Author Topic: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?  (Read 12075 times)

Offline SSM2005

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Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« on: April 26, 2014, 09:51:41 AM »
I am under the opinion that our site is not living up to it's name of "ship" spotting due to the size of some vessels uploaded. For example, tiny yachts, crab boats and little sail boats are popping up all over the site, as well as lifeboats. I know that there are categories for these types, but do we really need these? The site has to keep on top of photo numbers, so we could help by putting a ship size limit on photos, for example, only allow vessels over 3,000gt, or something along those lines. 

Offline Tony_Birdman

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2014, 11:57:53 AM »
the site should be for pics of any vessel on the water, even though it says Shipspotting, doesnt have to be ships only, if it were only for ships over 3000grt then you'd probably lose many people. :'(
what i like about the site is that anything is usually uploaded and that includes wrecks and relics and so on.

just keep everything in catergories as this is the best way.

Offline Captain Ted

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2014, 12:18:13 PM »
@ Shaun
Perhaps then only megaboxers and paxers over 50000 GT ?

You may have noticed that Casualties/wrecks draw almost always a lot of hits.
NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

Offline Tony_Birdman

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2014, 12:30:29 PM »
@ Shaun
Perhaps then only megaboxers and paxers over 50000 GT ?

You may have noticed that Casualties/wrecks draw almost always a lot of hits.


casualties/wrecks sure do draw a lot of attention, everytime i get on this site i check those catergories out, even keep an eye out to see whats happening with the costa concordia.

i see at the home page it says 1.6 million pics, thats a lot of pics hey.

Offline Dеnis

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2014, 12:55:34 PM »
The site is up to anyone's appetite, so see whatever you like. There are even amphibious buses pop out here sometimes! ;D
Yeah, I'm also wondering like why would someone bother to take a shot of some RIB or boring 10m white sailboat & upload when there are thousands of similar ones already on site? But lol, I bother clicking only on whatever is interesting for me.
Regards,
Denis

Offline Sydney Sinclair

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2014, 01:27:47 PM »
Hi I have been uploading photos since 2006 if i was to wait for vessel over 3000gt to arrive in Lerwick i would some times have a long wait.I only open up and look at the categories i want to so whats the problem.

Regards Sydney   

Offline chrisg46

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2014, 01:54:31 PM »
It seems to me that as long as the site owners are happy with what is uploaded, why would anyone have a problem - after all, as site users, we only have to look at what interests us . .
Chris
I'm a working shipping journo, and run a website called ShippingTV . . .
http://www.shippingtv.co.uk

Offline Captain Ted

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2014, 02:44:47 PM »
For my part as long the pictures meet the set site standard I have no problems with it
As a lot others mention,,Look at what you like and overlook the rest.
 
NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

Offline Dave Forbes

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2014, 04:55:24 PM »
Maybe it should be named 'Maritime Spotting'. Every vessel has a history or new vessels about to make history. I have no problems with the categories , variety is the spice of life as they say! There are some interesting smaller vessels to look through. I particularly like the ancient vessels Cat. Stop complaining and get on with it.

Offline Kyle Stubbs

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #9 on: April 27, 2014, 05:49:42 AM »
It all depends on your definition of the word "ship."

"Officially," from dictionary.com, the definition of Ship we are interested in is: Noun, "a vessel, especially a large oceangoing one propelled by sails or engines."

Since the large, oceangoing port is optional, we can look at the definition of Vessel: Noun, "a craft for travelling on water, now usually one larger than an ordinary rowboat."

That's just one definition however. In my military background we were always told a ship was a vessel large enough to carry it's own boat. Considering the size of some vessels I've seen carrying dinghies, that doesn't generate a very large threshold.

A century ago, if you'd asked an old salt what a ship was, he'd probably have told you it was a sailing vessel with three or more full-rigged masts.

So really, there's not much of a point in arguing over what is a fairly loose term to begin with. The site has its standards, and they allow us to post almost any interesting ships, boats, vessels or craft we encounter. Let's stick with that.

Kind Regards,
Kyle
"Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often." -Mark Twain

Offline canberra97

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #10 on: April 27, 2014, 11:06:33 PM »
It would also be of benefit to a lot of us if the location and possibly the date taken of the picture was always added.
Cunard Line 1983/1987
British Channel Island Ferries,B.C.I.F. 1987/1993
Geest Line 1993/1993
P&O European Ferries 1993/1993
Stena Line 1993/1996
P&O Ferries 1997/2005
Intercruises 2006/2013
Carnival Port Ops 2014
Red Funnel Ferries 2015
Intercruises 2016/2017
European Cruise Service 2017-

Offline SSM2005

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #11 on: April 28, 2014, 08:01:05 PM »
I think that this size of vessel (no offence to the photographer, is going too far

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2022745
« Last Edit: April 28, 2014, 08:02:54 PM by Shaun Smith Milne »

Offline jdap

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2014, 01:33:14 PM »
From my own, very personal experience, and as an active photographer (not necessarily an outstanding one), I must say I am very comfortable with the categories available for vessel classification at this website. I also feel comfortable with the current rules and regulations applying to each one of them.

I try my best to faithfully describe what I see on water that may have an interest to others, regardless of vessel size, provided it falls into one of the available categories.

So I may capture something small today, and something very big tomorrow. Who cares?

From the number of hits any of my photos has received so far, and that is generally middle of the road for most of them, I cannot draw any conclusions regarding viewer preferences or trends.

Some people go for the smaller stuff, others go for the bigger stuff. I often get surprised with the amount of attention some of my photos draw - vessels that may not be attractive at first glance end-up receiving lots of attention, whereas others of potentially highly attractive vessels go surprisingly unnoticed.

I believe this is one of the advantages of looking at the website as a 'database of photos of vessels from around the world' and not as an exclusive website for a particular category of vessels.

And being a database, this ends up being the first place you turn to whenever you are looking for information on a specific vessel - no matter what type of vessel. So the number of hits a specific photo receives may increase in peaks over time, as interest on that specific subject develops in the real world. This interest is random, does not coincide with the date of upload, changes over time, and it certainly cannot be pre-determined.

As far as I am concerned, I would vote for leaving things as they are.


« Last Edit: April 30, 2014, 01:56:09 PM by jdap »

Offline Cornelia Klier

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2014, 06:15:55 AM »
I do not really understand where the Problem is. There are categories here, which are not my interest, and I never browse them. That does also cover the boats mentioned above, plus some others.

The good Thing is here, if you did not find this out yet.. you can go "advanced search" and you can select very well what you do want to see. As my interest covers large containerships, bulkers, tankers as well as cruiseships, ferries but same time small coasters from the 50ies, this is a very mighty tool to use.

So, you should try this - and None of the boats will ever again come in your way :)

Greetings,

Cornelia

Offline Hannes van Rijn

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Re: Is this site really 'Ship' spotting?
« Reply #14 on: April 30, 2014, 09:29:14 AM »
I have no problems with it, as long the pictures meet the site standard of Shippspotting
We have excellent administrators who monitor this.
Rgds:Hannes
« Last Edit: April 30, 2014, 03:13:39 PM by Hannes van Rijn »

 

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