PaD Abuse

[dcjohn]

Hi folks.

I'm new to PaD'ing (8 days in), and I was hoping to browse the galleries of fellow PaDrs to enjoy their images and be get ideas and inspiration. The meta-PAD gallery seemed like the natural place to look, but it seems like almost every-other image comes from a non-PaD gallery that a pbase user has just marked as a pad for their own publicity.

I'm sure this issue has come up before. Is there any way to quickly look through galleries that are (relatively) authentic pad efforts? Any chance pbase will institute a feedback mechanism to help keep the pad feature from being abused to the extent it is?

Thanks
dcJohn
http://www.pbase.com/dcjohn/photoaday

[wangi]

Welcome to the club.

However, it's worth noting that many people have their PAD shot in both a normal gallery and their PAD gallery - so when you look at it is very easy to think it's just in a normal gallery! I often have the shot in multiple galleries...

I find the PAD meta-gallery to be quite good - you quickly pick up on who is posting around the same time as you everyday and find others from comments (in your own, and others shots). And some of the abuses are quite good!

[adalberto_tiburzi]

Welcome John!

I was hoping to browse the galleries of fellow PaDrs to enjoy their images and be get ideas and inspiration. The meta-PAD gallery seemed like the natural place to look

This is not always true, since many PaDers are much more creative and interesting in their normal galleries.
So, to browse the PaD only may be restrictive.
PaD is a great thing, I have learned a lot, but tends to become a repetitive prison both for PaDers and for the "public".
Personally, after 6 months of pure PaD I take many many photos a day, my whole site has become a giant PaD.
So, every day I choose as PaD the gallery in which I am going to post the image that's more interesting in my opinion.
Have fun!

[slowpokebill]

This has been discussed before. PAD has no rules and everyone seems to have an idea of what PAD is to them.

Some of us take a photo everyday and post it (OK when I'm on vacation I still take a photo everyday; but, I may not post them until I get back home). Some of us, like myself, plan to do this each day for year and some for as long as they can stand it. Some people take a photo almost every day or "not" and post when they can. Some people just a post everyday and when they took the photo doesn't matter to them. I think it is all great and think that is the way it should be. I'm someone that likes things to be inclusive and not exclusive. No rules makes this inclusive. If you have a PBase account you can set one gallery to be a PAD and that is great.

After awhile you begin to get a feel for who is in what group. I have been exposed to some really great photography from the "I post no matter when the photo was taken group". If I just had to dig through all the thousands of galleries here on PBase I would have never seen most of them. So there self promotion, if indeed that is why they do it, has been good for me.

So hang in there and enjoy and don't sweat the small stuff. It is all about photography and fun.

Bill and Wanda
"Taking It One Day At A Time"
http://www.pbase.com/slowpokebill/picture_a_day_of_wanda

[moonlite]

I see no problem in this. Anyone who is paying a fee to Pbase should entitled to post one image per day, however and whenever the shot was taken.
Personnally, I post the photo that I shot that day or the night before or not post at all when I have not taken any, which is rarely.
When I am on vacation or photo safari, I take 10 times more photos than I take normally. As a result my processing times are piling up as well, which make post one a day becomes a challenge but I do post a few (but still one a day) once I managed some time and sorting out my photos.
There is no right or wrong way to show in my opinion, some would like to promote their photos and that's fine. Others like me, who are just highly enthusiastic amateurs just enjoy taking photos and sharing, and enjoy browsing through PAD to see what others have.
PAD is a great place to browse for people who have limited times, to browse all galleries are just too daunting task.
If we look at PAD as a portal to communicate with others with the same interest and not as a competitive place, I think we will find that this is an excellent community.
Forget the rule, just enjoy the photos and please posting them, one a day.

[hgebeaux]

Look, it is a PAD gallary, NOT a PAD GALLERY gallery. The idea is a photo a day. Why should it matter to anyone where this photo comes from? Seems picky to me.
Howard

[judespics]

Hey John!

Welcome to this crazy little thing called PAD!

I think you will find there is a whole spectrum of photographers here ... there are people who post every day, ppl who post when they can, ppl who post only photos taken that day, ppl who post photos taken previously.

Bottom line? You will meet all sorts of wonderful people who share your passion for photography and are committed (read 'crazy') enough to this!

Personally, I try to post something taken that day. But there are times when life happens and for whatever reason I'm not able to take a pic. On those occaisions I'll use a photo taken previously and perhaps photo shop it ... so that I have SOME involement with the image that day. I also like to view other peopels stuff and comment daily - but that isnt always possible either. But it's so helpful to give and receive comments!

Anyway - have fun with PAD ... take care (and lots of photos!)
Jude

[randu]

John,

Welcome to the CLUB! Happy Padding!

Have a nice day!

Randu

[stormseye]

When did sharing a photograph become "abuse"?

Since people seem so hung up on it, maybe we should ask Slug to change the name of the meta-gallery. How about a simple "Showcase Gallery"?

[jeanb]

Any chance pbase will institute a feedback mechanism to help keep the pad feature from being abused to the extent it is?

Abuse? ABUSE? Several of us started PAD and no longer adhere strictly to the term Photo a Day. Now, some newcomer wants to start changing things?

Get a life.

[juliano]

Now, some newcomer wants to start changing things?

Get a life.

Excellent example of PAD forum abuse there Jeanb. Nice of you to welcome a newcomer so charmingly.

John - different people interpret PAD differently and it's worth checking anything that comes up in that meta gallery, you'll learn from everyone who posts there. Good luck with your own - it's challenging and difficult but worthwhile, in whatever way you stick with it.

[jeanb]

To answer the anonymous (?) reply above.

Before posting, perhaps dcJohn should look through all the other posts complaining about the same thing.

Originally, several people posted lists of other PAD'ers on their own site, then Slug was kind enough to give us a Meta Gallery in order to see these galleries and their updates faster. He also gave the ability to designate any gallery as a PAD gallery, and asked people not to abuse the system by continuously posting to that gallery.

See it for what it is and appreciate the fact that you are able to see a separate gallery with photo-a-day or not so daily as the case may be.

[silvrday]

The meta-PAD gallery seemed like the natural place to look, but it seems like almost every-other image comes from a non-PaD gallery that a pbase user has just marked as a pad for their own publicity.

Maybe I'm nuts. But to me the above was the gist of the complaint and it seems like the only one who didn't go off on a tangent, about what to post and when, was wangi...

However, it's worth noting that many people have their PAD shot in both a normal gallery and their PAD gallery - so when you look at it is very easy to think it's just in a normal gallery! I often have the shot in multiple galleries...

I find the PAD meta-gallery to be quite good - you quickly pick up on who is posting around the same time as you everyday and find others from comments (in your own, and others shots). And some of the abuses are quite good!

Just an observation.