Traffic in PaD Sites

[mox]

does it seem that it goes in cycles?

Or...could it be that the Meta-Gallery has actually slowed traffic amongst the PaD faithful? I read in another thread that is has possibly become an advertising tool to many who are not even attempting to do the One a Day discipline.

I *seem* to have noticed a slow-down in the past few days. I'm examining to see if I am posting duds. I suppose the whole purpose of participating in PaD is to generate and give feedback. I guess we all have a need for affirmation.

Bottom line, what I'm getting at is, while I think Slug's meta-gallery is a cool idea and a great response on his part to customer service, I wonder if it isn't having an opposite, deleterious effect on the PaD culture by watering down the field.

I'm thinking I like the old Jeanne Ricci gang better, linked from her page.
For me, it has become more impersonal. Maybe that means I need to crank it up or stop posting crap pictures. I don't know!

Just some observations. Am I on base? No, I'm on pBase.

[clickaway]

I can see exactly where you are coming from Mark. There are so many PAD people now, people are having to be selective as they only have a fixed amount of time.

Perhaps you could try something 'out of character' to catch the eye on the Meta Gallery. I don't think your photos are crap at all, but there's much more competition now and it might not do any harm to try and capture something eye-catching this weekend.

I use a combination of slug's meta gallery, my favourites and even Jeanne's list on occassion! I love Jeanne's list but it could only ever work for the first 100 PAD people(at most!)

Any PADers out there willing to do a links page for 101 on, so we can see what you all look like!?

Ray

[dexmadden]

Ray,
too many ppl now for human, just need a different view of the same thing.
You could have options on the metaGallery to have an inclusive and/or
exclusive list of specific PaDders you want to see/not see
There could be some PaD Quotient that could be used as threshold,
only show me PaD's that that have PQ > 80
In addition, you could have an option to view PaD gallary with users' profile photo rather than today's
etc. the filtering options are endless, but still derived from the same data,
no need for different gallery or technique and too big for manual maintenance

[/quote]

[simonkirk]

It it true what has been said, it can take an age to work though all the images and i do try! i normaly run through the meta gallery and stop by ones that i like and like Ray the original PAD people, i just skip over the ones i know are not pad galleries, then a quick skip though the popular work if i have time.
I think PAD is getting a little big and i miss the days when we were a small minority but on the other hand it is becoming a fuller community of like minded people which can only be good.

[bigbad]

You could have options on the metaGallery to have an inclusive and/or
exclusive list of specific PaDders you want to see/not see

i mean no disrespect when i say this, but isn't that what the favorites list is?

i know i'm a latecomer in the game, and wasn't part of PAD when it was a minority, but i found it via Jeanne's links being on the most popular list. that's how i discovered probably 75% of the people now on my favorites list. Its hardly fair to push PAD to the front page repeatedly and then complain when it grows.

the people taking advantage of the meta gallery are something we are probably going to have to learn to live with. i use mostly my favorites list and the occasional browse through the meta gallery. if i have the time, i check everyone's, if not i catch up later in the week.

i know everyone is busy, so thank you to everyone who visits my PAD whether its daily or just once. the encouragement and camraderie are appreciated.

perhaps its not my place to butt in, but i would hate to see such a wonderful board go bad because of something like fewer comments. (and i guess in a small, self concious sort of way, i feel the fingers point at people like me for making the group too large)

[cman3002]

I'm only on day 10 of PaD, so, I don't know what it was like in the past. I do agree that it does take a long time to go through the meta-gallery everyday, but, I like the fact that I can look at many different photos. I'm not sure that filters would be the best idea, because I would tend to use them and might miss some good photos I'd filter out.

Another thing is that as a PaDer, I want folks to see my photos, since I put the time and effort in. I know I can't produce a great shot every day, but every once awhile I produce something I'm proud of. I'd hate to think that was being filtered out.

I'm also not a big fan of people taking advantage of the meta-gallery either, and wish there was a way to control this. The only thing I can think of to do is not comment on these people's photos, so I don't.

Mike

[brother_mark]

I think traffic goes in cycles. Also our "talent" goes in cycles. If you have three good days and get lots of hits and comments then when you post an average photo you really feel the hit drop! Also, some people, like me, tend to visit in cycles. It may be a week before I get to one of my favorites. Or I got there, but didn't have time to comment.

When the meta-gallery first went up my hit rate about doubled. The nice thing about the gallery is a good photo will pull in people who don't have you on their favorites list. And I have found some good people to add to my favorites. I admit I never thought I could visit everyone when I joined (Jan.1, 2004) so I took some of Jeanne's favorites (she's my sister) and made them mine. Then I added some people who were fairly new like me, because the "old" PADers seemed like a tight bunch I wouldn't fit in with. (Sorry guys, you're not, but seemed it.) I also made it a point to visit the people who first welcomed me to PAD and made several of them my favorites. I have only about 36 favorites.

I'm not trying to cut anybody out or limit PAD, but I have to draw limits to my daily viewing!!

My experience after three months is that ordinary people like me who don't have eighty gazillion PAD friends don't get many hits when we post a perfectly decent photo of some ordinary thing. Only people who personally know you will bother to look at it and fewer will comment. If you want hits, you have to shoot things that aren't so ordinary, or make the ordinary extra-ordinary, or make lots of friends--sow your comments, intelligent ones, all over PAD. You don't need to put your pad link there, people can just click your name and find the gallery.

And finally, I will host the list of PADers beginning with 2/2/04. If you began PAD after Jeanne stopped maintaining a list contact me with a link to your preferred self-portrait, which I will copy and shrink(?) and a link to your PAD gallery. This way, new people can find each other and make new PAD friends and this growing sea can maybe be made a bit more manageable. I think I'm going to regret this. Give me some time to get it up. If you are on Jeanne's list, DON'T be asked to be put on mine.

[brother_mark]

And include your name and START DATE!

[dexmadden]

You could have options on the metaGallery to have an inclusive and/or
exclusive list of specific PaDders you want to see/not see

i mean no disrespect when i say this, but isn't that what the favorites list is?

(and i guess in a small, self concious sort of way, i feel the fingers point at people like me for making the group too large)

yeah, but many of my favorites are not PaDders, I'm just saying tweak the meta-PAD to have options to view by profile picture, and have either a
list of users you want to see, or don't want to see, or both. But still in a gallery format, where clicking on image goes straight into a PaD.

no finger pointing at all! PaD is just like any online community, it grows geometrically, after a point you set up bots to handle maintenance.

[jude_53]

Oiy... I am not too sure what the problem is here. I guess I keep it simple. I have a favorites list.... I daily (which means a little before work and then after while doing other online things) peruse the meta gallery. I comment on photos that strike me.
Period ...
I have on occasion noticed excellent photos that NO one comments on. Is this because they are not of the original people? Then I see pics that are just.. well so so and see 20 comments on it. Is this because they are the orginal people? I refuse to believe that artistic people such as this are cliquish and snobby. EVERYONE should be commenting (if they have the time) on photos that they like best. Or they should just do their favorites.. but putting a hand up to .. new PaDers is like putting a stop on creativity. Besides.. I'm one of the non-orginals.
I won't be IGNORED, Dan! (line from "Fatal Attraction"
If you like my photos.. comment.. or give me advice if you think I need it. That's cool too. But don't plump my pillow because I'm one of the most wonderfully witty and sweet people you've ever come across in Pbase.
Damn, I'm full of sh** this morning.
Anyhow, Mark? i'll be sending you my link. Thanks .. I thought of doing it but. i'm technological moron.
Oh.. by the way... I LOVE pbase. It is my new obsession and since I'm an obsessive type ... that's a good thing.

[clickaway]

As one of the 'originals' (started August 2003) perhaps I ought to say something.

The PAD phenomon has really taken off this year and many of us 'oldies' already had a reasonably long list of favourites. Bear in mind that the first 50 Paders joined between 31/12/02 and 1/12/03. The next 50 had joined by 3/2/04, and I don't know how many there are now?!

There must be 150-200 of us now, so I can see how some of the newbies feel neglected as regards comments. I try my best to comment on any picture that grabs my attention, but I'm lucky as in recent weeks I've had a lot of time on my hands.

Its only human nature that you are more likely to comment on your friends' photos, but that doesn't mean I'm obliged to comment every day.

A way to increase your own traffic is to try and comment regularly on photographers you admire, and I think this would certainly be beneficial if you could selected other newbies who may seem short-changed in the comments department too. Maybe you do this already.

I'm all for fairness and hope that I'm not looked at as a member of a clique. In fact, I may draw attention to what I consider 'underrated' PAD photographers on my own page from time to time.

Ray

[bigbad]

i guess perhaps thats why i don't see as much of i problem. being fairly new, i've never gotten 50 messages on one image like i see on many of the other galleries so i've never come to expect it. i know when i post an average picture, i may get one or two. when i get six or seven, i think 'wow, people liked it!'

i don't feel bad that i don't get that many, because i realize that many of you know each other much more personally. So i don't worry to much on my comment count. i just visit others and comment where i like and if others do the same, thats great.

anyway, about the finger pointing, i know that is certainly not how it was meant. you really are a most welcoming bunch.

[polyvios]

I understand what you're saying. It was only natural that people would be attracted to the exposure offered by the meta-gallery which made it a matter of time before more and more people would join PAD as a way to promote their galleries. What I've done is composed a web-page with links to some PADers whose work I find tasteful (and who I might have a special “bond” with) and use the meta gallery to browse through the rest of the "gang". If I see something I like I take a closer look and maybe leave some comments. If not, there's always next time!

Just some thoughts on the matter....

[scirburn]

I too do not get lots of comments but the ones I do get are greatly appreciated. I enjoy the PaD challenge and enjoy looking at the pictures. Comments sometimes and have added to my favorites as well but I do look at all the pictures everyday and sometimes two or three times as I am a real addict for it

[demorcan]

I read these some. I do not comment on many and although I have been doing PaD a little while, I am on no ones list. I post my photos and they are either worth viewing or not. I have been on Pbase and a supporter since 2001. But due to some medical problems and having to sell my home, I did not have internet access when the PaD started. And so I know many people will never view my photos. I do not live for comments although I appreciate them. Although I work and so on as most do, I spend my time savoring the majesty of life. In other words I am a worthless bum. I use my arts (one of which is photography) to share the beauty I see with those who do not have the time to see it themselves. Probably this does not appy to PaDers who are out searching for a photograph each day. Still, I like it the way it is. It gives someone new an opportunity to see other work and to have theirs seen. I know I have only been doing this a couple months, so I am not really part of the community yet. Still, I feel a kinship with some of the people here which transcends jsut the time they have PaDed. This comminuty is a good part of the PaD experience. I do not think newcomers should be shut out because they are new. I tend to look for photos with no comments and to comment on what is good in the photo. If a person takes a photo and posts it, they have a reason. I try to understand the photographer rather than just look at the photo. PaD gives you a way to know people through their photos over time. I like this part of it. Sure if you want an original cliche, that is fine. But there is also a place for the newcomers. I personally will wait until the 300 to 400 list or maybe the one after that before joinging list. People who want can find active PaDers through the megagallery. People who want to use their other lists can do that also. It seems to work to me.