Hello all I am new and was wondering if someone can explain to me how comments work. I am new so I do not expect to get many comments at all for a long long time until maybe I get much better with the art. :) But, I see a lot of pictures in the galleries that get many pages of comments and of course some do not, which is ok of course. I understand that this may be because of community reasons, but it seems that many of the works should get more credit than some others, you know what I mean? It is like even some that are not so great get 120 comments, when there are 5 or more other pictures that are excellent posted by other artists that don't get even ten. So I guess what I am asking is what is the cause of this? 

Thankyou.

Not trying to downgrade anyone, but the comment game in the galleries is more of a social thing than a critical artistic tool.

There are groups of people that regular comment each others artwork, many times including personal messages that have nothing to do with the image posted. 

This is a nice thing, I feel it is good to have friends.  I am not antisocial, but I post to the gallery for other reasons than comments.  Which is good because I get very few anyway.

Again, IMHO, comments have little to do with the quality of the work or talent of the artists.

 I see, thankyou. I am still wondering then why they have categories of most comments then...and highest rated. So if someone has a ton of friends, and gets a ton of comments, it is most likely they will have the highest ratings because so many people notice the image more....?

True...but its like Intense3D said...ratings and comments have very little to do with the quality of art and more to do with popularity.

Quote -  I see, thankyou. I am still wondering then why they have categories of most comments then...and highest rated. So if someone has a ton of friends, and gets a ton of comments, it is most likely they will have the highest ratings because so many people notice the image more....?

It's like in high school, with the Prom Queen & King, the Homecoming Queen, etc.
Some people want to know what the "cool kids" are doing.

BTW, the examples above were rarely academic standouts.

 Ok thank you

I have read your comments and discussion and I completely agree with you
Renderosity is a nice forum (no doubt about that )  where we can discover friends pictures and congratulate each's other work.
But critics are rarely  present in people comments.
NEVERTHELESS  it offers the occasion of meeting people, make friends and LATER ON to exchange IDEAS :  How did you do or create that effect , how did you do that ETC.....
The other way and quickest way to progress in your work is to read all the forums dedicated
to creation , or simply read books on the software you are using, texturing, how to create  plants etc...
Modeling is the most difficult part in my opinion, because it requires a lot of time or techniques
you would fastly (1 to years) learn in a 3d school .
I am a musician amateur, with 25 years of guitar ... its the same story, technique is
required at one time or another to progress in creativity and comprehension of how the music is written in order to understand  why this chord will or will not match with this one.
Some musicians are more gifted than others and can simply listen listen and listen... with a lot of practise and work and be better musicians than professional themselves but it's rare. The question is : how fast to do you want to learn ?