Challenges?!

[CHJ]

I'm not one for blowing my own trumpet and I don't seek compliments so it took a brave moment from me to post pictures of items I'd made as a beginner turner. I did it twice and got no comments either time so I assumed that they were dung and everyone was too polite to tell me.

Are you sure that's a valid comment, I only found two items of work so may have missed some.

For instance in the Turning section you Started a thread in march 2018 and got some 10 inputs, from hobby turners and professionals.

I did find a post of A Stool, 19 Jan 2018, 17:20 in the general forum in a thread that just go lost in the background noise of new posts I suspect. Had it been posted in Projects as thread in its own right no doubt it would have received more comments.

 

[Steliz]

The first thread was about an issue with a blank and not a 'this is what I made' post so, I didn't consider it in my statement but your comment is representative of the issue in that you were determined to invalidate my comment by finding an example that conflicted with what I said. It's a shame you didn't bother to read the thread properly.
I come to this site for the advice and shared knowledge but I won't be posting any pictures of any work again.

 

[CHJ]

The first thread was about an issue with a blank and not a 'this is what I made' post so, I didn't consider it in my statement but your comment is representative of the issue in that you were determined to invalidate my comment by finding an example that conflicted with what I said. It's a shame you didn't bother to read the thread properly.
I come to this site for the advice and shared knowledge but I won't be posting any pictures of any work again.

Not determined to invalidate your comment at all, I spent some considerable time searchiong the forum contents trying to find images posted by you representing finished turned items so that I could possibly give you a reason why you may not have got any responce from a turner, I failed to do so, as I said I may have missed the posts, especially if they were buried in the 'post the last thing you made' thread in General because it's almost impossible to do a valid search on that thread and expected you to perhaps supply links to the relevant items, it's a very rare occurance that nobody in the turning fraturnity responds to a show and tell.

 

[Chris152]

I know it doesn't work for some, but I really enjoy following the 'Post a photo of the last thing you made' thread. The great thing about it is that there's always some woodwork to be seen there!

Could we try a 'Post a photo of the last thing you turned' thread?! With a few notes on how to comment (emphasis on constructive criticism) and the suggestion that if you want them, write 'C&C welcome' at the end of the post, I don't see any reason to be worried about possible damning comments about work - tbh, I can't remember seeing one on the forum, least of all in the woodturning section.

The thread wouldn't replace WIP-type threads, threads where extended discussion's likely to happen, nor threads where individuals develop a series of works.

I'd just go ahead and start the thread but given some don't like that format, and that Chas is involved in this thread, I'll wait to see if there are arguments against.

 

[Dalboy]

If items that I have turned then I always post them here otherwise they get lost in things like projects. If you give it a name or title that makes it clear that it is a turning rather than a question in the Turning Section of the forum then turners will more than likely look at it.
I very rarely go to other sections unless I am posting something about my other woodworking items.
If someone does put a piece up I will if I can make a comment about it.
On other forums in the relevant section, there is quite often a gallery for that type of work. I appreciate that it is not always easy to make things like that happen as the owners of forums have lives of their own as well as what it takes to do such a task.
I think that you need to put "C & C Welcome" at the start or end of the text when showing to allow people to give their knowledgeable answers to a piece with the aid of helping that person to improve. If you don't put it may reduce the number of replies you will get, not that some get that many as for example looking at CHJ.s post it is the same two or three people that comment.

 

[Honest John]

I think the weekly topic thread was a brilliant idea. I think I’ve had something to say on each post to date. Admitadly I might not have had much of value to say, and I’ve frquently returned to see what the next topic was to be, and just assumed that the Christmas silly season had put things on hold. With respect to posting images of completed or work in progress, I’m sure I have done so at least once or twice, but let me explain further. As a hobby Turner, most of my items of turnings or square woodwork are given away to friends and family, or made to order for the same. More often than not I do not remember to photo them before they’ve gone and indeed I have photoed some after they’ve left so to speak. Secondly, 99.9% of online activity is undertaken from my iPad. Images are also taken (when remembered) either on my iPad or iPhone. Now this platform gives me some problems when it comes to posting images. The only way I’ve found to reduce the image size from my iPad is to email it to myself, when you get the opportunity to send images in a reduced size. The reduced size image from the email is difficult to distinguish from the original, as Apple do not store or address images in the same way that Microsoft do. The only way I’ve found round this is to squirt my image onto my desktop pc, process it with image reducing software and then either post it from there, or squirt it back to my iPad into a folder I’ve made called “postable images” in case I want to post it in a forum. In order to post images on this or any other forum requires some management, and considering most times when I’m on this board I will be lying in bed, this is often not going to happen. Please understand that this tale is not a moan or complaint about image posting on this site, this problem is wholly mine, but I feel I need to explain why I don’t often post images. If I ever can get round to it I should perhaps use a third party like Dropbox or some other hosting server and post links. That may be the way to go.
Critiquing another persons work is a not an easy task. It is very easy to simply list the “faults” or even the things you don’t like about a piece of work, but this can not always be helpful. The maker may have made exactly what he or she wanted to make, and the critiquing person didn’t like it. If memory serves the AAW started to run training courses on critiquing work so as to progress rather than suppress a turners development. I have seen drops in the number of entries in my local Woodturning club monthly competition because of poorly administered criticisms of new young (and not so young) turners, some of whom may never submit an item again. This is a friendly site and I don’t see too much flaming going on except in fun. Some posters can be very opinionated, Jacob springs to mind, but I have to say his inputs are always valuable, and he is usually right!
I think we need something along the lines of the weekly topic to stimulate debate and increase post8ng. One further point and il shut up. It is often difficult to judge a members level of expertise and competence, and I have been guilty on more than one occasion o making suggestions to people by way of trying to be helpful, only to discover that they had vastly more experience on the issue than I have. Some posters are clearly informed. Custard is one such person and I read all his posts because they are so informative and clearly experience bases. There are many others of course, and then there are many more like me with no living to make but just enjoys “making stuff.”