i erased my comments, for the pure reason of 1st am. irony. shut this down, i would but i do not have the authority to i believe.. there is no more substance.

Now we either have to write "nice pic", which is somewhat vexing to the artist for lack of explanantion, or "favorite" the image- which is a strong way of saying you merely like something.

It is not compulsory to write anything on an image or fav that particular image.. you can just look at it or download it to your desktop for you to enjoy

I don't receive many notifications for favourites... as for comments they usually only appear for the few days after I have uploaded an image and then very occasionally after that. I also receive very few of the "nice pic" comments, I believe this is probably because I don't leave such comments on images myself. If you leave generic comments on lots of pics you will probably start to generate a "following" of members who feel obligated to do the same on your pics, or will do so because they hope you will leave comments on theirs... since the type of pollution you mention only effects the person who it is left for I suggest you moderate your own favourites and feedback to whatever you feel is a suitable level.

Maybe we should have a way to indicate 10 (or 11) degrees of liking, from 0 ("I'm in a bad mood and I hate this image along with everything else") to 10 ("I don't have much discernment so I think this is absolutely wonderfully perfect") ...

Keep it civil please, otherwise this discussion will be shut down.

Besides the Voting Booth, there's also Views and Downloads. I assume if someone views my work it's an indication of at least mild liking. Then if they "download" it that probably means they liked it a little more. Of course I don't know if they actually saved it, though it's always nice to get comments that it's on their desktop.

In case anyone wonders, I haven't edited my comments.

"Maybe we should have a way to indicate 10 (or 11) degrees of liking, from 0 ("I'm in a bad mood and I hate this image along with everything else") to 10 ("I don't have much discernment so I think this is absolutely wonderfully perfect") ..."

tell me how this wasn't sarcasm, and how it helped the discussion, seems your most recent response would have been very nice to see instead of your actual first response.

in reply to your most recent response, my suggestion of a like button was due to the recognition of who likes your image and possibly creating a network instead of the invisible viewer, these are all choices, i wasnt mandating anything

Members regard the value of their image by different methods. Some by downloads, some by View numbers, some by favourited images, some by the number of 'Wows' the image receives and others rely on C-index scores constructive comments.
The good thing is it is all optional - how you 'read' an image's value and how you treat images of others is up to the individual.
Some artists have enough confidence in their own work not to care. Newer and less confident members are often encouraged by their image being 'faved' or even a "Wow" even though the c-index score may not be very high. I know for myself when I first joined my indexes in the 30's were an incentive to improve. Notifications of 'faved' images did not happen then but I am sure those would have been an encouragement as well, just as they are now.
The only reason images are added to my favourites is simply because they are 'favourites' and they are there for easy finding should I want to use them again for a desktop. Who they belong to has no bearing. I do not get the slightest bit vexed by simple comments - saying someone 'likes' my image. After all that is the main reason for posting them - to share with others. If someone chooses to add more by way of explanation and help with improvement that is a bonus.
If there were no interaction between members in what ever way anhjd to what ever degree that suits themselves then the site would become simply a repository for images and serious critique (maybe) - and the community aspect would be lost.

LynEve, thank you for commenting on this discussion. I just don't understand some of your points (and i mean this in the nicest way possible). At first you mention the variety of ways artists can interact (or not interact, ie. just view a pic and dl) with each other, then mention artists who are confident and don't need interaction (maybe i read this wrong) parallel to new artists who need confidence through people faving their stuff or commenting (i personally do not use the c index at all). but where you lose me is your last paragraph where you write (ill just quote to be easy) "If there were no interaction between members in what ever way anhjd to what ever degree that suits themselves then the site would become simply a repository for images and serious critique (maybe) - and the community aspect would be lost." which i completely agree with but right before this paragraph you write "The only reason images are added to my favourites is simply because they are 'favourites' and they are there for easy finding should I want to use them again for a desktop. Who they belong to has no bearing. I do not get the slightest bit vexed by simple comments"-- so this confuses me, the community you referenced latter is trumped by your declaration of not caring who looks at your work or if they write anything.

i agree. someone can just write "like". instead of my suggestion of adding a like button, on a side note, this discussion is in the tech side of caedes if that makes sense to anyone as to why i put this discussion here. i don't have qualms with artists saying they like my stuff without any explanation however i liked the button idea akin to the favorite button already on the site.

anyway. again thanks for taking the time to respond and write a thoughtful explanation.

To some extent I can see that a Like button would be unnecessary, but Blithe has a point. I have a desktop folder full of images that I like that I do not want to make favourites as it infers to much, in the sense that an image is pretty outstanding in my view, when in fact it may not be. Without storing the links somewhere I loose the links for later reference.

The Like button would in that respect be helpful and alleviate the need for me to store all these links manually, if such links were kept in Caedes. I do appreciate that that would be an extension to the database server side, and although probably not difficult, could be deemed unnecessary.

It is not really about leaving comments from my perspective.

Blithe - my "declaration of not caring who looks at your work or if they write anything" - I am puzzled - where did I say that?

I never said that I do not care who looks at my work.I thought I said the opposite.And I do like it when they write something. Any comment made, be it one word or a half page critique - is appreciated.
The images I make favourites are not made to please the artist or to curry favour with them - but for my own convenience. If someone makes one of mine a favorite - then I am just as encouraged as I was at the beginning of my membership - someone either likes it, or wants to use it for something.(or just maybe they dislike it so much they keep it as an example, who knows, but at least they looked at it) Often when I see an image of mine faved by someone whose work I am not very familiar with it leads me to their gallery.

I DID say
"Some artists have enough confidence in their own work not to care" (how others rate their work) -but I did not say, nor is it a fact that I am one of those. Without feedback I do not think I would bother uploading anything. This is a wallpaper site - and if no one is looking at, using or commenting/critiquing my 'wallpaper' then I might as well have a private album.

I can not really see that a 'like' button would not just be the 'favourite' button by another name.

thank you both for contributing to this discussion.

a. comments are not superfluous however i agree with not needing everyone to comment, comments either add credibility (decrease from) or let you know what is good or bad about your work and this essentially allows you to produce more likeable posts.

b. there is a distinct difference between a work that I just like and that is my favorite.. I am a academic linguist and these two words a incredibly different, however I can understant Lyn's point akin to Coram's point. The reason i suggested a like button (and caedes storage thereof) is because there are simply some images i do not love but maybe want to come back to (and won't favorite).

1. even though I can see your point (lyn) of the self imposed reasons of fav'ing something (for your benefit because you do not take credence from another fav'ing your work), this does not mean every artist on this site feels the same way and altho the button can be seen to be used for the viewer, and i believe you agreed with me at one point, commenting and fav'ing is also an indicator for the value of your work and a reason to post more or less of certain subject or style etc.

c. I by no means was implying you don't care if people write comments, this is why I asked. If i offended you i apologize

Adding a 'like' button is rather superfluous. If someone stops to comment, they ususally 'like' what they see. I think I would like so many things, it would be an overused and useless function for me. If I fave something, it is because I want to see it again later and be able to locate it. You can always 'unfave' an image. It is a semantic issue to distiguish a 'like' from a 'fave'. So by Chris' evaluation, you would be saying to an artist, in effect, that you only 'like' the image, but not enough to 'fave' it. I think the 'fave' button covers 'like' and they are interchangeable.

alright artists. perhaps i am a child of the semantics era, i do work in such a field. ill agree to some and agree to disagree to other points. again thanks for catering to this notion and writing why you disagree.

also one of my first suggestions was to put a cap on what you can "like" because of the pollution of everyone just liking everything they see.. however i concede to the standstill of this not being a communally accepted idea..

Hmmm, not sure I would agree that where most of the commenting that is happening it is because they 'like' whatever image. Most seem to be along the lines of and somewhat reciprocative in nature.

So.. on that note ... adding a 'like' button might be purposeful and useful to the artist.


Particularly, on the point(s) made mention of by Blith in an above post of hers. Which sums up the merits of this suggestion succinctly and quite well;

"my suggestion of a like button was due to the recognition of who likes your image and possibly creating a network instead of the invisible viewer, ..."


And if I am not mistaken, the 'like' stuff ... is a bit of a new phenomenon where the interwebz are concerned (Facebook, et al).

Kind of a topical suggestion, in my mind.


"... these are all choices, i wasnt mandating anything"

And.. as with all/most things on the site here ... optional. And to use as 'you' see fit. Or.. not.

Underscored again, in the quoted post above.


p.s. Beat me to the post, Blithe.

p.p.s. "also one of my first suggestions was to put a cap on what you can "like" because of the pollution of everyone just liking everything they see.."

/\ I agree.

Perhaps will go the way of 'creds'.