[Markoff]

you read at least the title right, it's SPY cam, so obviously if someone is taking secret photo of you, you don't smile for camera and we don't know who are these people, if it's complete strangers or his acquintances, though some of the photos are clearly staged anyway

you could get same reaction even nowadays depending on country, obviously you wouldn't have much success in Eastern Europe, where (many) people consider smiling at stranger as sign of mental illness (at least if it's same gender)

[bhelkey]

> you read at least the title right, it's SPY cam, so obviously if someone is taking secret photo of you, you don't smile for camera and we don't know who are these people, if it's complete strangers or his acquintances, though some of the photos are clearly staged anyway

I think you misunderstood their point. In the past people who knew they were about to get photographed tended not to smile. Now people tend to smile.

TheSocialAndrew perceives that people now tend not to smile at strangers where as these candid photos show people a hundred years ago smiling at strangers.

[Markoff]

I disagree, back then people were smiling to strangers and not to camera, now people smile in both situations, he was greeting these people so obviously if he greeted them with smile people smiled back, I doubt you would have any different result nowadays from most likely good looking well dressed 19yo kid.

[bhelkey]

> I disagree

That's fine. I am not arguing one way or the other. My point is that it is easier to get a response if you focus on the main point of disagreement.

In this case, the disagreement is, 'Is it common nowadays to smile at strangers on the street in Oslo, Norway (Where the original pictures were taken)?'

TheSocialAndrew says no, Markoff says yes.

Edit: Maybe a better question would be, 'Where in the world is it currently common to smile at strangers?'