Live Shame - PhotoFriday: Gray!

THIS JUST IN!

When we saw the them was 'gray' we thought to ourselves, "Dear God, it's over. Entropy has prevailed."

We couldn't bear to look through our tears at the entries and frankly, we didn't care to, especially given the frequency of randy themes on other memes. Our fear was that participants would combine racy and gray and take upskirt shots at the local retirement village.

This we found tied to a rock and thrown through our window:

It appears that virtually any black and white photo is worthy of submission for this week's theme!

Even Sepia tones work:
#191 -- gerryfoto -- http://www.gerryfoto.de/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2007/01/rotoruasw-800.jpg

Guys in Grey jackets:
#51 -- formerlytriphop -- http://orbitalbox.my-expressions.com/archives/6983_1524662581/201743

Selective color (spit):
#107 -- red and gray -- http://www.kabulaev.com/index.php?showimage=60

Cat?
#133 -- pet campbell -- http://www.petsgardenblog.com/2007/06/29/photo-fridaygrey/

Little to no actual gray
#118 -- the pearl -- http://www.gofish.org.uk/photoblog/?date=1182898800

High contrast black and white??
#27 -- Flatline - Grey -- http://flatline.my-expressions.com/archives/5933_1999453276/136343


Just a random sampling...

Best,

The New Agents known as S

Wherein Lies Our Shame?

When we created this Photo Meme Hall of Shame it followed a discussion we had on the Bare Mattress of Love concerning the posting of images to PhotoFriday in a frantic jockeying for position. Our mission was clear and our scope was narrow.

DO NOT POST PHOTOS THAT DO NOT APPLY TO THE THEMES YOU DAFT GITS!!!

Since we have brought to light this little habit, with few notable exceptions this rule now seems to be followed (more or less).

Through the work of our many street agents (X, 99, and many others) and even some DAFT GITS WHO USED THEIR OWN NAMES we have found that the scope of shaming needs to be widened to address other aspects of participation in the photo memes.

Some of these come the memes themselves include repeating each others themes, (DO YOU NOT LOOK AT OTHER MEMES, YOU SELF CENTERED BUNCH OF PHOTO MEME MODERATORS???), allowing rampant vote fraud and thrusting into Victory those with the itchiest mouse fingers, Strict rules meant to increase participation which only leads to photographer abuse.

And then those participants who abuse the system by submitting the same images over and over (Oh how have grown to loathe the Bride with the frosting on her face), those who attach signs and symbols to their names at Photo Friday to be noticed (most recent abuser __________ms (no link granted)).

So we need your help. We want to know. What bugs you the most?

As always we have mutiple means of submission. You may either email/tie to a rock and throw through our window with a vote or an explanation you'd like to have posted anonymously. Or you may comment as such.

We will keep a tally here and post future comments.

The Biggest Pain in the Arse Is:

PhotoMeme Category
Multiple memes using the same theme: 74
Daft rules we can barely understand: 0
Inconsistent changeover times: 0
Rampant vote fraud/friends always winning: 1
Horrible photos inexplicably always winning: 16
Other: 0

Photographer Category
Posting irrelvent images just to be first: 124
Recycling images multiple times/multiple memes: 67
Abusing entry names using symbols or 'nudity' when there is none. (memeshame's most hated abuse): 1
Winning FAR too often (nudgenudge): 2
Other: 0

Tune in frequently for results. Feel free to forward this link to all of your friends/Romans/countrymen or bring it up around your watercooler at work (or unemployment office if times are tough)

Also, should we create a banner or button indicating one has been shamed? Much like our real time items in our online store. (Attention Shoppers! The first shipments of EVERYTHING has sold out except for the dog jackets! We are simply backordered a few weeks. Please, no more calls!)

Or perhaps have an annual glitzy dinner when we present our 'Shamies'?

A Gold Star On Your Forehead.

We Memes have a simple system we use to determine our collective wants and needs, sort of like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and we are showing it to you only to illustrate a point.

1. Wearing out the Bare Mattress of Love

2. Meeting YOUR needs

3. Shaming you DAFT GITS back into shape.

4. All else.

It's VERY simple. Why do we bring this up at this juncture?

Because in an EARLIER post where we sort of poked a little fun at The Group Photoblog Project Formerly Known as a PhotoMeme and Photoblogs.org Hall of Fame member WeeklyShot we made reference to the special algorithm (We can't stop saying Al Gore Rhythm).

Here at the Photomeme Hall of Shame we have always sortof chuckled up our sleeves at the special algorithm because we have a very simple one.

In order to be listed in our Hall one ONLY NEED BE A DAFT GIT! (and catch our eye or better yet, be ratted out by a Secret Agent who poses as your FRIEND.)

It's easy.

So when we referenced the algorithm and said that we knew what was in it thanks to an agent provocatuer in the TRUEST sense of the word they said they could HANDLE THE TRUTH and wanted to know what it was.

We have it narrowed down to 2 possibilities and they are as follows:

Possibility The First: You take chromasia times a daily dose of imagery divided by skinnybuzzard, then you deduct some points for Blogger or WordPress and more than one image per page. If you use My Expressions or any other of the photoblogging services which do not allow bloggers you get a 15% increase, unless you are Satan's Laundromat. Once you have determined that value there is a small adjustment made for Canon over Nikon. If you use Olympus or Sony, you simply don't add the adjustment. Photographers using point and shoots of any manufacturer that used to sell film like Kodak and Fuji have to subtract 10 percent from their total but users of point and shoots manufactured by companies which also manufacture DSLRs get a 5% increase providing they also carry the DSLR otherwise they have to deduct 5%. Photographers still shooting film receive 7% bonuses for the following cameras: Holga, Diana, Lomo. Medium format film cameras earn you a bonus of 14% while Canon, Minolta, and Nikon SLR cost you 3% towards your final total. If you can submit a sworn affidavit stating that you are using a film SLR after using and building a substantial digital library using a DSLR, the penalty will be removed. Scanning film images or slides will not affect the rating and the adjustments are the same as applicable to the above description of cameras. Photoblogs which play music are disqualified from the Photoblogs.org Hall of Fame unless we like the music, then you simply lose a small adjustment of your final score. Sound effects are excluded. Showing EXIF data earns you a 2% bonus, knowing what the EXIF data means earns you a 12 % bonus (Please submit proof in writing) Participation in the photomemes, with the exception of Weekly Shots does not affect your score but participation in photobloggers.org, a wholly owned subsidiary of photoblogs.org will grant you a 9 percent adjustment of your score prior to the application of the camera information. Participation in Vazaar and microstocks does not affect your score. Participation in flickr is at your own risk, not recommended but will not affect your score negatively unless you belong to 10 or more groups and then you lose .5% per group until your score reaches zero or you run out of groups. Site traffic does not affect your chances or getting into the photoblogs.org Hall of Fame but traffic WILL increase your numbers of bookmarks and appearence on the HOT LIST (A completely different algorithm althogether). Lurking in the newsgroups will not negatively affect your final Hall of Fame score but active participation can earn you up to 20 points. Relevancy will not be taken into account nor will correctness of information provided. 1 point is deducted for not using spell check. Photoblogs which have pop up ads are disqualified from the Photoblogs.org Hall of Fame. Photoblogs with extensive advertising are disqualified from the Photoblogs.org Hall of Fame.

OR

Possibility the Second: You just list a photoblog you like. When questioned, claim existence of complex algorithm.

We also submit for your approval the following letter from a Mr Robert Jones to the Photoblogs.org group re: The Hall of Fame

Hi Guys

I was very pleased to notice my old photoblog called 'Imitationeye' has recently got into the photoblogs hall of fame.

Imitationeye was only running for a couple of months and I closed it down in February this year. So apologies to the people who have clicked the link recently...(there are even a couple of new bookmarks!!)

Of course its a complement and I am grateful, but it does leave me wondering about 'hall of fame'.

What I mean is, shouldn't it be a bit more exclusive?? I mostly agree with the first 10 or so nominations, but after that the quality seems at bit ermm..variable?? And there's still some brilliant photoblogs that aren't yet included...eg Alkos, Shotage, Appareil etc...

Surely photoblogs.org must be scraping the bottom of the barrel if I'm in!

All the best!

Rob

Again, our mission here isn't to bring additional attention to the Photoblogs.org Hall of Fame (Did we mention the Photoblog.org Hall of Fame) but merely because we thought it cute that it contains WeeklyShots which we had never thought of as a Photoblog.


Disclaimer: We actually like the Photoblogs.org Hall of Fame very much as we do all of Mr Stone's projects which we feel truly does bring the entire online photographic community to a higher level.

Calling All Agents Provocateur!

We recently had some Agents check in by tossing their rocks through our windows bringing some attention to some memes themes and a correction we feel the need to make, thusly we begin with the correction:

From a rock with the subject line 'I'd like to inform you'

Dear Photo Meme Hall Of Shame,

Shame on you! You have incorrectly linked my wonderfully evocative and hellish photo, with, one belonging, I believe, to Genre Cookshop: entry date June 6th, in your own entry:

Retro Shaming June 11th:

Hell is indeed a thing of ones own making.

Some fine examples:
-Being 2 back from the light (Oh, how hellish when the car in front stops on yellow! We agree!).

Whew, I think that's clear. If not, please forgive me--I'll take a picture and try to communicate that way. :oP

Yours in pixels,
PJ Taylor
Mostly Sunny *

That would clear things up if we ever went back to check anything. 'Move on!' we always say. 'Sally forth!' 'Never look back lest ye be turned into a pillar of salt!','Don't let the door hitcher ass on the way out.' We have a million of them. Did we ever mention the 7th Earl of Memeshame?
Consider Mostly Sunny's shaming to be unshamed or reshamed up shame placed where shame is due or whatever. SHAME ON!

Next order of business....

THIS JUST IN FROM AGENT XTROARDINAIRE (Husband of the VERRRRRRY lovely Mrs Agent Xtroardinaire)

From a rock with the subject line: MEME SHOWDOWN

Moody Monday and Photo Friday have both chosen ACTIVE as the theme of the week.

It's eeeeeeeeerie......

It's eeeeerie indeed!

*UPDATE* Although we like to have a titter here at the Photo Meme Hall of Shame, it came to our attention that no action was taken on correcting the error pointed out by PJ Taylor. When efforting a little project like this and having our (and hopefully your) fun, we must still be VERY diligent in meeting the expectation of respect for agents, shamees, and visitors the The Photo Meme Hall of Shame. We apologize to Ms Taylor and hope that Genrecookshop gets the shame coming to him/her. Sincerely - The Eds.

Macroday- The Discovery Channel photomeme

Photomeming has always been a family affair round here but lately we've been shielding the innocent eyes of Bindi and Bob-Cat from what has become in recent weeks a rather cheeky Macroday. We have no idea what's going on over there but it has been a slow build-up, with might-be-completely-wide-eyed-and-innocent themes such as 'hole' and 'rubber' being followed up with the more in-yer-face 'body part'. Last week was 'bottom' (we've had to listen to Bob-Cat repeating 'bottom- submit yours' ever since) and this week? Well, this week they have 'sex' (as a theme, that is)! Now, we're no prudes and the bare mattress of love isn't called 'the bare mattress of laying around staring at the ceiling' for a good reason but Bindi and Bob-Cat are at a very impressionable age and we would rather not have them associating *ahem* 'getting it on' with copulating cockroaches, bonking beetles and..umm.. flies.

Has Macroday set up shop on the Reeperbahn, we wonder? Is this an attempt to tap into a whole new photomeme audience. Is Macroday perhaps vanguard of a new wave? Moody Monday was 'loved up' last week, for instance, and 'active' this week. Memeshame tells me he has money on it being 'horny' next (or maybe he paid money for it to be 'horny' next, I'm not altogether sure). Watch this space.

Blaaah is back.

Remember this? http://photo-meme-shame.blogspot.com/2007/04/hall-of-shame-blahhh-theme-protest.html Why not? It should be engraved on your consciousness, popping up both at times convenient and inauspicious.

What is it with photomeme owners and colours? We had white last week for SeeItSunday, Red (the second, no less) for Macroday a few weeks back and now two photomemes are offering the punters 'blue' this week. Our beloved Dale Hudjik got in there first by announcing it a week in advance but Unique Exposures, by virtue of presenting earlier in the week, has already grabbed the attention of a few potential Thursday Challenge participants.

(I injected as much excitement as possible into the previous sentence. It wasn't easy.)

I think what we'll do is shame any of you who submit the same 'blue' photo for both photomemes. That's your challenge.

The Group Photoblog Hall of Shame

Weekly Shots, in a continuing effort to find and redefine itself (and perhaps it's inner child), has christened itself to be a Group Photoblog.

Now much like Kindergarten, everything we ever needed to know about Photoblogging we learned at Photoblogs.org. And a Photoblog is a collection if images by a photographer posted chronologically. And then you have group photoblogs, like the good folks over at WebPix. And then you have your photomemes like the good folks over at, well, the photomemes.

This from the photoblogs.org own wiki as to what a photoblog IS...

A photoblog, therefore, is a form of weblog (blog). Whereas a typical blog uses text as its primary form of communication, in a photoblog the emphasis is photographs. Some blogs also contain pictures; some photoblogs also contain text. When is a blog a photoblog? When the emphasis is the photography and the images are not just used to illustrate the text.

Like more common text-based blogs, photoblogs usually have one author, but some have two or many more authors. Like text-based blogs, entries are usually posted to the photoblog by the author on a regular basis. The resulting posts are usually time stamped and listed in chronological order with the most recent photo (or photos) shown first and on the main page of the photoblog. Older entries are accessed via links that allow a visitor to navigate forward and back, chronologically through a photoblog's images.

Typically, some kind archive is available, often divided by month or category. Most photoblogs also allow visitors to leave comments that are associated with a particular entry. These comments allow a photoblog to establish a community of visitors. Comments usually link back to the commenter's site. This further permits the creation of a loose community with authors and visitors able to access, share and communicate through each others sites.
The dynamic nature of blogs and photoblogs compared to static sites means that blogs require some form of content management system (CMS) rather than being built by hand. These content management systems usually provide the photoblog's authors with a web service that allows the creation and management of posts and the uploading of images. The CMS delivers webpages based on the data entered by the photoblog author. Access to photoblogs is usually unrestricted and available to anyone with internet access and a browser.

Ok, students, listen up. Blogger, which is quite bloglike and may contain photos is scorned as 'not a photoblog'. However, according to this definition, FLICKR may be considered a photoblog.

So children, if YOU are a member of flickr, you are a member of perhaps the greatest group photoblog EVER!

However, it's unlikely you will see yourself in the Photoblogs.org Hall of Fame anytime soon.

But back to Weekly Shots...

Not only is it a photoblog. It's a HOT photoblog. According to Photoblogs.org of which Weekly Shot is like...a cousin. AND it is in the HALL OF FAME!

Flickr? No.
Any other Photomeme? No.
Any other group photoblog? We don't know! What do we look like, know-it-alls?

But Weekly Shot is.

But ONLY because of a complex algorithm. Very complex. We'd explain it to you, but you wouldn't understand. So let's just say it's a algorithm and complex. And made up of MANY factors.

We can't tell you all, but we can tell you two.

1. Being a photoblog.

and now

2. Shameless self promotion.

Live Shaming

This week's award for the worst posting, nearly fitting into a category of their own of "Dirty Tricks, Scoundrels and Cheeders" goes to Shutters who...

THIS JUST IN!

Shutters, who held the 1st place position by submitting a terrible photo of a lame bridge later to be replaced with some football players, was DELETED and forced to resubmit to a more appropriate 14th place.

Kudos go out to Marc and Nick for moderating their fine photomeme.

Retro Shaming

Back in the early 1950s when we created the Photo Meme Hall of Shame Agent Program, the world was a simpler place. Black/White, Good/Bad, Kukla/Fran/Ollie. People knew where they stood, they were either against something or for something.

Today, the lines are blurred. We try to set points from which there can be no ambiguity. We Memes, operate not only from the Bare Mattress of Love, but from a rock solid foundation of what is Shameful and what is not. For instance...

Shameful: jkirlin, name changing/posting ANYTHING to be early/then we find not even posting HIMSELF all the time. (and shamed he is and he takes it relatively well. Permission of shamee granted for this ahead of time)

Not Shameful: neene, we just don't understand sometimes but always find her and her images to be lovely and sincere.

But then...

Shameful/Not Shameful: Our good friend Rich Legg is deserving of Shaming in the jkirlin vein. His images are GREAT but his captions and comments make us CRINGE sometimes. However, he is ALWAYS a complete gentleman when he SHOULD be mailing us pipe bombs from his shack in Montana (Or Utah, wherever). (As an aside, Mr Legg also runs his own something or other on his flickr site for his contacts of which there are thousands. Look for more information on that here in a future post)

See the lines blurring?

Recently we received the following transmission on the Photo Meme Hall of Shame Shortwave Radio/Teletype/Telex Machine from one of our agents in the field:

Begin Transmission

Greetings.

Agent X back from... well, doing actual work.

Now that the Money Challenge is closed for submission, but open for voting, let's take a closer look:

mooch does not know bling from tree deco:http://www.moochuk.com/index.php?showimage=621

Steve Barru found some rather half-hearted sale digging... but it's losely related to money, I guess. Not exactly Filene's on President's Day though: http://stevebarru.com/photoblog/index.php?showimage=241

neene... randomly associates a brand new shoe and an empty digestif bottle with poverty (one must assume - no explanation was required)http://imageresponse.blogspot.com/2007/06/money.html

The one-eyed man and the latentsifier both clobber us with the subtle Oil = Money. http://www.johnsimpson.ca/index.php/image/norsea.jpg/

http://www.wilsonhurst.com/irontone/?p=1046 ...whereby the latentsifier sees and raises the one-eyed man by throwing an anncillary jab at the mighty grain industry.

Bizzlepix shows us an unloved piano, and a man with new gloves...but a really cool transition animation of a Krazy Kitty between pages! Worth surfing the blog just for that, as well as his lovely photography! http://photos.bizzlepix.com/index.php?showimage=92

Daily Photo Evolution shows us that without deliveries, shoes never wear out, and everyone stays poor - a rather youthful view of globalization... http://why.aminus3.com/image/2007-01-13.html

Powerbreak shows us a popular flag and a phone company office building: http://www.flickr.com/photos/szczesny/533070338/

The Telex also included the following caveat:

You should adjust my comments to be less snippy if you want to use them and think it warrants fine-tuning.

Just consider this an effort to help out the Cause. (Note - writ large)

End transmission

We Memes stood slack jawed with the curled themal paper in our hands unsure as to how to proceed. We stood there shoving it back and forth at each other like it was a hot potato.

This Agent X is the least snippiest of the dozens of agents and the most knowledgable of the field of Money. We Memes know nothing of money, having so much of it so easily and using so little. We clicked each of the links and, to be quite honest, did not understand either the submission, or the agents report.

As such, we will accept any or all reports of shaming to be valid, but also any or all defenses to be valid.

If you are reading this because you are newly Shamed, please see the previous post for our challenge letter template.

Retro Shaming

"Every man must live in a Hell of his own making" - The 7th Earl of Memeshame (1741)

Quite the toastmaster was the 7th Earl of Memeshame. We have hundreds of his old sayings and sea ditties which he left to us on DVD before his untimely passing at the hands of a jealous husband in 1768 at the age of 91.

He used to give out his wit an wisdom freely. A little too freely if you ask us. "Go to Hell"? That was his. Completely uncopyrighted and dumped right into the damned public domain. He's been left out of nighttime blessings ever since.

Hell has come a long way since his day as seen in this week's Moody Monday theme of Hellish.

Hell is indeed a thing of ones own making.

Some fine examples:

A car without AC;
Starting blogging;
Just having washed your car;
Posting incorrectly;
A lovely skylight;
White clothing (between Labor and Memorial day in the US, uncertain about China)
Watching card playing on the telly;
Whitewater;
Air Canada?;
A peat bog;
Second thoughts;
A bit of ick;
Being 2 back from the light (Oh, how hellish when the car in front stops on yellow!! We agree!);
Mass transportation;
Parked heavy equipment.

Given the high number of new shamees this week we are including the following template of our typical mail to assist with your response.

Dear (expletive deleted)

I am _(Your name)_ and I participated in _(Photo Meme)_ on __(Date)__and you 2 (expletives deleted) decided to (expletive deleted) list my (expletive deleted) submission to that (expletive deleted) photo meme. Who the (expletive deleted) appointed you (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) to be the (expletive deleted) arbiter of what the (expletive deleted) is a (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) valid submission to a (expletive deleted) photo (expletive deleted) contest? Who the (expletive deleted) do you (expletive deleted) think you (expletive deleted) are?

Love,

__(Your name here)__

Then what happens is that we try to talk you down off the ledge and offer you a place on our little list of photographer that we like because we DO like you. After all we are...

Your noisy upstairs neighbours,

The Right Honourable Memes, Monitor and Shame Esq. (et al)

P.S. (If that fails, we simply blame 'al' of (et al) fame and agree with you completely.

Live Shaming

This just in.

"Hey Shames. You need to shame that jkirlin for posting a decidely non-pure thing to Photo Friday. Don't even link to him here. I suspect he's just attention seeking. Thanks. P.S. I'd like to be referred to as 'Agent Orange' "

Sorry Agent Orange but it's our policy to link to even the worst offenders ( and can there be many worse than our dear Mr Kirlin?)

And enough with the chameleon names. We still know who you are.

Full Moon Thursdays?

First we find that Dale Hudjik is not only voting for his own personal favorites at Thursday Challenge but he is ALSO letting you vote on whether or not *HE* should continue to vote.

We love Dale.

We think he's a bit Looney, but we love him.

Thursday Challenge is one of our favorite photomemes because it's so Democratic. There are no stars, there are no winners, there are no good or bad photographers. There are participants. And Participate they do at a tune of around 150 per week.

Dale accepts no advertising dollars, has no links to his own photoblog (Did you know he was a photographer?). He is the last of the Photographic Non-Whores. For now. We shall see where this little 'personal' favorites thing leads. We suspect to offers that will SHOCK, SHOCK WE SAY, Mr Dale Hudjik and make him wonder what sort of world of debauchery, money, sex, corruption, and unlimited power he has been dabbling in.

Which bring us to us and a letter we received tied to a rock and thrown through the window:

From Agent O:

Hi folks, You're my only port of call, so to speak ;) Are you able to tell me what's going on with the PhotoSharks site today (Thursday 7 June)? Each time I've hit the site, I'm asked for a user name and password. What gives? Please don't tell me that they've suddenly become a gated community - please say it ain't so ;) Ciao,

Dear Agent O,

Not only is PhotoSharks now a gated community, but we, your noisy upstairs neighbors, Memes Monitor and Shame, Esquire, (et al) are its gate keepers. For your user name and password please email us a check for 100 of your local currency units. Not the LITTLE units, but the ones we can actually BUY something with. Then 100 of them.

Now that we think of it, email us the check and rather than send you a user name and password which could be tortured out of you by other far less generous or gullible Photo Sharks we will simply 'make it work' for you. BUT NOT UNTIL WE ARE EMAILED A CHECK! For faster service, please feel free to email us cash.

Peace and love to all of you from all of us here at YOUR port of call: The Photo Meme Hall of Shame

(Now open 24 hours)

THIS JUST IN! Photo Sharks is running again. Don't forget to email us your payments. You are welcome!