I have not written a blog for years on Wunderground, and perhaps it's a little overdue. For the past eight years I have been a member of this photography/weather site. Many people have become very dear friends. Some have visited us here in Maine. On several occasions I have left WU because it seems to bring out the worst in me.
The reason posting here brings out my anger and unacceptable behavior is due to the people (you know who you are, and thanks to the map I believe I do too) who derive some sort of sick pleasure in downgrading lovely photos. This seems to happen mostly in the morning hours. I post photos on several other sites now, and do not see this activity or behavior on any of them....only on WU. I believe it goes on here due to the anonymity of rating. A person can give a very low, or high, rating and no one will ever know unless the individual remarks as to their vote and love of a certain picture.
Other sites require the name of anyone voting or commenting on anyone's photo. Why doesn't WU administration do the same? I have always wondered why this is not required. It is obvious there are "cliques" here which I do not see on other sites. There is no way to avoid this....some folks just seem to gravitate to certain posters and that's how it is. But it also leads to "special preferences" when rating a photo. All photos should be based on their actual beauty and photographic accuracy when being rated....NOT on who snapped the shutter. I rarely ever see anyone receiving any sort of constructive, helpful criticism here on WU. I DO see it on other sites, and it is well taken by the photographers.
Does anyone other than myself notice this trend at all? Is anyone willing or honest enough to speak out? I will be the first to admit that many of my photos are posted just for fun....many of them of my precious Drzl. They are not works of art by any means. I have a few which I feel are very nice, and even fewer which I feel are extremely nice.
The one I took of the bay we live near is my example for this morning of a shot which I felt was deserving of a much better rating. It rattled me. Why do I remain here at all? That is what I keep asking myself. Perhaps many would be ecstatic if I did leave once and for all, and that day may soon be coming. I have seen MANY friends leave for greener pastures. Wish there were an easy way to delete my account with all my photos. If there were I would have departed long ago. Any opinions?
