Knock! Knock! Is anyone home? (CLOSED)

For a while now, I've noticed a (overall) drop in likes, image comments, and forum chatter, and I'm wondering what might be causing it...

Is it because of the current holidays (Easter) and are a lot of people (except for poor Pushee) now on vacation? 

Could it be due to a different dynamic within the community? That would be a shame, since for a very long time there was (in my opinion) a real sense of togetherness... whereas right now I personally feel like we're just existing side by side...

Or is it just me, and you don't get the impression I'm describing? Maybe my recent promo images, WIPs and projects are just too lame (or too far outside the mainstream) for anyone to even look at them? 

Open the door, take my hand (virtually, of course) and lead me to the light of knowledge

Sad to see that while visiting forums after a long time. I'm actually about to drop using Reddit & Xitter permanently (deleting all my posts right now) and I REALLY want to find places similar with CG Society Forums because I simply can not live without learning continuously. And I love to see other artists process. Xitter and Reddit (and social media in general) is not good for that. Too much noise, extreme negativity & filthy politics. Personally my greatest mistake was replacing my DeviantArt & Renderosity with Facebook / Instagram back then. I'm hoping other people are not doing the same mistake.

I wouldn't hold out any hope for deviantart!  

I was talking about early 2010's. I opened a new dA account about a year ago and even today DeviantArt works much better for me than META & Xitter crap. Try starting from zero with a new account on IG or X. You'll get ZERO views let alone likes. 

I vaguely remember things slow down every summer, guess we're starting early this year.

I have noticed that too. I check the forums daily and this is the  ONLY place I do that. But I have noticed a drop in comments on art as well. And not just mine. I've seen it on other member's art posts. Sometimes, if I'm really limited on time, I'll just do likes, unless the art is exceptional. Than I'll add a comment. But I try and comment on the images that I like as often as possible. I'm on a run this weekend, with family gatherings and cooking, so I won't really be around much.

DeviantArt is very much drop of traffic for years after years, number of watcher and comments per picture are really drastically drop even I use some booster
My theory is 
Ai is the main factor; it is easier for many people to make their dream comes true instead of Daz studio
Some peoples I know at DeviantArt in my first-year change to 100% Ai instead of Daz

As Totocandy says, AI is ruining everything now. If Daz Studio, iClone, Malla, and Cinema 4D etc don't add the comfyUI crap to bring their customers back, things aren't looking good for traditional 3D. And then there are the pirates who come every day to buy products from the store to upload them to their websites. Recently, a customer left me a review saying they would "buy more" if I lowered my prices. If I lower the prices, those pirates come and take everything to their sites, and you never sell that product again. That's how things are in this digital world.

I think it's a combination. It is a down time activity wise, and also the vibe around here has changed. Familiar people have also left for various reasons, which does contribute to things changing around here.

Another possible reason: the gallery as a whole has become very fragmented due to SafeSite, subcategories etc.. . Don't get me wrong: I'm generally in favor of this, since there was a huge amount of noise on the forum when it wasn't like that ....

... but does this fragmentation perhaps lead to many creatives and 3D artists only looking at content that fits their niche?  Personally, I go through all the SafeSite modes at least once a day (I use " Moderate " as my default setting) so I don't miss anything, even in the " far corners ". But do others do that too... or do some/many/most  people just stick to " their own " area?

"Is it because of the current holidays (Easter) and are a lot of people (except for poor Pushee) now on vacation? "
Maybe, but not much so.
"Could it be due to a different dynamic within the community? That would be a shame, since for a very long time there was (in my opinion) a real sense of togetherness... whereas right now I personally feel like we're just existing side by side..."
3d is nothing sensational anymore and content has become repetative. Some leave for AI, leaving the ethusiasts behind, good.
"Or is it just me, and you don't get the impression I'm describing? Maybe my recent promo images, WIPs and projects are just too lame (or too far outside the mainstream) for anyone to even look at them? "
Good, I'm not alone thinking that about my work. (getting harder to actually feel inspired these days.)
DAZ Studio and Poser is outside the mainstream. I don't know anybody in person, who shares my passion, most of the people even don't know, what I'm doing.
Some folks with similar experiences might drop this hobby over time. 
And the kind of software we're using is kinda stabbing us from behind with paywalls, AI and phone home features.

I suspect, as has been already said, that it has a lot to do with AI.  For a single image, with no context, then arguably AI might produce a better result. It doesn't get tired or bored and can generate hundreds of images per day. Pick the best out of those and it will be difficult for a 3D rendered image to match it. If people who look at the gallery think "Hmm I could do just the same with AI" then they are unlikely to leave a comment. Of course for a series of images with consistent elements, ( people/clothing/props/environment/lighting ) then AI is going to struggle.

I dont think it's the holidays . People just dont seem to have time time or the gumption for posting comments . I always give new thing's a like , if it's a really good picture i will give a comment.
If it's great then i give a boost . There's seems to be a lack of communty spirit at the moment since certain members left  . People just post their stuff and dont seem to bother what others have done.
But tbh that's probably just how it seems to me.

I think it boils down to alot of little things. Alittle bit of AI though I don't think its as prevalent as some might think other than some touchup for those that aren't good with photshop, at least for the hobbiest. Different social venues that people use for the social aspect. Renderhub is at its core a store, so those of us with a full library may just jump on to see what's new and then bounce. 

The gallery "likes" system is kind of fickle in my opinion. In general, I think it kinda comes down to how many followers you have, if they're active in a set time period, and even possibly when you upload a image to the gallery. Thats not to say you won't get the likes if its something eye catching.

I think the forums are good in the sense of finding some info on how to do certain things, though you might have to dig alittle, even through some closed threads. I personally find the "general" discussion to be to negative and at times toxic to want to post too often into it. Wouldn't suprise me if people avoid it just because of that.

I'm just not very social. Please don't take it personally. It's not.

For a while I was working mega overtime and it left me kinda burned out.
I think I made a big comeback though, as seen in my gallery. I found new
things in DAZ and figured out new things too.

Good day, everyone. I guess many of us don't talk much in the forums; in my case, I do check them several times a week, as well as the galleries in general.

There was a time when I noticed some aggression from a few very active users (there's one who made multiple accounts just to leave stupid comments on my stuff, but in recent months I think he finally got tired =D, greetings 'shitgard').
But hey, that's just human nature =D. Greetings to all.

Every now and then I'll browse the forum but don't usually comment unless the topic is interesting or I can help with a question. I don't have any social media because it's all just brain rot for the most part. As far as the gallery goes, I have the filters basically set to show me everything and if something happens to catch my eye out of the crowd then I'll like and/or comment. I generally don't expect a lot of engagement with anything that I post because I don't consider myself one of the top dogs so whatever I get is a nice surprise.

I'm still kind of new here.
I just post pictures and hope you guys like them.
And I in turn give likes as a form of encouragement.

I don't spend much time at all on forums or chat rooms any more.
Too many trolls and rage baiters. It's a toxic environment.
There's too many people out there who enjoy being able to start  something
without the risk of losing their teeth, so I don't argue with them. I'll just block
them - if I can - and move on. But this eventually got to the point where I 
stopped bothering at all.

I think part of to is because we have all had far too many bad experiences on line - particularly on Social Media - where, due to the absence of facial expression and vocal tone, what we say may comes across in an unintended way. I've had experiences with that in the Daz forums - so I stopped posting there. I think all of us to one extent to another, have got so used to simply "liking" posts on social media - but not commenting on them or adding to the discussion - that its leaked over into other online spaces. A lot of people here - myself included - are hobby artists so a like or a rocket is often enough for that warm inner glow we get when some says "I like that". 
Also, I may click like on an image - even give it a rocket - but not sure how to put into words what I actually like about it - I simply like it. And when I do think of the rights words then the comment I want to post would end being longer than War and Peace. 
A part from trying to get into the habit of adding a list of assets used when I post an image, I'm also trying to add, in the description box, any problems/issues that I may have come across when creating it. I think people are more likely to make suggestions/give advice in the comments section for the image rather than responding to queries in the forums.
There are often times I see an image and want to know things like what lighting they used, post-work, etc but I feel like I'm being a bit cheeky asking. 
I like swimming through the gallery to see what images catch my eye but rather than than simply like the image and move on I go to their gallery and end up finding lots of e
other stuff they've done that I like as well. 
Long post I know - watch out War and Peace - but I hope people get the point I'm trying t get across. 

Want more likes? Here's my personal tip for you: stop posting stuff that nobody understands! Instead, take pictures of scantily clad women with large busts striking provocative poses. That's how you'll get those likes (just proven empirically) ... even if the lighting and composition are a bit lame.

Cool idea?

I will follow-up/agree with much of the above sentiments. Part of it is due to the vibe around here changing at times, and I do think a good portion of the community (partially as a result and partially for other reasons) shrank their communities and galleries to where these people produce the things they want to see, and do their best to safely ignore the rest. These people don't want to see AI, these people don't want to see smut, these people only want to see fanart from their favorite series, these people just want to see their products getting used...

Part of the reason I don't interact much is I don't want anything I say to be taken the wrong way.

Which is usually what happens.

I apologize, I just couldn't read all the posts... deviant art... no. They're a money eater that does nothing for artists, well, maybe those THEY like, but.. screw 'em. 
I think our "places" should offer things to the community... even if it's like our lovely Renderhub... they put up with me, but not sure why, but I love 'em for it. I know WHY Re-Hub exists, it was an idea and it came about.. and that is aweseome. They've always treated me politely and never bitched at me tho I'm loath to think that's totally true. 
AI is an extreme itch many are using to try to mess with what ... art...... is. And if there's no human pushing pencil, dragging arrows, or  making color strokes, I guarantee
there's no art at all.. except the billion artists whose works were scraped, copied

I rarely write anything, I mostly just put likes ). Maybe it's a bit off-topic, but RH removed Google Analytics for product authors, now there's no way to even check the traffic... which leads to the thought that overall the traffic on RH itself has dropped.
There's no need to treat AI as a competitor - it's pointless. Back when cars appeared, the stable hands suffered too. Personally I treat AI neutrally - it's just a tool and in skilled hands it can even turn out something decent, I guess... I periodically check out AI authors - some things I like, some I don't, some things I'd be interested in replicating, but the same applies to the works of real artists. And don't forget that any creativity is first and foremost self-expression, whatever it may be...
As for the overall vibe: in my opinion this is observed everywhere, in all social networks. People in general are tired of everything happening in the world - one news story is worse than the next everywhere. But probably this happens every time in every era during a technological leap (unfortunately, we're living through one right now).
As for supporting each other - on RH there's mostly a warm atmosphere, as I see it. People for the most part support one another, and those same likes - no matter how many there are - are proof of that, and that's good. It means not everything is lost yet ))

That's probably why I don't like it as much as before, because I usually use my own characters, often enhanced with AI-the demon, wow, the perfect cocktail to get ignored.

Yesterday I decided to try posting a picture using the " Mature " setting instead of " Everyone ". OK, the picture shows a bit more skin than my family-friendly posts... but other than that, it's neither better nor worse than my other pictures.

Well, what can I say: the picture received more Likes in just a few hours than my " Everyones " did in days. I also received Likes from users I thought were no longer on Renderhub (since I had previously been noticed by these users even in my family-friendly projects) 

Now, one might argue that showing more skin leads to more Likes... but I think it's mainly due to the fragmentation of the gallery. While this is (as I said and support) necessary... it's still annoying. Take a look at the brief discussion with bu_es (Fri, Apr 10) mentioned above.

While this being overlooked by SafeSite Settings is sad for 3D artists, it can have tragic consequences for producers / CC's, as many providers use the Renderhub gallery to promote their projects with images and teasers.

My tip for creators who like to promote their work in the gallery and publish using the " Everyone " setting: try uploading a promotional image with the " Mature " setting as well. This might increase your reach (or at least the attention span of your audience).

BTW - my image was automatically downgraded in the SafeSite settings after a few hours, so it now appears in the " Moderate " category as well. But this automatic process will be the subject of a new thread soon.

Have a wonderful and creative day, everyone

I have had this account since 2020, but it was only last year and this year that I became more than marginally active.

I haven't been overly big into DAZ Studio until I wanted to make a visual novel and I am very late to the party... almost too late with the AI takeover. I'm not giving up, though. I still enjoy posing and rendering knowing I have full control over the composition.

Social media fatigue in general, and tired of the way the entirety of the internet-browsing experience has dwindled downhill over the past bunch of years. I went through the process of deleting each and every one of my online accounts to get rid of old digital footprints and start fresh with only the ones that I half give a crap about, but determined to be little more than a lurker. Engagement is just exhausting nowadays.

Renderhub won out on the "do I really want a new account here" lottery. But the mood here has shifted too. Polarization over AI (and prior trends like NFTs) and the decline of 3D rendering as a hobby, slips of politics here and there, arguments over galleries, and especially arguments over contests (that I used to LOVE) have killed the interest in doing much more than spectating.

As far as purchases, I've amassed an overwhelming library, I feel like I've overdone things and just opening Daz to set up a render feels like I'm climbing over piles in a hoarder's house. Maybe during the summer I'll do a big purge of my library, remind myself what my original intent was, and pick it back up again. So being a non-participant in the meanwhile, I feel like I don't have worthy contributions.

But I still love all youz fuggin guyz.

" climbing over piles in a hoarder's house." 

That's hilariousand probably describes a lot of us.  I keep my stuff well organized so for me it's more like walking through a warehouse. 

Some days and some renders it's

Other days and renders it's


Surprises everywhere! LOL

Admiring and sharing images is my social media. All other forms are surplus to requirements...

It's okay to share, but to improve your work, you need discussion, even criticism. There are no comments anymore, it seems like no one cares, and this will drive many artists away to other platforms.

This thread hits a bit different now.

maybe the doorbell doesn't work...it seems empty