Vote how you feel.
What do you think is important? What do you like?
If you let other people tell you how to vote, you're giving your vote away. Don't sweat it, and don't worry about your average vote given.
Well, I'm conflicted. Because, I could give my vote based upon how well the photo completes the challenge or I could focus directly on the photo itself and just make sure that it at least fulfilled the challenge. I wouldn't say I'd be giving my vote away - I mean, we're voting on the challenge and the challenge is there for a reason.
I guess a better rephrasing of the question is: how much weight is the creativity and use of the "challenge" itself supposed to be given on the voting process?
Well, I'm conflicted. Because, I could give my vote based upon how well the photo completes the challenge or I could focus directly on the photo itself and just make sure that it at least fulfilled the challenge. I wouldn't say I'd be giving my vote away - I mean, we're voting on the challenge and the challenge is there for a reason.
I guess a better rephrasing of the question is: how much weight is the "challenge" itself supposed to be given on the voting process?
My point is that you're asking for us to determine and set your voting criteria. You should decide where that point is, on your own.
You don't need our yardstick to measure with, make your own. :)
You're going to get some people that are DNMC (Does Not Meet Challenge) nazi's, and you'll find some who could care less about the challenge and vote like everything is a freestudy. Since you'll get both of those types responding, you might as well just forego all that and decide your own criteria.
"And what is good, Phaedrus, And what is not good -- Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?"
I usually vote by how the image strikes me personally and technically. Most of them fit the challenge criteria, but sometimes people "shoehorn" one in on purpose. I skip voting on those and make a second pass to see if I missed the connection. Your votes are not public, so work out a criteria that you feel to be fair, and vote the way you feel.
There have been endless threads about the subject.
not really a dead horse for new members who are just trying to get a feel for things.
northebound, you can search the forums on the subject and see what a controversial and contentious subject "voting" can be on DPC. Essentially many folks fall into one of two camps on challenge relevance - it is everything, or it is nothing. And then many folks fall somewhere in between. So there ya go. Personally, I weigh the challenge topic very heavily - anything blatantly off-topic couldn't get more than 5 from me.
Bottom line: You should vote exactly the way I do. ;-)
I think it's a fair question to ask, and I think it's fine for people to discuss their voting styles. It helps people understand their scores a little better if they understand what people are looking for.
I think the challenge is important, otherwise why bother having it? But I also try to be very open-minded about what fits the challenge. That being said, I usually only dock 1 or 2 points if I think it really doesn't fit; after all, there might be something I'm missing.
