PN (2)

<p>It's been a while since the rollout of the Beta version of the long-awaited new and improved PN. It's also been a while since Admin's providing a status update. How about it, folks?</p>

<p>I didn't want to ignore the question, but I have no idea of the current status. As far as I know, PN 2.0 is still in the pipeline, but other than that I have no information.</p>

<p>still load testing - i will update this evening after latest results!</p>

<p>Thanks, gentlemen. I appreciate your responses.</p>

<p>Hello All! We're addressing a nagging bug right in that the load balancer is not sharing sessions on our production site and we're trying to get to the bottom of it. We have the worlds brightest minds working on it namely Jin our resident guru (did you know he's a MIT grad!). <br>

Rather than posting the credentials here I'll send an internal message to all subscribers to take a look at 2.0. Keep in mind - still needs work but we're getting there! </p>

Glenn, is there an approximate target date for "getting there?"

<p>I wish I could provide a hard date for 2.0 release, but I can't yet. The real and most accurate answer is "it depends", which I realize none of us are fond of those answers, including yours truly. What I do know is that we need to prove the build can withstand at minimum our current user load but it really should be built to withstand 2x IMHO. I can share a FAQ below, but feel free to ask me any question you like. I'm an open book.<br>

FAQ:<br>

Have we proven we can handle that load yet? Not yet. <br>

How long until we can prove its built for load? I thought we'd have had that answered by now, waiting on tech crew to show positive test results. So still TBD on that line item. <br>

Are there still design tweeks to be made? Yes. <br>

Is most of the functionality there that we want? Yes. <br>

Are we done with 2.0 - No! Most notably, our iOS app is more than 1/2 completed! We will follow with an Android app. Sorry Windows peeps, I don't see a windows app in our future at least at this point. BTW - Mobile apps not a possibility on current platform, however is possible on 2.0. </p>

<p>OK, Glenn, you've addressed my question - in an honest way, I believe. It does yield another question, given your reference to the "tech crew." Are the personal who comprise this group within your sphere of management or do they belong to the parent company? If the former, I suspect you can ask them to firm up a target date for establishing that the build can handle the current user load.</p>

<p>Hi, I am interested in this issue as well. It is understandable that a complex and large scale redevelopment of a website, making sure it meets all possible requirements and workloads, may have significant levels of unpredictability.<br /> Still it seems to me that the level of user activity is going down more and more. Sure, the answer can be "<em>this is what we want PN to be functionally, we do not want to compete with the Flickrs, Facebooks of this Internet world</em>".<br /> I do not know how the photo critique forum's statistics are calculated, but the current overview in many cases shows a handful of photographs, when several years ago there were dozens or hundreds.<br /> I do not want to make a sterile critique, but what can be done on this and how could it be coordinated? There are also some moderators who are silent since decades, kudos to those who keep working in an intense way, but there must be a way to halt this idleness.<br /> <img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1597/26070387550_f75e667635_o.png" alt="" width="382" height="486" /></p>

<p>Luca, thanks for your thoughtful comments. I am reasonably confident that the timely release of PN 2.0 may help to boost the level of user activity, to retain long-term subscribers/members, and to attract new ones. Hopefully the rollout will be sooner rather than later; otherwise it may be exceptionally difficult to stop the bleeding, so to speak.</p>

<p>Michael, maybe, if the sooner, becomes a priority, the demand for absolute perfection of PN2 when it is released, should be tempered.</p>

<p>Michael, I believe it's way too late for sooner and likely even too late for later. The only thing that comes after death is mourning, perhaps resurrection but that's a tough nut to crack.</p>

<p>Fred, what can I say? I have a hard time letting go.</p>

<p>Silence is said to be golden.</p>

<p>So happy to see such optimism! </p>

<p>I have to ask - have you jolly fellows looked at the 2.0? The invite is sitting in your internal messaging system in case you haven't. Will it be perfect, no. Will it provide a platform for us to continually improve the site - yes. Our iOS app is already being developed...see progress and we haven't even launched 2.0 yet! Trust me, there is nothing I want more than to launch 2.0 - but can't do it until we can prove it can handle the traffic we currently have with room for growth. Below is a snapshot of iOS profile page, there is more but we wouldn't want to spoil your appetite!</p>

<p> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18218055-md.jpg" alt="" width="382" height="680" /> </p>

<p>Glenn, what can I say? As you would appreciate more optimism, I think maybe a little more understanding of how frustrated and demoralized we feel could be in order. For at least two years now, you've asked us to be understanding and patient while we've watched participation dwindle to a trickle and many features we used to love go by the wayside. The launch was originally talked up as happening well over a year ago, probably closer to two years. Remember, most here in this thread have been diehard PN fans and participants for years. You really can't understand our frustration and pessimism? Most that had been around for years have left already. At least we're still here! </p>

Glenn, I'm disappointed with your response. You said before that the load testing was in the hands of the tech team. I

then asked a question. Can you please respond accordingly?

<p>Glenn, I saw your e-mail and I've briefly looked at the re-imagined site. My reaction to it now is the same as it was when I looked at it a few months ago: it just doesn't seem to be the cup of tea I'm interested in drinking. And I don't know whether that's more or less a personal reaction or whether it perhaps represents my middle-age man demographic.<br /> <br /> Maybe you could have both versions up and running simultaneously. :)<br /> <br /> Martin</p>

<p>From my perspective this is a classic double edge sword situation. Some like Martin h don't want change and others like Fred (and myself) want it ASAP...obviously its impossible to please both. </p>

<p>Trust me, I have asked if both versions could be viable at least to help with transition, but I have been assured that because one system is so old and the new one is from this century - that synching between the two is problematic at best, therefore it really only makes sense launch 2.0 once ready like 99.9999% sites do when they redesign. Furthermore, all sites that go through a redesign have a segment of their users that prefer old version... that is until they immerse themselves in the new version. Truth is change is not easy, whether we're talking about daughters new boyfriend or our photography website of choice. That said, we feel our core values and functions are made stronger and more prominent than our current site offers. </p>

<p>IMHO the new site is much easier to navigate and understand for new users than the existing site and still focuses on core values of current photo.net which is photo gallery, critiques and forums. Users can find photographers much more easily than before, if finding more photographers they are (in theory) commenting and critiquing more. They can curate their own gallery of favorite photos and photographers, seek critiques, engage in forums & learning articles/tab. </p>

<p>@Fred - could you clarify features we've taken away? If anything was taken away it was because it was not being utilized. Many sites that have existed since the early to mid-90's evolve - cutting unused features and adding new ones. Functions come and go and the decisions behind the ones that go are 100% related to whether or not they are being used and cost to support said un-used function - so trust me when I say that I'm happy to publicly address "many features we used to love go by the wayside", I don't recall us taking away any or for that matter "many features", but happy to address.</p>

<p>@Michael - I am with you, if I could get a clear timeline from tech I'd be happy to pass it along. The latest load testing results looked promising. How does that translate to timeline?...great question - if I knew the exact answer I'd be happy to share. I like you appear to be a fan of short answers so here is mine: My estimate is < 1 month. </p>

<p>Maybe once this is all done I will write my "tell all book", its been quite a journey I hope its been worth it! Maybe it wont' be a book (there really isn't that much - I was being over dramatic). </p>

 

<p>1) Under the photographers who are following me, I used to be able to sort by their most recent contribution. Since a large majority of photographers following us have been inactive for years, sorting by most recent activity allowed me to check in with photographers who are both interested in my work (I like to reciprocate) and still active on PN.</p>

<p>2) Under photographers who I am following, I used to be able to sort by their most recent contribution as well. Now, I can only see when they've posted a new photo but not when they've participated in any other way so, again, it limits my being able to know who's still active.</p>

<p>3) I was really enjoying participating in the MONTHLY PROJECT, which Alison and Jackie were leading. That disappeared about 6 months ago or so.</p>

<p>4) Monthly newsletters. I think somehow my ENABLE got switched to DISABLE, so my not receiving them may be my own fault or a system thing. It's been a long time since I've received one but I just switched back to ENABLE, so maybe that will get me back on track.</p>

<p>5) And, just a little tongue-in-cheek, most of all I miss Lex Jenkins, who used to add so much character and life to the site both as a moderator and as a participant.</p>

<p>@ martin h - what about 2.0 isn't your cup of tea? Galleries, forums, critiques stage more prominent than ever, Articles all still there. Yes the navigation has changed (improved and simplified by most accounts) but hard to know exactly why its not your cup of tea unless you provide details. </p>

<p>Less than one month, Glenn? Let's see what happens on or about a month from now.</p>

<p>"Maybe once this is all done I will write my "tell all book" (Glenn)<br>

<br>

A Monthly Newsletter devoted to that subject would certainly be appreciated. </p>

<p>Hi Glenn,</p>

<p>I don't like the partial images at all. It seems like an attempt to make the images seem more important than they are. I just want to see my images the way I cropped them. All this bigness makes me feel like I'm sitting in the front row of the movie theater, which I find very uncomfortable. And I like the "newspaper" style of the old front page. It makes sense to me, whereas I find the inspirational text on the new home page off-putting. </p>

<p>I'm attaching, if I can, a screen shot of what I see in the one gallery of mine that's showing in the new PhotoNet as well as a screen shot of the same gallery in the PhotoNet of today. So I think you'll be able to see what I'm talking about.</p>

<p>Basically, I just seem to be kind of allergic to the whole redesign.</p>

<p>Martin</p><div></div>