solosater

Polenta, thanks so much for your help! It was your questions that made me think some on the site may not understand just what is going on or why. You’ve been teaching us all a little Español but not enough to get this across, I really appreciate it.

I think if you could start a thread in the Community Forum en Español with the text below and do a drawing directing the Spanish speaking & reading artists to read it then check in to see if there are questions and such that would be the easiest.

If YOU have questions about the text or if it doesn’t translate well please make any necessary changes (I know there are different rules in different languages), you are quite smart and I’m sure you’ll do just fine. Thanks again!!!!


This is the text:

Hello Everyone,
Some of you may have noticed there has been a lack of voting lately; the reason is that after much consideration a majority of us (those of us who use the forum) have come to an agreement to stop voting on any work at all for a while.

We are trying to send a message to the person who runs the Think Draw website that we want a new voting system, the one in place now is easily manipulated, and has been abused to the point it no longer works; it is broken.

It has caused quite a bit of ill feelings toward the website and individual artists and some really talented and much loved artists on the site have even chosen to leave Think Draw because of this issue.

If you have noticed a drop in your ratings please do not be discouraged, it’s not a commentary on your work but one on the system itself. We are still commenting as we all enjoy the feedback and encouragement those comments give us.

We would like you to join us in not voting as well. If you want to comment but feel uncomfortable doing it in English please just submit a message with your login name only or alternately so many asterisks (*****), we will under stand this to mean you like our work.

Thank you for your understanding and help.

solosater

I've done all I can, I'll stop now.

Login

A Grimm Fairy Tale.



The Golden Goose


Once upon a time, there was a lady called Rachel, who launched a most wonderful website. She provided the tools with which anybody who logged in could draw and play to their hearts content, absolutely free. For many months a small community of budding artists, together with less than a handful of professionals, had the most wonderful time and their drawings improved as they went along. They learned from each other and there was a healthy competitiveness between them. There was a communal atmosphere and when somebody was distressed or downhearted, sympathy and support was given in abundance. It was a happy community and newcomers were given a warm welcome.

Rachel was always generous to them and gave them gifts along the way. Their requests for alterations and additions to the drawing game were almost always granted. They were even given a Forum so that they could communicate with each other and with Rachel. The site developed and grew rapidly, with more and more members joining every day, from all parts of the world.

There was a voting system by which members could rate each others drawings. They could vote from 1 – 5 (or even 0 … if they didn’t find the drawing interesting, they didn’t vote). Then the community began to notice that the voting system was being manipulated by some unscrupulous person(s). The situation carried on for a few months. Some of the members became irritated by it, but shrugged it off. The problem gradually became worse, until it reached a point where it was obvious that there was something very devious going on. Some started complaining openly about it in the Forum. Others just snapped at the one(s) they believed were doing the manipulation. Gradually the voting pattern changed, with members mostly voting 5s … anything less had an adverse effect on the order of things and now it seemed unkind or malicious to vote anything lower. Quarrels broke out because of what was happening. Some members even left the site in disgust.

One day, the matter rose to boiling point and there was a communal unrest and a war of words, such as had never been seen on the site before. After a long and shocking argument in the Forum, there were more and more people asking for a change in the voting system, whereby votes would be added, rather than averaged … a present they had been requesting from Rachel for some time. Rachel did not give them what they asked for. Perhaps it was not possible to change the system so easily … how could it change without changing everything retrospectively. How could it be changed retrospectively without making nonsense of the ‘Top 5’ drawings, that had been presented each month, for the past ten months, in a separate gallery. Perhaps she was looking for ways to do it but had not yet found one that would work. Some members now became impatient and asked for votes to be discarded altogether. Those who wished for the voting to be discarded mounted an international campaign, asking all members to stop voting.

While all this was going on, fewer and fewer members were drawing … there was little point in doing so; the drawings would move along on the Gallery conveyor belt and quickly disappear from view. Fewer and fewer members made comments on other people’s drawings. The competitive element had been lost. The facility to sift through the piles of drawings, by selecting ‘Most Ratings’, had now become obsolete … there were no ratings. Interest in the drawing process waned. Think Draw was rapidly changing; the attention had already switched from drawing to writing in the Forum. Think Draw could now justifiably be called Think Write because little else was happening.

Eventually, the Gallery conveyor belt came to a halt. There was total silence for days; everyone wondering what was going to happen next. Some were demanding that Rachel should ‘fix it’ or ‘get it fixed’. Nobody could see Rachel holding her head in despair. She was so disappointed. “What sort of a monster have I created?” she was asking herself.

What sort of monster indeed! The members had cooked the Golden Goose.

Luna

Login, This is awesome.

We have overlooked the gentle reminder from Qsilv that this is Rachel's site. If we were guests in her house would we think it was OK to re-arrange the furniture to our liking? We ARE guests here. Let's behave like it and let Rachel make the changes as she see's fit.

LadyO

Well said, Login and Luna both.

It seems this thing has escalated beyond reason. We can only give our suggestions, but in the end, we don't own the playground.

Kudos to you both for your wisdom and clarity.

matthew

In a small way, I am glad that I forced the issue...

I used to draw 2-4 pics a day... Around mid April I was down to 1 a week... In addition to having less & less time to draw, I was tiring of the innuendos aimed at me... I believed that it would go on and on and continue to fester without hopes of healing...

That wound has now been thouroughly cleaned & the healing has begun...

Perhaps I am wrong... Perhaps I have caused too much pain & we will be unable to bear it... I hope that is not the case...

matthew

Login,

I love your story... For think draw is very much a fantasy world that I live in... Where I & others used to come to get away from the worries of the world...

The world has come to Think Draw & brought it's worries...

Lets just play. Play, Play, Play...

lynnspotter

GREAT story! I have never forgotten what a wonderful gift Rachel has given ALL of us! By not voting, I am just trying to remove the 'bone of contention'. I just looked through the gallery to see pics that were drawn since last night. Doesn't seem to be stopping~many really nice, clever pics. The anger seems to have dissipated. I still feel good, & can only hope everybody else is feeling a sense of relief. Many have responded that they feel free also! 'Come on everybody, smile on your brother/sister,try to love one another right now.'

Login

We do, lynnspotter ... that's why we want things to go back to what they were a few weeks ago.

lynnspotter

This has been going on longer than a few weeks.

Baldur

There has never been a rule about using all the feautures when romping in a playground.
If anyone chooses to draw but not vote there is really no slight to anyone involved.

Somehow I don't picture Rachel shaking her head and saying:
'Oh Lord what have I wrought unto this paradise?'
Instead it's more like:
'OH Heck what are they on about now?'

Baldur

This really isn't like a revolt of the inmates, we are all free to wander away if we choose.
That being said I'm going to try to abstain from voting if only because I might feel more apt to leave a comment instead.

I still love ThinkDraw and even some of the more crazed users
(matthew pull up your pants that is so inappropriate).

matthew

Oops... I forget you are all knowing... I will put my toy away...

LadyO

"Somehow I don't picture Rachel shaking her head and saying:
'Oh Lord what have I wrought unto this paradise?'
Instead it's more like:
'OH Heck what are they on about now?'"

LAUGHING ... !!

Login

I know some of you still prefer not to vote, but do you have any objections to our voting on your drawings?

solosater

NO! If you want to vote you vote; if you don't you don't! No harm, no foul. Vote away.

Baldur

I totally agree in not trying to stop anyone who still wants to vote; however my voting has stopped for now.

Login

Fair enough ... just don't want to annoy by voting on non-voter's drawings ... I have continued to vote 5's on drawings that interest me ... but I will use the 0 - 5 if the averaging is scrapped.

a4e4ka

I continue to vote.
Joining TD few weeks ago I was flattered when people welcomed me warmly. I never had any skills or experience and those comments or even speechless votes showed me that I can create something, express myself. That made me feel so good! That's why I do not wish to take the chance of experiencing this good feeling fron the other beginners or anyone who needs some encouragement. I agree that the voting system can be manipulated. Any system is not perfect. It can be divided into three parts. For example: 1- vote for creativity, 2- for the skills, 3- for the artistic impression. Or else.
My point is - the voting is not only for those who want to compete, but for giving everybody some motivation. When one goes to the gallery or top five he/she can see and choose whose work to look at closely and visit the personal gallery.
When you stop voting - you are building the cage for yourself and others. In my humble opinion it will kill that wonderfull project much faster than any voting manipulations.
P.S. Another thing - not everyone has enough English to leave a comment. That is the case when voting is their only way to show some respect for the artist.

LadyO

Excellent point.

I wish voting were as simple as one choice. An "I like it" button. If you like the work, no matter what skill level it is, you vote. Otherwise, you walk on by.

I usually vote a 5 or don't vote at all ... it's my own personal "I like it" button.