Bazaart: Comments Ruin the Experience

Those of you who follow my blog and YouTube channel may know that I have been a big fan of Bazaart. Bazaart is a beautifully designed application that provides a simple and easy to use interface for creating collage art. The application has gone through numerous iterations, including expanded feeds and ways to connect to other members of the Bazaart community. Among the many improvements added was the ability to add comments. At first, this feature was embraced by Bazaart users who, prior to these updates, did not have a way to communicate with other members. Over time, the comment section began to take on a life of its own, resulting in rude and disrespectful remarks. Bazaart which is an app that largely encourages people to share and exchange images, has become an app that discourages participation, reinforced by cyber bullies and egotistical personalities. As an active user, what became most evident to me is that the participants rarely if ever used the tap to browse feature and some members often accused others of stealing "their art." Adding to the irony, the "artists" in question often use art from sources like Deviantart to create their own art and even adding their own signatures to it. If you think we are living in the age of appropriation, well the Bazaart community has taken it to a whole new level. 

The developers have plans to improve the app, possibly improving the sharing functions and/or adding the ability to delete comments. It remains to be seen whether or not members of the Bazaart community, accustomed to creating "original art," will open up to the idea that the art they are creating is not really "their art," but a communal experience owned by no one, yet shared by everyone. Now that's an idea!