Emong wrote:Is this community for creating "good videos" or for the editors to have fun with what they're doing and share their hobby with the rest of us? Seriously, the editors themselves and the audience are far more important than the assumed "quality" of the videos produced. Even if you're dedicated to the thought that some video sucks despite the subjectiveness of the whole thing, it doesn't justify offensiveness by any means. So, you think someone's video sucks, but so what? You don't need to get onto the editor with a load of criticism that does nothing but makes the editor feel bad about himself. Note, I'm not saying there should be only positive feedback, you don't need to like everything you see, I'm saying there should be feedback with a
positive, inspiring attitude.
So again, the problem aren't the editors who don't necessarily put a lot of effort into this or take it seriously enough even as a hobby. The real problem aren't the ones who don't take criticism very well either. Those are only the excuses people use in order to get pissed off and all ignorant as if they somehow justified it even though it's really nothing but intolerance. Of course, there are people who don't really care about the flame or what others think, but there are also people who just simply want feedback - in a positive, constructive sense - and feel bad or offended about flaming comments, which is understandable. That's why it's a lot more considerate to say "it's not really my cup of tea" than "this sucks". Not because the first one 'actually describes the reality and your feelings about a certain video better' for I know the phrases don't mean the same thing, but because it delivers the same message of you not liking the video but in a way that feels positive for the editor and inspires him to continue editing and feel more meaningful about his hobby and this community.
That way you're not necessarily getting all your feelings out as a critic or a viewer, I know, but sometimes you just gotta keep it to yourself and be more considerate about others instead of self-centeredly satisfying yourself "in the name of honesty". I thought it was obvious :/ Just gotta keep in mind it's more important that the editors are feeling good about what they're doing than to retain the quality of videos or constantly push the quality standards higher. The audience is important too of course but, seriously, we don't have the right to exclude or bash editors just for our own viewing pleasure :/ Gotta learn some more tolerance
/rant
Oh my, I've been ranting more frequently on forums lately. Oh well!
Nicely put. Somewhere along the line the .org went from a place to catalog all amv's to a pedestal from which all amv's are judged. Last time I checked, the only judging goes on when people submit their work to a con, not when they upload and catagorize it on a site designed for expressly that purpose.
Ever notice the announcement threads? Quite often, videos people don't like will go on for several pages, while others languish with no response at all.
Rather than the archive described in the "mission statement" (if you will), the .org has moved on to a myopic, insulated bastion of people claiming this, that and the other thing. So what if every joe and his dog puts up a video on the Tube? So what? Does that REALLY affect the creators here in the long run? All the talk about taking criticism---are the same people who tell noobies to "suck it up" afraid of what the "public's" perception of amv's might be based on the piles of stuff on the Tube?
Or is it the uniqueness of the .org site itself that's helped to feed a feeling of elitism? I mean, would people be as stressed, cranky, rude, crazy, upset, overjoyed, critical, meh or whatever if there were, say, *4* major sites that hosted amv's?
Regardless, the one thing I've noticed here is the distinct lack of joy surrounding making and watching amv's. You know what? I make them and watch them because I enjoy it and it makes me happy. When I put videos up here, I get some response. A large chunk of it critical, but whatever. To be honest, that doesn't interest me. If I wanted critiques, I'd ask for them. I want to know whether or not people enjoyed what I made. And you know what? Yeah, I've got all my vids over on the Tube. And people respond to them---with how much they enjoy them. And I'm glad of it.
No, I'm not asking for accolades, tummy-rubs, rainbows and nothing bad ever. Like I've said before, I've been to art school and have a very thick skin. But I didn't realise when I started coming to and uploading to this site that I would have to listen to people giving me unsolicited harsh remark or advice. Nowhere is that mentioned along with cataloging all amv's. I just want to place to show like-minded people, "I made this!".
Maybe it's time for a mission statement rework. Or maybe it's time to take a step back and stop taking the whole thing so seriously and remember why we do this---whatever that reason might be.
Anyway, /rant. I've had that pent up for ages and it's good to let it out.
