GCU Forum - Honor System

Corrie_131338

Gold Member

Posts: 1610

Re: Honor System
Reply #30 - Feb 18^th, 2008, 1:27am

Hi, Edition!

I agree that the Bulk Sellers and Best Sellers stats tend to promote copying (specifically I mean following a trend, not necessarily plagarism of images or text) which is well underway to creating a disproportionate number of cards in some categories. Example, check the Birthday - Age Specific category; there are 110 cards for 100th birthday, and half that or less in the other sub-categories. That means there are some artists who only made a card for 100th birthday because they were influenced by a Bulk Seller card.

There are so many categories that are empty or have just a few cards Some of our most consistent sellers come from such niche categories. The way to achieve success is not to imitate the trends seen on Bulk Seller and Best Seller views, but to be sure your designs are represented in as many categories as possible, that your designs and text are appealing, that you target niche markets where possible, and that your cards are as original as yourself.

Corrie
http://www.corrieweb.nl

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Edition_132952 GCU Newbies artist Posts: 44	Re: Honor System Reply #31 - Feb 18^th, 2008, 2:28am Hi Corrie, I noticed what you said and wondered why the 100th birthday is so popular. It´s a very good example. Martin
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Corrie_131338 Gold Member Posts: 1610	Re: Honor System Reply #32 - Feb 18^th, 2008, 2:41am Hi Martin! Probably because early on in GCU history g, we sold a bunch - read, more than 800 - to a commercial customer. When the Bulk Sellers view went live... you can guess the rest. Corrie
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_132335

Full Member
artist

Posts: 211

Re: Honor System
Reply #33 - Feb 18^th, 2008, 5:05am

Isn't that a bit of a rude opinion you two have here ?
GCU staff have said over and over again that it would be best to add cards for all categories, and here you two gives your degrading opinions on how others add to the categories.

SO, do you mean that only you have the right to add to categories and others don't ?
I believe we all have the right to add in any categories we wish to without having to read a degrading opinion of the work we do or where we add our cards.

Thank you

Big Huggs
/Inge

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Corrie_131338

Gold Member

Posts: 1610

Re: Honor System
Reply #34 - Feb 18^th, 2008, 5:20am

Nobody has named names, no fingers have been pointed at anyone, and no one has suggested that any category is owned by one artist or another, so I'm not sure where you got the impression that your work in particular is being 'degraded.'

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including you /Inge, and everyone's opinion is just as valid as the next person's. Every artist has to decide for themselves how they want to conduct their business.

Corrie
http://www.corrieweb.nl

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_132335

Full Member
artist

Posts: 211

Re: Honor System
Reply #35 - Feb 18^th, 2008, 5:53am

Hi Corrie,
Thank you for your response.
Yes, everyone has the right to their opinion etc. but when it starts to be a degrading one I won't just keep read and let it go.

I am not talking about my work being degrading, because I don't feel my work is bad, and I don't think anyone elses work is bad or degrading either, everyones work is unique in their own special way.
But as you write;

"Probably because early on in GCU history *g*, we sold a bunch - read, more than 800 - to a commercial customer. When the Bulk Sellers view went live... you can guess the rest."

and

"I agree that the Bulk Sellers and Best Sellers stats tend to promote copying (specifically I mean following a trend, not necessarily plagarism of images or text) which is well underway to creating a disproportionate number of cards in some categories. Example, check the Birthday - Age Specific category; there are 110 cards for 100th birthday, and half that or less in the other sub-categories. That means there are some artists who only made a card for 100th birthday because they were influenced by a Bulk Seller card.

There are so many categories that are empty or have just a few cards Some of our most consistent sellers come from such niche categories. The way to achieve success is not to imitate the trends seen on Bulk Seller and Best Seller views, but to be sure your designs are represented in as many categories as possible, that your designs and text are appealing, that you target niche markets where possible, and that your cards are as original as yourself."

Maybe you did not wish for it to sound as I read it, but to me it sounds like you think everyone elses work, especially newcomers after you and the other "old" ones are just fake, copies etc. and it seems to me that you are anoyed to have competition in the categories where you once have been alone in for so long.

No, names haven't been mentioned but if anyone is a bit smart it's not that difficult to put two and two together

There's always artists out there there has low self esteem and when reading things like this they are getting the feeling its aimed at them and that really kills their artistic creative nerve, don't think this is me feeling like that, noone can kill my creativity, but I have seen other places where people going down and close up because of opinions there shouldn't have been out there.

Have a great day Corrie

Big Huggs
/Inge

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Corrie_131338

Gold Member

Posts: 1610

Re: Honor System
Reply #36 - Feb 18^th, 2008, 6:18am

This is the last post I'm going to make on this subject, and I'm only continuing to respond to you, /Inge, because I feel that not responding to your accusations will be worse than making a coherent reply.

I hope I'm making myself clear this time when I repeat that *no one* is being degraded, put down, insulted, belittled or anything else of a negative nature. An opinion against the Bulk Sellers and Best Sellers stats was expressed by another artist, I agreed with it and provided an example of why I feel the stats are more of a hindrance than a help on GCU, a question was asked by Martin and I answered That's it. Nothing else. I have no other motives.

Am I annoyed? No. Have I stated anywhere that newcomers or oldsters or anyone else has to give way to my designs? No. Have I stated anywhere that everyone else's designs are copies or fakes? No. You're reading way more into my words than are actually present, which is why I won't continue to debate this with you.

The subject open in this thread remains the original one - whether you or anyone other artist feels the Bulk Sellers or Best Sellers views should or should not be continued. It's an opinion that anyone can express.

Corrie
http://www.corrieweb.nl

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_132335 Full Member artist Posts: 211	Re: Honor System Reply #37 - Feb 18^th, 2008, 6:32am Hi Corrie, I agree, maybe we should stop talking more about this I must have mis-read and misunderstood what you wrote then. I do highly respect your opinions and work. I am soooo sorry about that and give you here my full apology. Big Huggs /Inge
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Edition_132952 GCU Newbies artist Posts: 44	Re: Honor System Reply #38 - Feb 18^th, 2008, 9:57am Coming back here I can only scratch my head ...thank you Corrie for your effort., I am glad I left office and spent a beautiful afternoon out in the sun.
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Mindy

GCU Administrator
Community Manager

Posts: 6537
Gender: female

Re: Honor System
Reply #39 - Feb 19^th, 2008, 2:26pm

You'll notice on the first page of both of Best Sellers and Bulk Seller views that there are 3 different age specific cards - 100, 100 and 50th and 5 different cards on the Most Popular page. This says one thing - age specific cards in general are popular.

Corrie's point, which is valid, was that many artists seemed to be creating 100th birthday cards yet not continuing their collection for the other adult age specific categories (with the exception of 50th). A sign that they were followed the lead of the "popular" bulk selling card, 100th.

Why not 40th? Why not 21st? These landmark ages have the same selling potential as 100th if not more (I'll have to check the census stats but a wild guess tells me there are more people celebrating their 40th and 21st than 100th) Wink

We would consider removing the Bulk and Best Seller views if many feel it does more harm than good.

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Colleen_131607

Full Member
artist

Posts: 164

Re: Honor System
Reply #40 - Feb 19^th, 2008, 8:17pm

I would think removing most of those categories would be a darn good idea. Never a good idea to "show all your cards". But just a thought to keep in mind, analytics here AND elsewhere may play a role and provide some of the same categories being referenced here. Yes, 100th birthday cards jumped and perhaps likely due to "best sellers", etc. But doing some recent keyword searches on birthday cards ALSO brought up 100th birthday with a high ranking, oddly enough.

Just some observations....I have a 100th birthday card, and a 21, and a 75th and an 85th. Those because I have someone in my life turning that age this coming year including the 100th. Grin

I'll have a 16 and 17 any day now. And next year, I'll probably have an 18. 22, 76, 86 and, God willing, a 101. I choose not to put the same design on each age category (just my thing because I don't want pages of same until we have different organization) I also have a card which is unusual and eerily very much like someone else's which I had not seen beforehand here or at other PODs so that does indeed happen. I also have a card somewhat similar to one in another thread which caused quite a stir. Did I copy either...no. And I have even used clip art and stock art legally from time to time too and had it sell much to my surprise (i heard the collective gasp). And one more thing, I've even used some very old blessings which I have been unable to find authors of but are used freely (even in their land of origin) Hope that does not banish me to the depths as some of the recent threads would infer. undecided

There are some amazing artists here. I am not one of them. But keep in mind, cute or quirky sells also and have a place here, I believe. And I'm not only speaking of mine.

I'm also all for losing the signature line in our posts. At other PODs, it has only served to bring up copycats, accusations and stone throwing. Quite frankly and I mean this kindly, while you all seem very nice, you are probably not the ones I need browsing my shop. Buy yer own cards... just send your acquaintences to mine ok?

Just my two cents worth. It's been rather controversial in here lately. I really just came to say I agree with yanking out the categories. Sorry, I digressed when I went back and read some of the posts. Just wanted another opinion out there.

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