I am proud to announce that today we announce ARS Beta Version III with the brand-new and revolutionary ARS Coin feature.
The Story of ARS
I’ve always thought to myself:
If we could make a new social media platform for photographers, how could we make it honest, fair, and productive/constructive?
For a long time, all we had was generic social media platforms (Flickr, Facebook, Instagram) which were places where we could share photos, accumulate likes/favorites, and gain followers. But the problem was this:
There was no real way to get honest and constructive feedback on your photos.
Thus ARS was born: the first double-blind feedback platform for photographers and visual artists to grow, evolve, and develop together.
How is ARS Different from Facebook or Instagram?
ARS is different because we value your photographic labor. Our moonshot for ARS is to create a new economy for photographers; a new economy which prizes your time, wisdom, and the effort you put into giving (and receiving) feedback from other photographers.
Why ARS Coin is a big deal.
ARS Coin is a totally new way to envision your photographic labor. No more dealing with algorithms that manipulate your emotions and self-esteem. Now, the process of earning capital/currency (in the form of digital ARS Coin) is clear and transparent:
- You earn ARS Coin by providing critiques to other users in the arsbeta.com community. You can earn additional ARS Coin by referring your friends to join, by receiving ‘Thanks’ from other users for your critiques, and by logging onto ARS on a daily basis.
- You use your ARS Coin by commissioning other photographers to give you more in-depth feedback and critique on your photos.
Help humans, not algorithms.
This new photo economy is based on three principles:
- Help real human beings. The more you give, the more you receive in return (ARS Coin).
- The more critiques you provide and receive, the better photographer you become (you learn how to become a more effective judge of images).
- ARS prioritizes the highest quality honest feedback, not winning popularity contests.
Photographic empowerment
Traditional social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc) is disempowering. We are in this frantic race to accumulate more followers and likes, instead of focusing on what is truly important — our own personal empowerment as photographers and visual artists.
How to get real and honest feedback on your photos
One of our biggest innovations is our unique ‘double blind’ algorithm which means:
You don’t know who is giving you feedback, and the person who is giving you feedback doesn’t know who you are.
The benefit is that you get more honest feedback and critique on your photos. Too often when we upload and share our photos online, our friends simply “like” our photos because they want to encourage us. But likes aren’t effective in telling us how we can improve.
Not only that, but I am genuinely curious what people really think about my photos. While I love pats on the back, it isn’t what I need. I need brutal honesty to drive me forward, and to higher artistic heights!
Join the thriving community
- We currently have 500,000+ votes on ARSBETA.COM
- 38,000+ written critiques and 11,000+ images
- Average session duration: 5+ minutes
- Global Reach: 40% users from North America, and 60% are global (Europe, Asia+).
If you love innovation and being an early-adopter, join arsbeta.com and spread the word with your friends!
We thrive from your feedback
Personally I want to thank the thousands of users who have been with ARS since Version 1. We have made massive iterations with your valuable feedback:
- ARS Beta Version 1: Official launch, integration of ‘Keep-Ditch’ concept.
- ARS Beta Version 2: Integration of ‘Constructive Critiques’
- ARS Beta Version 3 (This Version): Integration of ‘ARS Coin’ and ‘Commission Critique’
We would also love to hear your new thoughts on ARS Coin, or ways to make ARS more fun to use! Shoot us an email at arsbetahelp@gmail.com
Excited to see your photos, critiques, and for you to start stacking that ARS Coin!
ERIC, Kevin, Cindy, Annette, Jun (ARS Team)
ARS Beta Version III
