i don't use this site much anymore.. i still think it's good and it has something that deviantart doesnt have. Not to mention that it represents a different demographic than deviantart in general which means it is of benefit to remain an active participant in both. However, having been a member of this site for a long time i have watched many changes pass by over the last few years and i'm not sure all of them have worked.
I was a strong advocate for a 'friends watch' system on this site a while ago before we had one. i remember thinking how handy it would be to be notified when my friends on the site posted new pictures.. but having used this system for a long time i'm not so sure it has brought any benefit to the site overall. I have not commented on a picture that was not in the top pictures or in my personal notifications for a long time. i remember a time when i used to give and receive comments to and from many different users on this site long after i had posted an image, but nowadays i find this is not the case. images more than a week old do not receive new comments and i myself do not post on images other than those i have been requested to coment on or notified of. i think the comment request is an excellent idea, as it stops artists from simply commenting on pictures they already like; instead real critique is given.
Secondly.. the new c-index system seems awfully harsh. For example.. a friend of mine has an incredibly popular image on this site:
compare the downloads, views and the c-index and think to yourself what my friend is supposed to understand from this. a c-index of 54 would suggest his image is of a relatively average/poor quality.. but 12,000 views and many downloads suggest this image is a masterpiece that has drawn many admirers from across the world. what am i to draw in conclusion from similar situations i find my own iamges in!
I was a strong advocate for a 'friends watch' system on this site a while ago before we had one. i remember thinking how handy it would be to be notified when my friends on the site posted new pictures.. but having used this system for a long time i'm not so sure it has brought any benefit to the site overall. I have not commented on a picture that was not in the top pictures or in my personal notifications for a long time. i remember a time when i used to give and receive comments to and from many different users on this site long after i had posted an image, but nowadays i find this is not the case. images more than a week old do not receive new comments and i myself do not post on images other than those i have been requested to coment on or notified of. i think the comment request is an excellent idea, as it stops artists from simply commenting on pictures they already like; instead real critique is given.
Secondly.. the new c-index system seems awfully harsh. For example.. a friend of mine has an incredibly popular image on this site:
http://www.caedes.net/Zephir.cgi?lib=Caedes::Infopage&image=graphics_pro89-1109136374.jpg
compare the downloads, views and the c-index and think to yourself what my friend is supposed to understand from this. a c-index of 54 would suggest his image is of a relatively average/poor quality.. but 12,000 views and many downloads suggest this image is a masterpiece that has drawn many admirers from across the world. what am i to draw in conclusion from similar situations i find my own iamges in!