flickr comment count

thebaz

Is anyone else aware of the huge comment counts on some fairly average photographs on flickr, I have just become aware of this lately and Phil reminded me of it today, on pix.ie ... is this a recent trend , or do all these images really deserve the 100 + doting comments -- definitly moving more towards the more balanced pix.ie

sasar

Amount of comments is purely based on how many groups is that particular photo added to and also number of contacts you have.

I dont't really care if it's one comment or a few hundred.

peter1892

Some groups encourage loads of comments - others force you to add a comment to X number of previous photos, that kind of thing...

Trizo

yeah id say its to do with contacts ,groups and the rules in some groups i.e post one pic comment on two .. people just throw a comment here or there to stay in the group.

melekalikimaka

ah pix.ie gets ya some mad amount of comments too

Anouilh

The comment system is probably a measure of how sociable any Flick account holder is. If you leave comments, you tend to get them.


I have to admit I like it.

However, I keep my Pix.ie account less chatty.

Pigwidgeon

i'm feeling very left out right now

I'd say it's probably the group thing but tbh i'd rarely comment on pics on flickr, more just favourite things, on pix i'd comment if i think photos are good but i'm not really bothered with the whole trying to get hundreds of comments a photo. I'd prefer if one or two people commented on one of my photos if they genuinly liked it than 100 comments from people who are doing it just to stay in a group who actually think my photos are crap.

*Dallas

i have to admit, it is so frustrating to see absolute crap images that hav no thought or skill put in to them get high comments just because its a flower or a half naked woman. i tried it for a while, adding my photos to different groups, commenting on other photos hopin to get some comments back, but its too much work!

now, i only comment or give a view if i think someone actually deserves it!

thebaz

sasar wrote: »

Amount of comments is purely based on how many groups is that particular photo added to and also number of contacts you have.

I dont't really care if it's one comment or a few hundred.

I just find it strange that certain pics of flowers or landscapes have comment counts in the 100s, absolutly if it is particularly unique and extraodinary ....

Thirdfox

Horses for courses - comments isn't an indicator of "greatness" (you should be well confident about your level of photographic skill baz ), just an indicator that people thought it was comment-worthy (for whatever reason).

My photography is for myself primarily... if others like it great! If they want to comment, that's cool too... but it doesn't mean that my most commented photos are my "best" (in fact - some are rather silly/uninteresting to my eyes).

And, as we learnt from various photographic competitions (not opening that can of worms again :P ) - public opinion/expert opinion/photographers' opinion may differ substantially on what is a "good" picture

If cute puppies is they want...let them have it, I'll just take pictures of what I want

Oh and lastly, I agree that it is heavily influenced by the promotion of a picture...but that is no different to other branches of art, music etc. - lots of people are competent, some are great, but to be successful you have to know how to promote oneself.

Valentia

thebaz wrote: »

I just find it strange that certain pics of flowers or landscapes have comment counts in the 100s, absolutly if it is particularly unique and extraodinary ....

It's a bit like asking why do Westlife sell so many records methinks.............

Thirdfox

Or why this blue painting is considered avant garde art:


From here:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article5269366.ece

Fajitas!

I got a GIF'd comment too many.

F*ckers.

thebaz

Fajitas! wrote: »

I got a GIF'd comment too many.

F*ckers.

- GIF ??

havn't heard that one before

Fajitas!

Those flashing, dancing, all-w*nking awards in comments.

An animation of "U R D Bst Fotogrphr" with neon lights over it, and an invite into a group for pink string tied around green cars, 2 kilometers north of a city beginning with W, 46 meters above sea level. You know the one?

Anouilh

The subject is often discussed and the Flickr groups are full of people wondering why some photos become popular and other not at all.

http://www-srv-4.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055427715

It is possible to turn the comment system off, BTW.
This means that you can keep your Flickr account public without being flooded with invitations, comments and cross references.

http://www.flickr.com/help/forum/72353/?search=overlaid

The explore system really puzzles most people as it does not seem to work on any human intervention.

Valentia

There ia a Greasemonkey script for Firefox that will turn off comments with gifs ("awards") in them. The script is here. Install Greasemonkey first!

I have stopped commenting on friends who participate in the awards train unfortunately as it is the only way of stopping them taking over the "recent activity" section. The quality of the photo has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the number of comments you get. That is entirely down to the number of times you comment and the number of "award" "look at me" groups you enter. Most decent groups don't greatly effect your comment count.

Xiney

I don't mind the comments so much

It's the fact that some pretty sub par images end up in explore that does my head in :rolleyes:

Anouilh

sasar wrote: »

Amount of comments is purely based on how many groups is that particular photo added to and also number of contacts you have.

Flickr is about sharing photos so gregarious posters tend to join a lot of groups and comment a lot. Also it is one way of making one's own photos more available across the system.

I find that adding a photo to my "Favourites" list is a quick way of showing recognition, while being able to find it months later.

Many of the Flickr systems are about categorising and linking photos to one another. I very much like the Fiveprime Hivemind:

http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/Tags/blur,ireland

Dragan

This might be an odd one but maybe people just like the shots?

Fajitas!

Quite possibly, but if you like it, go further than copy paste a GIF in... I'd much rather give a reason why I like it, why it works, than drop in a random template - If you don't want to put a reason, you can use the favorite function!

peter1892

With a lot of those 'post 1 comment 5' type groups people just paste in the gif because they have to.

I'd much rather give a reason why I like it, why it works, than drop in a random template - If you don't want to put a reason, you can use the favorite function!

Yeah, I'd agree with that alright. I'd rather see a comment giving some kind of constructive criticism than any of those 'awards'...

wersal gummage

yeah i got one of these 'please join my group' things. I had never seen this before so i did - then you have to give an 'award' to five other photos. then another group etc etc. out of all my pictures on flickr two of them went into groups - they are the only two pictures with lots of 'comments' - those image comments - they're not comments at all.

on the groups where i had to give comments, i gave them to the best photos i could find in those groups - sometimes it was hard to chose because there was so many good ones, but often even harder cos so many bad ones. if i really liked a picture i said it instead of just pasting in the thing.

so yeah - i think the flashing image things dont count as comments because people are only giving them because they have to.

anyway - wont be doing all that again.

if i get a proper comment i'd usually go and have a look at that persons pictures though and try and make a comment too.

thebaz

Fajitas! wrote: »

Those flashing, dancing, all-w*nking awards in comments.

An animation of "U R D Bst Fotogrphr" with neon lights over it, and an invite into a group for pink string tied around green cars, 2 kilometers north of a city beginning with W, 46 meters above sea level. You know the one?

Yeah, those are the ones I'm talking about - I've seen a few plain images, with 100s of them - I rarely comment on flickr, unless something is absolutly stunning - unsure of how that whole award thing works, now I'm not sure I want to

fermoyboy

I've very few contacts on flickr and don't put my pics into too many groups.

Buddy of mine is one of my contacts and would be a guy I look too to learn bits and pieces about photography so when he leaves a comment on one of my pics I like it because he usually leaves good comments!!!

The bad stuff he just tells me in person ha ha

Fionn

jasus lad it's the internet!!!

what do ya expect?

there's so much gunge out ther in flickr land its just not funny any more

give it up maybe!!

Simplicius

On the comments on Flickr and elsewhere.
yeah there is loads of detrius out there and mutual mastrubation forums, such is life.

My opinion is they are harmless, I started out a few years back and had no idea or frame of reference, so those first Flickr comments were a great boost (I had a samsung digimax 6 MP P&S). I did the endless waste of time that is post one comment on 400. But it was a good place to get out of my 'pimply photography adolescence' until I found what interests me.

As you grow to know your style and believe in your own abilities, then yes they become vacuous and irritating. I can agree with the OP's thinking its a load of fluffy nonsense.

I would caution though, that like all things in like there is pearls among the swine. I am still delighted when I get constructive criticism from other photographers I respect. I still add to odd groups but these are more groups for discussion and not comment chasing.

Explore, Comment ratio remain a mystery. and frankly BS since all photography is subjective.

I suspect PIX.ie might well end up the same as it fills up.

As a side Issue: Perhaps as well as clicking thanks here on boards.ie to the newer photographers who are sticking their head above the parapet : follow their picture to wherever it lies and leave some constructive criticism and tell them you followed them from the Boards.ie

Praise won't make you a better anything IMHO.

Anouilh

Simplicius wrote: »

My opinion is they are harmless, I started out a few years back and had no idea or frame of reference, so those first Flickr comments were a great boost...



As a side Issue: Perhaps as well as clicking thanks here on boards.ie to the newer photographers who are sticking their head above the parapet : follow their picture to wherever it lies and leave some constructive criticism and tell them you followed them from the Boards.ie

When I find a photo here that I like I tend to leave a comment or an invitation to a suitable group on the Flickr version.

One of the great mysteries on my own site is the attraction that his photo had for so many. It would be interesting to see if it finds the same popularity here.

[IMG][/img][URL="[IMG]http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/2938247728/[/IMG]"][/url]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2938247728_8ef14a0c0f.jpghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/2938247728/

Anouilh

*Dallas wrote: »

i have to admit, it is so frustrating to see absolute crap images that have no thought or skill put in to them get high comments just because its a flower or a half naked woman.

This is constantly debated on the Internet, not just on Flickr:

http://picturethis.channel4.com/photo/19201

The link under the pink rose with waterdrops there leads to this photo, which even the photographer questioned as being worthy of comment, or not:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stacybrogan/2827241751/

The photo was posted as an experiment, to see how viewers would respond.

I see Flickr as a sort of large learning forum and, as I've mentioned before, some people leave comments, others do not.

Perhaps starting a thread along the lines of "Most Unloved Photos on the Net" or "The Flickr Salon des Refusés" would bring more good, but unpopular, photos into the net?