That would be accurate enough YPA. The difference is I'm trying not to point the finger at the author but more to the voter. (the authors around this place tend to be quite sensitive about this finger pointing business). I'd like to approach the voters and ask them to be a bit more hesitant when making their voting rounds. Lets make these "authors" work for the vote.

I find the current poll results fascinating, Don't you??

...BUT WAIT...

I'm just not quite ready to carry on this discussion and all it's points and arguements, not yet. I have a couple of other polls in mind before we open the discussion. Some of these issues are linked and I'd like to get a sense of the aggression I might encounter before touching on them.

Plus I'm still a bit worn out from the wounds of the last battle thread. It was tough keeping my shields up while launching my own offensive.

When I get it set, I'll link the next poll here. Bear with me YerPalAl. I have a method to my madness, or did, until other members messed it up by dragging it out in my "Welcome" thread before I was ready. Ruined my reputation and everything damn it!.

*******************************************************************************
In the meantime...
For those that didn't witness the stoning and want some background, the original thread is linked below. Contrary to what some might think, it is one of the most thought provoking, interesting topics with real content (if you overlook the bullshit from a few) that PSC has seen in awhile. And this statement is not based solely on my arrogance but the fact that I have received countless PM's stating the same. Ok, if I tried, I probably could count them.

I like to think that this is the hidden purpose of these here forums. If you haven't read it, give it a try. Just remember, not all members are as nice as me and some tend to go a bit overboard in there.

http://photoshopcontest.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=2474

Have You been reading any "David Webber" by any chance?
And let me tell ya-- the "Bolo" books are just pure
entertainment.
I'll take a Bolo over "Idol" any day.
I also get this funny feeling that Ryan Seacrest is ..ahhh. A,ummmmm...
you know.....

POOSHIE7 ,, hey we aint got "textual content"
limitations anymore Bro!!!
You can claim Your true name now

you know..this is the only real problem i still have with you SOT--i'm ok with this debate taking place if that's what it's gonna be-maybe this will do some good in the end..and i'm happy to see your leaving the type of constructive comments i've seen in the post sections the last two days..the only problem i still have, is the fact that you're doing all this from behind a mask--it seems to me you must be a decent chopper or you wouldn't have the knowledge you obviously have--what could possibly happen if you were to reveal yourself?.are you afraid of being exposed as a fraud?..as someone who's in reality a photoshopper..err wannabe?..i'm not asking this to get under your skin--we both know how easy it is to post under an alias--so either one of us could post under a different name in the future and who would know right?..would revealing yourself jeopardize the reputation that your old screename carries?if that's the case then you're truely copping out imho....you don't post anymore..it doesn't seem that you're being honorable when you choose to excersise your right to critisize others work without exposing your own to the same critisism--that's my opinion--i'm sure you can list a thousand reasons why it's wrong but it's the only one i have at the moment and It's hard to have very much respect for"the man behind the curtain"--

hehe, some folks just think being an alias is fun and
aren't hiding at all.
well, at least that may not be the objective.

With all of that said, how can there be a problem?

You have to get over this alias thing. It has no bearing on whether my choices in topics for threads are valid or not. The bottom line is, unlike your "this sucks" comments when you first arrived, my comments are intelligent and point to obvious aspects of one image or another. I've said in the past that I'm not an expert, I don't do this for a living but I still have eyes. Just because people don't like the truth doesn't mean it is any less true. I welcome their arguements to discredit what I believe is the truth but, just like those people don't accept my comments, I don't intend to accept theirs with out proof or understanding.

besides, have you read my first thread? can you honestly say that I wouldn't lose votes? Votes is where its at for me. Thats why I compete, or did. I don't ever intend to reveal my other psc identity so just give it up and talk to the discussion for a change.

A. SOT, just because you have said something does not automatically make it the truth.
http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/71299/display.html

B. You could certainly do as the other well known alias here, Badcop, has done and post under your alias name thereby protecting your precious VPP. Holly is not the only one on the site that is troubled by a lack of credibility in your personna. Badcop (again) made the point that one doesn't have to be a director to walk out of a movie saying it stinks. True enough, but that is why some people make their careers reviewing movies and some make theirs as accountants or truck drivers or farmers. Just because everybody has an opinion does not mean all opinions are equally valid, that is why we have the Acadamy Awards and the People's Choice Awards.

And yes, you DO need to be able to chop to be able to tell what is a good chop and what is a lazy cop out, that is MY opinion of course.

YerPalAl, I'm not sure what your point is about your image that I commented on?




My comment is related to that one entry alone. I said adding the tree helped, you said you did add the tree from the sunset image. Seems we were both pretty accurate.
If we are going to have to argue each tiny detail as to how each element arrived in your image, then this discussion will be even more tedious than it already is. I'd rather not do that.

Regarding the, yet another, comment about aliases:
Read my comments on the images. Are they not, for the most part accurate based on the image they refer to? Are you telling me they are less valid becasue there isn't an image of mine you can point to and pick to hell and point out all the flaws? That's bullshit and you know it! I have proven I know something of what it takes to put together an image for PSC with my comments.

I am not interested in arguing every detail with you, I already disagree with a number of comments you have made but I am not the one trying to force MY set of artistic values on anybody. I am just pointing out that in the case on my entry, the only one I feel qualified to discuss, your take was different than what actually was the case.

And no, I am not saying your comments are less valid because we can't pick apart your work, just that if you are going to pick apart any work, you need to prove you can do as good or better, period.

If you are going to talk the talk, you need to be able to walk the walk.

Really I find your, now, hostile attitude toward my suggestion rather ineresting as my suggestion could be taken as trying to aid your cause by helping you to develop the credibility many people here have questioned. After all, was not dialogue what you were after to begin with?

You know, you'd think that somebody wielding a Sword of Truth for a Noble Cause would be nicer.

we had a word in high school for kids like you SOT-i'm sure you've heard it all your life

i'm out of this one--it's all you --i can't have a discussion with someone for whom i have absolutely zero respect as an artist or an individual--

to everyone:

this guy's agenda is so apparent that he's willing to tell us what it is--he has no real concern for the artists the voters or the quality of the posts on this site--he's all about his own "votes"--hey--whatever--if this has all been an excersise so that some disgruntled old member who stopped chopping cause his VPP started to fall can feel like a "man" again than i've contributed to it for the last time--

oh and SOT--"meow"

Holly9000, you continue to not care in the least about my discussion, only that it annoys you that I am an alias. I could care less if you wish to continue discussing this with me or not because you refuse to discuss the topic anyway. Stop discussing it and move on. You have nothing of value I wish to continue reading.

Other than your first comment, YerPal, none of your comments have been directed at my intended discussion. Forgive me for getting annoyed at people for griping about my member name,

You did in fact pick apart my comment on your image. How the tree ended up in your image was not the issue. The technique, FOR ME, was not the issue. It was that you included it and I thought it created depth and was the extra that some users don't bother to do. You harped on the fact that you did this and did that to get it in both images. I wasn't trying to stress what was done to get it in there. you were.

My goal, currently, is not how to do certain technical things with photoshop but more generally, what makes a good PSC image and how voters can recognize the difference between a stock photograph from an image bank and a well thought out PSC image.

I voted 'disagree', but I'm not an old timer, nor do I really look for that in a picture. If something catches my eye, either for being clever or for some great PS skills it can get a vote from me. For me this site is about enjoyment, not superior usage of Photoshops many tools. I'll notice them and appreciate when they are used skillfully, but the bottom line is if I like the pic I vote. All this over analyzing is just too much IMO, but people obviosly derive enjoyment in different ways. So whatever floats your proverbial boat is fine with me

Why are you guys so ON SOT's case?
Who gives a rats ass if he is using an alias?
There is NO site rule against it and MODS should NOT be
on ANYONES case if they havent broken any site rules.
You have already heard that there are others who basically agree with SOT-
so please quit with the extremely redundant argument
that he is only speaking for himself.
Which, of course he has every right to do anyway.
Here's a clue-- your all alias's.
At least one of you has an alias which identifies you as a girl when your a guy.
Al is NOT short for Alan, but Albert.
And another of you used to say the same stuff SOT says- THAT is--- before you
learned how to give and get friend votes.
THANK YOU SOT !! FOR THE Effect You have had on
recent contest -things are definately at least a little bit better than they were

the truth is SOT is right...