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Improving Mindat.orgPOTD discussion
29th Feb 2012 21:05 UTCJeff Weissman Expert
29th Feb 2012 22:34 UTCDavid Bernstein Expert
29th Feb 2012 22:53 UTCHarjo Neutkens Manager
This settled, all the failed jokes aside, I can go on to answer Jeff's question.
Jeff, feel free to open a topic on the POTD choices, actually, you already have. The message board is an open and liberal place where things can be discussed at all times.
So, whenever a POTD that I chose is being questioned, I have no problem explaining why it was my choice, and I know this counts for all the other managers as well.
I do hope however, and I think they are most of the time, the reasons for choosing a certain photo as POTD are obvious.
Cheers,
Harjo
29th Feb 2012 23:23 UTCJeff Weissman Expert
I find that the majority of POTDs are obviously interesting and worthy of the selection. Some are a bit more obtuse as to why they were selected.
Having a selector's comment may help both the initiated and novice to better understand and appreciate the particular attributes of the POTD - think of this as an educational opportunity and a means to communicate with the future. For example, the recent selection of benitoite from Japan - rare species collectors, including myself, will marvel at the excellent crystal, etc., while someone not so familiar with rare or Japanese minerals, whom might otherwise shrug their shoulders at such as image, will be informed as to the images interesting features, and our future archivist will have some information to help document / interpret the range of mineral related images the have been posted.
As a reviewer of posted POTD images, I could post comments, but I will not want to guess at why some of the images were selected, although it is more obvious for others. I could post a comment, "great image of a rare transparent benitoite" while the selection may have been made based on "great photo showing skills of photographer to capture a small crystal"
1st Mar 2012 01:04 UTCDebbie Woolf Manager
1st Mar 2012 03:43 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
1st Mar 2012 06:11 UTCMatteo Chinellato Expert
1st Mar 2012 07:07 UTCChristian Auer 🌟 Expert
We are not always experts to realize the reason of the choice but would love to learn more about it. Not in any critical way, just for educational reasons!
1st Mar 2012 10:48 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder
Having a better description for the photo is more useful in the long-term than a separate description written somewhere about why it was chosen as POTD.
Editors must remember they have every right to go and edit photo descriptions and add extra comments if necessary.
Jolyon
1st Mar 2012 20:29 UTCHarjo Neutkens Manager
When it's a POTD of something very rare and ugly, it was probably Alfredo's choice ;-)
1st Mar 2012 20:41 UTCPeter Andresen Expert
1st Mar 2012 21:04 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
Actually, I confess I very rarely pay attention to the POTD, and I think I've only selected maybe fewer than 10 total in the last several years? In fact many days often go by without me even seeing the POTD, because when I go to Mindat it's below the bottom of my screen and I'm usually immediately moving on to a locality or species page without scrolling further down the front page.
In my humble opinion, the POTD issue has been inflated way out of proportion to its importance to the site, as if choosing POTDs were Mindat's most serious function, and getting one selected were the highest accolade for any Mindat user/contributor. I enjoy looking at them when I happen to see them, and I'm very grateful to all our many contributors who take the time to upload photos of interesting and/or beautiful minerals and localities, but publicising POTDs is far from Mindat's primary purpose :-S
Cheers :)-D
Alfredo
1st Mar 2012 21:19 UTCHarjo Neutkens Manager
1st Mar 2012 21:30 UTCRui Nunes 🌟 Expert
1st Mar 2012 22:22 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager
No sense in re-inventing the wheel if it rolls just fine..... :-D
2nd Mar 2012 00:51 UTCJeff Weissman Expert
BTW, Alfredo, I've got plenty of ugly rocks to send your way next time you pass through New Haven :-D
2nd Mar 2012 01:04 UTCStephen Turner
2nd Mar 2012 05:38 UTCMatteo Chinellato Expert
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have asked that when a photo is selected as
> possible POTD for managers to edit and extend the
> description of the photo where necessary to
> include the information about what the photo is
> trying to show (and therefore why it is
> important).
>
> Having a better description for the photo is more
> useful in the long-term than a separate
> description written somewhere about why it was
> chosen as POTD.
>
> Editors must remember they have every right to go
> and edit photo descriptions and add extra comments
> if necessary.
>
> Jolyon
type the POTD of today without any measure? For not to mention the other.....
2nd Mar 2012 09:30 UTCStuart Mills Manager
2nd Mar 2012 09:57 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder
2nd Mar 2012 11:03 UTCMatteo Chinellato Expert
2nd Mar 2012 17:20 UTCRoberto Bosi
Every image can convey something to somebody, and as regards how the POTDs are chosen, I'm convinced that everyone would operate in many different ways.
A strong and friendly handshake to all the friends.
2nd Mar 2012 21:09 UTCDon Windeler
(but wishes his own image had been captured by a real camera rather than a photocopier.)
Personally, I rather like some randomness in the POTD. It's kind of fun to see what's on tap every day and never be quite sure what to expect. I do agree that it would be nice if there was a spot where the selector (or nominator?) could choose to stick a comment or two on why it was selected, if mostly for cases like the Japanese benitoite where lots of viewers might not get why it's a cool specimen. I always scroll down to see the POTD, but don't always open up to read the full caption.
Cheers!
D.
2nd Mar 2012 21:36 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder
2nd Mar 2012 21:59 UTCPeter Andresen Expert
Tomorow I hope it's lucky leucophanites day. If it is, I'll share some photos.
I like the idea of more random picked POTD's, massive microclines deserve their "15 minutes of fame" too, but with random picking, I guess statistics would playe a role, and some post more pics than others...
Well, I think the way managers select candidates for POTD probably are the best way to do it, so keep up the good work!
PS: Alfredo you could obviously do better and select more! ;-)
2nd Mar 2012 22:41 UTCDon Windeler
I should qualify my comment on "randomness". While they probably should have the lion's share, I think the POTD should cover more than just gorgeous minerals photographed by experts at the top of their game. I like the off-the-wall locality pictures, historical archives, thin section, giant rocks, and the occasional bit of goofiness mixed in. (I'm a big fan of the Google Doodles for the same reason.) I'm not all that pumped about randomly selected images from the galleries, though, as they lack that crucial link of someone out there in the MinDat review world saying, "Wow, this is really cool -- pass it on!" That gets back to the original point of figuring out what hooked someone in when you don't necessarily get it...
As for happy rocks, I have a Geological Society of America volume of review papers from a decade or two ago with figure that still makes me giggle: a thin section photo of an oolite that had "enjoyed" deformation. Probably can't post it because of copyright issues, but I'll pull out the volume tonight and see -- at least I can provide the reference.
2nd Mar 2012 22:59 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager
10th Mar 2012 05:29 UTCDon Windeler
The pic below is scanned from Groshong, RH (1990). "Low-temperature deformation mechanisms and their interpretation." Geological Society of America Special Paper 253, Centennial Articles. 337-368.
In checking the legalese up front for the volume, it says, "All materials subject to this copyright and included in this volume may be copied for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement." -- happy to delete if anyone has concerns, but as long as everyone just sticks to smiling and enjoying the silliness of what someone found looking back at them while staring through a microscope, I think we’re OK.
Always loved the opening quote in the abstract, attributed to Rob Knipe, 1982: "Rocks do not suffer deformation; they enjoy it."
And (not to let the original point of the thread die) I’d love to hear the occasional comment connected to a POTD as to why it was chosen, even if it’s anonymous and filtered through a designated independent third party manager!
Cheers,
D.
10th Mar 2012 05:53 UTCMatteo Chinellato Expert
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Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: May 9, 2024 23:58:28