Mudita

SOLVED

Stay tuned for further updates @mikemorrellNL!

No bots but certainly enough guests. It is funny what happens in a few decades and no one is really paying attention and making adjustments. Block statistics on any forum site are dross and deceit. Promotional eye candy for the masses. In this number are the dead and the disinterested and the decrepit and the spammers and the banned, and accounts that were made that never posted or visited again. It is astounding that through the various migrations since 2000, many important things have been lost and this bit of oddness has been preserved in every iteration. If conservatively this number were to be trimmed of the flotsam and jetsam and then filtered for the number of members who have logged on over the last 2 years well then about 30K can be accounted for. We are unable to muster complete metrics prior to the mugration in October of 2022 and analyze any previous trends. Our apologies for the prose as we have been parsing Hemingway and seem dispensed to be rather polysyndactic today. This message brought to you by ChatGPT, the future of human communication.

We find many things when working on the backside of web properties. Here is an example. This is the most viewed image on PhotoNet with an incredible 5,701,788 views.

You are absolutely right Jeff. Everything was left fairly vanilla during the first part of this "migration". We are now trying to correct and finish things that should have been accomplished during pre-launch development production. The Wayback Machine is the perfect way to see what was. Here is a sampling of our appearance through time. 2000 https://web.archive.org/web/20000304130409/http://www.photo.net/ 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20050101023328/http://photo.net/ 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100115184028/http://photo.net/ 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150310041813/http://photo.net/ The best has been saved for last. This is what PhotoNet looked like in September 2022, just before this last "migration". https://web.archive.org/web/20220905030450/https://photo.net/ "I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand, Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed; And on the pedestal, these words appear: My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.” Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1818

To lay the matter to rest here is a link on the Wayback Machine to January 18, 2010. A version of this TOS and other agreements can be found for virually any year that PhotoNet has provided a link to one. https://web.archive.org/web/20100118095139/http://photo.net/info/terms-of-use The only matter that has really changed concerns who our owners are, and new privacy laws.

We cannot go back to what was before as people remember. Here is a short history of why we cannot return but rather maximize what we have today. From 1993 to 2000, PhotoNet was a privately owned endeavor of Phil Greenspun. He wrote the platform from scratch and maintained it himself. In 2000 it was incorporated as part of ArsDigita--a venture of Greenspun, Rajeev Surati, and Waikit Lau. It was sold in 2007 to NameMedia for USD6 million. It continued to operate and expand the original platform until 2016. In 2016, ownership transferred to CreativeLive. Developers there recognized that the underlying platform was archaic and had become impossible to plug security leaks. PhotoNet was transferred to the Xenforo platform which functioned fairly well and provided many features users were comfortable with. It was not a frangible replacement for the original platform. In 2022, PhotoNet was purchased by Fiverr, and the decision was made to replace Xenforo with Invision Community Board. This is our current software, and a less than optimal fit for our sort of community. This community has a fairly "vanilla" capacity in terms of what it is capable of without significant investment in feature plugins and custom coding. This is why we need everyone's thoughts to find what is possible and what is not.

Personal galleries are called 'Albums'. A member can create any number of them. At this time all member Albums are set to public view. Private albums are possible, but to what purpose? PhotoNet is not like or intended to be an image depository like Flickr, smugmug, or others. It is a place (among other things) to show medium resolution images to others and solicit comments and discussion. What role in this do private albums that only a member can see play? It's a good comment, and bears discussion so that PhotoNet can decide what it wants to be when it grows up.

PhotoNet has existed for over 30 years. For much of that time it was one of the premier photographic communities on the web. Things began to change with the first migration of the platform in early 2017. Two more “migrations” later resulted in much damage to its reputation, loss of membership, and participation in PhotoNet. Today we stand as a mere shadow of what this community once was. Administration is doing its best to remedy problems with the site. Some things are possible and some are not. We will continue to keep you advised on these things. But change is necessary PhotoNet to survive. Our forum boards are a hopeless tangle of mixed categories that defy SEO and intuitive navigation. This is the result of poor planning and action in earlier migrations and the effects of time. From a site that in 2009 had an average of 4000-5000 regular active members daily has now dwindled to a core of around 300 posting regulars. There are usually no more than 30 logged in members at any given point in time. PhotoNet is at a crossroads and must adapt in order to survive. Be advised that at this time, we have no budget to buy new features or pay programmers to custom develop functionality. We are soliciting your thoughts on things you would like to see, and your vision for the future of this community! Please let us know!

@Gerry Whitmarsh Thank you for your topical contributions here on PhotoNet across the years, and your support of the site. Many things were not configured when the site migrated from the previous software. Memberships were not turned back on as the site was only a quarter of the way configured prior to the recent site development hiatus. That certainly would be a benefit of subscription along with other perks. There is no advertising currently on PhotoNet. What some see is spam and it is removed as quickly as our two active moderators can get to it. Subscription will return at some time in the future. For right now both Member & PhotoNet Pro groups have exactly the same privileges. That would of course change with the introduction of Subscriptions again. To be clear, no one is being charged for past subscription memberships. We will continue to work on resolving what problems with the site we can and then revisit membership plans again in the future.

@John Peri We are looking at this issue now. The NSFW application has several serious bugs and does not function properly. Please bear with us.

Terms and Conditions Please read these Terms and Conditions ("Terms", "Terms and Conditions") carefully before using the https://photo.net website (the "Service") operated by PHOTO.NET ("us", "we", or "our"). Your access to and use of the Service is conditioned upon your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms. These Terms apply to all visitors, users and others who wish to access or use the Service. By accessing or using the Service you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree with any part of the terms, then you do not have permission to access the Service. Availability, Errors and Inaccuracies We regularly update product and service offerings on the Service. We may experience delays in updating information on the Service or its outcome. The information found on the Service may contain errors or inaccuracies and may not be complete or current. Products or services may temporarily unavailable or not completely functional, and we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information found on the Service. We are not responsible for any service outages and resultant perceived damages due to internal platform or external internet issues. We therefore reserve the right to change or update information and to correct errors, inaccuracies, or omissions at any time without prior notice. Content Our Service allows you to post, link, store, share and otherwise make available certain information, text, graphics, or other material ("Content"). You are responsible for the Content that you post on or through the Service, including its ownership, legality, reliability, and appropriateness. By posting Content on or through the Service, You represent and warrant that: (i) the Content is yours (you own it) and/or you have the right to use it and the right to grant us the rights and license as provided in these Terms, and (ii) that the posting of your Content on or through the Service does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, contract rights or any other rights of any person or entity. We reserve the right to terminate the account of anyone found to be infringing on a copyright. In addition, links may be made to work not your own for the purpose of commentary or exposition. You agree that the original image will not be posted directly to PHOTO.NET and understand that any such visible image content may be removed by PN staff without notice. Displayed video through streaming services is permitted as long as it does not violate any other provision of this agreement. You retain any and all of your rights to any Content you submit, post or display on or through the Service and you are responsible for protecting those rights. We take no responsibility and assume no liability for Content you or any third-party posts on or through the Service. However, by posting Content using the Service you grant us the right and license to use, publicly display, reproduce, and distribute such Content on and through the Service solely on the Photo.Net website. You agree that this license includes the right for us to make your Content available to other users of the Service, who may also use your Content subject to these Terms. PHOTO.NET has the right but not the obligation to monitor and edit all Content provided by users. In addition, Content developed by PHOTO.NET and its assigns for use on the website platform (such as logos, advertising, promotion) are the property of PHOTO.NET or used with permission. You may not distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, download, repost, copy, or use said Content, whether in whole or in part, for commercial purposes or for personal gain, without express advance written permission from us. Accounts When you create an account with us, you guarantee that you are above the age of 18, and that the information you provide us is accurate, complete, and current always. Inaccurate, incomplete, or obsolete information may result in the immediate termination of your account on the Service. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password, including but not limited to the restriction of access to your computer and/or account. You agree to accept responsibility for any and all activities or actions that occur under your account and/or password, whether your password is with our Service or a third-party service. You must notify us immediately upon becoming aware of any breach of security or unauthorized use of your account. You may not use as a username the name of another person or entity or that is not lawfully available for use, a name or trademark that is subject to any rights of another person or entity other than you, without appropriate authorization. You may not use as a username any name that is offensive, vulgar or obscene. You also agree not to falsely use a title or other information that might misrepresent being an Administrator, Moderator, or other PHOTO.NET staff member. We reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, remove or edit content, or apply moderation actions at our sole discretion. Intellectual Property The Service and its original content (excluding Content provided by users), features and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of PHOTO.NET and its licensors. The Service is protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws of both the United States and foreign countries. Our trademarks and trade dress may not be used in connection with any product or service without the prior written consent of PHOTO.NET or its owners and assigns. Links To Other Web Sites Our Service may contain links to other offerings from Creative Live and Fiverr—our corporate partners. PHOTO.NET has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any other services or sites. You acknowledge and agree that PHOTO.NET shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such web sites or services. We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any other web sites or services that you visit. Termination We may terminate or suspend your account and bar access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, under our sole discretion, for any reason whatsoever and without limitation, including but not limited to a breach of the Terms. Members at all levels agree not to post prohibited material, engage in personal attacks or attacks against the general membership, or to behave in a way that disturbs the general community. Action is solely at the discretion of the Moderators and Administrators and may vary from a simple warning to a full ban and/or termination. If you wish to terminate your account, you may simply discontinue using the Service and notify an administrator to delete your information. All provisions of the Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity and limitations of liability. Indemnification You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless PHOTO.NET and its licensee and licensors, and their employees, contractors, agents, officers and directors, from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees), resulting from or arising out of a) your use and access of the Service, by you or any person using your account and password; b) a breach of these Terms, or c) Content posted on the Service. Limitation Of Liability In no event shall PHOTO.NET, nor its directors, employees, partners, agents, suppliers, or affiliates, be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, including without limitation, loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from (i) your access to or use of or inability to access or use the Service; (ii) any conduct or content of any third party on the Service; (iii) any content obtained from the Service; and (iv) unauthorized access, use or alteration of your transmissions or content, whether based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence) or any other legal theory, whether or not we have been informed of the possibility of such damage, and even if a remedy set forth herein is found to have failed of its essential purpose. Disclaimer Your use of the Service is at your sole risk. The Service is provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis. The Service is provided without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement or course of performance. PHOTO.NET and its owners, subsidiaries, affiliates, and its licensors do not warrant that a) the Service will function uninterrupted, secure or available at any particular time or location; b) any errors or defects will be corrected; c) the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components; or d) the results of using the Service will meet your requirements. Exclusions Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so the limitations above may not apply to you. Governing Law Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court, the remaining provisions of these Terms will remain in effect. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between us regarding our Service and supersede and replace any prior agreements we might have had between us regarding the Service. Changes We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is significantly material, we will provide at least 30 days’ notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion. By continuing to access or use our Service after any revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, you are no longer authorized to use the Service. Photo.net Cookie Policy What Are Cookies As is common practice with almost all websites this site uses cookies, which are tiny files that are downloaded to your computer browser, to improve your experience. This page describes what information they gather, how we use it, and why we sometimes need to store these cookies. We will also share how you can prevent these cookies from being stored however this may downgrade or ‘break’ certain elements of the functionality of the site. How We Use Cookies We use cookies for a variety of reasons detailed below. Unfortunately, in most cases, there are no industry standard options for disabling cookies without completely disabling the functionality and features they add to this site. It is recommended that you leave on all cookies if you are not sure whether you need them or not in case they are used to provide a service that you use. Disabling Cookies You can prevent the setting of cookies by adjusting the settings on your browser (see your browser Help for how to do this). Be aware that disabling cookies in your browser may affect the functionality of this and many other websites that you visit. Disabling cookies may result in also disabling certain functionality and features of Photo.net–especially in the commenting features. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not disable cookies. The Cookies We Set • Site preferences cookies • Google Analytics cookies • Session cookies To provide you with a great experience on PhotoNet, we provide the functionality to set your preferences for how this site runs when you use it. To remember your preferences, we need to set cookies so that this information can be called whenever you interact with a page that is affected by your preferences. Third-Party Cookies In some special cases such as Google Analytics, we also use cookies provided by trusted third parties. The following section details which third-party cookies you might encounter through this site. This site uses Google Analytics which is one of the most widespread and trusted analytics solutions on the web for helping us to understand how you use the site and ways that we can improve your experience. These cookies may track things such as how long you spend on the site and the pages that you visit so we can continue to produce engaging content. All information sent to Google is anonymous and does not contain any personally identifying information. For more information on Google Analytics cookies, see the official Google Analytics page. From time to time, we test new features and make subtle changes to the way that the site is delivered. When we are still testing new features, these cookies may be used to ensure that you receive a consistent experience whilst on the site whilst ensuring we understand which optimizations our users appreciate the most. We also use social media buttons and/or plugins on this site that allow you to connect with your social network in various ways. For these to work the following social media sites including; Facebook, Twitter, & Google, and various image hosting services will set cookies through our site which may be used to enhance your profile on their site or contribute to the data they hold for various purposes outlined in their respective privacy policies. More Information Hopefully, that has clarified things for you, and as was previously mentioned if there is something that you aren’t sure whether you need or not it’s usually safer to leave cookies enabled in case it does interact with one of the features you use on our site.