I am very new to cake decorating and CC but have been enjoying the ideas and pictures that are on here, so first let me thank everyone that contributes. Now my thoughts on what I have seen and read about members commenting on others pictures. Someone wrote about no comments on new pics a while back and I was intrigued to see how one feels if they post and no one comments, so I posted my pics. Keep in mind, I am a novice at decorating and didn't expect much but WOW, I was disappointed that so many viewed my pics but only a couple of people took the time to comment. Thank you very much to those few that took the time. If I view someones work, I have tried to say at least say thanks for the idea or let a newbie like me know that they are making some kind of impression on us, if not we wouldn't even pull up the picture, right? So, okay, I am rambling but just had to say something for us little guys. Thanks for listening.
I'm like you and new to cake decorating. Most times I don't reply after viewing pictures or reading comments because I'm not sure what to say. This is the second post I have read where people are looking for comments and not lurkers. I will make sure I make some type of comment if I have one from this point forward. Thanks for post.
i agree, it's nice to take the time to type one or two words at least. say something...
vicmic, please don't take it personally if you get lots of views but few comments! A lot of views come from people who are just browsing for ideas and don't want to stop and comment. I know how you feel though... sometimes I'm like, "Oh man, I really thought that one was good!" 
Sometimes, well most times, I am looking for a specific topic when I search pictures
I am quickly browsing and don't have the time to sit and comment on every picture, althougth I think most of everything I see on here is great work, I just can't comment on every picture
This subject has been hashed out so many times and not everyone is going to agree with one side or the other. There are HUNDREDS of photos uploaded on here everyday.. it's hard to comment on everything. Add to that life.. kids.. work.. slow internet connections.. whatever.. not everyone has time to comment on everything they look at. And sometimes.. people will have nothing to say. I know I don't always have something to say. I come on here to veg out and look at pictures and read about cakes.. not to leave hundreds of "Way to go there champ" comments. And this is not meant to sound snippy at ALL.. so please do put that inflection on it. This is just me talking.. calmly and nicely.. about my view on this. I could care less if someone comments on my pictures and I certainly don't want someone to feel like they HAVE to. I don't want pitty comments at all. To me that insincere, and you'd never know one way or the other if everyone was required to post on every picture they looked at. I think it boils down to you (the collective you not you specifically) as a person. Some people need that affirmation from an outside source.. others don't. I seem to be in the group with the latter. I can understand feeling let down if no one comments, but you really shouldn't be. I know that I pop on here and there and sometimes don't look at any pictures.. I miss a lot of pictures. I recently looked at the recently uploaded pictures and realized just how many I do miss all the time.
If you want comments.. ask for them in a post. Say look what I just did!! And you will get people to look at your cake and say WTG!!
Please don't take it personally. People use CC for different things. Some people refer clients to the photos to get ideas -- those people are probably never going to comment on a photo. Others are looking for inspiration and some are admiring the work of a fellow decorator.
When I sit down at night and look through CC, I try to comment on the pics that I look at; however, if I need to search for a specific cake to send some ideas to a customer or if I'm just trying to get my thoughts together for an upcoming project, I may go through literally hundreds of photos. I am just trying to get through them as quick as possible to find what I am looking for. If just a small portion of members do that each day, that will result in a lot of view of your photos.
I always comment on the pictures I view. I'm new also and very firm believer of "do onto other what you would them to do to you" but I agree, sometimes I see pics that have been viewed 280 times and only 2 comments.
That's what I mean. It just seems the ratio of viewed to comments is a very wide margin. No one wants fake enthusiasm but a simple A for effort is better than silence.
I am a newbie too but I honestly do not expect everyone who views my pictures to comment them. I don't comment every picture I view on CC, it would feel more like a chore then. I always comment a pic if I save it to my favorites,but if I'm just browsing for ideas or looking through the recent uploads for curiousity I don't comment everything I look at. I do comment a lot and sometimes I sign on just to browse around and comment but if I felt obligated to comment every pic I opened up I would open up far fewer pictures. I also don't think someone who looks at my picture and I already have a gagillion comments should feel obligated to leave my my 15th,20th,30th,etc comment just because they viewed my pic, I should have gotten my atta girl fill by then lol
I love getting and giving picture comments like everyone else but I just think putting a set of rules on it takes the fun out of it and makes it less than ingenuous.
I try to leave a comment on the pictures I view, but only if I have something original to say, instead of the fiftieth "That's so elegant!". I like it when people comment on my pics, too, though, and I especially like seeing that someone has put it in their fav's. When posting pics, I wish sometimes that there was more detail (and I'm guilty of not doing this myself) telling us about the cake sizes, what icing used, tips, etc. Okay that's my two cents.
Shelle
[quote="vicmic"]
No one wants fake enthusiasm but a simple A for effort is better than silence.
I totally get what you are saying and agree, but I also have to add that I am one of the people who feels robbed if someone leaves a vague comment, or one that I don't think sounds sincere, like they are just doing it so there will be a comment there. It is all about personal opinion, and I don't begrudge anyone their preference, but I'd personally rather have one "Wow, this cake is great! That is amazing how you...blah, blah, blah" than have fifty "Nice." or "Pretty." Does that make sense? Again, that's just me. It's not that I don't like the short comments, I just really feel special when someone takes the time to point out what it is that they found so pretty or nice!
This topic has been covered so many times and it always end up with one of the moderators having to lock the thread...which we really hate to do 
Please do not turn this into a knock-down-drag-out fight 
Thanks 
My theory on this (only because I'm guilty) is that if people actually clicked on your photo to get a closer look, they must have liked it or they wouldn't have taken the time to let the pic. load. It's a matter of so many pics, so little time. If your picture has been viewed, by all means, take that as a compliment in and of itself. Now I'm going to go look at your gallery and pick my favorite.
Amy
My theory on this (only because I'm guilty) is that if people actually clicked on your photo to get a closer look, they must have liked it or they wouldn't have taken the time to let the pic. load. It's a matter of so many pics, so little time. If your picture has been viewed, by all means, take that as a compliment in and of itself.
Amy
Ditto!
honestly, i only comment on cake pics that have really struck me. hard. the ones where i find it difficult to find words to express how it made me feel. and those cakes are NOT ONLY those professional-looking ones. i comment too on cakes that in general may even look mediocre but something about it still moved me. like paintings. doesn't have to be done by a master painter but if i like it, i like it. now how can i (or other commentors here on cc) be judged for the way we truly feel about the cakes we see?
btw, i know almost all my posted cake pics are mediocre. i'm not fishing for compliments here, i'm just being honest with myself. and the fact that i still got a comment or 2 or more on them really makes my heart full. simple or imperfect doesn't mean ugly anyway. i love cc!!!
While I love, love, love to get comments, I have to agree with Melvira -- it just doesn't do it for me to read 5 "greats!" (I could only ever hope to have 50! lol) And, while I try try try to leave comments, I am often browsing quickly to get ideas and then there's those that I pull up because I couldn't really see them well. They pop up and aren't what I was looking for so I just move along. But, that said, I do try to comment as much as possible. Sometimes, it just isn't possible to get them all. Don't be put off -- post your cakes, and have fun. You posted it here because you are proud of your work. Only you know how much time and effort you put in and how far you've come with each new creation. Be proud of your accomplishment. If others are able to give you a little boost, so much the better, but don't automatically assume it means that people don't like your cake. S.
I have to agree with Melvira, I put my castle cake on here and I was very proud of it. I thought it was one of my best ones yet and when I see the comment "cute" it really rubbed me the wrong way. But I have to say that I don't comment on EVERY picture either but I have vowed to do better about that. Also I have to agree that if one cake has 20 comments then I think everything has probably been said about that particular cake.
i like comments on my photos but it doesn't hurt my feelings if anyone doesn't leave any. i find it more flattering if someone adds it to their favs. we all have a difference of opinion and there's no way on a website this large with so many pics being uploaded everyday that everyone is gonna' be happy.
Some people have an eloquent vocabulary and some do not. My 19 year old daughter can look at something that I consider to be very elegant and beautiful and she'll just say "that's cute." So one person's cute may in all actuality mean "Whoa, Baby, that's absolutely beautiful." Maybe they simply don't know how to express verbally what they're seeing.
Here are a few recent threads on this topic.
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-394813-comments.html+pictures
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-393043-comments.html+pictures
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-394083-comments.html+pictures
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-264823-comments.html+pictures
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-159871-comments.html+pictures
I am also very very new to this site...but have been decorating cakes for a living for years in a Bakery...I also decorate cakes at home because I love it so much...I know I can be better at it and when I stumbled across this site a few weeks ago I was very excited....I didnt sign up to get comments per say...i signed up to learn new things and its great that I can learn them all in one place from very nice people...I am addicted already to browsing daily and looking...I have left a few comments here and there and am not upset that I have not gotten many comments on my cakes...I work 40+ hours a week, have a family etc as all of us do...I know others out there are just like me with very little time and I do not look at this site as a popularity contest...Like I already mentioned I am here to learn off the best and what other cake sites have as much to offer as this one??? None
Some people have an eloquent vocabulary and some do not. My 19 year old daughter can look at something that I consider to be very elegant and beautiful and she'll just say "that's cute." So one person's cute may in all actuality mean "Whoa, Baby, that's absolutely beautiful." Maybe they simply don't know how to express verbally what they're seeing.
That is so very true, and well said!! That's why I try not to let myself get put off by those short responses! I remind myself that for some people (like my DH) the word "Fine" means OH MY GOSH YOU LOOK WONDERFUL!!! 
This topic has been covered so many times and it always end up with one of the moderators having to lock the thread...which we really hate to do
Please do not turn this into a knock-down-drag-out fight
Thanks
I think it's time to do something about these carbon-copy threads. Of course a newbie wouldn't know they exist, so why not add a "sticky" thread at the top of the forum entitled COMMENTS ON CAKES - READ THIS BEFORE YOU POST
You can explain that this topic has been argued countless times and link to the previous threads.
This topic has been covered so many times and it always end up with one of the moderators having to lock the thread...which we really hate to do
Please do not turn this into a knock-down-drag-out fight
Thanks
I think it's time to do something about these carbon-copy threads. Of course a newbie wouldn't know they exist, so why not add a "sticky" thread at the top of the forum entitled COMMENTS ON CAKES - READ THIS BEFORE YOU POST
You can explain that this topic has been argued countless times and link to the previous threads.
This was my thought exactly Adven. A newbie would not know to search for all the past responses. I think a sticky is a great idea. There could even be a list of "Commonly Discussed Subjects" and the links that new members get.
This topic has been covered so many times and it always end up with one of the moderators having to lock the thread...which we really hate to do
Please do not turn this into a knock-down-drag-out fight
Thanks
I think it's time to do something about these carbon-copy threads. Of course a newbie wouldn't know they exist, so why not add a "sticky" thread at the top of the forum entitled COMMENTS ON CAKES - READ THIS BEFORE YOU POST
You can explain that this topic has been argued countless times and link to the previous threads.
This was my thought exactly Adven. A newbie would not know to search for all the past responses. I think a sticky is a great idea. There could even be a list of "Commonly Discussed Subjects" and the links that new members get.
That might help, people would see that it's been debated several times and the debate isn't going to change the fact that you're going to have more views than comments no matter what you think about it. It's just like the adding favorites without commenting debate, some people aren't going to comment if they add and arguing about it on several threads hasn't changed anything.
I'll say I'm not upset over more views or favorites than comments.
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