It would be a shame if this did go, it is unique but the pandemic has killed a lot of peoples enthusiasm for various hobbies let alone photography.
I did see a facebook photo page for landscapes that stipulated that every member MUST put more into the page than what they get out of it. In other words at least acknowledge others work by a comment or a like and dont view a photo without doing so. It seems to work for them. Failure to do so means removal from membership. That works for them, but with a multi topic forum such as this it would be hard to implement as we all have different likes and favourite subjects.
There must be a way to stamp out the 'showcasing' where certain people post everything they have taken , reap the adulation and kudos for producing fine pieces of photography but NEVER bother to like or comment on any others work. it is this very thing that caused me to take leave of absence from this wonderful special place for a few months. Lack of interest in peoples work drives quite a few away, I would rather have someone say that a photo I took was overprocessed or bland or the composition was off or lack of actual content than view it and say nothing. I came into photography with absolutely no skills whatsover, I still do not understand completely how all three aspects of shutter/ISO/and Aperture really work, I still cannot take a photo into the light and produce anything but an awful travesty of an image. Twelve years later anything I post is a fluke so please everyone, tell me what you really think, dont just view and move on to the next photo, be honest with me and I will be honest with you. At the end of the day I really think that this may be the reason many join and are never seen again. They see those that frequent the forum a lot and see they are the only few to comment and acknowledge photographs by each other get mistaken by new members to be in a 'clique' This is not a clique but real members with varying skillsets who for some have met each other and have a really good friendship through the forum.
I too have been guilty of passing over some peoples images, I dont need telling, but this break has given me a chance to think how my own actions affect others and I will return to the forum with a fresh and open mind and leave at least a like even if I don't or cannot comment on a particular piece of work. I think we ALL would benefit from a similar outlook or the forum will sink, and that really would be a terrible shame.
