Hosea,
I think ToMaZ explained it pretty well. Once it used to be a place where people met only to show their minis and to know what others think about them. People were posting comments as they expected comments on their own minis too. The forums were much less chaotic than they are now... But most important of all - there was no 'second bottom' under it yet.
No tools for selling, no tools for advertising your business. At the time studios or painters had their own sites, and they weren't as numerous as they are now.
As I said - my group of internet friends (which later became Headblast Designz) used to vote and comment on all the new submissions. It was Chern Ann's hobby project and it was easy to feel the heart put in it - despite any possible weaknesses.
Later people started using it for earning reputation, fame, and for promoting their services or actions. People started to snipe others with 1s or their own stuff with 10s. As the site grew more and more popular fanboys came to the site, or simply stupid and immatuire people. And many people believed that good score = good price on ebay. And so it went...
Check the site now - it's not a place for exchanging experience, for learning more and for hearing honest and helpful opinions on your works. You only get a number for your work, and - if mini-painting is art - is art something which should be given marks, like at school?
Now the site is a showcase of some good works. Many of them truly outstanding. But are they there for the reason that we liked CMON for? Do they expect helpful comments? Do they give them? No, the artists only show their works and hope to get high marks. Why? Dunno... a question of reputation? pride? self-esteem? boosting one's ego? or getting good prices for your work?
I won't pretend we don't use CMON to advertise our auctions. We would be stupid not doing it...
But we never opened a common gallery of Chest of Colors works, like many studios do. I was always against such practices, because they are against what I always liked in CMON: showing YOUR minis, not boeasting with other peoples' works.
Check who were popular artists in 2002-2004. Check how many things they commented on...
Now check the current 'top guys and gals' and look for their comments. What else do they contribute except for their pics?
CMON became a great gallery, I believe it's the biggerst showcase of miniatures ever and will never be beaten. But it's not the site I loved to visit. The site which was a must in my daily schedule. Now I only sometimes check the 'top 20 in last 7 days' and it's all... I really regret it's not what I liked.
I think it's unavoidable, it's the price of getting popular. But I miss the old CMON
Do you get what I mean with business oriented now? I think the fact that minis became more of a business than a hobby for some changed the site. The auctions, the use of this site as avertisement and promotion of one's services or person. Even if some people aren't drivben by money, there's more competition between the painters, a rat-race of some sort maybe.
Sign of times, huh...
Click to see full-sized image
And this has happened more often lately, judging from the topics at the CMON forums.
