So once again we have a brand new feature that has been released to everyone, and a lot of people are up in arms about it. This is more than understandable, the system is buggy and it doesn't work quite right for everyone. But for many people it does work well, and many people do like it. They don't speak up though, because they are happy with it so they don't have as much reason to speak up as the people who are having problems.

Think about the last ten products you bought that you liked and worked well, did you contact the company that made it or leave a review on their website or something of that sort? Now think about the last ten products you bought that you didn't like or were broken or whatever, what did you do? My guess is you complained, either through a review or a return or something of that sort. My point is, unless something is wrong people don't generally speak up. This makes it seem like many more people dislike a new feature than do, because the people that do just aren't speaking up.

That's not to say your points aren't valid if you're having issues, they totally are, but there are better ways to discuss your issues than leaving rage comments on update articles. There's really nothing the staff can do with a rage comment, it doesn't tell them anything. But if you leave a good, constructive comment, there's much more the staff can do with that. A constructive comment allows them to know exactly what your issue is and discuss it. But how do you leave a constructive comment on a new feature? It's much the same as leaving a critique on a piece of artwork.

Bugs
First off, lets talk about bugs a little bit. There will always be bugs with new releases, no matter how long they've been in beta-testing. When things get released new bugs come up because suddenly there's a ton more people using the feature and they all have different browser/computer/internet/browser extension combinations. The staff gets rid of as many bugs as possible during beta testing, but some slip through the cracks. The staff are only human (as far as we know, anyhow ) and things can slip through the cracks.

You also have to realize that there is no magic button that fixes bugs, if there was there wouldn't be bugs. They take time and skill to fix, it doesn't happen overnight. The bugs have to 1)be found, 2)be figured out, 3)be fixed. Some bugs will also take priority over others, for example a bug causing a broken submit button is generally going to be looked into quicker than a bug causing the submit button to be slightly off center. Just because a bug isn't fixed immediately doesn't mean the staff aren't working on it.

If you experience a bug the best thing you can do is report it to the help desk. When you select "Bug Report" from the drop-down you'll be met with a list of instructions on how to try and figure out the bug. If you do these before submitting your ticket you may be able to figure out what's causing your issue and better explain it in your report. It is better to submit a bug to the help desk than just leaving a comment on the update article. A comment about a bug on the new feature article is easily missed and your bug may not be addressed as quickly. A bug report ensures that the staff will see your issue.

When submitting a ticket on a bug please be sure it is actually a bug and not just something you don't understand, or feedback that isn't related to a bug at all! Incorrect reports slow the help desk down and make it harder to get to the real issues. If you're ever unsure if something is a bug or not, I advise visiting the help chat and talking with someone in there about it. They'll be able to help you figure out if what you're experiencing is a bug and what to do about it. You can post your non-bug related feedback on the journal about the feature, your journal, deviations, etc.

"My ticket was marked as resolved but the issue is still there!" Just because a ticket is marked as resolved doesn't mean the issue is fixed, this is usually stated with the ticket but I'm going to put it in this article as well.

Please note that if this ticket is set to resolved this does not  necessarily mean that your issue is fixed, but that there is no further  reason for the ticket to remain open as we have collected all the  necessary information we need in order to look into the situation.

Leaving constructive feedback.
Leaving constructive feedback is a lot like critiquing a piece of artwork, but not everyone knows how to do that, so here's a quick breakdown of how to leave good feedback.
Start by actually using the feature. I really don't think I should need to say this, but I do. I have seen lots of comments from people who rage about a new feature and then come back a few minutes later and sheepishly admit they actually really like it but hadn't tried it, they were just complaining because everyone else was. I've also seen people who refuse to try a new feature just because everyone else is complaining about it, but they still feel the need to complain as well even though they haven't tried it themselves.
Report any bugs and report them as discussed in the previous section. Bugs are not part of a feature, they're bugs. They have no reflection on the actual intent of the feature.
Figure out what you like and don't like. Figure out why. If you can tell the staff WHY you don't like something it will make your comment much more helpful to them then just complaining about the feature.
Tell them. Leave your comment about what you like, don't like, and why on the journal about the new feature, write your own journal, make a poll, etc.
Leave suggestions about how you think those parts you don't like could be made better.

Let's take a look at some constructive comments from the newest feature release, the new submit page, to get an idea of what a good comment looks like.

"I didn't have the new submission page until now, so today was my first  time using it. I don't have any complaints. It works just fine for me  and there are a few options that make things easier (like being able to  submit to multiple folders at the same time). The only annoying thing  about it is the color, it would be nice if it could be changed to  deviantart green."-*X-Spread-Wings-X (View the comment here.)

"Quicker? No. Its not x.x if anything it takes twice as long...maybe even  triple that time! Its laggy and I'm still waiting for the screen to  change to give me the rest of my options! Mind you, I started trying to  submit my work at 11:39-11:40 and its now 11:48!!! Its not my internet  because every other page I'm loading is snapping right up! Its not even  the rest of deviantart! I'm browsing through art, chatting, faving and  commenting with ease! I had read all the comments before about this when  it was being beta tested and heard testimonials from my friends who had  it and I knew the majority of it was negative! I was willing to give it  the benefit of the doubt cause some days I do like to submit with  stash...mainly cause the preview for the image is bigger...but looking  at it now, experiencing it...they were right so far! Unless these issues  are cleared up I feel this new addition is just going to keep sinking  in the list of failures deviantart has produced

...
I do like that the image is larger when previewing. Big help and I can  actually see if I've grabbed the wrong file (such as a corrected file  opposed to a flawed one). If by some miracle you revamp this and improve  upon it...please keep that.

Submitting to all those folders 8D I  LOVE THAT. I do not have to go back into my gallery and  reorganize...THAT IS JUST BRILLIANT! Keep that."-*AllegedStitches ( I have shortened this because of how long it is. You can view the whole comment here.)

"I will start by commending dA on a few features of the new submit  page (which to me is about three months old and has improved since the  initial release). The ability to submit to multiple folders is an improvement  over the old form, the categories are searchable and give a decently  better idea of what is expected per each category, the enlarged  thumbnail is considerably more useful than the... nail-sized thumbnail  of the original page... and most importantly, to me, you can now  retroactively make deviations group-exclusive as well as easily submit  group-exclusive scraps (I love you guys so much for this you have no  idea).

That all said... the page is painfully slow. I imagine by  "quick and easy" you mean "to fill out", which also isn't necessarily  true in practice because it takes some time for it to register that you  uploaded a goddamn image. I am consistently finding, particularly on  slower networks, that the auto-save feature shared between the submit  form and sta.sh delays the submission (and editing) process  considerably. You could probably save so much time (and necessity to  re-upload things) by making that particular feature optional.

Yes.  I want an off button for auto-save. I really really really want an off  button for auto-save. Believe it or not, Firefox has this ingenius  add-on called Lazarus which remembers all the text I type for me.  Amazing, I know. And would you also believe that it doesn't lag?  Absolutely astounding. And by golly, it works on multiple websites.  Imagine that.

Snark aside. Auto-save. I don't want it, I don't need it, and it gets in my way; let me turn it off.

Aside  from that, I will put forth the same complaint you have been receiving  since day one-- change the color of the layout. We all want the  deviantART standard green, give us the deviantART standard green. It's a  color change. How difficult can that honestly be? Or at the very least  do me a favor and change the color behind the thumbnail. You kinda  defeat the purpose of that preview if I can check the transparency at  that stage because your background is white."-=Yoriden150 (View the comment here.)

Those are all good examples of constructive feedback. The first one also shows that you don't need to write a ten paragraph essay to leave constructive feedback, which is an important thing to realize. As long as you are coherent and give constructive feedback the length doesn't really matter. These deviants used the feature, decided what they did and didn't like, explained it in a well organized manner, and told the staff about this in a format the staff can actually use to look over and make decisions about what direction to go.

But the staff don't respond to my comments, so why does it matter?
I'm going to throw in a little personal experience here to try and explain this one. This morning I woke up with around thirty comments and replies about the new submit page in my inbox, only thirty. It took me about half an hour to read through all of them, since I like to read through all my comments/replies before I respond so I can address the urgent ones first. When I actually started replying to all the comments/replies it took me nearly two hours to get through just those thirty. Can you imagine what it's like for the staff who get hundreds at a time? There's no way they can answer every single comment, many of them saying nearly the exact same thing. They have more important things to do, like actually fixing the issues that are occurring. Would you rather they didn't fix the issues quickly, and instead spent hours responding to every single comment? The staff do read over every comment, but they don't have the time to respond to every single one. This doesn't mean your issues aren't being addressed, in fact it means they have a better chance of getting addressed because the staff are delegating their time towards actually fixing them, rather then just telling you they're going to fix them.

Be patient.
Features will be buggy when they come out, they will have rough edges. These aren't things that can be fixed overnight. Give the staff some time to iron things out before you start jumping down their throats with death threats. Not that you should ever do that anyways, but the point is that things need time. The staff didn't intentionally release a system with bugs just so they could sit back and laugh at everyone else who was having issues, they're doing everything they can to find and fix the bugs as fast as they can. You just need to give them a little time. The best thing you can do is leave constructive feedback, file well explained bug reports, and not clog the help desk with feedback that belongs elsewhere.

The Holiday Card Project is a project conducted by deviantART to collect holiday cards from deviants around the world to be distributed to different hospitals and bring a little holiday cheer to the people in those hospitals. This year I was lucky enough to be able to participate in this project in a major way: handing out cards to a local Denver Colorado area hospital. I choose to hand the cards out at my local Veterans hospital and was lucky enough to have picked a hospital with an incredibly friendly volunteer department that was more than willing to let me come hand out cards.


The cards arrived in two bundles, though one broke open. There some freaking amazing cards and artwork in both bundles. You guys are all amazing for making such great cards!



I took the cards out of their bundles and put them in gift bags to keep them sorted and make them easier to hand out. The bag on the left has all the Christmas cards and the two little bags have the non-specific holiday cards.


I've had this toy bag sitting around for awhile and I figured it would be a fun way to bring the cards to the hospital. Cute felted reindeer are always fun, right?

When I got to the hospital I was given a bit of a run around because the volunteer coordinator wasn't there for some reason, but thankfully I was able to get things figured out and get the cards handed out to lots of people! When I got there they asked if I was comfortable handing out cards in the locked psychiatric wards because the men and women there rarely get charitable donations and holiday visitors aside from family due to the nature of the area. I was perfectly fine with it though, and happy to hand out cards to them! But, because it was the locked psychiatric ward, I was not able to bring my camera in and thus didn't get as many photos as I had intended. I did get some when I visited the nursing home/inpatient center though! (Also, I apologize for the bad quality, my camera is old.)




All in all this was a great experience and I loved doing it. The veterans loved all the cards and were amazed that they had come from all over the world. They were very grateful to receive them.

After I handed out the cards the lady I was working with, who is part of the therapy department, asked if I would be willing continue working with the hospital in the future to help them develop some art therapy programs, so I'll probably be coming back to this hospital more in the future.

What is this article about?
As someone who spends an extensive amount of time in the forums I can honestly say that the same questions come up over and over again. Things about college, how to use certain programs, how to take commissions, etc. So I've decided to do an article series about these questions. There won't be a regular schedule to these, since they'll only be written when I start to see an abundance of the same questions coming up. Mostly, I just want to have something to link to so I don't have to write the same response to these questions over and over again.

Our first topic is going to be college related questions. If you have any suggestions for future topics, don't hesitate to note them to me for consideration.

Should I go to Art College?
What college you go to is definitely an important decision, and one you should think very carefully about. It is true that art can be self taught through the internet, but what can't anymore? While you can learn college level stuff through the internet, actually going to college can still have a lot of valuable benefits. It will give you a sounding board of similarly minded and skilled people who in the end may be one of your most powerful influences and learning tools. It will also allow you to make invaluable connections with other people in the art field. Most good art colleges will have teachers who work in the profession they teach and they will be able to help you find jobs, write you credible recommendations, etc. There's also the more structured style of learning that College will give you, which is very important for many people.

The best thing you can do is look at all your options for College and talk to your friends, family, and school counselors to make sure it is the right decision for you.

How do I know if a College is a good College?: Accreditation
The first thing you want to check for is that the school is accredited for your degree program.

What Is College Accreditation?
Accreditation is a voluntary, independent review of educational programs to determine that the education provided is of uniform and sound quality. Being awarded accreditation ensures that an institution has been evaluated and that it met set standards of quality determined by the accrediting organization granting the accreditation. A college or university's accreditation is maintained by continued adherence to the set criteria.

Why is College Accreditation Important? What Type of Accreditation Should I Look For?
There are several reasons accreditation is important besides ensurance of quality and adherence to academic standards. Accreditation determines a school's eligibility for participation in federal (Title IV) and state financial aid programs. Proper accreditation is also important for the acceptance and transfer of college credit, and is a prerequisite for many graduate programs.

How do I find out if a College is accredited?
The first thing to do is to check the college website. If you can't find out through their website, find a phone number you can call to talk to them or an e-mail. If they're evasive about answering you, chances are they aren't accredited.

More Info On College Accreditation

How do I know if a College is a good College?: Other factors to consider
There's a lot of stuff to consider when it comes to college and finding the right fit for you. Those things include tuition, graduation and employment rates, location, degree programs, who their teachers are and what experience they have in what they're teaching, etc. Most colleges should have this information on their website, sometimes under an FAQ section, sometimes under several different sections. Spend some time exploring the websites of the colleges you're interested in and if you can't find the information you're looking for then contact the college over e-mail or the phone and ask.

How do I find a college?
One of the best ways is through a college search website. Some high-schools will have private services you can use, but there are also free public websites you can look into such as Zinch, College Results, College Board, and many more. A simple Google search of "College Search Engine" will bring up a plethora of results for you to use. Keep track of the important factors about each college for easy comparison. Make a chart or a list so that you can easily compare the colleges you're looking at.

College Name:
College Location:
Are they Accredited?:
Do they have the degree program I'm interested in?:
Tuition Rates:
Is boarding provided if I need it? At what cost?:
Entrance Requirements such as GPA, test scores, etc:

Once you have a good list, start narrowing it down to find the best fit for you, and apply to all the colleges on your final list.

How do I put together a good portfolio?
What qualifies as a good portfolio will vary from college to college as well as from degree program to degree program. The best thing for you to do is talk to the colleges you're interested in to see what they recommend. There are, however, some basics you can go by.

Variety
The more variety you can show in your portfolio, the better. It's okay to have pieces that follow the same theme, or are similar in some manner, but make sure to balance them out with other types of work. You can show variety through choice of media, style, etc.

Realism based works
Many colleges like to see that you have studied realism and have at least attempted several pieces in a realistic style.

Recent Works
The more recent your work is, the better. Don't be afraid to put in some older pieces though, it will show your growth as an artist.

A portfolio is a way to present your talents and tell colleges about yourself as an artist. Choose pieces that you think best demonstrate your talent and potential for growth as an artist. Colleges realize all students come into college with different levels of experience and different backgrounds, and they take this into account when reviewing your portfolio.

How do I write an artist statement?
Many colleges will ask you to include an artist statement with your portfolio. Artist statements are tricky things for a lot of people because many people feel like their work should speak for itself and they shouldn't need to explain their entire body of work in a few paragraphs. There's lots of good resources out there to help you to write a good artists statement, but one of my personal favorites is this one, but there are many more out there. It can also be helpful to look up artist statements of your favorite artists, to see how they've done it. Once you have one don't be afraid to show it to your friends and family to get their opinions.

How do I pay for college?
Depending on where you live, and what degree you're pursuing, college can be extremely expensive. Art schools seem to generally take the cake on this one though, in my own personal experience. There are a lot of options out there to help you pay for college though. One of your first stops should be scholarship websites such as Zinch, Fast Web, or Scholarships.Com. These sites will help you find not only scholarships, but grants and even loans. They will match you to different forms of financial support based on your degree, your age, your GPA and other factors. Once you've checked through those websites talk to your colleges as well. Many colleges have in-house scholarships you can apply for once you've been accepted. They can also refer you to scholarships that may not be easy to find online, or may not be listed online at all.

Will I be able to get a job in my chosen field after art college?
This varies widely based on a lot of factors including what school you go to, your portfolio once you graduate, what field you're going in to, and where you live to name a few. If you live an area where the arts are big you're more likely to get a job than if you live in the middle of nowhere, not that it isn't still possible there. The more variety and uniqueness to your art, the more likely you are to get hired. The best way to find out your chances of getting a job after college is to look at the post-school employment rates of the colleges you're looking at, and to talk to the colleges themselves.

Final Notes
When you're looking at colleges, the best thing to do is talk to your current school's counselors and the admissions offices of the colleges you're interested in. They will be able to answer your questions better than most other people and will be able to guide you through the process of applying to a college. Friends and family who have gone to college before can be very helpful to, so be sure to talk to them as well.