It is a mystery to me how Whispering Sage can have the number 2 overall rank on this site after Vicspa,considering her relatively low win percentage 5.579% and below average and or mediocre scores on most of her entries.Either there is something very wrong with the CSC algorithm or I am definitely missing something.Oh and of course so there are no fatal misunderstandings this is just my own personal opinion on the issue but something seems out of conjuncture here,just wondering if anyone else was wondering the same thing is all... and please sage no offense to you and I apologize if you think otherwise but I just had to post what was on my mind... bewildered

It might have something to do with an entry daily. I know I can't do it on a daily basis wish I could! wondering maybe if that helps

I have also been wondering how the complex score is figured. There's obviously a "quantity" component independent of quality or "No. 2" wouldn't be ranked so highly. I've been trying to enter most contests with what I hope are quality entries---partly because I want to win---but more because I want to prevent schlock, no-effort, cut-and-paste entries from winning. I think it's really bad for this site every time a lame entry from "No. 2" takes the top spot.

More participation and improved quality are what is needed at PSN if it's going to stay viable. Let's up the quality so those without talent simply cannot compete (and win) here. And I agree that the Complex Score algorithm needs to change to reward quality more highly than quantity.

I'd also like to see the commentary become more balanced. It seems like many people here---including "No. 2" use comments only to point out negatives---often with the objective of lowering scores of the decent entries, thus increasing the chances for their own. Personally, I'm going to try to point out positives along with constructive criticisms and hope people will do the same when evaluating my entries. There's a negativity around here that needs to go.

I've also noticed that average scores have trended downward. Early on, scores in the 70's and even 80's were relatively normal. Nowadays, the winning entries are almost always in the 50's. I haven't been here that long, so I've tried to vote in line with everyone else. But I'm going to try to start using more of the 1-100 scale when voting. That means both low voting on crap entries and higher voting on the good ones.

In closing, I'd like to point out the irony that the term "No. 2" is also a common description for a certain form of excrement.

I agree with all parties and I think what helped me with voting was Vicspa's post! I wish I could remember what post it was to show you, but he had a great way of voting and shared it one time here in the forum. I will not vote high on cut and paste even though I am still learning Photoshop. I just don't think to cut a flower out and paste it on another picture is qualified to be a photo manipulation but again, who am I! Just another learning contestant:-)

In case no one noticed, I haven't participated in a while, I've been away on vacation, and kind of generally discouraged in the entries, votes, etc. etc. it seems to be same ol' same ol' stuff. Just my opinion of course, (I think i've been doing this way to long. ) So, ...a 50 for a general run of the mill entry, not too bad but not too good either. A higher vote as it gets better, and of course lower if it needs more work. Integration of two or more images is one of the main reasons we do this. Perspective, color, texture, shadows, lights, masking out, etc. all come into play into making a beautiful, intriguing, cohesive image. Idea of courses takes precedence, a good idea done badly is better than a bad idea superbly chopped. You may disagree on this, but again, my opinion.
I hope to get back into chopping again as soon as time allows it.
Regardless of bad opinions, keep on chopping, after all, they're like you know what, everybody's got one.

LUX wrote:It is a mystery to me how Whispering Sage can have the number 2 overall rank on this site after Vicspa,considering her relatively low win percentage 5.579% and below average and or mediocre scores on most of her entries.Either there is something very wrong with the CSC algorithm or I am definitely missing something.Oh and of course so there are no fatal misunderstandings this is just my own personal opinion on the issue but something seems out of conjuncture here,just wondering if anyone else was wondering the same thing is all... and please sage no offense to you and I apologize if you think otherwise but I just had to post what was on my mind... bewildered

I'm not sure what this is about Lux, probably the more stuff you put out the higher you rank, regardless of scores. (I just shrugged my shoulders.)

vicspa wrote:In case no one noticed, I haven't participated in a while, I've been away on vacation, and kind of generally discouraged in the entries, votes, etc. etc. it seems to be same ol' same ol' stuff. Just my opinion of course, (I think i've been doing this way to long. ) So, ...a 50 for a general run of the mill entry, not too bad but not too good either. A higher vote as it gets better, and of course lower if it needs more work. Integration of two or more images is one of the main reasons we do this. Perspective, color, texture, shadows, lights, masking out, etc. all come into play into making a beautiful, intriguing, cohesive image. Idea of courses takes precedence, a good idea done badly is better than a bad idea superbly chopped. You may disagree on this, but again, my opinion.
I hope to get back into chopping again as soon as time allows it.
Regardless of bad opinions, keep on chopping, after all, they're like you know what, everybody's got one.

Welcome back! I hope you have a great vacation!

LunaC you've got good attitude and do some fine work.We need more members here like you in both categories,quality of work and attitude and less like .The bad apple that spoils the bunch is the main reason I haven't entered here for a while.

Thanks Lux. I hope you will come back and enter more often rather than less. Talent and creativity will eventually win out over the impostors---unless we let the "No. 2's" of the world win by default. This site would be so much more fun without the toxic presence of a few bad eggs. For me, it's open season on hummingbirds.

simple fact..
quantity vs quality,
whisperingsage has less than mediocre quantity
vicspa is legend chopper with quality in less number of entries ...

no offense whisperingsage,although you keep offending everyone else all the time.