No Connection

[Sanford]

Edwin (Fiverr Customer Support)

Dec 1, 2022, 5:37 AM GMT+2

Hi, again Sanford,
 
Thank you for your patience.
 
I got a reply from my relevant team and they have informed me that fiverr.com and photo.net are two different companies and there is no connection between the two.
 
If you need assistance on that platform, you can go on https://www.photo.net/support/.
 
I hope this resolves your query.
 
If you need any help in regard to the Fiverr platform, we will be happy to assist.
 
Kind regards,

---

Edwin | Customer Support | Fiverr.com
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[WJT]

Interesting. How about Creative Live?

[Dustin McAmera]

From July '21:

https://investors.fiverr.com/press-releases/press-releases-details/2021/Fiverr-Expands-Online-Education-Offering-With-Acquisition-of-CreativeLive/default.aspx

 

and also check, from October '22:

https://www.creativelive.com/photonet

 

[PapaTango]

Inspired by @Sanford, I did a bit of delving about myself.  Photo.net is a division of Creative Live, which is now owned by Fiverr.  Fiverr is an Israeli corporation, and has offices in San Francisco, CA.  Matt Jensen is Team Leader for Digital Communications Engagement Programs there, and has been with them since 2016.  He also writes, and here is his Fiverr engagement blog:

https://blog.fiverr.com/author/matt-jensen

I decided yesterday that starting at the bottom might not be a fruitful direction--and has been shown so by Sanford's post.  So I sent a few emails out to Fiverr corporate leadership--including Micha Kaufmann, their founder and CEO.  He ought to know that they own PN.  The text of that message follows.  Let's see if we get any response!

Quote

 

As you know, at the beginning of this year Fiverr acquired the Creative Live asset Photo.net.  This made the third ownership change in less than a decade—beginning with NameCheap, then Creative—and now Fiverr.  Those of us in PhotoNet community appreciate your interest and look forward to years of growth and sustainability!

With each acquisition attempts to ‘modernize’ the forum software have been put forth, and then abandoned before members realized full functionality of their photographic “home.”  We seem to be stalled once again and much dissatisfaction is brewing amongst the membership.  I have been a member (and mostly subscribing) for well over 20 years now.  What I know from my experience as a website developer and forum administrator is that members are its wealth.  Unfortunately, many of us are feeling a bit neglected right now.

Matt Jensen, your Team Lead of Digital Community Engagement was assigned to our project.  We had great hope for PN, as he was communicative, helpful, and although not someone who seems has managed a large migration before—continued to push configuration changes forward.  Members (including myself) communicated with him on suggestions and fixes—and many of them were acted on quickly.  Then in late August, we heard the last from him.  The community is now anxious and troubled over the future of PhotoNet.  Other long-time members and contributors are migrating themselves to other platforms.  This all is a loss to PN, the community, and ultimately Fiverr.

Much social stock and credibility can easily be restored if someone would advise the community as to what is happening now—and what we can expect in the future.  There are several of us here that hold extensive forum management experience—and have already volunteered or would do so to help solve some of the more basic issues that concern members.  Our very modest active moderation staff, led by Sandy Vongries are pushed hard right now to keep up with spam and other nonsense.  Sandy has kept order throughout the previous efforts by Creative until now, and currently provides most of the “how to” help for our current forum iteration.  If someone in authority could reach out to him—it would be a very considerate and decent thing to do.

PhotoNet has a lot of life left in it and with care can grow, diversify, and perform well into the future.  Please don’t forget about us…

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2022 by PapaTango
My cat Bear suggested it

[Sanford]

So who do the moderators answer too?

[PapaTango]

Just now, Sanford said:

So who do the moderators answer too?

Apparently, no one!  Let's be thankful and happy that we have some very good ones that are neither tyrants or fools....

[samstevens]

@Sanfordall the sleuthing and reaching out in the world is not going to get you the full, reliable gallery you want here at PN. It may be time to put what you, yourself, referred to as “limited time and energy” to more productive use, creating a gallery elsewhere. Every time I see a new post or a new thread from you (numerous), I feel worse and worse, knowing you are not getting any closer to your gallery goal. I encourage you to create a gallery elsewhere, while hoping you’ll remain here for the threads you initiate as well as your active participation in the photo forums.

* * *

I appreciate the time and energy people are spending to get answers and, hopefully, get someone’s attention so that PN can get back on track. It’s good to see positive energy of that sort put to use. I was very supportive of the new rollout at the beginning. I have come down off that cloud. Jensen has disappeared completely, not a good sign. He was pretty upfront about the low status of PN in the eyes of the bigger picture and about himself being the main advocate and go-to guy, with limited time and resources. His being out of the picture now reinforces what a low priority PN actually is. The rudeness factor of disappearing like this is shameful but nothing new in the world. My expectations from these member communications to executives are extremely low. No one but Jensen was on board from the beginning. Hard to see these busy, important men (❗) getting involved with the public now.
 

The site’s about halfway there. We can each see that as half full or half empty, but the glass sits there the way it is and the amount of liquid in it hasn’t changed for months. It may well be a finished still life. My plan is to take it for what it is and meet the needs not fulfilled here elsewhere. 

Edited December 1, 2022 by samstevens

[Sanford]

I agree Sam and I am researching alternatives. It's such a shame, "photo.net" is one of the great www names on the internet and nobody wants it.

[PapaTango]

16 minutes ago, Sanford said:

...."photo.net" is one of the great www names on the internet and nobody wants it.

On the contrary.  We want it...

[Dustin McAmera]

36 minutes ago, samstevens said:

half full or half empty, but the glass sits there the way it is

My glass and I are half drunk.

[Sanford]

11 minutes ago, Dustin McAmera said:

My glass and I are half drunk.

So early?

[mikemorrellNL]

Many thanks @PapaTango!  My compliments for the content and tone of your e-mail!

I'll PM you on the initiatives that I and at least 1 other member have taken taken to contact @matt_jensen. Not that they're in any way 'secret'  or 'confidential' but - in principle - I don't believe that 'private messages' should be shared publicly.

What I will share (from my own PM) is the following:

- Invision community sites normally have an (administrative) 'owner' = someone who takes out a subscription to the Invision platform and ensures that subscription fees are paid

- the (administrative) 'owner' normally appoints one or more forum 'administrators' who configure the Invision platform to meet both the owner's and members' requirements/wishes

- Although PN has some experienced 'forum administrators' (for whom Invision is not rocket science), none are involved as administrator of PN

- The forum administrators (or 'owner') normally appoint one or more forum 'moderators'

Anybody who has ever managed a (necessary) 'platform migration' will know that:

- each platform has its relative strengths and weaknesses

- there's never a 'perfect fit', just the 'best fit'

- there are features on the new platform that members enjoy and there are always features on the 'old platform' that members really miss on the 'new platform';  some members' wishes (based on the 'old PN') won't be possible on the standard Invision Platform unless some (expensive) customization is done

My offer to Matt was to recruit (via myself) a couple of 'voluntary PN administrators' who could help out during the migration. Even if this only involves investigating member requests. As yet, I've had no response.

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

[WJT]

I would recommend that we all take a positive and patient view of this situation and I understand the frustration that it is causing. However, it is quite obvious that I can create Albums for myself and I suspect this can also be done for other members. Why I have this ability and others do not is unknown but my being a moderator is probably the reason. I am (and have been) reaching out for a solution to this situation so please stand-by.  I would appreciate if other moderators would PM me so that we might arrive at a joint solution.

I would also like to add that I am not paid for any of this and I am doing it out of my unbounded love for this miracle of the internet ;0)

[JDMvW]

While I am not ecstatic, as a very old and intensive user I find the present state of P.net "tolerable."

I was on P,net as a user well before I formally joined, by the way.

 

I've found only a few alternatives, and they don't seem too attractive, so I may just go "dark" when and if P.net ends.

I'll turn out the lights if I'm the last to leave.