Proposed forum reorganization

The biggest challenge in forum configuration is how to secure that all the questions pertinent to technique and generalised equipment (eg filters etc) are in the same place rather than scattered through a series of camera-brand-headed forums. This would improve the quality of answers and therefore the longer term value of the site.

 

The changes proposed at this point are "tidying up", but they don't address any large issues. I'd certainly agree that fewer forums is better than more.

 

That said I do agree with others that there is sufficient difference between the equipment and processes involved in digital colour and b&w to make "Digital B&W " a valid forum.

I don't care for that official description either. And I would rather leave the name of the Leica Forum alone. We talk about MF rangefinders as it is, both on the Leica Forum and on the MF forum. We talk about Canon and Nikon and Mamiya on the Leica Forum. They talk about Leicas on the MF forum. Well, sometimes. The new name calls too much attention to the rangefinder aspect. We talk about Leica R, too.

 

"Guys?" We have gals on the Leica Forum, too.

 

How about, "The Leica Forum: intense, passionate exchange of information and opinion among those who love (or in some cases hate) Leica rangefinder and SLR cameras. Not for the faint-hearted"

I think the proposal looks good. Might I add my 2 cents? What about having a forum named "forum category questions/answers/discussions". Then subcategories that match the categories in the TRP.

Example:

Abstract

Architecture

Birds

Children

Nudes

Documentary

Fashion

Landscapes

Street Photography

ETC.

This way, people who have similar interests could share their experiences, ask questions & share answers.

 

Just my 2 cents. This could be expanded into other categories that include "photographer locations" like:

USA (sub-categorized into states)

England (sub-categorized)

France

ETC.

You get my drift. As it is now, because locations are not always used, the viewer sometimes has no idea where the photographer is located or locating another photographer in your area is strictly by accident.

 

I feel this might create camaraderie, something PN could benefit from. Hopefully, not leading to mate rating, but a sense of inclusion and improve helping & a sense of belonging to a larger group.

 

Again, just my 2 cents. Thanks for listening :) I love PN!

I second Jayme. It seems sensible to have the photo categories reflected in identical

forums. Keeps IT simple.

My only current proposals are about the critique forum to be in two

categories. Manipulated and unmanipulated photos under the guidelines

of the today's "Manipulated" photos, thus having two categories of "photographers". The photoshopographers, and the photographers.

 

The second and last is if there is to be a continual of the current rating system, is to have a name and a reason for every number given.

 

Thank you for your time :-)

1)"People Photography" (1550) -> "Portraits and Fashion"

As I see it, "people photography" includes A LOT more than just portraits and fashion... For example, it includes some street photography, some wedding photography, etc. So IF you already have each of these "other things" in another forum, it's all ok. Otherwise, some things are going to go missing somehow.

 

As a side-note, www.photopoints.com has a pretty long and good list of photo categories that you can use both as an example of categories which we could use here in the gallery, and as a list that should probably - well, ideally, at least - be somehow covered by all the fora combined. Regards.

 

2) I somehow agree that there should be a Photoshop forum, although it should probably not be named that way, since PS isn't the only software available. So why not, for once, use the proper name for what we mean to be in such a forum ? Which I think would be "Digital imaging".

I've been promoting category forums for some time now, with a different "moderator" for each one. I suspect that setting them up as an integral part of the relevant gallery sorts will be a bigger job than what's currently under discussion because it would require a different sort of interface, But I hope the idea will be considered at some point.

<< ... <i>feisty bunch of guys wondering why a $5000 camera won't automatically take a great photo</i> ... >> <p>

 

You mean that's ... not ... true ? <p>

 

<i>Now</i> they tell me ! <p>

 

Actually, Mike D's comment is more nearly accurate. <p>

 

Over at the Leica Forum, everyone's anxiously awaiting the release of the $5000 slated for this Fall. There have even been rumored sightings. :)

On Classic Cameras, I'd skip the 1970 date and define it based on the characteristics of the cameras involved. I'd have a "Mechanical Film Cameras" forum (and, at some point, everyone with no longer supported electronic film cameras should have their own Classic Camera forum, though that one won't last since the cameras are made for a 10 year life, not the kind of tanks we got in mechanical cameras).

I can see you are "done" - but for future - if things don't work out - I think it would be great to have moderators for each "main" catagory

that includes "sub" catagories (in italics below). However there may be a few sub catagories - like FD or Wedding which have their own moderators but the moderator for all the subs can step in when needed.

<p>

The "Main" headings would be on the Main PN page and there are 12 only. As you pick your main interest - you then see the sub catagories. Things can be added or merged later as needed.

<p>

Just a suggestion. <p>

 

All Things Film<p><em>

..... Black and White and Color<p>

..... Print and Processing<p>

..... Film Cameras and equipment</em><p>

 

All Things Digital<p><em>

..... Cameras and equipment<p>

..... Digital Darkroom (or Imaging)</em><p>

 

Cameras<p<em>

..... Alternative Cameras<p>

..... Classic Cameras (pre-1970)<p>

..... Sony/Minolta SLR System<p>

..... Pentax<p>

..... Olympus<p>

..... Nikon<p>

..... Canon FD<p>

..... Canon EOS<p>

..... Large Format<p>

..... Minox<p>

..... Leica and Rangefinders<p>

..... Medium Format Digest

..... Point and Shoot</em><p>

 

Commercial<p<em>

..... Fashion<p>

..... Still<p>

..... Stock<p>

..... Architecture</em><p>

 

Event<em><p>

..... Sports, Concerts, Corprate etc.<p>

..... Wedding and Social</em><p>

 

 

Misc:<em><p>

..... News<p>

..... Philosophy <p>

..... Site Help and Feedback<p>

..... Photo Net Announcements<p>

..... Casual Discussion <p>

..... Philosophy</em><p>

 

Marketing and Business<em><p>

..... General Business<p>

..... Sales and marketing<p>

..... Web Design and the Internet</em><p>

 

Nature<em><p>

..... Wildlife<p>

..... Landscapes<p>

..... flower</em><p>

 

No Words <p>

 

People<em><p>

..... Portrait<p>

..... Photojournalism<p>

..... Nudes</em><p>

 

 

Image Basics and Education<em><p>

..... Lighting Equipment and Techniques<p>

..... Composition<p>

..... General</em><p>

 

Resources<em><p>

..... Shopping<p>

..... Accessories</em>

The everything else catagory would be better as camera accessories. But lets be honest most people will often ask questions in the forum where they spend the most time and are familar with other posters. A Nikon user may well ask about tripods or filters on the Nikon forum. A wedding photographer will ask about post processing often in the wedding forum because they want the experience of other wedding photographers. Remember that many don't read this forum so they will not know of the changes until they have happened and my be suprised and may start to complain after you have put in much work.

Sorry, blunt feedback: It looks like a fresh coat of paint and little else.

 

Why not have threads that are actually ///active/// stay at the top of the page, with the date, last poster, and number of posts included in the thread information title?

 

As it is, any thread that is active and interesting gets buried under questions such as "which tripod?", "which digital camera under 50 bucks?".

 

Finding intersting, humorous, informative threads can be a challenge when you have to wade through the last 175 posts organized chronologicly regarding which bag, which tripod, which whatever.

 

Organize the posts according to the last post date/time. Not the orginal post.

 

Thanks for asking and good luck.

</i>Use the "New Answers" feature to sort contributions chronologically.

</em>

 

I think Philip already intimated elsewhere that the forum interface/workings will be getting a complete overhaul - the work that's been carried out here seems to just be a reorganisation of the database - or more specifically how posts and threads are related within the database.

Philip:

 

Have you considered a "35mm Photography Forum"? There is a medium format forum and a large format forum but nothing devoted to those of us who shoot primarily 35mm film. Thanks...

Perhaps for clarity the new organization should follow a convention, for instance: Film & processing (color); Film & processing (black&white); Equipment - cameras - classic (pre 1970);Equipment - cameras - Nikon; Equipment - cameras - Canon EOS; Equipment - cameras - all other;Equipment - lights and flashes; Photography - fashion; Photography - landscape; Photography - 35 mm; Other - business of photography; etc.

 

Following a naming convention and grouping the forums alphabetically is a good thing considering the number of forums available on photo.net

I don't think there's any perfect way to segment photography into distinctly separate areas, any more than there's a perfect way to segment a university. That's why universities are filled with departments, standing committees, ad hoc committees, interdisciplinary programs, etc. Some are organized around a topic, some around a technique and some just grew organically. Periodically, the whole scheme is overhauled. It isn't perfectly neat but it gets the job done.

 

In a virtual community like photo.net, why limit an original post to being listed in one forum? Of course, there should only be one thread resulting from the original post, but why not give an original poster the ability to have his post listed in all relevant forums, just as a faculty member might be affiliated with more than one academic unit?

 

For example, sometimes I am not sure whether my post belongs in the Leica forum or the B&W Film forum. Why not let me, as the original poster, designate that my post should be listed in both? Unlike the unified view of all forums, in which forum posts are lost in a sea of image posts, my approach would enhance the chance that participants with something relevant to say would chime in.

 

This approach would, I believe, help photo.netters find the posts of greatest interest to them with the minimum number of clicks, while minimizing the amount of clutter they would have to wade through.

 

Of course, if you were trying to increase the number of clicks, in the hope of increasing the number of ads viewed (which seems to be the policy of AOL, for example), then this would be a horrible suggestion. ;-)

Philip, your reorganization chart seems logical to me. I like the addition of the "Accessories." Not sure what it was in the past, but it was rather difficult to search successfully on a consistent basis of tripods, heads, bags, etc. currently.

- Rename 'Canon EOS' to 'Canon SLR' <i>(same for others)</i> and move 'Canon FD' as a subcategory of 'Canon SLR'<br>

- Rename 'Digital Cameras...' to 'Point & Shoot and other cameras'<br>

- Move 'Alternative cameras' into 'Point & Shoot...'<br>

- Move 'Minox' into 'Point & Shoot...' <i>(and just trash Minox subcategories)</i>

=================================================================

 

Olivier GALLEN Photo.net Patron, sep 24, 2006; 07:42 p.m.

 

- Rename 'Canon EOS' to 'Canon SLR' (same for others) and move 'Canon

FD' as a subcategory of 'Canon SLR'

 

- Rename 'Digital Cameras...' to 'Point & Shoot and other cameras'

 

- Move 'Alternative cameras' into 'Point & Shoot...'

 

==================================================================

 

A CANON EOS 350D (digital) is an alternative point & shoot camera ? :-)

<i>"A CANON EOS 350D (digital) is an alternative point & shoot camera ? :-)"</i><br>

Errr... why not. Up to you... :)<br>

Currently, Canon Digital SLR threads are spread between 'Digital' and 'Canon EOS' depending on... chance! And I don't think 'Digital vs Film' is a good basis for separating cameras.<p>

 

My suggestion is:<br>

- Lighting Equipment and Techniques<br>

- Canon SLR<br>

- Nikon SLR<br>

- Sony/Minolta SLR<br>

- Pentax SLR<br>

- Olympus SLR<br>

- Point & Shoot<br>

- Leica and Rangefinder<br>

- Medium Format<br>

- Large Format<br>

- Classic Cameras (pre-1970)<br>

- Everything Else<br>