holds A FARWELL TO MY FRIENDS AT PN

I would like to say it to all my friends at the net, I'm leaving that site

after more then 10 yesars. ( Too many years) I'm living in a

democratic country,and the freedom of speech! is the light that we

are following !.if you look at some of my photos some years ago, I

have about 123 comments... If you look at the names, most of them

are not at the net anymore ! I'm leaving because the new admins(

as usual for years) are not fulfilling my expectations , and I'm not

ready to stand it anymore, especially when my country is fighting a

terrible terror attacks. so farwell my friends ,and especially Fred G.

that tried to help me!

I am sorry you are leaving Pnina and I wish you well. Stay safe and healthy and I hope you will return someday. I am always sad when I see another one leave. Take care and all the best, Trisha

Pnina,

I don't know what is prompting this farewell and hope you reconsider.  I've been mostly off- PN for a while, but just logged on and am stunned to see what you wrote above.

You have helped me almost more than anyone on this site.  I love looking at your work. It is so beautiful and soulful.

As far as you living in a democratic country besieged with terrorism from the north and from the south, I stand firmly with you and the people of Israel who live have never been left to live in peace and security.  You are a shining star.  

HI

I also don't know what admin. you refer to. I don't see anything from PN that effects the participants- more like people  just have busy lives. We here all regret the horror  being perpetrated upon the peoples in your part of the world.

As far as comments, it's nice to receive them, but, too often folks do things only for what they can get out of it, rather than what they can give to others. If you think your  work has value in being seen, then you should continue sharing it, whether or not you receive feed back. Of course, ratings should always be taken with large lumps of salt.

If good contributors abandon PN, the site will be poorer for all.

Best of luck for your future.

Greg

I hope you will reconsider. Let me say a couple of things.

The administration has acted neglectfully in not responding to you. I've been finding it a little hard to understand some of the things you're saying in THIS THREAD, but I get the gist of most of it.

I think your two issues of concern are the lack of communication from administration on the technical problem you are experiencing where you can't comment on your own photos and also the fact that they seem to have deleted a news photo you posted to that thread showing the situation in Israel.

I just want to emphasize that they have not singled you out. They have failed miserably in communicating to this community as a whole as well as to everyone who is experiencing technical problems. If you look through the Site Help forum, you'll see many unanswered problems and long delays in getting back to people. Note John Crosley's recent frustration with them. While they have tried to insist on a positive community experience among the members, going so far as to ban many people who they think have not acted according to their sense of good community (and in some cases, I agree with the bans), they have passively, by not participating themselves, really not added to a positive sense of community themselves. They are undermining the very thing they are trying to ensure.

But I agree with Jack. That's only so important. What I do, like Jack, is just stake out my little corner of the PN universe, post my photos, comment on others' photos, develop my PN associations and friendships, participate in the forums that have meaning for me, and not worry too much about the bigger picture, which is well beyond my control.

The issue of the photo that got deleted, if I'm understanding you correctly, is tricky. While I can only imagine how awful things are for you personally at this moment in time, PN has a rule against posting pictures that we have not taken ourselves, no matter how relevant they may be politically or personally, and whether or not they are news photos. They can be linked to but they cannot be posted. They enforce this very consistently and make no exceptions. So please don't feel singled out and don't expect it to change. It is a legal matter for them and I think it makes a lot of sense as I understand the legalities. It has nothing to do with the amount of time you've been around. They simply will not make exceptions for anyone and I think that's understandable.

Pnina, I wish I could be of more help in terms of your technical problems, but I don't have any other suggestions if you've made sure you haven't accidentally blocked yourself. In your last post to the thread, I thought you indicated that you were no longer blocked but I was having a little trouble understanding you.

You've been a very valuable asset to the site, have made many good friends, are a faithful commenter on other people's work, and offer your own photos which are universally liked and respected. It would be a shame to lose you. This is an emotional time for you, which is understandable. I urge you not to make any rash decisions right now. Let everything settle down a bit before quitting the site. I hope you change your mind and will stay, with the knowledge that the site is far from perfect and the sense of community has declined steadily under the new administration but still has value to be found as we individually use it.

In the meantime, in the scheme of things, PN is relatively unimportant. I hope you stay safe and hope that the Middle East with the help of what seems to be an impotent world can find some way to peace.

If it is truly your intention to leave PN please know that you and your posts will be missed, by me at least.  I haven't been following your interactions with PN admin so these come as somewhat of a surprise to me.  I do however follow the crisis that faces your country and thus also faces you and I worry for your safety.  I hope things settle down and calm be restored in the region.  Hoping for a permanent solution on that issue, while desirable, seems only a far off possibility but the people involved, and indeed the rest of the world, must keep trying.  Your frustration with PN is likely aggravated by your personal safety concerns at home.  I must agree with Fred, take some time off for some deep reflection on what's important to you before making a final decision.   Best wishes,  Len.

Pnina is still not able to comment on her own photos, so she has asked me to post this response for her. She asked me to correct grammar and spelling, which I have done minimally, because I think it's mostly understandable and didn't want to risk putting my own spin on anything she said.

This is what Pnina wrote:

Although we do travel different circles on a regular basis within the pages of Photo.net, our paths have crossed a few times over the years with your commenting on a couple of my photographs and vice versa.

For me, it has always given me an "honor badge" when you or, a few others here take notice of any of my work.

I too hope you will/have reconsider(ed) your departure! As Fred G. and others have indicated, . . . the community will certainly suffer!

Although we don't cross paths often, I do frequent and participate in a good portion of the site here. So, believe me, I do understand and recognize your frustrations. And, yes, . . . "things" are certainly different with each change of individuals "at the helm" so to speak.

Recently in the Site Help Forum in one of the threads, someone was asking, or pointing out a problem that they were having. After a few days someone simply posted "Auto-Pilot" and that has stuck with me since and, I've had that feeling that that is how the site is run now.

In the years that I've been around and although only encountered a very few minor problems I had always gotten assistance or a response. For me, not so since February of this year but, I am persistant in one way or another.

I too have thought about leaving but stay around because I haven't found another site yet. Although I get frustrated with a few things in this community I still try to do my part to keep it as a "community" by participating in as many areas as I can from the different Forums I frequent to the Ratings & Critique or at least Comments.

(I don't feel qualified for much in the way of critiques but at least I continue to try!)

Pnina, I see alot of very familiar names above mine here that I have observed over the years providing support and encouragement continuously for many which makes me want to stick around awhile longer. I sincerely hope that you do too!

I'm "with you" too on the troubles that your part of the world is going through. I hope freedom and peace are in the very near future there.

Truely hoping "our paths" here will continue to cross often in the future!

Jim j.

Pnina, I wish you well and hope that we remain in touch. As the person who responded with the comment "auto-pilot" in another thread I long ago stopped believing anything written by the admins on this site and make my judgments based, not on what they say, but on what they do. As is abundantly clear by now, what they do is precious little of anything other than badgering and banning anyone whose views they see as contrary. I continue to enjoy the photography of many of those who have left this site, I simply do it elsewhere.

Pnina, I just saw this and it saddens me greatly.  You have always been a positive force on Photo.Net and someone, I could rely on for solid opinions and advice when asked.  I know the situation in Israel is very dire right now and much more important than a posting on photo.net, however it would lessen us all if you were to stay away.  I don't know the circumstances regarding pulling a posted photo.  I know there is a strictly enforced policy about posting any one else's photograph, the protocol has been, and probably for legal reasons, is to post a link.  But its not like you are an abuser of policy, you've never raised a ruckus so I don't understand why, if this is what happened, that a staff member could have politely explained the policy to you and not just ignore you.

So I hope you will reconsider your stance, and not throw the baby away with the bath water.  Your decision to pull away does not really have any lasting impact on the site administration.  The losers are your friends that enjoy your presence here.  

That being said, this is isn't the only place to discuss photography, but I do hope you will rethink and continue to hang around, I'll miss your photos and comments, interest and insights.

Shalom

barry

Wish you all the very best, all decisions always work out for the good, though some may take more time than expected!

This is Pnina's response:

I am shocked and saddened at your decision to leave PN.  Most of what I would have wanted to say already has been expressed, so there's no need to repeat it.  I accept and understand your reasons for leaving.

I will conclude with two wished :  (1) that Israel finds a way to achieve a leasing peace with her neighbors, and (2) that the rest of your journey is filled with fulfillment, joy, and the choicest blessing of all - with Shalom.

שלום, חבר שלי

michael

First, thank you for your help and suggestion, when it was really needed! I will never forget it.!

Second, thanks to admin, and Jin!

and the last but really not the least!

All of you! my friends,. You were a RAY OF LIGHT in a very hard time for my country.

And even only for you, and your support I will change my mind and stay.

Thanks a lot to all of you, for your confidence in me.

Pnina, I welcome your decision. SHALOM!

Pnina, I am thrilled by your decision. Thinking of you.....

It is very hard to leave a site after so many years especially with the real friends like both of you and some others which I see like a famIly

.It was not easy to have the

technical prolem asking for help for two long weeks,and the rest you know...if not the real help Fred has given me !as well as your confidence in me were the reasons for my decision to stay for the time being.. Thanks again my freinds !

BTW,Donna, did did you get my letter with my suggestion?please let me know.

Reading through this string of comments was difficult.  I'm glad that the situation resolved and that you've decided to stay.  Despite my utter lack of time these days, I consider you a mainstay and always look forward to your pics, comments, and overall presence here at PN.

I'm happy you are staying! You are one of the first here to encourage me when I was new and I appreciate that! I hope you will continue to stay safe as well. :)

I just read in horror that you were leaving Photo.net, so I wrote you a long message.  Then I continued reading the long list of comments, including the one saying you were staying after all!   Great!  So I deleted my comment.  :-)  You may have read that I took a Sabbatical from my job to attend photography school, and I was so busy that I wasn't on P.net for about 5-6 months.  So pardon me for being out of touch.  Though I sometimes don't participate for long periods of time, I always come back.  And you have consistently been one of the bright spots for me.....both in your artistic contributions as well as your generous remarks on the work of others.  So I'm so glad you'll remain here, my friend.  And we can all wish your country, and indeed the world, a brighter 2015!  

All of you, thats why it was hard to write it,Beacause of the warm connection and

friendship that are dear to me. I'm much less active lately( as you are Christal )as I

have had 5

exhibitions and photographed 3 new works( 3new dances ) and a concert of

the music ensemble that I'm their photographer for some years now, so it is

a lot of PP..work. i have uoladed some of it,Iwill t to upload more and

especialy enter to see my wha is done in my friends file ;-))

Thanks again for your support !