Open letter to all from a photo volunteer

Good evening everyone, there was a post on the texas board criticizing the photo department for some pics that were done... here is the link so you can understand what I am responding to... http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/state-forums/TX/postdetail/73636.html?vc=0 Also I have included my response here, because I think that everyone needs to remember where we are coming from. Thanks. Hi all, as a volunteer for the photo department, I would like to take a minute and respond to your post. First of all, we are all volunteers, we give of our time and energy to get as many pics posted for as many members as we can ... as fast as we can. And it is a free service for our members. We take time away from our families and our lives to give back for the blessings that we have received from our new lifestyle. We get nothing in return, except for an occasional thank you from a grateful member. More often than not, all we hear are the complaints. Our pics are worked on in the order in which they are received... we don't hunt for pictures, you send them to us. Our requests usually list anywhere between 250 and 400, and lately we've had it almost to 500 requests waiting... These numbers are not an exaggeration. And most times the pics are sent in without the information we need so it takes even longer to post them while WE hunt for the correct information that is needed. When you send pics into the photo department, and fail to list your member id number or use an email address or name that is not in our system ... we have two choices... either to delete them and move on to someone else, or to email the member and hunt our database to find clues as to who you are. As to pics that have the right information in them, remember at some point you sent them in. The pictures always receive an automatic response that clearly outlines the information we need and the fact that it takes time. Many times members send in pics and then a day or two later send the same pics or others that they have decided they want added... when this happens, one set of pics is sent to one volunteer, and the next ones will surely go to another volunteer, which means we have no idea that there were other pics sent in at a similar time. With 250-400 picture requests there is no way we can. The quality in which members send them vary greatly... and not all volunteers have access to the same programs to edit pictures. So if you send in pictures that are extremely poor and grainy, that is what we have to work with and we have to make the best of them, or ask for a resend whi*****reases the number of pictures waiting. If you send in pics that are extremely large, yes "pixilization" or graininess can occur... we continually work on providing volunteers with additional training, and share tips with each other... BUT MOST OF US ARE NOT EXPERTS....we are mothers, teachers, homemakers, office workers, you name it... some know more about computers than others... but we do OUR BEST. If you are unhappy with your picture that was done then reply to the letter that you were sent when the pics were finished... we always send out notices to let members know their work was finished. But please don't email the message boards complaining about the pictures without trying to contact the volunteers first. And PLEASE, instead of complaining ... become part of the SOLUTION... VOLUNTEER some of your own time! Maybe then the number of pictures waiting will go down and volunteers wont be scrambling to do as many as they can as fast as they can....for YOUR benefit

I think that fact that you take your own personal time to do this FOR free is great! You shouldn't even have to dignify the criticism with a response. Thank you for all your hard work! I love looking at the before and after photos -- very inspirational. Shannon