Assignment forum idea

[Marko]

Casil wrote the following in another thread and i thought it merited its own thread.

casil403 wrote:

Just a thought regarding the monthly photo assignment. Maybe we can have a member host it each month and provide feedback/comments etc. on each of the assignment images that are submitted. Doesn't have to be a winner or anything but it might be nice to have one person be the hos and look after it for the month. :)

Perhaps the member who came up with the idea for the assignment can be the host for the month or the member who is hosting can pm someone to do the hosting duties for the next month.
We do it on another forum I belong to for both photo of the week and the weekly challenge and it really works quite well.

[Marko]

An interesting idea for sure. :)

Question - does the hosting member have to comment on each submission; I ask cuz that can get work heavy for some.

Thx!
Marko

[casil403]

An interesting idea for sure. :)

Question - does the hosting member have to comment on each submission; I ask cuz that can get work heavy for some.

Thx!
Marko

I guess this is how I see it:

The host doesn't have write up a huge long comment on each submission. I was thinking more like a small thought or two on their impressions. When I have hosted at the other site, I and others usually do one post with several small comments on it at a time when they are able.

ie:

Tom: I really like the way you used the lighting to it's best effect here.
Dick: Nice play of shadow Imo could be a little more sharp.
Harry: Excellent interpretation of this month's assignment; especially the "fill in the blank here":

[Lovin]

On each submission it's gonna be lot of work, maybe one review for each page.


And, I would like to suggest an assignment a little bit PRO, more challenging, or where not all submissions to be approved, just the ones that meet the criteria and are not just a snap shot.
Something like in a photo club, where for first level require just subject in focus and composition than 2nd level dof and other things.
This way we can challenge ourselves to do more, to raise the standards.
The assignments are a very good idea, but now I think that we should go to next level.
I hope you get the idea because sometime what I'm tryind to say it's not fully understand it (English Second Language :D ).

[Colinr]

delete...

[Marko]

I think I'm into this idea even if it's only occasional. (It could become regular if enough members want to host).

anyone else like this idea?

thx - Marko

[Mad Aussie]

Not quite sure I understand the need for this. Currently we have a forum for this and many people contribute and also comment. What is the advantage of having one person continually commenting on everyone's photos for a month?

Not that I'm against this in any way at all, just unsure of why it's needed.

Perhaps there are too few comments in the other forum?

Maybe this tends to help photos in this forum get nominated for members choice more often?

[Iguanasan]

I'm afraid I don't quite get it either. I thought we already commented on everyone's photos as they were posted. I already make polite suggestions from time to time and detailed comments when I come across something in the critique thread. Maybe I just don't understand? :confused:

[Marko]

I think Casil is suggesting that more comments in the assignment forum would be better, and that if it were hosted/managed by 1 person, there's be more comments.

is that right casil?

[Mad Aussie]

It is certainly obvious that the assignment thread tends to get less comments.

I think that's because there's so much to try to see here each day that if the current assignment doesn't actually interest you, or if you are short on time etc then that's one thread you won't bother to comment in. I know that's true for me anyhow.

If I'm so short on time I've only got minutes here I hit the Todays Posts button and look for critiques that haven't been commented on or only have one or two comments and go for them.
With a bit more time on my hands I'm into the fine art photography forums as well.

I think if Casil's suggestion has worked in other website forums then well worth looking at. Anything that adds to the interactivity here is likely to be a plus I would think.

[QuietOne]

I think what Mad Aussie has been doing tonight works, too. I know I've been slack the last couple of weeks, because I've been frantically busy at work. I'll be making an attempt to comment a bit more frequently.

For Lovin's suggestion, I have another idea that might work and wouldn't require someone to administer yet another regular event or judge whether someone has met the criteria for being included in a more advanced group.

Members wanting a challenge could put out a message saying just that - maybe specifying an area they want to work on or asking someone whose experience they think might help to give them a direction or theme to work with. Results could go in the critique forum for feedback on how they did.

I will admit I squirm just a bit at the idea of dividing people into groups based on their skill level. It doesn't seem to suit this particular set of forums.

[Marko]

Ok then. This is simply a good idea imo and i see no reason not to try it at least once, but hopefully more often than that.

Casil has agreed to host the next (August 2010, theme not chosen yet) assignment. This means that she will (likely) comment on every submission.

OF COURSE other members can/should comment as well, but at least this way, all photos get some kind of comment.

In September, someone else can choose to host the assignment or not....If nobody wants to host it (which is cool because it is extra work) then it will just work as it has in the past.

Hope that works for everyone!

Thx - Marko