Hello, lovelies!
For months now, there have been whispers of dissatisfaction and discomfort concerning our photomanipulation community. For some of you, it no longer seems like a home. For others, it is becoming ransacked with things that did not belong, like pornography, inflations, decapitations, and celebrity images. With the addition of copyright violations off-site, those whispers have become screams of discontent about dA in general.
I hear you, and as a liaison between dA staff and the community, I am doing my best to ensure your voices are heard.
But, what are YOU doing about it?
YOU are empowered to do a lot, too. For every complaint, for every disgruntled member of our community, there is a solution. And that solution does NOT have to involve leaving dA.
Let's talk about some of those solutions.
Tired of not having a DD?Suggest your own work. If it is not accepted, ask for a critique and work to learn from it. Even if you do not agree with it, there is surely something to be learned from obtaining another person's opinion.Tired of inappropriate images in the gallery?Report them. If you do not know how to report them, see: FAQ #155: How do I report a deviation which I think breaks the rules?.Tired of negativity around dA?Be careful not to spread it around. Ignore negative journals and polls. Do not post them yourself. Asking people whether they, too, think dA sucks does nothing to resolve the issue. Come together. Talk about solutions. Help push new thoughts forward. Fight negativity with positive, forward motion. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem! Let me know how I can support you. And, above all else, CREATE.Tired of your art not receiving the same number of comments and 
s that it once did?Expose yourself. And to do that, expose others. Comment on others' work. Feature them in your journal. Reach out to other individuals, and I guarantee that you, too will be seen. And heck, if all else fails, break outside your comfort zone, crack open a new tutorial, and get to work on making your already awesome work even better.Hate the DDs that are being featured?Suggest something better. Also, get to know your CVs and what they really look for in selecting Daily Deviations. Are they trying to expose new artists? Show only the best from old pros? Shake things up with pieces that are uncomfortable to some viewers? Make a statement? Take the time to find out, and remember that one beautiful thing about artistic diversity is that everyone has their own unique styles, tastes, and values.Tired of everyone's work looking the same?Simple solution: Make yours different. Also, while supporting fellow deviants is important, numbers of pageviews,
, and
are not. Sorry. Faves should go to work because it has merit. Regardless of whether you're my best friend or worst enemy, I will fave your work if it strikes me as being good. That takes the drama out of the favorite system, and it provides favorites that are more meaningful to you. Let's get away from guilt-faves and bribery-faves (e.g. "I will fave your work so you don't un-watch me") and concerns about faves in general, and focus just on the art for art's sake.
Thank you, everyone.
I hope you have a terrific night.
I'm always here to support you.
And by the way, I'm still working on those poll responses. 
Jade
Sta.sh
Program of choice: Photoshop
Also, I have Added this fantastic journal to #DevNews posting later today ~ August 4, 2012.
You tell them, girl friend!
When I first saw this in my MC, I was thinking you were doing something similar to ^thorns' Complaint Challenge back in January. Which had some really awesome outcomes.