So it would seem that just about everyone has noticed the new FairExposure system. On the off chance you haven't, this is pretty much the definitive information source at this point.

Basically, it's taken the Popular system and made it topsy-turvy . . . categories that generally go unnoticed find themselves on the front page, and artists with thousands of pageviews are suddenly among those with millions.

Some like it. Some don't. I, personally, am not terribly fond of it, but like everything, there are good points and bad points. So I'm going to step back, look at this, and throw out some ideas that just might make everyone happy.



The Good:

1) Lesser-known artists get exposure.
Generally the point of FairExposure, and perhaps what has been the biggest success with it. Who's =Archie-The-RedCat? Or =Toonikun? I have no clue, but thanks to FairExposure I have been treated to some of their art much sooner than I would have been otherwise.

2) More obscure categories get their time in the limelight.
Apparently, "Photography > Urban & Rural > Gardens, Parks & Cemeteries" lends itself to some high-quality photos. Who knew?

3) All Time Popular looks different for the first time in about a year.
There's still some of the old ones up there, but most of it's all new . . . including a couple I've never seen before!



The Bad

1) It feels less organic.
Something with 122 faves ahead of something with 322? It just doesn't feel natural anymore . . . like a machine is choosing what's popular more than people are.

2) More obscure categories get their time in the limelight.
Desktop Screenshots? Honestly?

3) It's more lottery-style now.
Under the old system, artists would take years to get recognized on DA, until they eventual did reach whatever goal they had set. 10 faves? 100? 1,000? Doesn't feel as good when one is competing with an error message. (And it's not just "artist vs. artist", either. The user behind that error message has pieces that I, personally, would prefer they have their 15 minutes of fame for. Why an effortless Windows mishap?)



The Solution

1) Go back to the old system.
This? Never happened. None of it. Pay no attention to the antics behind the curtain.

2) Stick with this new thing.
Man up! Change is good, after all, and it's not like the end of the world.

3) Both.
This is my personal favorite. Opinions on this seem to be split right down the middle - most everyone who knows about this either hates it or loves it. Why not give both sides something that makes them happy? Having FairExposure as another slot, alongside Newest, Prints, and the old-fashioned Popular, would allow people to choose what they wanted to browse. After all, there's no point in fighting over Chocolate and Vanilla when you've got a case of Neapolitan!

What say you, DA? Brilliant or a nutcase?