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Random "Friend Requests"
nyk fury wrote: There are only two methods of private communication on this site. Messages and Friend Requests. Tags and comments are there for all to see. Sometimes you might want to get someone's attention but without the world knowing it. So a little wink is all that is needed. FR's are unlimited, but messages are max 5 in a day for free members. So when you run out of messages you might still get someone's attention. Jun 12 13 12:23 pm Link DOUGLASFOTOS wrote: If they're dumb enough to not be able to figure it out. Jun 12 13 12:26 pm Link So much noise about something so unimportant...pitiful! Jun 12 13 12:40 pm Link This is not FB where if you accept a friend request they can see everything you do and say. I see no problem with lots of friends because they don't have any effect on your portfolio or MM experience. Jun 12 13 12:51 pm Link That Italian Guy wrote: +1 Helios wrote: OK. Jun 12 13 12:59 pm Link Helios wrote: I clearly state that I don't accept drive-by friend invitations on my profile: Jun 12 13 01:00 pm Link I accept all friend requests unless they have violent or gruesome looking photos. I try to keep things positive.  Jun 12 13 01:03 pm Link Helios wrote: +1 Jun 12 13 01:03 pm Link Helios wrote: Ouch! Helios wrote: If it bugs you that badly, you can always delete your account. Poof! No more friend requests. Jun 12 13 01:15 pm Link This is primarily a social networking site...remember ? There are certain realities that come with using a site like this and the friend requests is what comes with it. Frankly, you are putting yourself out there and asking folks to take an interest in you and your work. everyone gets random friend requests every now and then ....its not a big deal to click the decline button and more on. This site isn't (and shouldn't) be your primary business site, but should be used mainly for displaying yourself and well,....network. I think you might want to lighten up just a little. Jun 12 13 01:27 pm Link I do see both sides of this issue and I agree with some of both of them to be honest. While I do not see a big deal in accepting or not accepting a friend request I kind of see it as pointless if there is never any further communication with that friend. Some just want to collect friends off here. For those condemning the OP claiming "this is a networking site" umm if you never communicate with the person again other then a simple click accepting friend how have you networked with them? Oh right...you haven't really. I wonder how many people who have these thousands of friends have actually even so much as typed one word to each other in order to discuss actually working together or sharing ideas in any way period. That being said you never know when you may end up doing so, so why throw away that opportunity by being annoyed with a fr. A friend request is one way to communicate that you are interested in networking with that person or at least that's how I see it, so it can be valuable at the same time. Take it as a compliment. OP you would be wise to think about how you might want to use the friend request as knowledge someone likes your work enough to maybe want to work with you and contact them so that it could become more useful then just a friend request. Maybe they know someone in your area even if they are not there and you never know when knowing someone can come in handy. As someone else said, basic members only get 5 messages a day and may have used them up already but want you to know that they have seen and appreciate your work. I also tend to only look to add friend to someone I either have worked with or been in contact in regards to actually working with them, but there is no "wrong" way to go about these things. Jun 12 13 01:43 pm Link When I joined MM I sent a friend request to all the photographers, MUAs etc in my area. If they want to accept them it's awesome and hopefully the start of good networking which is what I came to this site for and have actually worked with a few people by doing this. If you don't want to accept friend requests they put a decline button on there for a reason. Jun 12 13 03:09 pm Link Cherrybomb Photography wrote: Then by all means please do not stop by my port Jun 12 13 03:39 pm Link Idk but I like random friend requests! Jun 12 13 08:17 pm Link Models need friends in their potential work areas.. and since the bullitins are directly linked to friends they show unoffical casting calls made by their photographer friends. More friends> a wider the scope of bullitins> potentially more work! networking to the max! who collects the most bottle caps wins! Jun 12 13 08:45 pm Link Helios wrote: That's exactly how it was marketed the first year or so: MySpace for photographers and models. (Facebook wasn't mainstream enough to compare with then.) Jun 12 13 11:26 pm Link I pick my battles... Random friend requests and any other spam tags or messages don't make the cut. I couldn't care less about it Jun 12 13 11:38 pm Link The first three days I had on Model Mayhem I came upon this issue, and I solved it with what I have on my own page, the following: FRIEND LIST RULES: I only allow people that have worked with me, or will work with me in the near future, or colleagues on my friend list. Before getting on my friend list you need to send me a message stating your interest if I don't know you. Most of you I do not know, so it will be a pleasure to speak with you. If you'd like to get some references, you may send me a message, as some of the people on my friend list have yet to work with me. Jun 12 13 11:52 pm Link I use friends as a reference tool for models. As such, I only accept friend requests from models I've collaborated with. Jun 13 13 12:38 am Link Helios wrote: sorry to say, but you are in the wrong place for that my friend. There are a few of us who actually work, but most are here as wannabe's and think it is a numbers game or popularity contest of some sort. The fact is that if you want a genuine network, it happens off the internet most of the time by good old fashioned handshakes and talking to people in person still. good luck Jun 13 13 12:49 am Link I like random friend requests. Sometimes they are not as random as you think. I sometimes prefer a simple FR to the comments, tags and declarations of undying respect and admiration, which tend to get lost. I like it when a model uses the "less is more" approach, to see if I like the portfolio or not. nothing wrong with a random FR to make life interesting... Jun 13 13 06:15 am Link When I get a random FR, I usually send them a PM stating that I try to keep my Friends list to people that I either have worked with or would like to work with. If their profile shows some reason that is unlikely (they live far away, PAID only, etc.), I'll ask if there is a way around that obstacle (they travel to my area from time to time, they really do some TF but want to be selective, etc.). Sometimes they answer and are accepted. Most times, crickets, and I just let the FR hang there. If they were using the FR to say "Hi", it worked and we are now communicating. Note to newer members, the 5 message/day limit only refers to starting a dialog with someone. You can reply to an existing thread of messages without limit. If you've been here long enough, your daily limit is 15, not 5. Jun 13 13 08:42 am Link Part of networking is "visibility". Jun 13 13 09:01 am Link DarrylPascoePhotography wrote: Not pointless at all. Jun 13 13 09:10 am Link That Italian Guy wrote: I agree there really is no serious downside to a friend request and see no big deal with it, and I do agree with the idea that it may allow more people to see your profile. I think it comes down to whether or not you use MM as a client base via your profile or not. If so, the more people that see it (much like a website) the better. If it is not a site you use to advertise your work for clientele you are less likely to feel a random request from someone you do not plan to work with for whatever reason is helpful to you. Again as I did mention in my other post, its certainly not impossible for a random FR to turn into something else so what's the harm, but overall it really does make a difference what this site is used for in regards to your photography. Jun 13 13 09:33 am Link Do what I do. This is currently active on my profile now. Because of my "LEGACY" member status, I can embed graphics in my profile. The picture is working. There are a few random friend requests; however most profiles who contacts me here are serious about professional networking.  Jun 13 13 09:37 am Link When I send out FRs, they are not "random." If there is a local model with a certain look I just may be interested in working with later for my particular medium and genre, I send an FR. So I am somewhat selective but usually 3/5 of the time, I am accepted. If not, no biggie at all. We keep moving. I try and assess portfolios and vibe from a particular model, not so much genre and profile (we right-brain types get good readings from facial cues). Because you never really know til you know, as I have experienced. Your MM "friends" list is really like a customized Mayhem filing system or database. Like others point out, LOL at the thought of equating a MM "friends" list with the more personal FB list or something like that. Jun 13 13 09:46 am Link Using MM as a client base? What clients? Freelance models count as clients? If you are relying on MM to make a buck, you better find a new business model!  Have you seen the flake threads lately? haha Seriously... Professional networking - if this site had only professionals I might agree with that. If agencies were represented here and looking for talent I would consider calling this "professional networking". Since the professionals and clients that pay aren't on here....what the hell are you worried about?? Jun 13 13 10:02 am Link I think that as this is a networking site it's a bit silly to say 'don't add me'. I'm new to this site and what you said makes me feel a bit put off, I know you make money and are of 'bigger things' but why not embrace it. If I'd add you I'd feel like I'm giving you a compliment, it means I like your work. Jun 13 13 12:52 pm Link "No ones mentioned the ones you deny, that go on to re-add you another 4times, without saying a word ever" Just creepy, no thank you! Jun 13 13 01:42 pm Link I'd rather receive messages with actual concrete ideas for working together than a handful of "you're bald/cool/weird!" messages; I feel like a friend request can replace the latter type. I see no harm in it, and actually like the odd friend request. Sometimes it actually is someone I want to work with that I wouldn't have found otherwise. Jun 13 13 01:55 pm Link Strange how the people with the most "friends" also seem to have many more "views" on their images than people with very few friends. It's almost as if networking/accepting friend requests increases your exposure, and causes more people to view your work. Go figure. I learned through personal experience that accepting all friend requests is the way to go, but it really depends on what you're trying to use the site for. If you just want to be able to say you have a portfolio, or you wish to cold contact every single person you're interested in working with, than rejecting friend requests is the way to go. If you'd like to increase your exposure, get your name out there, and are interested in people contacting you, then accepting friend requests is a much better choice. You have to keep in mind that friend requests are a much bigger deal to some people than they are to others. You never know what bridges you may be burning when you routinely reject requests (it actually hurts some people's feelings) but there's absolutely no harm in accepting them. Rejecting friend requests sends off a "I think I'm better than you" vibe that rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Jun 13 13 02:09 pm Link MelissaAnn wrote: Really? Jun 13 13 02:30 pm Link I can offer the OP a "newbie" POV. I did a search for models in my area not set to "paid only" who were active in the past 30 days and looked at the profiles of each. If they said something like "no random friend requests" or similar, I moved on. If they didn't, and I liked their work and might want to collaborate with them at some future point, I sent a FR. Some accepted. Some did not. I didn't have a sinister motive, I simply wanted an easy way to locate these folks again. I have since spoken to a few of the ones who said yes, and have been working out shoot details, so overall it's been useful as an icebreaker as well. Jun 13 13 05:05 pm Link I guess I don't see any harm in accepting friend requests, even random drive-by friend requests. Sure, a lot of them might be meaningless, but so what? I don't see any compelling reason to turn them down. It isn't like MM limits my friend list, or it uses up too much of my precious internet space or something. The only friend requests I decline are the occasional people who are obvious spammers. All others are welcome. Have a nice day! Jun 13 13 09:56 pm Link You can do what you like with your FR, but this is kind of a social networking site and you want to promote yourself. Jun 14 13 12:27 am Link Helios wrote: Next time, before you write things like this, count to 10. Jun 14 13 01:33 am Link Helios wrote: I just think the newbies get overly excited and want to work with the best of the best. For my example I am looking forward to working with the best. But I do understand you about reading bio's that is a major rejection if you can't take the time to know about me besides my photo's (my professional work soon to come). AMEN Jun 14 13 07:33 am Link What a f'n joke you are, I don't want you on my friends list unless you do something for me. Jun 15 13 08:52 pm Link I don't see why people want a comment or tag before they accept someone as a friend. What does that prove?  I look at FR's from models and retouchers as an invitation to beg them to work and as a "tip of the cap" from photographers. I simply add everyone and not very much happens after that. No sweat!Jun 16 13 03:11 am Link |
