This is quite an interesting idea. ARS is a new platform which allows you to give and receive critique on photos completely anonymously. Created by Eric Kim, the system is designed to help photographers get some genuine feedback without all the smoke blowing and fluff we often see on platforms such as Facebook. When identities are public, many who respond to images will say something nice just to avoid the risk of offending, than to say what they really think of an image. With the identities of the photographer and the commenter removed, people can say what they really feel.
It’s a very cool idea, in theory. I love the concept. But…
ARS is a revolution in photo sharing. Photos and critiques are distributed to the user base anonymously and randomly. ARS disrupts the current monopoly in photography held by advertisement driven social media platforms (Instagram-Facebook) with a fair, decentralized, and anonymous algorithm. No more popularity contests and superficial ‘likes’ that homogenize art production and feedback.You ARS relies on YOU to change the future of photography. Upload your photos to ARS and start critiquing photos. ARS encourages artistic experimentation. Use ARS as a visual testing ground in order to share new visual imagery and develop your portfolio. It does open the door to potential trolls. Some people on Facebook and other less anonymous platforms really don’t care whether they offend others or not. Many of those types of people thrive on anonymity because they hide behind fake usernames on those platforms. They’ll relish the opportunity to be able to do it on a platform that’s anonymous by design. And even if the critiques on your images are sincere, you have no idea how much weight or importance you should apply to those comments. You’ve no idea who’s left them, you’ve no idea how much experience they have themselves, what their own work is like, whether they understand the value of context – the same image would receive two very different responses if it were a simple portrait vs for a magazine cover, as one example. The platform is currently in beta and is now version 2. Kim and his team are also working towards Version 3 as well as a mobile app. You can find out more on ARSBeta or on Eric Kim’s website. If they’re taking name suggestions for the mobile version, my vote goes to “Smart ARS”. [via DPReview]
