Does cross forum posting dilute the local photography community?

[gerry]

I had a very interesting discussion with a mate regarding this the other day and I am interested to hear others thoughts on the topic.

Firstly, what I mean by forum cross posting is posting between multiple sites, ie different domain names, secondly locally, i mean australian based.

I am sure most users are aware that there are several aussie based photography forums all with fairly large user bases, one thing I have noticed in my time visiting aussie based photography forums is the large amount of people who not only visit, but cross post the same images/content bewteen 2 or more forums. Now I am not for or against this practice, I am more interested in the effect it has. More specifically, does it dilute the local community? Do people feel the need to post images/content across mutliple sites to get a broader range of response and critique, or is it merely to maximise the number of people viewing the images/content? Is better to concentrate your efforts in one location or spread yourself over a number of sites?

I see alot of benefits in posting images for critique across different forums provided you are accessing a different userbase, for example, posting here and on fred miranda or naturescapes for landscape images would probably get a good response locally and internationally. However cross posting on 2 or more aussie based forums you would essentially be accessing alot of the same people.

Do you need to post on more than one aussie site to get a good cross-section of responses? Are these local forums seperated/diverse enough or is there too much intersection?

It all sounds alot like a essay question now that I read it, however I am interested to know what people think regarding this topic. I have also posted this across multiple forums so if ya see it or reply to it elsewhere you can ignore it :)

[DAdeGroot]

I reckon there's some overlap in Aussie forum membership, but not enough to rule out the different perspectives you might encounter in different forums.

Having said that, although I'm in a few forums, I can't say I'm active in a lot of them, but in the past it was a fair chance that if you posted to WP and here, you'd get a fairly different userbase.

[Roosta]

Do you need to post on more than one aussie site to get a good cross-section of responses?

Depends on what your chasing in the way of CC, if your happy with say AP and the response you get on photo type A is always good, why bother posting to other forum/site. On the other hand, site B, might have a different base of togs in the forums, it may be strong in Street/land/sea scapes, but lacks quality for Birds, then post accordingly.

Do you need to post in several for a given reason?

If so, what is it you find lacking ??

Are you not getting the responses you'd hoped for, not lighting your candle to your pics ?

[Tannin]

I think you are over-intellectualising it. People post cross-forum for the same reason that people tell the same joke at different parties. It's easy (you've already prepared the picture/learned the joke off by heart) and rewarding (people say "nice shot!"/laugh out loud), so why not?

I can't see that it does any harm though.

Disclaimer: I rarely cross-post between fora.

Disclaimer to the disclaimer: but I am notorious for telling the same joke to everyone I meet.

Disclaimer to the disclaimer to the disclaimer: on the other hand, for those of us with our own websites, you could regard every forum post as a sort of a cross-post. I actually often wonder if it's worth posting a picture here on the theory that it's already on my website if anyone wants to see it. But if I post it anyway, I usually feel as if I'm cheating a bit, 'cause I'm only reposting something I've already done. Doesn't altogether make sense, but there you go.

[ricktas]

I have seen the same photo get completely different critique on two different sites. Whilst there are benefits from cross forum posting, people will do so. I have also seen photos that have critiqued well elsewhere, then entered into competitions on AP, cause the feedback the person received made them want to see how it would go in a competition.

I do not see it diluting anything, each forum has its strengths and weaknesses, and people are free to take advantage of those. There is also no way we could stop it, if I created a rule for AP that said 'any photo you present on AP for critique cannot be posted on any other photography forum", I reckon a huge number of AP members would just walk away from the site, I know I would, and I would be thinking 'how dare AP demand that, they don't own my photos, I can do what I want with my photos".

[ksolomon]

I would like to offer my opinion on this topic, as a person who only 12 months ago learned how to use a DSLR more than just taking photos on auto I joined a FB group who has weekly challenges, firstly this has encouraged me to take photos each and every week and keep my mind creating and trying new techniques however now I am finding that just "nice photo" or comments to the like are not what I need, I need to find out even if a nice photo technically what needs to be done so that I can take my photography to the next level and eventually achieve the goals I have set myself. I value and am very keen to learn from experienced photographers (if they choose to help me).

I came across this site via a friend and find that I have found a forum that now delivers me more than the "nice photo" style of CC. However I will still post in both areas hoping that between a couple of sites I will get the honest feedback to improve and get a wide range of CC that for Newbie's gives us so much and I find now as I learn I can start to CC my own and other peoples work.

Thats my opinion and thanks for listening :)

[etherial]

I am sure most users are aware that there are several aussie based photography forums ...

There are other forums?!? :eek:

I thought AP was the only one! Well the only one worth visiting :D

Seriously I did have a look at a few when starting out but AP stood out to me as where I wanted to frequent for a few reasons (that would be going OT). I just about never go to the others now, I don't see the need nor have the time.

[Kym]

Aussie fora have partially intersecting sets of members, so cross posting will happen.

Some forums are dedicated to photography and others are well known tech sites that have a photographic sub-forum.
One I frequent is dedicated to Australian birds, so I do cross post there.
Then there are internationals and brand specific sites.

The goals and purposes of each site vary.
Some Aussie fora have paid memberships and are heavily monetised (ads within threads etc.)
AP gives away much more value that the revenue it generates due to excellent sponsorship from Seagate. :th3:

We also provide some of the best add-on features, i.e. the Library, Gallery and Competition System, not to mention a lot of minor tweaks like 'AP Extras'.
As far as I know the Library and Competition System are unique to AP.

Each has its own approach and personality. Behaviours on one may not go down so well on another.
AP provides a safe environment for good CC (much more than 'nice image'), and we do encourage sharing (participation)!

We don't allow personal attack at all, and don't allow commercial promotion/spam.
The paid advertisers do a great job and we do support them - their revenue keeps us going and we don't allow free-loader advertising.

[aurora]

I can understand why photographers might want something specific if they are specializing in birds or landscapes etc. and need to access a few sites. For me well, I stumbled onto AP after coming back from an overseas holiday with some really bad photos, taken with my first SLR. I had a lot to learn. I did a one-on-one day workshop but didn't get very far. AP has great tutorials, I post photos and ask for help and get very constructive advice regarding settings to try in order to improve the shot. Work leaves me time poor, so AP I can log onto AP in my brief spare time so I guess I'm saying I don't need to 'cross-over'. Plus it has to be so time-consuming!!! :th3:

[old dog]

I have to agree totally with Rick and Kym on this issue. and also Aurora as well. I find that time is precious...and I`m retired. AP is probably enough for me and the only time I stray to another site/forum is to meet people for a shoot.

[gerry]

Having said that, although I'm in a few forums, I can't say I'm active in a lot of them, but in the past it was a fair chance that if you posted to WP and here, you'd get a fairly different userbase.

yeah WP, OCAU and here would have a fairly diverse userbase, but is that probably more due to the fact they are two different sites, one with a photography sub-section



Do you need to post in several for a given reason?
If so, what is it you find lacking ??
Are you not getting the responses you'd hoped for, not lighting your candle to your pics ?

I assume you are asking this directly of me, so - no I don't post the same things in different forums and no I don't find anything particularly lacking where I post :)

I don't quite understand the 'lighting the candle' part of your comment so further explanation for this pleb is required.


I think you are over-intellectualising it.

nah, maybe the delivery sounds a bit over-intellectualised but the crux of its pretty simple;)



Disclaimer to the disclaimer to the disclaimer: on the other hand, for those of us with our own websites, you could regard every forum post as a sort of a cross-post. I actually often wonder if it's worth posting a picture here on the theory that it's already on my website if anyone wants to see it. But if I post it anyway, I usually feel as if I'm cheating a bit, 'cause I'm only reposting something I've already done. Doesn't altogether make sense, but there you go.

kinda true I guess, however just because you have uploaded something to your website does not automatically mean you are going to get critique for thought right? and thats the reason for posting images on forums.



I have seen the same photo get completely different critique on two different sites. Whilst there are benefits from cross forum posting, people will do so. I have also seen photos that have critiqued well elsewhere, then entered into competitions on AP, cause the feedback the person received made them want to see how it would go in a competition.

I do not see it diluting anything, each forum has its strengths and weaknesses, and people are free to take advantage of those. There is also no way we could stop it, if I created a rule for AP that said 'any photo you present on AP for critique cannot be posted on any other photography forum", I reckon a huge number of AP members would just walk away from the site, I know I would, and I would be thinking 'how dare AP demand that, they don't own my photos, I can do what I want with my photos".

critiquing on one forum then sending it across to another for a comp sounds a bit dodgy in my books.

I am not in anyway suggesting policeing this 'crossposting' I am more interested about peoples thoughts on the pros and cons to it and the effect it has on the aussie photography forums.

quick frankly at this point I am struggling to keep up with this post on different forums, i feel overworked already and I ain't at work:D

[Roosta]

Gerry, The candle comment, is if your not getting the praise you think your picture deserves, That's why I guess, (As above replys have stated) people float on sites and post,to chase what ever reason or maybe for some self gratification of their work. Honest CC is always the best, especially if it contains helpful/technical advice I find.

I don't float sites, I like to stick to one, this one, covers all the bases for me. But I can see why some might and that's their personal choice, If you do, thats's your choice, If you don't, well same same.

[gerry]

Some Aussie fora have paid memberships and are heavily monetised (ads within threads etc.)


whilst completely off topic - doesn't AP have ads in threads on Tapatalk?


Gerry, The candle comment, is if your not getting the praise you think your picture deserves, That's why I guess, (As above replys have stated) people float on sites and post,to chase what ever reason or maybe for some self gratification of their work.

thanks for the explanation - that is first I have ever heard of that:th3:


If you do, thats's your choice, If you don't, well same same.

nope i dont, as mentioned in my post above:confused013

[Kym]

whilst completely off topic - doesn't AP have ads in threads on Tapatalk?

Not on the Blackberry version, not sure about Apple. I was referring to other sites the put adverts ever 5 posts or so.

[ricktas]

whilst completely off topic - doesn't AP have ads in threads on Tapatalk?



thanks for the explanation - that is first I have ever heard of that:th3:



nope i dont, as mentioned in my post above:confused013


No, but the Cheap Chips ad appears at the bottom of some pages in tapatalk, but not 'in' the threads as such. I have been trialling it with cheap chips, and depending on how that goes, I may add some more of the advertisers, but they will always appear at the bottom of a page view in the tapatalk app, not amongst thread items.

[Dylan & Marianne]

The bulk of my answer to the question asked relates to why the individual posts in forums.

I post some images because I'm very happy with them and want to share. I post others because I'm after advice about how to improve it. I post images in competitions sometimes because I think they have a chance of winning, and sometimes because I'm not sure about an image I personally like and want to see what others think of it. Regardless of whether I'm posting to pamper my ego or learn, I find that there's still a sense of community in a forum such as this one. That sense is different across the different users or each forum. For example, I don't like playing the flickr game of posting and commenting/fav'ing/being contacts with everyone who makes you a contact; but the game has got me some publications and made me some friends overseas with whom I've gone shooting and spent quality time with. So I'm drawn to keep playing the game for those benefits. I post and run on deviant art knowing that you don't have to play the flickr game in order for people to 'like' your images and hence I tend to use the popularity of photos there as a public barometer for images I can't decide on for printing in exhibitions etc (partially)

I just like this site in particular because no matter what reason I post, I've found useful feedback and continue to learn from other members - particularly in genres I'm not comfortable with. I've also grown used to the personalities here which always helps when receiving and accepting CC - as I'm by nature quite introspective and loathe to accept help from anyone else but me.

[gerry]

No, but the Cheap Chips ad appears at the bottom of some pages in tapatalk, but not 'in' the threads as such. I have been trialling it with cheap chips, and depending on how that goes, I may add some more of the advertisers, but they will always appear at the bottom of a page view in the tapatalk app, not amongst thread items.

on android tapatalk the ad appears every time from memory and has always been there since I started using tapatalk on this forum.

[gerry]

The bulk of my answer to the question asked relates to why the individual posts in forums.

I post some images because I'm very happy with them and want to share. I post others because I'm after advice about how to improve it. I post images in competitions sometimes because I think they have a chance of winning, and sometimes because I'm not sure about an image I personally like and want to see what others think of it. Regardless of whether I'm posting to pamper my ego or learn, I find that there's still a sense of community in a forum such as this one. That sense is different across the different users or each forum. For example, I don't like playing the flickr game of posting and commenting/fav'ing/being contacts with everyone who makes you a contact; but the game has got me some publications and made me some friends overseas with whom I've gone shooting and spent quality time with. So I'm drawn to keep playing the game for those benefits. I post and run on deviant art knowing that you don't have to play the flickr game in order for people to 'like' your images and hence I tend to use the popularity of photos there as a public barometer for images I can't decide on for printing in exhibitions etc (partially)


dtoh, thanks for the post that is actually a useful insight, two thumbs up :)

[pmack]

I don't think there are any problems with using multiple forums.
I find certain things about this forum good, eg. the specific canon section.
But I don't like the general photography gear section of this forum as people always skip straight to the specific brand section. (so i prefer general topics on another forum)

I linked an AUSPHOTO topic from here to the other forum i visit (PF), and got that topic delected as it was about a "competitor".
Makes you realise it's not all about the Australian photography community, these are businesses that want numbers.
It was quite frustrating because the post i linked would have been very usefull, had it not been deleted.

Another thing i have noticed, compared to the other forum i vist, the people on this forum tend to be more critical of others (and I'm as guilty as charged), and appear to have more photography knowledge, or at least believe they do :P
The other forum seems to have more amateurs, and a more friendly (less critical) environment, which in turn makes me less critical of others photos and incorrect statements etc.

I put this down to this forum having a scary black background that is known to foster dark angry people, and the other one having a peacefull white background which has been proven to encourage bible talk and spontaneous group outbursts of kumbayah :D

[ricktas]

on android tapatalk the ad appears every time from memory and has always been there since I started using tapatalk on this forum.

Ok, thanks for that. Hard for us to test every scenario and OS out there. When you say it appears every time. Do you mean once, at the bottom of a page, or is it appearing amongst the posts?

[ricktas]

I linked an AUSPHOTO topic from here to the other forum i visit (PF), and got that topic delected as it was about a "competitor".
Makes you realise it's not all about the Australian photography community, these are businesses that want numbers.
It was quite frustrating because the post i linked would have been very usefull, had it not been deleted.


Most forums have a rule regarding that, ours is:


[9] Threads are not permitted for promotion of sites similar to Ausphotography. Blatant, direct, promotion of other photographic forums is not allowed. Comment or reference to another site as part of an ongoing discussion in a thread is permitted, provided that the thread or post is not blatantly promoting the other site and is in context with the thread topic and discussion. This also includes using the personal messaging (PM) system to promote other sites.

But other sites differ in how they word their rule and interpret it. We will not remove a link if it is relevant to the discussion and thread topic, but we have had people post basically asking members to join another forum, etc, and those we remove. We have also acted a couple of times when specific members have repeatedly linked to another forum. It isn't so much about sites being a business (I could not live off what AP makes, and all the funds are directed back to the site anyway), but rather about people trying to 'steal' members from one site for another. It is just not good etiquette. It would be no different to me coming to your workplace, standing out the front with a big sign, and telling everyone to come down the street to my business instead.

[gerry]

Ok, thanks for that. Hard for us to test every scenario and OS out there. When you say it appears every time. Do you mean once, at the bottom of a page, or is it appearing amongst the posts?

The same ad, at the bottom of every thread.

[ricktas]

The same ad, at the bottom of every thread.

Yep, that is how it is supposed to be. If embedding ads in tapatalk is beneficial, to help pay for site running costs etc, then I will expand it for a few other advertisers as well. But at present I am trialing it with Cheap Chips.