My observations

[foulrift]

This will probably get locked and I will probably get banned but this is something that I feel needs being said.
Ever since I came to the gauge I never really felt welcome. This feeling became more evident when I was convinced to post progress pictures of my layout. Except for a few people,the response was luke warm. Why? Beats hell out of me.The only reasons I can come up with are these:
Some people don't really like small switching layouts. They consider them games or puzzles,neither of which fit my layout.
I don't have a large layout with large sweeping curves,mountains,towns,large motive power etc.
What I do have is what I wanted,had room for and could afford to build.
Also my layout follows no known prototype and neither do my buildings. They are of my own design.
There will be those that will say that I am either over reacting or crying about it. Well if that is how you feel then so be it.
I consider myself a good modeler and I am damn proud of my work and after thinking about for a long time I have come to the conclusion that I'm the only one that I have to please.
So don't worry,I won't be posting anymore.My pictures will be gone from the forum and as soon as an administrator removes my user name and password so will I.
Enjoy your layouts-I know I will.

[Charlie B]

Dear Bob,
I'm sorry you feel that way. I seem to recall many helpful posts when you were having trouble taking photos. I also remember many private emails trying to help you with your pictures.
In general I though you were received very well and I noticed there were lots of views and comments on your modeling, which is very good.
Not everyone here will comment on a layout, but they are looked at and enjoyed. And when you need help it is there. If that isn't enough I don't know what is.
Frankly, you are being entirely unfair to the group and the people here. That is my observation.
Charlie

[Squidbait]

Bob,

Sorry you feel that way. Personally, I'd rather have a lukewarm response than have people blow smoke up my wazoo. I think I understand your frustration, though - I'd rather have criticism I could rebut or build on than no response at all. OTOH, silence could be taken as following Mama's rule... "... if you can't say anything nice".

I guess the big question is: why did you post your pictures if you weren't prepared for criticism? Would you rather have a load of people telling you how crappy your modeling is and how theirs (or usually someone else's since the most vocal critics never seem to have much to show) is so much better? Or a bunch of people telling you how great your modeling is, even if they're insincere about it?

Model railroading is like art. Not everyone is going to like or appreciate what the artist does. If it makes the artist happy, that's all that's important.

If you're happy and proud of what you've done, then post it and share it. But be prepared to get good/bad/indifferent reactions to it. You can't put something up for show on the internet and expect universal praise.

[nachoman]

Fourlift - I find it unfortunate that you feel this way. I can assure you here that people have nothing against freelancers, or nothing against shelf switching layouts - because this forum is filled with both. Keep in mind this is a relatively small forum that sees much less traffic that some of the more well-known forums out there. We are all busy, have our own lives, and sometimes don't have the time to post comments immediately. In fact, I was not even noticing many great threads on here until I discovered the "view new posts" button on the top menu. In fact, I can't keep up with everyone's progress, and the best I can do is quickly scan their threads about once every week or two.

As an illustration, I have a thread for my layout, as I did on the previous forum. There have been times I posted updates, and it may be a week before a single response. It wasn't because people didn't care or appreciate my work, but because the layout forum in which my thread was located did not see the most traffic. It simply was overlooked. In fact, many comments would say "whoah! I just discovered this thread, nice work!"

But whatever you choose, that is your choice. We would love to have you continue here, but if you choose to venture off, I wish you happiness.

[doctorwayne]

Gee, Bob, you're upset because you got five very positive responses? And that's to pictures of which you say 60% were "random shots from around the layout". Then you comment that "None of the areas are finished.I still have a lot of details to add." So we're destined to wait in vain for the "finished" views, I guess. :?
Some folks will comment the moment you get a picture posted, others a little later. Some look, but don't comment, perhaps waiting for further developments. At present, 84 folks have taken the time to look, so about 6% of the viewers have responded to your 5 photos.
To avoid dragging in any innocent bystanders, I'll use my own "Barney Secord flies the Grand Valley" thread in comparison. With 150 viewers, there were 19 responses, or roughly 12.7%. Sounds about twice as well-received as yours, with a little more than double your total, percentage-wise. While I'm extremely grateful for those responses, my thread contains 48 purpose-shot photos (there were more that didn't make the cut) and some required cropping and editing, too. Should I be only half as disgusted as you by the "meagre" response that I got? After all, you garnered a response for every photo which you posted, while I got only one response for every 2.5 pictures posted. (Incidently, I have a lot of unfinished, and even unstarted, areas on my layout, too.)
When we post pictures (or sometimes even merely comments), we open ourselves to response from the viewers. Hopefully, it will be positive, or, if not, at least not too harsh in its criticism. I think that the Members here are generally very considerate of one another, making it easy to "stick one's neck out" by posting some pictures. You had all positive feedback, albeit not enough for your liking. In my opinion, it's unrealistic for any of us to expect an avalanche of positive feedback, no matter what the subject or skill level displayed. Is it not sufficient to be able to show your work in a friendly environment, to share it with others no matter how unresponsive they may be? Do you honestly feel that not one of the 79 "silent" viewers of your thread got something from seeing those pictures, whether it was an idea for their own layout, or merely a sense of enjoyment from seeing those pictures?
You're correct in noting that not everyone likes switching layouts, but most people don't like everything which they see, either. The wiser ones will see something useful (and perhaps comment) while others will slough it off as "not for me". Tough! Tough for them, maybe, but it shouldn't be tough for you. You shouldn't have had to "think for a long time" to come to the conclusion that you're the only one that you have to please, because that's the way it is for all of us.
With that said, I hope that you'll reconsider, and stay with us.
And, by the way, no one will be removing you from the Members' list, as you've done nothing to merit such action. I hope to see some of those areas when you've got some of the details added, too.

Wayne

[Steamtrains]

Bob....All of the comments so far are correct in their appreciation. No one is "privileged" over another, nor is anyone's work ill-received, or unworthy of comment. Part of the problem, I feel, is somehow tied to the structure of the forum. There are many threads that often disappear due to the volume of new posts, and never get seen again until someone stumbles across them and posts a reply...which brings it to the top of the list again...I personally find it difficult to "surf" the forum, not knowing if the posts I'm looking for are in the Photography sub-forum, or the Layout sub, etc....So I essentially stick to the "New Posts", and "View your Posts", hoping that what I'm looking for will be somewhere in there....
I sure hope you reconsider, since part of the fun of practicing this hobby is to share it with others--and we welcome all comers...

[nomad]

Bob.
I am one of the people that look and admire but don't post. Why ? Usually because I don't know what to say. Everybody else has all ready said all the good stuff, and I feel like a fool repeating what has all ready been said. So I just admire and go on my merry way. And I expect other people to act the same way. My layout build thread has 233 views and 36 replies. How's that for an average ?

Loren

[steinjr]

So don't worry,I won't be posting anymore.My pictures will be gone from the forum and as soon as an administrator removes my user name and password so will I.

Relax, Bob.

It is not The Gauge. It is you. You have done this "Delete my account - I am outta here" thing before in other MR forums.

Maybe you need a brief break from MR forums again - if so, no problem. No need to delete your account and pictures. Just take a break and feel free to come back again when you feel better again.

Stein

[yellowlynn]

Bob.
I am one of the people that look and admire but don't post. Why ? Usually because I don't know what to say. Everybody else has all ready said all the good stuff, and I feel like a fool repeating what has all ready been said. So I just admire and go on my merry way. And I expect other people to act the same way. My layout build thread has 233 views and 36 replies. How's that for an average ?

Loren

Loren said exactly what my feelings are. I would add that typing is not my forte, and it takes me forever to write anything. Also, I don't know how to weather, cannot distinguish a B forty- leven from a 37 wheel swisher. That does not stop me from looking at and enjoying ALL the pictures.

I have made entries that got not one single response, or pictures that took a week to get a reply. I may not be interested in switching layouts, or big industries, but I marvel at the work and talent that was put into that particular area. I can't, or don't comment because I don't know enough about the industry to know if it is correct or not. I CAN recognize that it is beautifully done.

So you have lots of company when you don't get reactions to your picture. Just hang in there.

Lynn

[ezdays]

Bob,

So very sorry to hear that you feel slighted by the majority of the membership here not commenting on your layout pictures. We've always tried to maintain a friendly forum, and we've always tried to keep the negative comments down as close to zero as we humanly can. We've done this since the old Gauge, right through Zealot and onto here. And if it wasn't for the members here cooperating as well as they do, we'd have a big job on our hands, but we don't. From day one that I've been privileged to participate on train forums, I found that on some forums, some that are quick to reply do so in a very critical way and with some very snide comments. Perhaps they do so to kind of mask their inabilities to produce good works. Some do so just because they are nasty and others do so because they want to show the world just how much knowledge they have. You can alway go to one of those forums and get plenty of comments and feel uneasy because no one likes what you've posted, or you can post here and have the pleasure of knowing that you are among friends that care and even if they don't say so, they appreciate what you've done and the progress you're making, be it a model or a layout. They don't aways comment, but be assured, they see what you're doing. The response to this thread proves that.

Now, you know that we're not going to delete your posts, nor are we going to ban you or remove your member ID. You know that we don't work that way. If you do come back to read this, I hope you recognize that things aren't what you make them out to be and that you are still welcome here. I hope you've cooled down and that you will continue to post, just that most people that do post, don't expect anything back. Sometimes you'll get more responses than expected, sometimes none at all. It's like doing a favor for a friend or family member, you should not expect anything in return, just that you get the satisfaction of knowing you did the right thing. sometimes they'll thank you, sometimes they won't, but you'll alway know that someone appreciates what you did. If you don't come back, well, that's your decision and I hope that wherever you do land next that their responses are more to your liking. I know this, you won't find a more friendly and helpful bunch than we have here, and I've never, yes never, saw a time when someone didn't try to help someone that needed help.

And yes, if you do cancel your membership here, we'll gladly refund any monies that you might have spend with us to join this site.

[scubadude]

Let me get this straight....a few months ago you were expressing disappointment over no one responding to your photos of your layout. I remember many favorable comments, especially on the weathering of a fence in one of your photos. Now you're upset because you are not getting enough positive comments?????? C'mon Bob, stop whining, you are not being fair to THE Gaugers here, these guys are the most positive and supportive folks you will ever find on any of these forums. Your "conspiracy theory" is way off base, dude.......

[foulrift]

Just like me you are entitled to your opinions. And yes,I agree that I have gotten some positive feedback on my layout and I appreciate the comments.Perhaps I expected to much.As was stated I should be happy that at least people looked my pictures.
Stein you are correct-I did this on another forum but for other reasons. If it had not been mainly for you my layout would probably still be in the planning stage.
Wayne-Yes I stated that the areas on the pictures were not complete but again I expected too much.
I guess you can say that this has always been one of my downfalls in life and has caused me to basically alienate people.
The people on this forum are goods people and I have not seen one of them berate another modeler.
I admit that my comments were made in haste without thinking things through first-another downfall.
What I did amounts to kicking the forum members in the ass and for that I apologize.
If it is OK with the forum members I would like to be given another chance and too also say that I apologize to each and everyone of you.
Bob

[Herc Driver]

Well said.

[ezdays]

Bob,

Apology is accepted.
You got my blessing on your decision to stay... It take a real man to say what you did the way you did, and we're pleased to have you here.

[Steamtrains]

Glad you're staying...!!! For my part, I don't believe an apology was needed, but, the fact that you did apologize indicates you're man enough to accept your failings (which we all have...) and move forward...

Let's talk some trains...!!!