Promote Your Work- Chapter Four

Please read this clarification to the rules for using this thread (4/17/17)!

First a reminder. Images That Excite You members are not required to use this thread and whether you use it or not has no affect on your standing in our group. This thread is provided (at the request of many members) for your use only if you desire to be involved in this kind of process. However, should you choose to voluntarily participate in this thread, then you are expected to abide by the rules and fully participate. A thread such as this one can easily deteriorate into a source of discouragement and frustration if members feel like their work is being ignored and that others are taking advantage by posting their work but not promoting others. However, if everyone conducts themselves by the rules it can be a positive source of encouragement and provide increased exposure of our work.

Now the rules (and some philosophy):

1. The purpose of this thread is to support each other in promoting fellow members work with the expectation that as a result your work will also be promoted. By Promotion it is meant that you will comment on each of the links posted by the person immediately posting before you. In addition, you may, at your option, also Like and Fav their work and share it on social media as you see fit. Also at your option you may in addition promote other artists work, but at the very least you are expected to do so for the person posting immediately before you.

2. You may post up to three links at a time. As a courtesy you should wait until a couple of other artists have posted before you post again. Regardless of the number of image links you post (one, two or three) you should address all the links of the person who has posted immediately before yours. If you choose to promote additional artists it is at your discretion which of their links you select.

3. Those who fail to follow the rules will have their image deleted. If it is seen that a pattern of abusing the thread by continually not following the rules is occurring you may be removed from membership in the Images That Excite You group. Again, this thread is provided as yet another option for helping others and them helping you. It is not a group requirement to use this thread. If you do not agree with how the thread is set up, simply do not use it.

4. This last rule is a gray area, but I feel there is also an obligation on the one posting image links to be sure they add images of good quality that are worthy of being promoted by others. Posting poor images just to get Comments and Likes is also an abuse of the thread. The problem of course is defining what constitutes a poor image. This group is open to all styles and types of art and photography. Obviously some types and styles appeal to different niches of viewers. Just because it is not your style or to your taste is not a reason to ignore it. Don't penalize the artist by confusing poor work with a style you don't care for. This group has actually educated me to become much more appreciative of work that is different from what I produce. I feel it has helped me grow. Also, when looking at a series of images, some will jump out and some will not. Given the purpose of this thread, that doesn't mean that the work that doesn't jump out at you is not worthy of your promotion. Please maintain the perspective of good work vs. poor or shabby work. At the worst case if you see that the images posted before you are images you just do not want to comment on, then wait and post your work after someone else has posted. However, if you come across inferior work that you feel should never have been added to this thread, then you are not expected to comment on it. This situation should be considered an exception and not the rule. So if an individual seems to be developing a pattern of continually finding other artists work not worth commenting on, then I suggest that this thread is one they should not continue to participate in. Realistically when participating in a group effort there must be some give and take or the entire effort will fall apart.

This thread is an extremely popular one that many people enjoy using but it also has the potential to cause hurt and frustration and to be open for abuse. These rules are an attempt to mitigate that possibility. The goal continues to be for wide participation that benefits all involved, helps us to get better acquainted with each other and our work, and avoids awkward or negative situations. So let's keep working together and mutually supporting each other.