Sharing the "Best"

I don't know why it bothers me so much, but it does.

I'm finding that I have a love-hate relationship with Threads. I love that I've reconnected with some of my virtual friends after leaving the dumpster fire that's marked with an X. I love how the algorithm has connected me with some new folks who seem like-minded, particularly those who share my love of photography.

The algorithm doesn't always get it right and sometimes I find some head-scratching posts in my feed.

I hated how my feed seemed polluted with porn bots but after blocking any that showed up, they now seem to be far and few between.

But one type of post that seems to end up in my feed more and more, due to my love of seeing photo threads, are posts by folks that set up a theme of the day, in which they rate and then share what they feel are the most noteworthy images.

I have no issue with anyone who wants to start a photo thread based on a theme. I've participated in many of them: I have a large enough body of work that I can usually find at least one photo that matches whatever theme I spy.

In participating in these photo themes, I find several photogs who I then start following. I find their photos inspiring. And many on these threads, in turn, follow me.

That's the whole point of social media, right?

But getting back to what bothers me, I've seen some folks on Threads start a theme and add that they will rate each photo from "not bad" to "outstanding," and they'll share their opinion with everybody. Others claim that they will share the "top three" or whatever number they feel are sharable.

Who are these people? What are their credentials? And why should we care what they think of somebody else's work?

I share photos that I've taken and that I like, with the hope that someone else likes the photo. If anyone does, I can usually see that through them tapping the Like button or leaving me a comment. Some might even like my photo enough to share my post, and that makes me feel good.

But I'd never want anybody to rate one of my photos. I don't want to compare my photo against someone else's. I don't want any ranking.

Photography is so subjective. Either you like it or you don't. Either it moves you or it doesn't. Either you relate to it or you don't.

Ranking someone else's work against others, to me, is insulting. How dare you look at someone's photo—someone who decided to put their photo up to match your set theme, because they liked it—only to have you respond with "not bad"?

How would you feel if you started a themed photo thread, adding a photo that you like, only to have someone respond with "not bad"?

I consider this photo to be my best work. I don't care what others think.

I don't participate in photo threads in which the originator will rank the photos or share what they feel are the best photos at the end of the day. But now, when I see one of these posts show up in my feed, I've started blocking the OP.

Let's see how the algorithm deals with that.