challenges - decreasing participation

[svsg]

I noticed that the number of submissions to the challenges has decreased significantly over time in each of the categories(retouching, restoration,manipulation etc) but I see a lot of activity in the other forums. What is the reason?

[Doug Nelson]

Funny, I was just marvelling at how much more popular the Challenges have been lately.

Since they never expire the older ones are going to continue to get submissions over time, so they're going to look more popular.

We already have 5 entries in the Manipulation Challenge I posted only 3 days ago! In the olden days (a year ago) that would have been unheard of.

[svsg]

Ok agreed my observation was not exactly correct. Let us consider each of the sections
Restoration - Average submissions over last 5 or 6 challenges is say 13-17. Prior to that the average is close to 25. And see the number of comments - the earlier ones have more than hundred comments each and look at now.
The other sections have almost maintained the average. But the number of comments have come down a little. Photo mauler I guess you are right, maybe some people are just busy. I am new to the forum and just getting to know the people. I like to see a lot of people submit their challenges. I certainly see a lot of "views" for each image in the challenge, but somehow they are reluctant to post their images. Ya I know I haven't participated so much, but I am slowly trying to venture into the more artistic stuff.Let me see how it goes with my first art-tag. Hope to see a lot more activity in the future. bye
svsg

[Leah]

The point is, you have to look at this over time.

For example, Restoration Challenge 37 has had 34 submissions. Restoration Challenge 53 only has 13.

BUT Restoration Challenge 37 has been up since July 19 2002 (387 days), so its 34 submissions have been attracted at a rate of 1 every 11.38 days (or 0.087 submissions a day). Restoration Challenge 53 has only been up since July 4 2003 (37 days), so its 13 submissions have been attracted at a rate of 1 every 2.85 days (or 0.351 submissions a day).

People can and do post to challenges months and years after they've been put up. So you would expect to find more submissions in the older challenges. Doug is right, the activity on the challenges does seem to have been going up rather than down.

[svsg]

Leah, your explanation is logical. Only I did not expect people to submit to very old (more than 4-5 previous)chalenges, which I now realize, is not true.

btw where are the other replies from photomauler and others.it shows only 3 replies. i'll check again may be.
bye
svsg

[LactoBeeZor]

Really didn't want to add my 2 cent but... I have noticed that something has changed. I remember (not when ~april - may) that there were several pics submited every day or so. (Don was in the laqure mode then ) Don't even remember the catagory. Just pictures for anyone to manupilate in any way they could. It was pretty cool. Then rules started to be placed on telling how you did them. That is when I noticed a drop in submissions. For a bit everyone followed the rules then something happened.... humm. Don't know what. But if anyone remembers where they were placed, reply here, I have just come back from vacation and have some pics for us to play with.

[roger_ele]

so I will add my two cents,

PM said

Bottom line is a few people left here. We don't miss them anymore.

Actually, I do miss them, as I am sure is the case for many here. They are good people who left because of missunderstandings.

And yes, everything has it's up and downs - and because of that I really respect those who were involved that have stayed, these are the people that have the backbone to really make this site the best that it can be through the inevitable ups and downs that everything has.

To those involved that have stayed:

Thank You! It is your resolve and dedication to this idea of quality, helpfulness and generosity that keeps RP wonderfull. It lasts because you do.

From my heart,
Roger

[svsg]

Originally posted by photomauler

Take it easy svsg and awaiting your submission to one of the challenges when you have the time.

I did participate in couple of restoration and retouching challenges already.yesterday i did my first art-tag. i am excited to see how it turns out. I will soon participate in mini challenge and the member-show,tell one(i assume this is the member interpretation section that you referred to). catch you there.
bye svsg

[winwintoo]

Originally posted by roger_ele


Actually, I do miss them, as I am sure is the case for many here. They are good people who left because of missunderstandings.

I miss them too!!!

I joined RetouchPRO when I was first learning PhotoShop. In no time with the help of the kind people here, I was doing restorations that would have taken me years of trial and error on my own.

When I joined, the site was all about restoration, retouching and manipulation with the focus on restoration and retouching.

Lately the focus seems to have shifted to endless bragging about a few people's photographic skills. I don't like it.

It is one thing to hi-jack a forum thread, but it seems someone has hi-jacked this whole site. I resent that my monetary contributions are being used to store acres of meaningless (in terms of retouching and restoration) images.

Margaret

[roger_ele]

I have a diffferent spin on this ...

I was a casual observer and just caught a little bit of what happened. A while ago a new member came on board that seemed to have a problem with the quality of critiques, this person seemed to feel that the forum was a mamby pamby mutual admiration society with no content except for being nice (my para-phrasing). New members often bring expectations that lead to sometimes inappropriate comments in the eyes of those that have been here longer. Sometimes it is a good thing since it can bring change and improvement.

In fairness, the expectations I brought that I have tempered with experience here are how I think things should be organized and what art is, which led me to make comments and suggestions which just showed that I was new.

So the new member made comments that an established member took strong offense to. This established member felt that the new member was ruining the forum and should be removed. Although this was missunderstanding of sorts it was more of a clash of personalities.

The missunderstanding I am really speaking of is a perceptual one between the moderators who were involved in deciding what to do and the established member that was upset. The established member felt that it was obvious that the forum was being ruined and had been active enough in supporting the forum to feel that their influence should warrent taking the action of removing this person. On the other hand the moderators involved demonstrated that they give everyone the same even chance and benifit of the doubt regardless of infuence.

That is why I am still here, because I respect the integrity and backbone that it takes to take a chance on loosing good members for the vision of treating everyone fairly regardless.

In the long run that fairness and integrity is far more rare than retouching/art skills and shows that other situations will be treated fairly in the future.

That is a value that goes far beyond 'playing',
Roger

[Trimoon]

Yes, Margaret, I miss them, too and wish they were still here at RP. They contributed a lot to the site and I can see that there is a hole that was left when they departed. Yes, this site has been highjacked by one individual. Give it time and RP will recover. The new site that was developed by those who departed will grow, too. The way I deal with the main problem is I use the ignore feature that this site provides. If enough people do this, the better it will get. Give Doug a chance and I assure you things will improve. He is well aware of the problems, I am sure. In the meantime, do the challenges, post your work and go on. Ignore the highjacker and he will go away.

Steve

[catia]

I am a newbie here and have been trying to ignore this thead; however, I think posting private emails is tacky to say the least. Where are the moderators when you need them???

Catia

[Doug Nelson]

I'll save Steve the trouble and point out a hi-jacked thread: the one you're reading right now.

I'm closing this thread, but not deleting it (yet). It has lost its way, but if it simply vanishes no one will learn from it.

Users (all users) need to exercize some degree of impulse control and ask a fundamental question before they hit "submit reply": What does this post have to do with restoration and retouching?

This is a photo restoration and photo retouching site. Period. Everything else is ancillary to that. Sure, we have some areas that have nothing to do with R&R, but those are a convenience and an accomodation for our R&R members, not the purpose of this site.

I have to balance the needs of the 25,000 or so users per month that anonymously visit here every month looking for R&R help with the desires of the 30-40 users per month that post.

This site is growing. It's thriving in fact, so fast at times I feel overwhelmed. All activity related to r&r is up, and shows no signs of slowing down. Non-R&R activity will ebb and flow. That's the nature of things.

I'll state some things that I feel have been adequately stated before, but possibly might need repeating:

1. Take all the personal grudges and political stances and non-R&R opinions and put them elsewhere. Where they go is up to the individual member. Just don't post them on RetouchPRO.

2. If you are talking to one person, take it to PM or email. There are only two options, talk to one person privately or talk to 25,000 per month publicly.

3. Read the name of the subforum and the topic of the thread you're replying to. If what you're wanting to say isn't about either of those, either move it or rethink whether it belongs anywhere at all.

4. Perhaps the only thing that takes precedence over R&R here is that this is a nice place. Non-nice posts don't belong. Posts pointing out non-nice posts don't belong.

If any of this comes as news to you, you simply haven't been paying attention. If you disagree with any of this, start your own site and do it your way.