I've been here for ....holy crap, 10 years!? Time sure flies. I've seen many of DA's changes and honestly, I liked a lot of them. The latest ones however make me see this site differently now. Once it was a cozy place for me. I was posting any art - good, bad, anything. I was happy to get watchers, regular commenting folks which I'd watch back and comment back to their works. It was this mutual encouragement that was making me feel really at home here. When I came here I saw various Daily Deviations which by current standards likely won't even get accepted in some of the more elitists group. But those gave me hope that one day I may get a DD too! It was just something I aspired to do so I kept pushing myself yet not go too far off from what I loved drawing. At times I felt I have no chance - I'm not drawing popular characters or artistic chicks or anything extremely thought provokative. I was and still am just drawing my characters and illustrating my stories. That will never change for me. Eventually I got a DD. Happiest day on my DA journey! Furthermore, I kept seeing friends I watched get DDs and it made me really happy. It felt like you didn't have to be godly to get a DD and that in no way did or should cheapen the DD award. These artists struggle to get noticed and getting a DD was like, suddenly people see you. Suddenly you get all the eyes on you for one day - your day.
So... through those years DA felt like place for the artists. Lately? Not so much.
With the recent changes it feels like DA tries to shove the popular artists' works down your throat with every chance given. I'm honestly sick of it. I know these artists, everyone knows these artists. I don't in any way hate them, no I do admire and follow some of them. They are awesome artists with thousands of watchers. Everyone new on DA will find them within 3 days the most. Stop shoving them down our throat, Jesus Christ almighty.... there are other artists here who could use shoulder. The new layout was made in a way to just focus the popularity on the popular folks. The lesser known artists became even lesser known. The way DDs are displayed makes just eight stand out on the today's page and the rest well tough luck for them. How is that fair?
Now spotlight on collections? Cause we didn't get enough of the popular fishes' works. Again, I'm not hating them. I simply find it unfair. They already have the spotlight, they have the attention, the watchers, the page previews. Why is DA not trying to motivate the lesser known cut? Those who are learning, who currently struggle to improve, those who look at the big shots and aspire to be like them and could use a little nudge.
Everyone complained from the change and of course nothing was done.
Somewhat that was expected.
Today I check DA only to see a green...splash, or a cactus, or a chromosome, or crossed Z...or something ... on the browser tab. I double take to make sure - yes it's the new logo. Majority of people hate it but nothing will be done. These changes are so brashly made with no asking what the community thinks or wants really discourages me. The places feels alien and cold now. I don't post as much as I used to and I often think; unless I post some polished digi work, I will disappoint my watchers. Then I suddenly realize my watchers mostly quit DA for the same reasons I feel this place is not what it used to be.
I'm typing this cause I have such mixed feelings about the site and well, that's what journals are for. No, I'm not quitting even if I so seldom post. Is it just me? Do you feel the place had changed over the years?
