Not to attempt to derail the thread but MattSepeta, telling someone that if they wish to grow as a photographer they should be posting here and asking for critiques or participating in challenges is inane. The challenges here are like challenges any where, they're fun but don't let yourself feel down if you don't win because like your assessment of DA, they're nothing more than a virtual high five. Asking for critique here is also like asking for it anywhere. Photo.net is going to have a wider range or professionals, any photo-dedicated site that promotes professionalism will, Fred Miranda is another. In one respect MattSepeta you are right, there is not much critique coming from users there but that is the case on many sites. DA is a business first ... it used to be different but everything changes.
That being said, I think participating in any community site is a good thing but they're not all going to help you grow, you need to look outside the internet to grow by taking pictures, recording your data so you understand why one shot worked and another did not and so on and so forth.
