There is no better site ...

Unfortunately many of our members have left, I wonder if they are happier than before .. in my view, PN is unique and there is no better site than this.

 

From time to time I read through the threads, sometimes positive, sometimes negative, yet often inexcusably lacking in empathy and patience. Sure we have our frustrations, I have my share too, but it's improving all the time. To say that the administrators don't care is like saying that they want their business to fail and lose money, which is pretty silly. The resources are obviously limited, but we are too are an essential component of PN, so let's continue to make the effort which many are already doing to give this site the support it deserves.

Edited October 21, 2017 by John Peri

John:

 

I would agree to a point, but, as you noted, this is a business where we are the paying consumer. I don’t think it’s an unfair analogy to buying a car and then having it recalled and replaced with an inferior model. In business it is incumbent upon the supplier to appeal to their customer base or lose those customers. Alas, PNet is setting a classroom example. In short, the blasted software should’ve been vetted and working properly, with all the functions of the previous versions, before release.

 

Although I let my subscription lapse I still monitor the site in hopes that enough improvements are implemented to make this version palatable. So far the discussion forums seem to be ok with the exception of spam, but the photo side of the site remains abysmal with only fluff changes of no consequence.

 

As for empathy and patience, I have slim to none for a business who would pull such a hair brained stunt and then expect customers to just rave about what’s been served. This Emporer remains naked as a jay bird!

 

PNet, we’re still waiting but not without a hint of hope... Mike

I have looked, and found no site that I would care to migrate to. I have seen, and unfortunately been involved in near catastrophic software changes - in most cases, eventually the storm passes and is soon forgotten. In some others things are unrecoverable and the business fails. Indications are that this will be the former. Patience, difficult.

This Emporer remains naked as a jay bird!

Um. No.

 

This is no "Emporer." This is a blue-collar working man who had a good job at the steel mill until times changed, technology changed and he is trying to learn how to be something that he was not before just to stay alive.

 

As for empathy and patience, I have slim to none for a business who would pull such a hair brained stunt

There is nobody else in the business. The options are: to upgrade on a shoestring budget for a dubious customer base, and dubious prospects of making any return; or for photo.net to close — which would probably be the more sensible option given the lack of demand across the internet (as witnessed by the fact that this is the only site doing what it does in the way we like it).

this is a business where we are the paying consumer

I explained to my bank manager that my subscription of under three dollars a month is a vital to my equilibrium and well being and he promised not to press charges for my overdraft.

.. apologies, I forgot to add the smile sign .. : -)

Unfortunately many of our members have left

You said it. And I think the reasons are many, not all having to do with the particulars of PN, some more cultural and generational, but quite a few having to do with the disastrous rollout of PN2 which, 10 months into it, is still having a multitude of problems. It was just last week that people were having to try multiple times (including having to relaunch their browsers) simply in order to upload a photo to a No Words thread.

 

Two things can often be true at once. I, too, have determined that PN is the site that most meets my needs and there's a lot about it I like. I look forward to coming here each day. And, it's been a terrible (and much too long period of time) rollout and the problems keep coming and going and can be extremely frustrating.

 

Even people in love tell each other off sometimes. If you don't periodically complain or process negativity, even with the one you love, you might just boil over at some point.

 

I see nothing wrong with praising PN when it's warranted and complaining about it when it's warranted. Often, complaints are going to seem louder than praise and often complaints will be louder than praise. That's just human nature and doesn't seem that strange in a Site Help forum where people are coming to talk about problems.

 

BY THE WAY, I JUST GOT A SERVER ERROR WHEN TRYING TO POST THIS!

I don't post photos here, because I shoot film exclusively and don't want to digitize my photos. That said, I don't have most of the problems that draw the most complaints here.

 

My big gripe is that I have to log in almost daily. My cue is that photo.net starts rapidly reloading the page I'm on over and over until I stop the reloads and then relog in. Then I'm good for another 24 hours, give or take...

in my view, PN is unique and there is no better site than this.

John, what is it about PN you think is unique that makes this site better than others? my knowledge of other sites is limited to flickr but a well managed group can be as good as PN.

John, what is it about PN you think is unique that makes this site better than others? my knowledge of other sites is limited to flickr but a well managed group can be as good as PN.

Norman, that opens up another discussion. I think that my wife is the most beautiful and intelligent woman on earth, others may not agree. This is a judgment value and I will not debate it further.

 

Having looked around for a long time, I find nothing that compares with the PN that we knew initially (nor with my wife come to that). I just hope that the functioning of PN2 will soon give me the same level of satisfaction as before, though I still continue to enjoy it.

 

In the meantime I would suggest that those that remain displeased on a seemingly regular basis concentrate on pointing out the problems they encounter in the most constructive manner possible. Everyone's interest is to make this function, the administrators' in particular.

In the meantime I would suggest that those that remain displeased on a seemingly regular basis concentrate on pointing out the problems they encounter in the most constructive manner possible

Similarly those that rate the site higher than others should tell management, explicitly, why this is the case. It would give Mgmt as much focus as critical feedback.

I will not debate it further.

I didn't get the sense Norman was interested in a debate. I got the FEELING he was genuinely interested in your simply expanding on what you said about the site. Not every question should be assumed to be instigating debate.

In the meantime I would suggest that those that remain displeased on a seemingly regular basis concentrate on pointing out the problems they encounter in the most constructive manner possible.

I don't care for this suggestion. Just as I think we should all express ourselves through photography the way we want, I think we should all express ourselves verbally the way we want as long as we don't violate terms of agreement. I've seen some very dark, negative photos on this site, and appreciate them for the kind of emotional state they portray. Some people prefer only pretty photos. Both should be allowed and encouraged. I don't need or want people only to express themselves in pretty or "constructive" ways, especially if that's not what they're genuinely feeling. What people should be expressing is their truth the way they want to express it and all of us should be big enough boys and girls to take it or leave it.

 

SO FAR, I JUST TRIED TO POST THIS TWO TIMES AND GOT TWO SERVER ERROR MESSAGES. I WILL NOW QUIT AND RELAUNCH MY BROWSER AND SEE IF I CAN POST. THIS DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL TERRIBLY CONSTRUCTIVE!

Name one thing electronic or digital that works flawlessly 100% of the time. Driverless cars anyone?

I think we should all express ourselves verbally the way we want

Yes, President Trump does that too ..

Name one thing electronic or digital that works flawlessly 100% of the time. Driverless cars anyone?

What's that got to do with the price of beans. Fact is, I can't think of too many things that work as poorly as PN does, on many days . . . even though I still appreciate and enjoy it. Asking for a decently-operating site shouldn't be confused with asking for 100% perfection, unless we're in the land of red herrings.

Yes, President Trump does that too ..

See, now you're getting it, John. You just expressed yourself in an honest, negative, non-constructive way. But it does sound REAL to me and I so appreciate that. My respect for you just grew. Thanks.

See, now you're getting it, John. You just expressed yourself in an honest, negative, non-constructive way. But it does sound REAL to me and I so appreciate that. My respect for you just grew. Thanks.

Dear Fred, I have spent 15 years on PN largely ignoring infantile comments such as the above, written by people that often seem to have very little else to do, I have a sufficient amount of "real" challenges to face in life and have neither the time nor the incentive to change that now, though you may argue that I am doing it at present to put an end to the discussion.

Edited October 21, 2017 by John Peri

Julie H likes personal attacks. Who’d have thought it ?

Edited October 21, 2017 by Norma Desmond

Good grief.

I thought this was a friendly site.

 

The members and their talent and knowledge are probably the strongest parts of the site, from my brief membership.

It's not as easy to post posts (!) or images as Talk Photography, I suspect they have more funds available for servers. Typical image upload size is 1000 to 1200 on the short side. There are also a dozen or so moderators and staff.

Most of the cliques have been done away with which makes it friendlier, but it has also made it more amateur oriented: opinions rather than facts in quite a few discussions.

 

It's good to find somewhere new :)

Good grief.

I thought this was a friendly site.

It is precisely the reason why I began this thread. I appealed for some empathy and understanding, but unfortunately not everyone identifies with that.

It is precisely the reason why I began this thread. I appealed for some empathy and understanding, but unfortunately not everyone identifies with that.

It's one of the problems with many forums.

The lack of face to face interaction. The discussions would probably be better over a glass of fine wine (or beer!) and face to face.

 

Smilies help to a certain extent :)

I like PhotoNet. Your opinion may differ.

Tony, I am prepared to say that your opinion is Norfolk and Good. My opinion, on the other hand, is in my opinion better than your opinion. [ BIG SMILE]

Tony, I am prepared to say that your opinion is Norfolk and Good. My opinion, on the other hand, is in my opinion better than your opinion. [ BIG SMILE]

 

I take grave exception to your comment, and shall leave the planet immediately !! [Even bigger smile, with sprinkles !]