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I have often felt guilty about the number of comments I leave and all the great cards that I never get the opportunity to comment on due to time constraints.
Could someone share with me...what is a good number of comments to leave per day...how do you go about deciding what cards to comment on....do you only comment on the challenge cards of the day or all new card...do you comment on favorite stampers or just anyone...do you only comment on those who commented on your own cards?
Just really curious about how this how plays out. I want to be fair and there is only so much time and SO many terrific cards. I don't even get to look at them all! I used to just check the challenge cards but I see that there are many new cards on any given day that aren't challenge card, but are wonderful and I would have missed them had I not checked.
I'm not sure if I can answer your question but I try to leave as many as time allows. One thing that helps me is that I use Firefox as a browser. That allows me to right click and open the card in another tab (open link in new tab) so that way I can leave a comment and keep cruising from the original tab while the comment loads. I'll often have 8 or more tabs of cool cards open then go back and do a bunch of comments as I shut the windows down.
I usually leave a comment on the cards that jump out at me. SOmetimes I will go into detail about what I like and sometimes it's just a "Cute card" comment.
I don't "count" how many comments I leave...it depends on what strikes me that particular day! Some days I don't leave any...VERY rare, but it has happened on occasion. I guess it depends on what I am looking for that day.
My opinion is that you should leave comments when and where you feel the desire. The most important thing to me is that the comment is genuine and specific. I'm not one to think "I didn't get any comments, so it must be yucky." but there are people out there that do, so I keep that thought in mind when I'm commenting. I try very hard to specifically point out what I liked about their card/creation. I'm not a numbers person either. I understand that there are people who are "splitcoast famous" or who have been here a long time, or who have a large viewing base...so their comments to me will naturally be larger quantities.
I think if you like a card enough to put it in your favourites you should leave a comment. There's so many cards you see with hundreds of view, favourited 20 times and no comments. It only takes a tic to write "great card".
And then I comment on any card that I mentally go "wow, that's a great card" but I may not favourite it becuase it's not my style or I don't have the supplies.
I'm more likely to leave a comment on a card that has received no comments because I know how that feels to post something you are so proud of and have not even one person make a comment. Especially when it has been favorited many times. I don't have a set number each day because some days I have more time than others.
First thing I do everyday that I visit is to look at the first 5 pages or so of the newest cards and comment on at least 5 of them - I try to comment on nice cards that have no comments on them yet. After I have done that, I come over to the forum and if there is time later and I end up back in the gallery, I comment on whatever cards I think are especially interesting. I have to say - I see a lot of really nice cards that have NO comments at all on them - and I know that if I posted something that didn't get any comments I would feel bad. (I don't even have a gallery)
I do a lot of the challenges, so I tend to say in those areas and comment on the challenge cards. Before I started doing the challenges, I'd comment on what was uploaded that day. I tend to comment on challenge cards that really pop out to me. I try to comment on as many as possible, but I am always on line when there seems to be heavy traffic on the site. I get frustrated when it takes too long to upload. I agree though, if you really LIKE a card, then leave a comment, especially if you put it in your favorites.
I have been leaving comments whenever I find a card or something that jumps out at me. Maybe it's a color combination, maybe it's a style, etc. I'm the opposite when it comes to favoriting. If I favorite, I rarely comment because I feel if I favorite it, it must be fantastic. I'd love to comment on each and every one, but it takes a very long time to go through just a few pages so I do what I can. And yeah, I'll probably leave comments when there are no others.
__________________ Keep what is worth keeping
and with the breath of kindness
blow the rest away.
Someone once suggested commented on two cards for every one that you post, and I try to do at least that much and also return the favor for anyone that comments on my cards. If I have time, I then go through recent uploads for any that catch my eye.
I tend to leave comments on the cards that really jump out at me. I don't have time to leave lots of comments but I try to visit the gallery at least once during the day and see what I can find. If I put a card in my favorites, I usually leave a comment to let that person know how much I liked it. There are so many cards uploaded every day that it would take all day to leave comments on everything that I liked.
In my opinion to respond the the question posed in Post #1 is very simple.....Leave a comment on the ones you like. People don't want constructive criticism or negative comments, so those you don't like (don't care for) you wouldn't comment on.
Two comments I would like to make on this subject.......leaving a comment of 2 words on a card to me is not a comment. If you are saying ....nice card....I would think you would have a reason why you thought it was a nice card, so say why. Also, why would you leave a comment on a card just because it has no comments already? To me leaving a comment out of pity has no meaning or is not genuine.
Showing off one's cards is not a competition......some people are professionals and other people are doing this for a hobby and they enjoy what they are doing. There are lots of reasons we make our own cards, it's also therapy. I thought the gallery was just a way of showing people how you make your cards or use a particular stamp or die cut or a particular technique.
I look at the gallery for techniques used in cards more than anything. What color ink, paper or ribbon used is not what I'm especially looking at. I want to know how you achieved a particular look to your card.....embossing, H2Os, tissue paper or what ever. That's how I learn new things to try for myself.
Leave comments if you choose, but as was said in a previous post, be genuine in your comment, not patronizing.
No, I don't have a gallery which is my own choosing. My cards are all individual and personalized to the person who is to receive them. I get more from the forums on this website than anything else. It's interesting to see that 3 people can do the same basic technique, but add their own twist to it and come out each with a totally different look!
I don't worry about how many or how few I leave (or get, I hope). I comment on the ones that jump off the screen at me, so that's most of the ones I click through to view full-size. I'll do the challenge ones first because that's only fair when I've done the challenge. But I do agree, there are loads of great non-challenge cards so I like to take a bit of time to look through the general daily uploads too. I don't favourite a lot (rarely more than one or two a week) but I do try to leave comments. If it was worth taking a closer look at, it doesn't take long to leave a comment. Except when the connection is slow, which is a pain...
But at the end of the day it would be awful to feel it was a chore, it has to be real and genuine and mostly fun.
Also, why would you leave a comment on a card just because it has no comments already? To me leaving a comment out of pity has no meaning or is not genuine.
I've been the first to comment on a number of cards over the years, and in my case, it has nothing to do with pity. One reason is: I might see three cards that I like. I have time to comment on only one for whatever reason. Two cards have a number of comments and one has zero. I will comment on the card that has zero. Second reason is: I want to encourage a stamper who is just getting started and whose cards look like mine did when I first started stamping. I don't think I've ever seen a card that didn't have something positive about it. I think saying something like "this is an absolutely gorgeous card and the best one I've ever seen" would not be genuine; saying something like "I like how creative you were in putting those two colors together" would be genuine. JMHO and how I approach it.
I find this thread interesting because I recently started a thread about the other side - what it feels like to me to have my creations commented and favorited. Forums at Splitcoaststampers
I just wanted people to know that they are brightening my day and I would bet I'm not the only one that feels that way when receiving them
Some days I don't get to post, other days, I spend hours in here. I don't think you should feel guilty, just know that if you post, it will make somebody happy to read your message and if you don't get to, it's perfectly understandable, too.
Honestly, I try to post on cards whenever they make me think a little "oh, wow!" in my head. If the colours, design or stamp selection make me react to the card, then it's worth letting the stamper know I loved what she shared.
Other times, I'm looking for something specific in the gallery and I'm short on time, so I unfortunately don't get to post.
Like I said, we're all in the same boat, we know how it is.
Cindy
__________________ Cindy French-Canadian SU! Demo and Fan Club member
My opinion is that you should leave comments when and where you feel the desire. The most important thing to me is that the comment is genuine and specific. I'm not one to think "I didn't get any comments, so it must be yucky." but there are people out there that do, so I keep that thought in mind when I'm commenting. I try very hard to specifically point out what I liked about their card/creation. I'm not a numbers person either. I understand that there are people who are "splitcoast famous" or who have been here a long time, or who have a large viewing base...so their comments to me will naturally be larger quantities.
Kerry
Wow, Kerry ... you expressed my thoughts so much better than I would have.
One thing I sometimes do is play along in one of the comment threads. If I am viewing a specific member's gallery (whatever the reason), I often sort either by the number of comments or the number of views so that the least commented/viewed creations appear first.
And, when I have a chunk of time, I visit my gallery and try to leave a comment for each person that left one for me. Aside from feeling it's way to say thank you, if they liked something in my gallery I figure I am likely to be drawn to their art too.
And, if I am just surfing the gallery for inspiration I just favorite lots of things with little (if any) commenting. Once in awhile I will try to reduce the number of things saved in My Favorites and before deleting, I make sure I left a comment (or do so then delete). Well, I do that if there are only a few pages of comments otherwise I move on.
I love any and all comments I receive but it is not my motivation for sharing. And, I share in spurts; my gallery will go months without being updated and then suddenly grow by 3 or more photos a day.
Some days I don't get to post, other days, I spend hours in here. I don't think you should feel guilty, just know that if you post, it will make somebody happy to read your message and if you don't get to, it's perfectly understandable, too.
Honestly, I try to post on cards whenever they make me think a little "oh, wow!" in my head. If the colours, design or stamp selection make me react to the card, then it's worth letting the stamper know I loved what she shared.
Other times, I'm looking for something specific in the gallery and I'm short on time, so I unfortunately don't get to post.
This describes my commenting behavior too, except I would like to say that I never "favorite" someone's card to my file unless I leave a comment first! If it's so good I want to keep it in my idea file, then I feel obligated to let the card's creator know I like it.
I just take a couple hours a week and cruise the gallery and blogs of scs members(usually at nite when I can't sleep). I usually comment on anything that strikes my fancy.
Okay, ladies, I'm not feeling so guilty now. Sounds like basically everyone does what they can. One lady said she tries to leave 2 comments for every card she posts and I do do at least that much, so I feel better now. The posts here were interesting though. I do try to leave specific comments. Sometimes it almost feels repetitive but it's the truth such as "Those colors are great together." I say that alot, but I mean it. There are just so many talented cardmakers out there!
Here are some general rules that I try to follow. If I put a card in my favorites, I always leave a comment. If I ask the artist a question about the card, I always leave a comment. If the card inspires me, I leave a comment. I am more likely to leave comments on "neglected" cards than on well-loved ones. Beyond that, I guess it's pretty random.
Please don't feel guilty about something like leaving comments on a card on SCS! Really. No one "deserves" a comment.
It is fun and nice to get a compliment, but really, not one single person complimented my sweater set yesterday and I love it nonetheless! (navy blue 3/4 length sleeves)
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
I was trying to get some help on a journal I created for a gift exchange and posted it here. Gallery at Splitcoaststampers I know this needs some work, but was reallly stuck as to what to do and was hoping someone would comment and tell me how to make this look good.
In the last four days 68 people have looked at it and not one person has given me any suggestions. I know it is not right yet, so maybe some of you could look and let me know what to do with it.
I am not looking for comments telling me how great it is, I just need some help.
Joan, I'm sure your sweater set is beautiful! I love blue AND 3/4 sleeves!
__________________ Sylvia D.
Melodious Mingler Grandma My Gallery
I was trying to get some help on a journal I created for a gift exchange and posted it here. Gallery at Splitcoaststampers I know this needs some work, but was reallly stuck as to what to do and was hoping someone would comment and tell me how to make this look good.
In the last four days 68 people have looked at it and not one person has given me any suggestions. I know it is not right yet, so maybe some of you could look and let me know what to do with it.
I am not looking for comments telling me how great it is, I just need some help.
Joan, I'm sure your sweater set is beautiful! I love blue AND 3/4 sleeves!
Thanks to TeeGeeDee, Joan B and windycitystamper for leaving comments on my Hawaii Journal altered composition book. Those types of suggestions were just what I was looking for.
Sometimes I can get a good start, but don't know where to go from there and leaving constructive comments like yours is VERY helpful!
__________________ Sylvia D.
Melodious Mingler Grandma My Gallery
I try to leave a comment in return for at least as many as I get. Just my personal little goal...if I get 4 comments on a card I posted yesterday, I try to leave comments for the first 4 cards that jump out of the gallery at me.
I feel the same way...hard to know what I should do, and this is an easy amount to keep up with.
I may change my mind if I ever do one of those AMAZING cards with 50 comments..haha!
__________________ Cher No longer stamping...on to bigger things.
Thanks to TeeGeeDee, Joan B and windycitystamper for leaving comments on my Hawaii Journal altered composition book. Those types of suggestions were just what I was looking for.
Sometimes I can get a good start, but don't know where to go from there and leaving constructive comments like yours is VERY helpful!
I'm glad you found the comments helpful. I look forward to seeing the final version!
I'm not sure if I can answer your question but I try to leave as many as time allows. One thing that helps me is that I use Firefox as a browser. That allows me to right click and open the card in another tab (open link in new tab) so that way I can leave a comment and keep cruising from the original tab while the comment loads. I'll often have 8 or more tabs of cool cards open then go back and do a bunch of comments as I shut the windows down.
nice idea, lynn - i use firefox and i'm going to try this now!
Leaving Comments on People's Creations
