseq=0

[wds]

Originally Posted by Holloran Grade

The screeners will remove off color comments once posted and I'm sure there are people who request their removal.


As for fixing photo errors, sure that would be nice (I have one with a pretty obvious dust spot that I missed) but emailing the admins is not very successful, and I just don't want to throw that much effort at the issue.

1: Most people just remove them with the comment removal tool. Unfortunately it only works on comments on your own photos. You can't remove one you made on someone else's photo, should you have second thoughts.

2: Why email admins when they've included a "resubmit photos" (or words to that effect) feature in the Members section? What am I missing here?

[Holloran Grade]

Originally Posted by wds

1: Most people just remove them with the comment removal tool.

I was not aware of that feature - thanks.

Originally Posted by wds

2:.... they've included a "resubmit photos" (or words to that effect) feature

Ya, that.

[Mgoldman]

Seems obvious - if you want to post something that reflects positively on the photographer, leave a comment. If you want to note something that negatively reflects on the photographer, contact them directly. Unless it's spite and your intention is to call the photographer out - which sometimes needs to happen, I suppose.

The exception would be a question seeking an answer - that should be direct to the photographer unless you believe the answer would be of interest to others.

/Mitch

[MagnumForce]

I just told Chris Starnes that I learned CNW had orange locos thanks to his gr8 shot, think that'll fly? Incidentally my Wabash pan shot got dinged for softness soon after.