A thank you and a bit more besides...

[kev7d]

We post images to get some feedback.   If we post images and take feedback but give nothing in return the feedback slowly dries up.  It’s as simple as that for me.  

[Clicker]

 Actually I think you are right about the front page being too busy.... and there does seem to be an awful lot of forums / boards on the home page ... you can scroll down forever ...even when you know your way around , some forums lurk in the depths unless you are actually being notified because you’ve already participated on them ...  maybe a shorter page with Motherboards on  with offspring sections inside each one ....  as Rick said ... just thinking out loud as I have had feedback from a friend who said it looked complicated to find your way around ....

[Clicker]

Maybe the critique bit should be more accessible and called feedback ... seems less “ critical” maybe.  And maybe that will encourage people to feel that help is expected  . otherwise the forum could end  up being a glorified gallery and chat room... is that what people want... ? I’m not sure .. 

[colinb]

First an apology for not replying to the email, busy week and with my Yvonne off evenings had other priorities.

I have read all the above replies and given thought to all the comments and if I may I would just add a 'view' of my own.

Clique - unfortunately sites that have long standings members will just about always appear so, the only way to prevent this is to encourage the new faces to post and join in and I believe in general that is done so on TIPF.

Comments - often difficult especially with new members to post something other than 'nice shot' as you don't want them running away. But unless its posted in the critique section can you say anymore? Should you say anymore?

Leon comments about replies and to a degree I understand what he says, he/someone can post a well composed and shot picture of a car/bike/plane and will get little response, someone may post a bland picture of the sunset taken at the bottom of the garden and get loads. But I guess if your not interested in cars ...

Help /How to etc - Personally I find life too short to sit and write articles as there are magazines and the www for that, but I have always said I am happy to offer advice over the phone, which for me would ensure a better understanding than a load of text.

Front Page - glad to see that has come up in this discussion. All done with good intention but for me doesn't work. As I and others have noted the 'new posts' soon get lost dropping out of view. I think recent items need to be just that not a link to a blank page waiting for todays 52 etc entries etc which can often be the only things on view as member postings have been pushed down.

Personally I am not convinced about the rolling gallery, not sure if that kind of makes you more selective on what you look at and what you post on? it may work on desktop pc but I find it unhelpful on a mobile. regarding the front page in general I wonder what other designs are out there and if there is anything  more user-friendly? 

And a minor point do we need the Exhibition of 2016 ? Now seems 2 years old ?

In general I think TIPF is a good useful club with lots of diverse photography on show, but the forum type websites now have a lot of competition from the likes of Facebook, Pinterest, etc. I am sure I am not the only one who is a member of various other styles of www media but TPIF is the only forum based 'club' I use, just wondering how other similar photography clubs are finding life and what they do?

 

[colinb]

An update and an idea - 

and to add to my comment about posts just dropping out of view.

My post on Hare Coursing last Sunday soon disappeared from view, it has 1 comment and 1 like - both from Kev (ta matey).

Now it may be that members are uninterested enough to bother looking or it my be everyone has looked and thought 'this is crap I will not bother liking or commenting'. Knowing/thinking only Kev bothered makes me feel was it worth it? - but what if I was a newby? What would I think especially if this happened a few times? I would maybe think 'sod that' and clear off to Facebook or somewhere.

So - do we need to look at the 'like' as 'read' and if you do look and don't wish to comment tick the dam thing so the poster at least knows someone care enough to look?

In short - CHANGING THE LIKE TO 'LOOKED' WOULD NOT ONLY ENCOURAGE OTHERS BUT WOULD ALSO HELP ADMIN TO UNDERSTAND MORE HOW THE FORUM WORKS.

 

Edited January 30, 2018 by colinb

[Black Pearl]

Reading through the above comments (thank you all for taking time to add your thoughts) I've had a quick fiddle with the posting order on the main page.

The Image section is now near the top - makes sense I think.
I've moved the Challenges and Staff thingy to the bottom - they're more for longer term users who will go looking for them.

I will look at combining some of the sub-categories to make it smoother to navigate but I might need to enrol the help of @Phil to do this.

 

 

*** I've moved the HDR to Digital Manipulation then renamed it to incorporate both - and - I've moved Abstract to Open again renaming it to allow more scope ***

 

If you can think of other combinations let me know and I'll set about moving things to speed up navigation.

BP

[Rick448]

1 hour ago, colinb said:

An update and an idea - 

and to add to my comment about posts just dropping out of view.

My post on Hare Coursing last Sunday soon disappeared from view, it has 1 comment and 1 like - both from Kev (ta matey).

Now it may be that members are uninterested enough to bother looking or it my be everyone has looked and thought 'this is crap I will not bother liking or commenting'. Knowing/thinking only Kev bothered makes me feel was it worth it? - but what if I was a newby? What would I think especially if this happened a few times? I would maybe think 'sod that' and clear off to Facebook or somewhere.

So - do we need to look at the 'like' as 'read' and if you do look and don't wish to comment tick the dam thing so the poster at least knows someone care enough to look?

In short - CHANGING THE LIKE TO 'LOOKED' WOULD NOT ONLY ENCOURAGE OTHERS BUT WOULD ALSO HELP ADMIN TO UNDERSTAND MORE HOW THE FORUM WORKS.

 

I'm not sure if this forum allows the number of views to be shown as I have seen on many others. I guess that would achieve the same. I must admit it is disappointing to spend time posting images and commenting on others posts, just to have your own ignored. It is really hard to understand why there are so few posts on some images, and then lots on another, which may actually not be seen to be so good photographically (subjective I know). I do think there is an element of "that's my mates post so I'll comment" going on, but it is definitley worthwhile sticking with this to get new blood on here and hopefully improve things. 

[Phil]

I'm not 100% sure how to respond to these comments but I'll give it a go.

 

10 hours ago, colinb said:

So - do we need to look at the 'like' as 'read' and if you do look and don't wish to comment tick the dam thing so the poster at least knows someone care enough to look?

I can't rename the button, all I can is remove it altogether. I'll be honest here, I don't click the button if I don't like the image, if I feel I can give constructive criticism I do.
I don't think even Beepy or Korky are aware but I can see who viewed an image, at what time and how many times they returned. I can say with confidence that the vast majority of images posted are viewed, whether someone feels compelled to comment is up to the individual.

9 hours ago, Rick448 said:

I'm not sure if this forum allows the number of views to be shown as I have seen on many others.

We can, but we don't. This is another issue that cropped up a few years ago which we elected to do away with.

[Phil]

On 28/01/2018 at 15:01, colinb said:

As I and others have noted the 'new posts' soon get lost dropping out of view. I think recent items need to be just that not a link to a blank page waiting for todays 52 etc entries etc which can often be the only things on view as member postings have been pushed down.

Missed this, sorry, Colin.
The only answer here is to remove the Recent Topics box. I'm not sure how many members actually use it, I certainly do not, I tend to scroll down looking for highlighted icons where I know there is unread content. With that said, I am Admin and it's my duty to ensure nothing is amiss. 

[Ryewolf]

There used to be a proper page that showed the latest posts but that was replaced by an 'Activity Stream' which wasn't quite as intuitive.

[colinb]

On 30/01/2018 at 17:40, Phil said:

Missed this, sorry, Colin.
The only answer here is to remove the Recent Topics box. I'm not sure how many members actually use it, I certainly do not, I tend to scroll down looking for highlighted icons where I know there is unread content. With that said, I am Admin and it's my duty to ensure nothing is amiss. 

The recent topics listing is easier to see and I think most use that, would we miss it? Would probably make us view other sections more than we do now?

[David61]

On 28/01/2018 at 13:42, Clicker said:

Maybe the critique bit should be more accessible and called feedback ... seems less “ critical” maybe.  And maybe that will encourage people to feel that help is expected  . otherwise the forum could end  up being a glorified gallery and chat room... is that what people want... ? I’m not sure .. 

This is only my thought but, I have always thought that Critique is strong and that Feedback might be better.

[Black Pearl]

13 minutes ago, David61 said:

This is only my thought but, I have always thought that Critique is strong and that Feedback might be better.

Critique forum description changed - with hope it sounds more inviting and we use it more often.

[Fogey]

This is an interesting thread.

As a new member, I can only contribute what I have experienced here and share my experiences of other forums that have died a death.

Let me start with my take on why forums die a death.  In my view, there are two things that will spoil a forum and that is to have an associated page in social media sites and a shout box.

These two things will stop people posting in the actual forum, where the forum then loses its identity.

Cliques within a forum.  This perception can only be alleviated by encouraging new members to post images, ask questions, and get involved.

We have to accept that when we post a photograph we have taken and are proud of, we post a little bit of ourselves as well - and both the photograph and the author are being scrutinised.

Now if the person posting is a brass necked, thick skinned individual, all well and good - but somebody who is not so confident and is a beginner, would find posting their efforts against a seasoned photographer daunting.

So I agree entirely that we should be offering the techniques we used to get the shot without being asked and to offer gentle constructive critique when asked.

I have explained on a couple of occasions what I have done to achieve a particularly demanding shot and I hope members will benefit from that description.

There are a plethora of things that can be done to encourage members to post, but remember this:  The members are the forum, the site is merely a platform for that membership to flourish.

I have found this forum welcoming in the extreme, the comments warm, friendly, constructive and on occasions, funny.

And that, folks, is my penny ha'porth.

[JohnP]

On 25/10/2020 at 00:32, Fogey said:

Let me start with my take on why forums die a death.  In my view, there are two things that will spoil a forum and that is to have an associated page in social media sites and a shout box.

 

 

And a 'Like Button'.... that's the reason some posts get no comments.

[Denis]

And some never comment on any others photos, its a two way street