New feature - member photos at the bottom of forum threads!

[joshroot]

<p>This caught me a bit by surprise as I thought we weren't ready to release it yet. So this text is placeholder until<br /> I can explain it further.</p>

<p>But check it out, there are random gallery images at the bottom of forum threads now. Images are from the people who have:</p>

<p>A. posted on that thread</p>

<p>&</p>

<p>B. Submitted images for ratings.</p>

<p>There are a lot of changes I'm going t make to the system going forward, but I wanted to test it out and see how people liked it.</p>

<p>More to come as I have time to write a full report. <strong>And yes, it goes without saying that this is a BETA product and can change or disappear at any time.</strong></p><div></div>

[joshroot]

Before anyone gets on my case, yes there will be an opt-out option for those who do not want their photos displayed. No, this option does not exist now.

[Michael R Freeman]

<p>Cool. :-)</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Well, I was surprised. I <em>think</em> it sounds like a nice idea. I take it that it will <em>not</em> be taking pictures from portfolios?</p>

[jim_j2]

<p>Cool! ;-)</p>

<p>Yeah! . . . I did that just to see if it was here too! . . .</p>

[joshroot]

<blockquote>

<p>I take it that it will <em>not</em> be taking pictures from portfolios?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Currently, no. Just images that a user has submitted to the ratings system. I would like to expand that in the future. But or the moment, due to the fact that we try not to surprise people with nudity, we have to use something with categorization. Now, I'm working on a category system where ALL images must be categorized when they are uploaded. But that project is not even at the beta stage.</p>

[joshroot]

<blockquote>

<p>I wonder if it will increase the likelihood that viewers of the thread might visit more portfolios based on the members photos at the bottom of the thread?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Thats pretty much the entire point of the thing. PM members like people to look at their images ("how do I get people to look at my photos?" is a question I hear all the time) and the site likes increasing pageviews (hard to run a web business if nobody visits the site). So I'm working on ways that both goals can be achieved. This is one attempt.</p>

[CharlesBecker-Toronto]

<p>Josh-a great idea; I enjoy seeing other members' images. Thanks! cb</p>

[aplumpton]

<p>I agree with the question about taking images recently posted to portfolios. Most of us posting to portfolios only are not trying to avoid comment (on the contrary...) but prefer those type of sometimes extended comments, for or against, rather than submitting to the ratings section. Josh, why not choose portfolio uploads as well?</p>

[joshroot]

Re dynamic:

 

yes, it's a different set of images each time.

 

Re opt out:

 

I'd like to be able to give some options like those. But it really depends on what jin the magician can come up with.

[jenkins]

<p>Can only be a good thing.</p>

[joshroot]

Arthur,

 

Re portfolio uploads:

 

as I said in a previous post, the issue is one of not surprising others with nudity. At the moment, the only places where

images are categorized as "nude" are the ratings and critique areas. This won't change until I complete the "catagorize

upon upload" project that is also mentioned above.

 

Why did jin use the ratings system rather than the ratings AND critique system as the basis for this version of the system?

I do not know offhand and will ask him. I had thought we would use ratings/critique. Typically changing plans means it was

a server performance issue of some sort.

[joshroot]

Folks,

 

A favor please.

 

I'm trying to keep up and answer questions. But I'm doing so while typing in my iPhone with a baby in my other arm. He's

fussy and so am I.

 

So PLEASE read my preious posts before commenting. PLEASE. It will save me the time and trouble of answering the

same question multiple times.

 

I would very much appreciate it.

[lauren_macintosh]

<p>Instead of looking for them, they now come to us: Interesting Idea: there josh:</p>

[bobatkins]

<p>My preference would be a special folder in which the photographer could place images that they wanted to be displayed (or the ability to flag images for display, the default being "do not display in forum threads").</p>

<p>I have all sorts of random junk in my folders (stuff associated with lens tests etc.) and I rarely submit anything for critique. Not sure how many others are in a similar situation.</p>

[joshroot]

<blockquote>

 

<p>My preference would be a special folder in which the photographer could place images that they wanted to be displayed (or the ability to flag images for display, the default being "do not display in forum threads").<br>

I have all sorts of random junk in my folders (stuff associated with lens tests etc.) and I rarely submit anything for critique. Not sure how many others are in a similar situation.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Stuff currently won't show up unless it has been submitted for ratings. If you have random junk, I'm not sure why you would be submitting it for ratings. But in case you are, know that there is a chance it will appear until we have an opt out system in place.</p>

<p>As for a "hidden" place. At the moment, I'm not worried about it. If you are requesting ratings, you obviously want people to see the image. Going forward, I'll just create the opt-out system. People can choose to get this extra visibility or not.</p>

[AJHingel]

<p>Very good idea that you come up with here.<br>

As I don't ever use the critique forum and don't upload any photos to it, none of my photos will be shown. I think I'm not alone in maybe especially being active in various forums because I'm not active in the critique exercise of reasons we have discussed several times here and I will not repeat.<br>

Personally I would prefer therefor that the only criteria for being opted in to this new good initiative would be to participate in the forum thread.</p>

[sumon_mukherjee]

<p>Thanks Josh. This is a really good idea for increasing the numbers of both forum postings as well as viewer.....And this is working effectively.</p>

[papasan]

<p>FWIW I think it's an excellent idea. In addition to bringing people to visit other posters' portfolios, it may also encourage others to contribute to a discussion.</p>

<p>I also noticed that the "First/Prev and Next/Last" icons allowing to go to the next page or last page etc are now conveniently located under the original post and at the top (and bottom) of every page. That is also a good innovation, it makes it a lot easier and faster to navigate through each post this way. Great work Josh. Regards - michel</p>

[Hector Javkin]

<p>I understand there will be an option for those who don't want their images displayed in the threads. Will there be an option for those who don't want to see those images when we read threads? Could subscribers pay a reasonable extra fee not to have them? Particularly on a thread which has photos inserted in-line to illustrate a point, I don't want to see irrelevant, random images. There are enough of those in the ads.</p>

[StuartMoxham]

<p>Great idea. I noticed the images at the bottom of a thread I was active in and following. If it gets some more memembers to visit portfolios it can't be bad.</p>

[gordonjb]

Since I have no control over which images appear beside my name I would like to opt out but I just signed in and cannot find any opt out option. If I mark folders as hidden will that opt them out ?

[jean_henderson]

<p>I really like this new feature a lot. I personally have gone to very few portfolios because there are so many and the only basis I have for choosing to view someone's is knowledge of them through their postings. This is a value added concept that is more than appropriate for a site based on the visual.</p>

[joshroot]

Gordon,

 

Please re-read my previous comments regarding the opt-out. Particularly the first reply after the original post. In short,

there is no opt out right now, there will be one in the near future.

[stamos]

<p>I think this is a good idea. We will see if it will give more views in photos.</p>