How does your avatar look today ?

[Frank Lomba]

 

[Talligurl]

 

[Claireschen Hesten]

[NewLuden]

Just your healer hangin out on the webs

[Talligurl]

 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

1 hour ago, Frank Lomba said:

 

If you choose that gambit, you're toast in 5 moves, guaranteed.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

I really really don't understand what it is that makes one photo on Flickr more popular than another.

[Talligurl]

 

[Seicher Rae]

53 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I really really don't understand what it is that makes one photo on Flickr more popular than another.

You're more likely to learn the meaning of life in a Forum post, than to glean understanding of Flickr popularity.

That is one reason I dislike Flickr so. I've seen some horrid, over processed, poorly constructed messes get hundreds of likes, while some technically perfect screenshot gets bupkis all too often. And I could go on a long rant (and have elsewhere) but won't because I know how text posts are not welcomed here.  For several reasons I have considered starting to post to my neglected Flickr page, but basically just put my forehead on my desk and whimpered, "but I don't wanna!" I still post some to the Feed, but that gets even more broken with each passing month, and it never did work well, and all you CAN post there are screenshots.

[Momo Addams]

 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

1 hour ago, Seicher Rae said:

I've seen some horrid, over processed, poorly constructed messes get hundreds of likes, while some technically perfect screenshot gets bupkis all too often.

Yes, absolutely: I gave up trying to compare the popularity of my pics to those flying across my feed a long time ago. It clearly has, in most cases, little do with quality, and everything to do with gaming the system, or mutual backscratching (or other mutually satisfying physical activity).

I was actually in this case thinking of how relatively poorly I do at predicting the reception of my own pics, relative to each other. That's not "important," I suppose, but it's sort of valuable in the sense that it is gauge of how well I can determine what "works" and what doesn't. A simple example of how poorly I apparently do that: what I, personally, think is probably the best photo I've ever taken is #16 on my list of "Most Popular." So, I guess it doesn't "work" as well as I thought it did, because it's clearly not communicating as effectively as I thought.

Anyway, it's not really important: I'm just talking aloud and scratching my head in puzzlement.

[Amanda Dallin]

6 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Yes, absolutely: I gave up trying to compare the popularity of my pics to those flying across my feed a long time ago. It clearly has, in most cases, little do with quality, and everything to do with gaming the system, or mutual backscratching (or other mutually satisfying physical activity).

I was actually in this case thinking of how relatively poorly I do at predicting the reception of my own pics, relative to each other. That's not "important," I suppose, but it's sort of valuable in the sense that it is gauge of how well I can determine what "works" and what doesn't. A simple example of how poorly I apparently do that: what I, personally, think is probably the best photo I've ever taken is #16 on my list of "Most Popular." So, I guess it doesn't "work" as well as I thought it did, because it's clearly not communicating as effectively as I thought.

Anyway, it's not really important: I'm just talking aloud and scratching my head in puzzlement.

I just don't pay any attention to what others think of my pics on flicker.  My primary audience is me.  If others enjoy them then great. 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

2 minutes ago, Amanda Dallin said:

I just don't pay any attention to what others think of my pics on flicker.  My primary audience is me.  If others enjoy them then great. 

Absolutely. And there certainly are pics I take that are really just for me.

But my training is in a field where it is assumed that things like writing, fine art, photography, music, and so forth are primarily modes of communication -- so that tends to be the way I often think as well. And I often am trying to communicate something.

In the final analysis, though, you're totally right: I do this mostly because I enjoy doing it.

[Walelu Summerwind]

It's been awhile... 😘

 

 

 

 

 

[Ashlyn Voir]

Censored for forum purposes. 

[Frank Lomba]

4 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

If you choose that gambit, you're toast in 5 moves, guaranteed.

Ever tried beating an AI with chess? It really does not mater what I do...

[Scylla Rhiadra]

23 minutes ago, Walelu Summerwind said:

It's been awhile... 😘

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome back. You're looking pretty great: your vacation from the forum has obviously agreed with you!

[Cristiano Midnight]

[Cristiano Midnight]

3 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Yes, absolutely: I gave up trying to compare the popularity of my pics to those flying across my feed a long time ago. It clearly has, in most cases, little do with quality, and everything to do with gaming the system, or mutual backscratching (or other mutually satisfying physical activity).

I was actually in this case thinking of how relatively poorly I do at predicting the reception of my own pics, relative to each other. That's not "important," I suppose, but it's sort of valuable in the sense that it is gauge of how well I can determine what "works" and what doesn't. A simple example of how poorly I apparently do that: what I, personally, think is probably the best photo I've ever taken is #16 on my list of "Most Popular." So, I guess it doesn't "work" as well as I thought it did, because it's clearly not communicating as effectively as I thought.

Anyway, it's not really important: I'm just talking aloud and scratching my head in puzzlement.

I have to admit I'm finding Flickr rather bizarre. While I've had an account there for 15 years, I never really used it except to test integration with my own site until the past month or so. I'm used to sending off pictures of what I'm doing in SL to document things, not stopping to take perfect pictures and then processing them to high hell. I'm enjoying trying out that side of things, but the culture on Flickr is very strange.

I saw someone whose picture was literally in 452 groups and had tons of likes on it and it was not even a particularly great picture, with probably 50 comments praising it. I know we have been conditioned to crave those precious likes thanks to social media, but it all still just seems a little weird to me. I'm ultimately just doing it to entertain myself, but it is easy to feel a sense of intimidation when you see people getting hundreds of reactions and comparing your own stuff to that. You are right though, it's not really important. This should all just be for fun and our own gratification and self expression.

[Maitimo]

6 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I really really don't understand what it is that makes one photo on Flickr more popular than another.

I think it boils down to "are you a pro blogger and how famous is your name?" People who get hundreds of likes per pic have thousands of followers.

[Hunny Bunny]

 

[Hunny Bunny]

8 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I really really don't understand what it is that makes one photo on Flickr more popular than another.

My pics are a glimpse at an emotion or state of mind at the time it was taken. If people like it, maybe they felt it too or it's just be complete BS. Either way I like my own pics enough to keep taking them. 😁 

[Seicher Rae]

8 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Yes, absolutely: I gave up trying to compare the popularity of my pics to those flying across my feed a long time ago. It clearly has, in most cases, little do with quality, and everything to do with gaming the system, or mutual backscratching (or other mutually satisfying physical activity).

I was actually in this case thinking of how relatively poorly I do at predicting the reception of my own pics, relative to each other. That's not "important," I suppose, but it's sort of valuable in the sense that it is gauge of how well I can determine what "works" and what doesn't. A simple example of how poorly I apparently do that: what I, personally, think is probably the best photo I've ever taken is #16 on my list of "Most Popular." So, I guess it doesn't "work" as well as I thought it did, because it's clearly not communicating as effectively as I thought.

Anyway, it's not really important: I'm just talking aloud and scratching my head in puzzlement.

1: Yes, gaming the system or however you want to describe it. Not always, there are some people who routinely post brilliant work and do get the attention. One who comes to mind is Tralala Loordes.

2: Oh, that kind of prediction, your own work. Welcome to the club. I've scratched off a patch of hair (ew) wondering that, not just Flickr (although that is the most obvious one in terms of sheer numbers) but on the SL Feed and here. I never guess my own work correctly. To be fair to me, I rarely guess other people's correctly. Another photographer, friend, Myra, posts on the Feed and she'll post a series of the "same" shot, with small differences, as a way to chronicle works in progress. I will like one or two in the series, not every one, just so to "vote." Yeah, I usually don't pick the most popular. Take away from that: If you're posting for popularity, choose opposite from me.

For my own work I did a mini survey. I kept track. Here's what I learned: Bright, saturated colors will get the most likes. OR a very contrasty B&W.  Photoshopped always wins over raw. Selfies. Anything with boobs. Anything with people over people-less landscapes, still lives, abstracts. Least favorites are dark landscapes that don't "translate" well into either the thumbnails on the Feed or small images on a phone (but look awesome sauce full sized). 

Edited February 6, 2020 by Seicher Rae

[Orwar]

10 hours ago, Seicher Rae said:

You're more likely to learn the meaning of life in a Forum post, than to glean understanding of Flickr popularity.

   Flickr is fairly easy. Throw likes at everything and everyone you see, comment on everything you see, spam your Flickr links into every Discord and in-world group you can find, cram your images into as many groups as you can - and then after a few days, carpet bomb all groups and Discords again just in case someone missed it. 

   As for the meaning of life ... I go by the 'Three T's'.

   Tea, Tobacco and Titillation. 

[Seicher Rae]

8 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Absolutely. And there certainly are pics I take that are really just for me.

But my training is in a field where it is assumed that things like writing, fine art, photography, music, and so forth are primarily modes of communication -- so that tends to be the way I often think as well. And I often am trying to communicate something.

In the final analysis, though, you're totally right: I do this mostly because I enjoy doing it.

I don't come from a communication background, but do have some fine art training. I agree that the best art tends to tell a story, but my take on it is slightly different. It should tell a story to the viewer, but not necessarily the same story that the artist had in mind. Great if they are on the same wavelength, but it isn't a fail if there is a disparity of interpretations. It is more of a failure if the piece doesn't give any story. (Ok, some photos are just "lookit mah avatar!" and that's cool, and I sure shoot a lot of those too.) Case in point: This was on the feed several years ago. I posted a photo that was about "giving up" and suicide. The photo got a LOT of ♥s and more comments than usual. The thing is, all of the comments were gushing about how inspirational the photo was, so full of hope and courage. I was like... um, what? But I didn't say a word. Those folks weren't wrong in their interpretations. I have found that if you want to evoke a specific message, you need to have a notecard to go with or a very obvious title at the very least.  Think the look on the Mona Lisa! Leo should have left a notecard about what that chick was thinking. 

Here's the old photo I was talking about (system avatar and defunct sim):