New website direction

[Avril Kirby]

Pierre has asked me to explain the whys and wherefores of the direction we are thinking the club website could go. As we've been told by Wendy, we are currently using far more space than we are actually allowed for the fees we pay. Rather than substantially raising our website budget, we can all help by reducing our own images down to 25 that we are proudest of or that represent us best.

This can be done either by "quitting" the club, so that all your images are erased, and then rejoining and starting afresh or, if you'd like to save some of your images, viewing them one by one full size (click bottom right, under photo), right clicking on the image that comes up, selecting "save image as..." and putting it in a folder you've created on your computer. Then you can select "options", top right on the original page and click on "delete photo". Or don't delete it if it's one of the 25 you'd like to show. This is a daunting and time-consuming process for those of us with hundreds of images but it allows us to keep a portfolio on our own page.

We would like to put our best foot forward while going ahead with the exciting Photofest project in 2019. We're expecting that visitors who are considering coming to the island for this celebration of photography will want to have a preview of what might be in store and that, when we open the website to the public, we will have a number of interested viewers.

On a personal note, it would be great to have a bit more club involvement on the site. Maybe put your best photo of the week on and then leave a comment or two for someone else. Everyone loves to have a bit of positive critique on their work. Find an image that speaks to you and just leave a little note for the photographer which says you've noticed their work and given some thought to it. In this way we can encourage each other, something this club has always been good at.

And now back I go to deleting my overabundance of photographs--only 103 pages left to go!   Thanks,  Avril

[Curt Firestone]

You say that this is being discussed.  " whys and wherefores of the direction we are thinking the club website could go."   I am confused.  Has there been a club decision?   Is there a timeline for this project?

[Avril Kirby]

This was brought up at the executive meeting as a suggestion for preparing for Photofest and then at our last club meeting. No timeline, as far as I know, and all discussions are welcome, I think, as to whether or not we want to implement these changes. I suppose the cutting back has to be done, though, in case Ning cottons on to the fact that we are way over our allowable size. Pierre would be a better person than me to discuss this with probably (nothing like passing the buck!)

[David Bartle]

So how does one go about quitting the club?

[Avril Kirby]

I think if you contact Pat, Dave, she can disbar you and then bar you again. I'm not sure if any of the other executive can do it but she's OC membership so I'm pretty sure she can.

[Doug McMillin]

Yes, some changes are in order with respect to the number of images posted on our website by each member.  (I spoke on this topic elsewhere: LINK.)

I think that the quality of images posted cannot be managed so simply. We have always been a very diverse and democratic group, not in any way 'professional'. That is our defining virtue: welcoming the beginner, etc.

In plain terms, we are social.

[Avril Kirby]

I agree, Doug. I think it would be completely up to each member to decide which images they are pleased about showing and that that will reflect the diversity of the club. We will all be on different pages as to what turns our cranks and I, for one, love the mix we come up with. I'd just like to see a bit more participation, particularly in the commenting area.

[Wendy Rosier]

Just to be clear as to why reducing the number of our images (20 images is equal to 1 page) is necessary... the Storage level we pay Ning for is 10 GBs.  We are using 38.58 GBs which is 386% of our limit.      So your help is really appreciated.

[Avril Kirby]

Thanks Wendy--I wasn't sure of the exact numbers.

[Curt Firestone]

I gather that this is an open, no timeline discussion.

I have one question:  how many members exceed the new limit?  I would bet a loonie that it only about 10% of the club membership.

[Avril Kirby]

Yes, I expect that's about right. Not a lot. But I'm one so back at it.

[Patricia Page]

If you go to your own member page it tells you how many everything you have posted

[Jean Panepinto]

I think the clubs direction needs a lot more discussion with the members. We are not a “Photographic Society” we are a club. I am not in favor of all my photos being viewed by the public for the purpose of displaying our “goods” to encourage people to come in 2019 so some members could sell their wares to a greater audience. I agree we are a social club with a common interest in photography.

By posting daily I have found myself more aware of my environment, always looking for a good photograph. I enjoy the educational lectures from our monthly meetings and would like more but this will not make us all “ Professionals” nor should that be our goal.