Photo.Net's Future

BTW, I located NameMedia's phone # on the Internet. There's a recorded message instructing callers to send emails to 3 different people, depending on the information they need. Glenn's is listed as gpalm@photo.net . The recording concludes with a disclosure that the line is being discontinued and that messages left will no longer be addressed.

 

It looks like PN's benefactors no longer give 2 sh#ts about it. I feel badly for Glenn; it appears that he's been left out in the cold.

I do not have any sympathy for name media. Their wounds are self inflicted. I do feel badly for the volunteer staff at PN and all of the members who poured considerable effort, along with heart and soul, into the site. Hopefully some people are making arrangements to keep in touch outside of PN if they want to remain in contact because I doubt very much that anyone at name media is going to have the courtesy or honesty to give forewarning when this ship goes down.

Sheesh, Michael. This is beyond ridiculous. MYOB and get a life.

Your post confuses me, Julie. Since when is the fate of a venue that a lot of us have supported for the past decade or more (through finance and content) not any of our business?

 

Perhaps I am misreading your post, and hidden in bb code somewhere is the ending format flag </sarcasm>.

I'm a believer in Occams's razor (the simplest answer is usually correct): I think it's more likely that Glenn's email was probably getting overwhelmed by hate mail from unhappy PN campers and the overload forced a shutdown. In any case, just because one sail is pulled down doesn't mean the ship is sinking...

Sheesh, Michael. This is beyond ridiculous. MYOB and get a life.[/quote

 

Btw, Julie, I haven't been scolded like this since elementary school. I suspect that you may need more to occupy your time. Try photography; it's great for what ails ya.

I too believe PN is doomed for oblivion.

While I am still hopeful that PN will revive from this (I desperately wish so, having spent on this site 14 years now and growing up as a photographer, which is close to the time spent in my hometown where I grew up), recent developments just simply hurt me. While I know, nothing stays forever, some things vanish faster due to negligence and wrong moves. The POTD gallery hasn't been updated in several days now (something I have never seen happening before). After repeated requests, the comment text box for photos is still in the primitive state that it was at the beginning. No help section, lack of intuition in site navigation that's constantly eroding off long time users, all these are alarming signs. These signs are contrary to the management's motivation in transitioning to the new website, which is to attract more users (how about retaining the existing ones first). I hear that the management is making improvements and each day is better than the previous one, but it is several months now and critical issues in the gallery section still exist. A few months is a lifetime in the competitive digital world. Why would people join and pay PN when they can display photos at Flickr for free, have way more exposure of their work, and enjoy a more polished user interface. One place where PN could claim uniqueness is the photo critique section, but that has seen continuous decadence in the last few years, and the recent changes to the gallery section are like nails in the coffin. So yes, I am concerned about PN's future. I may hang around here in future and use features like discussion and no words forum, but I cannot justify paying for membership when I see limited traffic/comments to my galleries, that hasn't improved in the last few months.

While I am still hopeful that PN will revive from this (I desperately wish so, having spent on this site 14 years now and growing up as a photographer, which is close to the time spent in my hometown where I grew up), recent developments just simply hurt me. While I know, nothing stays forever, some things vanish faster due to negligence and wrong moves. The POTD gallery hasn't been updated in several days now (something I have never seen happening before). After repeated requests, the comment text box for photos is still in the primitive state that it was at the beginning. No help section, lack of intuition in site navigation that's constantly eroding off long time users, all these are alarming signs. These signs are contrary to the management's motivation in transitioning to the new website, which is to attract more users (how about retaining the existing ones first). I hear that the management is making improvements and each day is better than the previous one, but it is several months now and critical issues in the gallery section still exist. A few months is a lifetime in the competitive digital world. Why would people join and pay PN when they can display photos at Flickr for free, have way more exposure of their work, and enjoy a more polished user interface. One place where PN could claim uniqueness is the photo critique section, but that has seen continuous decadence in the last few years, and the recent changes to the gallery section are like nails in the coffin. So yes, I am concerned about PN's future. I may hang around here in future and use features like discussion and no words forum, but I cannot justify paying for membership when I see limited traffic/comments to my galleries, that hasn't improved in the last few months.

 

Very well said. It's demoralizing and disheartening to see all the varied, constructive efforts many members have made to this site, only to watch it come to where it is now. If there's a time for Glenn and his staff to get it together so that at least the major issues have been resolved, it is now.

Well, there comes a time when one has to say enough is too much. The community has typically had a voice. Not much evidence of that anymore. So we can't be asked to support something that shows no hint of attention to its housekeeping. Without housekeeping you get dust bunnies. And then mold. And dry rot. Someday the Building Department will say it is unhabitable. It is hard to undersand, because there is a germ of value and a need for an intelligent place that is not duplicated elsewhere that I can see. At least not one location. ( Aside to michaelinder: I always think of Wolfman when I see you avatar. Kind of fun) Lately to show the direction of the slope, even hardbitten supporters are losing their interest. But no, I do not plan to pay to subscribe when there is no latent value, even the modest fee. What are we supporting. Is there a mission. I doubt it. If I drop by the paint is peeling even more each visit...I may miss something, where, where?. It is a property and only a name medium I surmise.) .......unfaithfully yours, old Gerry Edited July 3, 2017 by GerrySiegel

• I reluctantly write this at the risk of members telling me to get a life, or berating me via a review, just a handful of people that make this place suck.
  
• To make it suck more, I have been experiencing an issue to where I am unable to post archived images to the critique forum, since April I have been trying to work this out through private channels with absolute no luck. Double Suck
  
• Since February, I haven't been able to use this site to it fullest extent, in other words I am not getting what I paid for. I have been down graded.
  
• How about if you just refund the money owed to us jagoffs (I can say this, it is in the dictionary) and we will go away, never to hear a complaint from us again
  
• I need to pull away from the teet -
  

(I'm sorry for the bold font...the preview font was too faint to see clearly.)

 

I recall when this site was the definitive online source of photographic information: some more difficult to find than others but man, the information from experienced photographers and camera nerds was tremendously helpful. It used to be a photography encyclopedia and I didn't mind paying to use it. Not sure what happened but it's currently just a shadow of its former self. The search feature, for example, is an important part of any forum. When THAT doesn't work as it should the forum has lost a huge portion of its effective knowledge transfer. Even finding "how-to" directions is a chore here. . .and inconsistent.

 

That said, it's impossible to please everybody. Likely there were complaints about the previous format that prompted a change as well. Certainly NOT an easy thing to ditch one format for another. People who have the knowledge-base and skill-set to perform such a task are a mystery to me: in my mind they're up there with rocket scientists and brain surgeons. Much respect for what those folks have done up until now.

 

So, I was moved to look into the value of other photography forums. (Shoulda' been doing it earlier). As usual, YouTube provided some helpful stuff. I found 'this link' most helpful but I'm an amateur wannabe: pros might not appreciate the basic nature of some of these forums. None of the 15 forums reviewed would ever replace the old PN site but it's a start. There's also a

; (the music becomes obnoxious after about thirty seconds)..

Neglected to mention that the Digital Wedding Forum has apparently been taken down due to privacy violation issues. So, that leaves 14 additional photo forums besides photo.net.

To those who are/might be jumping ship... for those of us who want to keep up with you and/or your progress... are you using the same sceeen name in the other sites???

I'm not ready to leave town yet. The only site I've found so far that compares with PN is a juried one.

I'm not ready to leave town yet. The only site I've found so far that compares with PN is a juried one.

 

"Juried" as in getting vetted to join??

I have been looking unsuccessfully to find a new home, the new PN with all it's faults is unique. What makes the site worth all the time I invest is you the members, I used to spend most of my time in the Critique Forum. But since it's well recorded problems I find myself in the other forums having hours of diversion if not always pleasure. It does at times appear to be an online retirement home but always a home, I worry about becoming homeless.

I have been informed by PN that I have 13 days left on my membership, but they are making it difficult for me to renew. There is no longer the option to use PayPal, after giving card details they intend to auto renew in 12 months with no obvious opt out. Given these options I may have to become a freeloader and use whats for free. This is all very sad.

I looked quite a bit the first time PN was "improved". Plenty of places to post photos, none with the quality of membership, expertise and conversation. Pretty much came up empty on places to move to.

"Juried" as in getting vetted to join??

 

I don't think so. I suspect there's a panel of referees who evaluate the images.

. . . after giving card details they [Photo.net] intend to auto renew in 12 months with no obvious opt out. . .

 

Please see Glenn Palm's post #45 in this thread for explanation. [LINK]

WW

I have been looking unsuccessfully to find a new home, the new PN with all it's faults is unique. What makes the site worth all the time I invest is you the members, I used to spend most of my time in the Critique Forum. But since it's well recorded problems I find myself in the other forums having hours of diversion if not always pleasure. It does at times appear to be an online retirement home but always a home, I worry about becoming homeless.

I have been informed by PN that I have 13 days left on my membership, but they are making it difficult for me to renew. There is no longer the option to use PayPal, after giving card details they intend to auto renew in 12 months with no obvious opt out. Given these options I may have to become a freeloader and use whats for free. This is all very sad.

 

If you really, really feel the need to re-up your membership and want to circumvent the auto-renew feature; check your bank card and see if they offer a "virtual card" option. I've used this feature for years with CITI. When purchasing online you can activate a virtual or temporary card number that is only good for whatever dollar value and time period you select. $25 for 2 months would renew your membership but the number would not be any good next year.

 

That is, if you really, really want to re-up... Mike

i think julie may be glen's mother or sister, i got a lecture a month or so ago.

i think julie may be glen's mother or sister, i got a lecture a month or so ago.

 

Jim, this is hilariously funny.

I will say, in that context, suddenly things make sense.... ;-)

Quality of new submissions is way down. Contributions to critiques and comments on new photos is nearly non-existent. POTD and POTW are often late being posted. Editors choice images are often really average choices. And the site continues to be very buggy. Seems more like a start-up business than a business that has been active for 20+ years.