Forum Etiquette

Harryb · September 17, 2006

Hi Y'all,

I have sent out a number of PMs in the last few weeks to a number of our posters. A number of folks, inadvertently, have had numerous threads going at one time. This was usually the result of excess enthusiasm.

The simple fact of the matter is that there is a limited number of threads that can be seen on page 1. Along with that is the fact that most folks don't go past page 1 when responding to others. If one's post goes off of page 1 it is less likely to be responded to.

With that in mind I usually have no more than one picture thread active at a time. I do this so others will have a chance to get their shots on page one and receive responses to their work. I would hope that others will have the same consideration for their fellow forum members.

In the future if I see what I'm seeing today, a few posters monopolizing page 1, is repeated I will simply merge their various threads into one thread.
I just don't think its fair or considerate to others to hog page 1 with multiple threads by the same individuals.

If you have a bunch of shots you want to share post a thread with multiple shots. If you want to only post a single picture at a time please space them out. If you see you already have two threads on page 1 wait until they drop off of page one before starting another.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Osprey Whisperer · September 17, 2006

Andy · September 17, 2006

Harryb · September 17, 2006

TomaS · September 17, 2006

Excellent idea Harry!

harry

Same problem exists on other forums too. Three or four posts by same person of similar images, one image per post. Knocks everyone else off the first page. Then they post again to say 'Thanks' for a single comment to get a bump.

Andy · September 17, 2006

TomaS wrote:

Then they post again to say 'Thanks' for a single comment to get a bump.

I don't mind this. In fact, some like to individual thank, some like to group thank. That's ok. As long as the # threads is kept reasonable

ChrisJ · September 17, 2006

TomaS wrote:

Then they post again to say 'Thanks' for a single comment to get a bump.

Harry himself is the King (

) of nicely responding to each and every response he gets. I personally don't think that's a bad thing... communication is what the forum is all about.

TomaS · September 17, 2006

ChrisJ wrote:

Harry himself is the King () of nicely responding to each and every response he gets. I presonally don't think that's a bad thing... communication is what the forum is all about.

Just to clarify - I don't think expressing gratitude is a bad thing, and I am somewhat lax there myself. What I mind is gratuitous gratitude

.

Harryb · September 17, 2006

ChrisJ wrote:

Harry himself is the King () of nicely responding to each and every response he gets. I presonally don't think that's a bad thing... communication is what the forum is all about.

How one chooses to respond is not an issue for me. What is of concern to me is that as many folks as possible have the opportunity to receive responses to the threads they start.

If two or three members have three threads each going at one time they drive the threads of others off of page one and those folks don't get the responses they would have and should have received.

If I wamted to I could start 12 one picture posts a day and do that for quite some time. I just won't do that. I will usually wait until my last post has stopped receiving responses before I start a new post. Right now I have around 4 posts ready to go but I'm waiting for my current thread to drop down before starting a new one.

Osprey Whisperer · September 17, 2006

Harryb wrote:

TomaS · September 17, 2006

Bird Man Photographer wrote:

Funniest use of PS I have seen in a long while, Mike.

D

Hope this is taken as non-gratuitous gratitude for the laughs.

Osprey Whisperer · September 17, 2006

Ric Grupe · September 17, 2006

Harryb wrote:

Right now I have around 4 posts ready to go but I'm waiting for my current thread to drop down before starting a new one.

So what is the rule? So we ALL can live by it.

jwear · September 17, 2006

thumb

sorry but I am very bad at PS so no NH burger but thanks Harry

and no one was singled out

Harryb · September 17, 2006

Ric Grupe wrote:

So what is the rule? So we ALL can live by it.

Some people don't like being openly singled out publicly when no warning or rules were given. A private apology while nice, doesn't make up for the public whipping. (so to speak)

Remember the "old days" when Andy had the whole first page on STF and the "in" crowd bumped each other like crazy. (you know that is true). It caused trouble and ruined the forum for many people....so we don't want that.

There was no intent to single anyone out. Most of the PMs I have sent out as mod has been about this subject. I have lost count of the times I have requested members to limit the threads they have started. Today it just happened that three members had multiple posts on page 1.

I don't want to make any hard and fast rules but I don't see the need for any one person to have more than two active picture threads going at the same time in any one forum. Everyone who posts wants to receive responses to their contribution. I don't think that a small number of members should monopolize page 1.

Its just common sense to me that you don't want to have too many threads going at the same time. You receive less responses than if you had spaced them out. Its also just common sense to me that one would not want to have multiple threads on page 1 just as a courtesy to other members.

If you want to relive the "good ole" STF days I would suggest you go over to dpreview. I'm not gonna do that here. Also you infer that Andy caused hard feelings at STF by having too many threads going on page 1. I'm glad you see my point and you won't do that yourself.

Ric Grupe · September 17, 2006

Harryb wrote:

There was no intent to single anyone out.

That's exactly what you did though.

Harryb · September 17, 2006

Ric Grupe wrote:

That's exactly what you did though.

Right now there are 3 posts by the same person on page one.

If there is more to this than what you have stated I wish you would say so.

I'm not going to keep going over this. Anytime I could have raised this subject someone would have felt "singled out". Today 3 memebrs could have felt that way. Many others have done the same thing in the past. I'm speaking to the practice and not to the individual. Its usually just enthusiasm about joining the forum for the first time, or a new lens, or a new camera, etc, etc, etc.

I just got tired of sending out the same PM over and over again and I felt it was easier just to say it openly. It was not to single anyone out but to deter others from doing it themselves. If I just PM'ed the individuals a member seeing others posting multiple threads would think that it was OK.

That's all there is to this one.

Ric Grupe · September 17, 2006

Actually I wish you would do that all the time for me.

Easier to keep track of.

Awais Yaqub · September 17, 2006

:ivar great ps work in photos !!

DavidTO · September 17, 2006

Ric Grupe wrote:

Joining my two threads, Harry.

Actually I wish you would do that all the time for me. Easier to keep track of.

I don't spend all my time in front of the computer as some may think.

1) I find a shot I like using BreezeBrowser

2) I edit the shot with Corel PhotoPaint or DXO.

3) I upload to SmugMug

4) I post it here.

5) I go on with my life.....and could care less who posted what or responded to whom until something catches my eye on my next visit.

Strikes me as a self-centered and selfish approach to sharing your work.

Bodwick · September 17, 2006

DavidTO wrote:

Strikes me as a self-centered and selfish approach to sharing your work.

:poke

:lurk

Dick on Aruba · September 17, 2006

Thanks Harry

Dick.

dbaker1221 · September 17, 2006

Hey, I remember Harry pm ing me:whip when I started. I never saw any rules that said that

, but who reads rules anyway. I was a little put out at the time. However, after thinking about it I understood. I don't take that many great shots anyway.

After a while this thread will be on pg 2 & you'll have to pm everybody again Harry.

:splat

Harryb · September 17, 2006

dbaker1221 wrote:

Hey, I remember Harry pm ing me:whip when I started. I never saw any rules that said that , but who reads rules anyway. I was a little put out at the time. However, after thinking about it I understood. I don't take that many great shots anyway.

After a while this thread will be on pg 2 & you'll have to pm everybody again Harry. :splat

As I recall I sent that PM to a group of three members that day. There's no rule per se on this issue. I just have to do what I think helps the forum work best and that's what I try to do.

BTW, a shot doesn't have to be "great" to be posted. I've posted lots of crappy shots in my time and got some excellent feedback on how to improve them. The idea here is for us to share our experiences and knowledge so that we can support one another and hopefully get better at this shared passion.

dbaker1221 · September 17, 2006

agreed

gluwater · September 19, 2006

You may want to make this thread a sticky, at least for a little while. It was already on page 2, soon to be on page 3 by the time I saw it.

jwear · September 19, 2006

gluwater wrote:

You may want to make this thread a sticky, at least for a little while. It was already on page 2, soon to be on page 3 by the time I saw it.

lets hope that this is alll it takes just a word to be polite :help

gluwater · September 19, 2006

jwear wrote:

lets hope that this is alll it takes just a word to be polite :help

All I meant was that some people may not have seen it. I have been out of town at a bachelor party since Friday

stud and I just saw this now. But I hope you're right since this subject has been brought up before.

Harryb · September 19, 2006

gluwater wrote:

All I meant was that some people may not have seen it. I have been out of town at a bachelor party since Friday stud and I just saw this now. But I hope you're right since this subject has been brought up before.

I've considered making it a sticky and may yet but right now we have 4 stickies and I want to keep as many slots on page 1 open that I can. If the problem re-occurs I probably will make it a sticky.

gtc · September 19, 2006

why not limit..
photo uploads to once every 24 hours and encourage a group thank you to be edited into the original posting ?this would reduce bumping.

surely a photo a day is enough for most people.

Harryb · September 19, 2006

gtc wrote:

photo uploads to once every 24 hours and encourage a group thank you to be edited into the original posting ?this would reduce bumping.

surely a photo a day is enough for most people.

I'm trying to take a minimalist approach here. I don't want to discourage folks from participating or to impose too many limitations on responses. The only problem that I've seen has been the initiation of multiple threads by some users and this was not done with any bad intent just a bit of over enthusiasm.

Forum Etiquette

Comments