Any 500px users?

[ricktas]

Redbubble when it started was going to be photographers only, and they even had a booth at a home show early on. They were going to promote the site as a place to go and buy high quality photos. They had a business plan to have booths at major events like home shows etc. Somewhere along the way, early on, they added in other art, then stopped doing the home show idea, added forums and more products to print on. That is when I closed my redbubble account as it deviated from what was (for me) a good business plan.

[Dylan & Marianne]

I've been ever less keen to contribute to 500px these days because of the ongoing dislike button issues
Why I think it is important is because nowadays, I like to know which images have good general appeal so as whether to consider them for exhibition (amongst the images I consider are personal favourites regardless of what others think). 500px would have been a great medium for that purpose save for the dislike button. Flickr can be a medium for it but is too prone to similiar manipulation of the explore algorithm too.

ps. check out whytake.net - for the moment, that seems to be a high quality image site which forces photographers to only choose their best 50 images. Take a look before the corruption occurs lol

[I @ M]

This has proved to be an interesting thread.

Having had a look around and uploaded a few images it does seem to display things well.
I am not interested in marketing through the site.
I feel that the main ( 99% ) audience will be other photographers.

I totally fail to see any "dislike" button and I only realised that there was a "like" button after reading this thread.
Maybe I am missing something or is the option of "disliking" something only available to paying members?

[Dylan & Marianne]

Andrew - underneath the like green button , there's a small blue text "I don't like this photo" which I think anyone can use as long as they are signed in

[I @ M]

Andrew - underneath the like green button , there's a small blue text "I don't like this photo" which I think anyone can use as long as they are signed in

Signed in, hope you don't mind the subject matter but I still fail to see any "hate" "dislike" buttons.

A screen print of what I see as a logged in freebie.

[Dylan & Marianne]

wow, that's really weird andrew - this is what I get (also as a freebie) - I think the mods stated somewhere that you need to 'like' X amount of photos before you can dislike one? not sure on that but maybe that's the reason why nothing has popped up yet for you?

dd.jpg

[I @ M]

Dylan, it does seem rather inconsistent but maybe the system is based, as you suggested, upon "like" usage to enable a person to fully access all features.

To me, the only worth the like and dislike functions appear to have would be to enable people to push an image into prominence for either commercial gains through sales or merely for ego stroking.
Likewise, the dislike function appears to be there so that a person or people can relegate a popular piece of work to a lower ranking so that another rises above it. Once again, the benefit of that seems to be for either commercial or possibly back stabbing, bitchiness, tall poppy syndrome and plain jealousy.

Surely the latter points wouldn't happen on the internet?

[I @ M]

After a little look round ---

It seems that I'm not trusted Hmmmmm, a truly intelligent web site.

From their support pages ----- http://support.500px.com/customer/po...dislike-button

This bit describes their process.

"Who can Dislike photos?
The Dislike Button is enabled for trusted community members. This is determined by having a high affection rating and a clean record with 500px (meaning no copyright abuse or any other infringements of our Terms of Service on your file). Being granted access to Dislike photos is a sign of our trust and we will have zero tolerance for misuse. Each user gets 5 anonymous Dislikes per day. After 5, they will have to leave a comment with a reason for the Dislike. This helps ensure no single user of 500px has a large influence on the outcome of our Popular page or other user's success."

Maybe if I go and like lots and lots of things I will become trusted.

Or perhaps if I flash the credit card around and buy an "awesome" membership I might become instantly trusted.

[Kym]

Andrew -- We don't trust you!!! -- what hope have you over there

[Dylan & Marianne]

haha! that's hilarious andrew :P

I think the like / dislike thing is definitely all about manipulation one way or the other and since critique isn't usually the aim of these types of sites, why not just keep it positive rather than introduce something with the potential for negativity and ill feeling.
I figure that when browsing images, I'm always looking for stuff that inspires me or that I like. If I want to keep it on reference for possible future visits to that location, I add it to my favourites, if I just plain like the shot, I'll vote for it and perhaps leave a message. If I don't like it, I just leave it alone - I just find it odd that you have to have a dislike button - surely the no vote is enough ?

anyway, I have little to beef about since our images get a good audience already. I have a personal opinion of what images of ours I like the best, with 500px, I was hoping to get as honest as possible an opinion from the public about which images were most popular and of course, just to put our stuff out there. Since Marianne and I don't solicit magazines or other employers for photographic work, posting our stuff and hoping seems to be our most effective passive approach !

[I @ M]

Dylan, you summed it perfectly I reckon.

If they removed the dislike function and everyone used it sensibly and rationally it would be a very good site.

[Kym]

Our thanks system here on AP can be configured for Like/Dislikes -- Rick and use mods decided not to turn that on

[mikew09]

I did have an account but have now moved to smugmug. It is a good site with great photos. My only complaint was the rating system. I found that it is more like an advertising campaign - when I posted new photos I got hit pretty quick and the rating starts to move but noticed that voters left a comment saying I voted now come and vote on my site. The less you visit the less you see voters on new photos added.

That is not to say I didnt vote. I did on photos that I really liked but cant say if any where by the members that liked my photos. Still a great site and worth a try, just didnt suite me and I love smugmug

[Telby]

I joined a while ago. Its a great way I feel to get inspiration.

http://500px.com/stuarttelfer

[Xenedis]

I joined a while ago. Its a great way I feel to get inspiration.

It is.

While most people dislike the 'dislike' function, the site is otherwise great and provides me with inspiration and motivation.

If people aren't fazed by popularity, that function can be ignored, as a score is just a score, and doesn't say anything useful about the quality of the image.

I have seen some great images get overlooked, and some very mediocre images in the 'Popular' section.

Popularity isn't implicit of excellence or quality. After all, Britney Spears was once popular, and Justin Bieber, One Direction et al. are presently popular.