Desperate members seeking for an alternative...

MMp wrote in post #19568968
I remember exploring the TP forum several years ago. I got a strange vibe. It was nothing necessarily bad, but coincidently, that feeling was a result of witnessing of some of the interactions between mods and the users. I don't recall the details of the post, but I specifically remember thinking "keyboard warrior".

What's the skinny on the Fred Miranda forums? I hesitate to even ask because I haven't seen them being mentioned much at all, so I'm curious if that's considered some kind of blasphemous topic. I joined there back in 2013 (I believe it was to purchase something from their buy/sell forum) but was never active as I was content with POTN. I've been browsing over there for the last few days and so far, it doesn't seem like a bad group.

Just my skinny:

FM is good. Moderation is a little slack. I would prefer a more heavy hand, something I rarely say.
Overall, I think more technical knowledge. Possibly more members trying to aim for that, who should just read rather than type.
Roger Cicala still posts sometimes. Jim Kasson more often than Roger. Big plus.
It's more American than Global.
Search feature sux big time. Doodle sack maximus.
Comment / post reply editor is a bit of a doodle sack. (just learned that term yesterday, love it and it's not actually rude!)
Fred is a great photographer and very good reviewer. He moved to Sony years ago so the Forum is more Sony focussed. More recently he is using Leica more so a little less Sony stuff from him.
There's an obvious commercial aspect. Particulary BnH I think. I don't find it a problem. Any new lens will get an official thread from Fred with the usual manufacturer blurb with link to BnH.
It seemed a little 'clicky' to me at first, but I won't claim that's not just me being a newby.
Ironically, for a photo forum, image display is not a strong point. Often posters will suggest to click Flickr link to see image in full quality.
Modes 'Mobile' and 'Standard' provide options for optimal viewing. This is something Pekka has been highly praised for: POTN displays great on many devices without needing these modes.
Someone worked out recently a way to post images that display better on FM at various sizes, maybe better not to mention that.
Post as big as you like. (I think it's better not to though, not everyone in the world has decent fast internet)

Paid subscription required for access to Buy and Sell, also Image upload.

fotoi wrote in post #19568712
They want to get rid of the POTN invaders.

Yes, I read it as small-scale xenophobia. How dare you refugees come here and try to change our culture with your strange customs? No work permits for you!

Choderboy wrote in post #19569000
Just my skinny:

FM is good. Moderation is a little slack. I would prefer a more heavy hand, something I rarely say.
Overall, I think more technical knowledge. Possibly more members trying to aim for that, who should just read rather than type.
Roger Cicala still posts sometimes. Jim Kasson more often than Roger. Big plus.
It's more American than Global.
Search feature sux big time. Doodle sack maximus.
Comment / post reply editor is a bit of a doodle sack. (just learned that term yesterday, love it and it's not actually rude!)
Fred is a great photographer and very good reviewer. He moved to Sony years ago so the Forum is more Sony focussed. More recently he is using Leica more so a little less Sony stuff from him.
There's an obvious commercial aspect. Particulary BnH I think. I don't find it a problem. Any new lens will get an official thread from Fred with the usual manufacturer blurb with link to BnH.
It seemed a little 'clicky' to me at first, but I won't claim that's not just me being a newby.
Ironically, for a photo forum, image display is not a strong point. Often posters will suggest to click Flickr link to see image in full quality.
Modes 'Mobile' and 'Standard' provide options for optimal viewing. This is something Pekka has been highly praised for: POTN displays great on many devices without needing these modes.
Someone worked out recently a way to post images that display better on FM at various sizes, maybe better not to mention that.
Post as big as you like. (I think it's better not to though, not everyone in the world has decent fast internet)

Paid subscription required for access to Buy and Sell, also Image upload.

Great info. I'll have to read more about the image sizes. 1024px is very limiting and the poor quality sucks some of the satisfaction of posting an image.

MMp wrote in post #19568997
I did notice the image quality is very poor throughout the site. I don't have a paid Upload/Sell account so when I uploaded something to the Weekly Assignment thread, it took me more than 15mins to figure it out. First, I had to upload to Flickr to link the image. By the way, I absolutely hate this because the Flickr image must remain Public, and therefore can be freely downloaded at whatever size you uploaded. I believe image width is supposed to be capped to 1024px (based on your example, I see that isn't a hard rule), but the weekly assignment images are supposed to be no larger than 800px on the long edge. Then I had issues because I used the Save for Web feature in photoshop, which apparently strips some of the EXIF data which the forum requires in order to complete the upload. I think I modified, saved, and uploaded to Flickr 5 or 6 times before I got it right...and the image still looks like crap.

I imagine a paid Upload/Sell account would simplify the process, but if the image quality remains what I've seen so far, it's a tough pill to swallow. You would expect a photography centric forum to prioritize image quality as one of their primary concerns.

I don't think so. I'll double check (tomorrow).
I have been using images from a Flickr Private album for a while now.
It seems to me most places provide hosting instructions that are overly complicated.

Even, dare I say, the far above everyone else AMASS software I gave up on.
I can link, no problems. Whether or not Flickr info included and EXIF is included, or what EXIF into is included found unpredictable.

Levina de Ruijter wrote in post #19568999
Oh dear, yeah that sounds bad…

And that color they use is awful. Hard on my eyes.

Hard pass on FM for me!

OhLook wrote in post #19569001
Yes, I read it as small-scale xenophobia. How dare you refugees come here and try to change our culture with your strange customs? No work permits for you!

Bunch of “wankers”.

MMp wrote in post #19569003
Great info. I'll have to read more about the image sizes. 1024px is very limiting and the poor quality sucks some of the satisfaction of posting an image.

That was my biggest objection to Talk Photography. But now I see there were bigger more far reaching issues there.

So I’m on the move again.

Somehow I need to get over myself about the larger f8nts and splitter issues like that at https://cameraderie.or​g/forums/ since they pretty much have everything… EXIF info, no 1024 limit etc. I’ve found the people there to be pretty chill.

So here I am again Mr. Wishy Washer as I told Levina.

OhLook wrote in post #19569001
Yes, I read it as small-scale xenophobia. How dare you refugees come here and try to change our culture with your strange customs? No work permits for you!

Honestly, I think some of that may be justified.
We have lost (are losing) our home so we are roaming about using various places as half way houses until we find suitable accommodation.

I feel less inclined to now, but we could say (have said) in TP POTN Thread:

Hey ex POTNers, since we may well just sniff around and leave, why don't we make a small donation to TP as a gesture of good will.

MMp wrote in post #19569003
Great info. I'll have to read more about the image sizes. 1024px is very limiting and the poor quality sucks some of the satisfaction of posting an image.

Someone posted a 16000 (yes, 16k) wide pixel image the other day as a test.

Choderboy wrote in post #19569000
Just my skinny:

FM is good. Moderation is a little slack. I would prefer a more heavy hand, something I rarely say.
Overall, I think more technical knowledge. Possibly more members trying to aim for that, who should just read rather than type.
Roger Cicala still posts sometimes. Jim Kasson more often than Roger. Big plus.
It's more American than Global.
Search feature sux big time. Doodle sack maximus.
Comment / post reply editor is a bit of a doodle sack. (just learned that term yesterday, love it and it's not actually rude!)
Fred is a great photographer and very good reviewer. He moved to Sony years ago so the Forum is more Sony focussed. More recently he is using Leica more so a little less Sony stuff from him.
There's an obvious commercial aspect. Particulary BnH I think. I don't find it a problem. Any new lens will get an official thread from Fred with the usual manufacturer blurb with link to BnH.
It seemed a little 'clicky' to me at first, but I won't claim that's not just me being a newby.
Ironically, for a photo forum, image display is not a strong point. Often posters will suggest to click Flickr link to see image in full quality.
Modes 'Mobile' and 'Standard' provide options for optimal viewing. This is something Pekka has been highly praised for: POTN displays great on many devices without needing these modes.
Someone worked out recently a way to post images that display better on FM at various sizes, maybe better not to mention that.
Post as big as you like. (I think it's better not to though, not everyone in the world has decent fast internet)

Paid subscription required for access to Buy and Sell, also Image upload.

Doodle sack? You didn’t learn that from some Dutchy did you?

Okay, so FM is worth exploring after all. Good info. Thanks, Dave.

Levina de Ruijter wrote in post #19568980
For me it’s more of a technical issue. I’m on my iPad most of the time and the FM renders images rather bad and I get a lot of this, a huge pic and the comment section reduced to a narrow column.

Hosted photo: posted by Levina de Ruijter in
./showthread.php?p=195​68980&i=i1300393
forum: Forum Talk

My iPad does the same thing. Text too small to read. Can't remember what forum it happened on as it was long ago. Found POTN and stopped searching.

Rod

Choderboy wrote in post #19569006
I don't think so. I'll double check (tomorrow).
I have been using images from a Flickr Private album for a while now.
It seems to me most places provide hosting instructions that are overly complicated.

Even, dare I say, the far above everyone else AMASS software I gave up on.
I can link, no problems. Whether or not Flickr info included and EXIF is included, or what EXIF into is included found unpredictable.

Serves me right for reading the Rules on dimensions before posting lol I like 1600ish pixels, but I may gradually push the image size until someone barks, just to see what is considered acceptable.

I'll have to play with the Flickr issue some more. Again, in the Rules, it said the image must be Public and to use the BB Code link from the Flickr Share button. The Private album would certainly reduce the potential for a random to download the image, but I still don't like that any forum member would be linked into the album and be able to easily download a full-size file. With that said, I realize there is no way to stop someone if they truly want the image, but Flickr makes it far too easy.

Choderboy wrote in post #19569017
Someone posted a 16000 (yes, 16k) wide pixel image the other day as a test.

Savages lol

Here's some testing, last image is 1600 pix wide

https://www.fredmirand​a.com/forum/topic/1801​963

Doodle sack source was German. I knew I was going to adopt it immediately.

Mein handy on the other hand, no, they can keep it.

joayne wrote in post #19568813
Ok.. I'm a bit late here and I see I have been mentioned...

Yes, I was made to be the OP of a Wild Birds of North America thread, I assume because I was first to post in the thread.
The person who posted seems to be close to the Mods, as I see him in some discussion with them about changes to TP.
Those changes have to do with the new USA members in regard to Buy/Sell and monetary compensation.. idk why.
They are nervous about all the new people and losing the "Brit of it" It's like the Revolution has arrived at their shore

I laughed off his making me the originator of said thread. I figure it flys or dies.. I really don't give a toss

His response to Levina was uncalled for. It also seems that some responses were deleted as the conversations are stilted and difficult to follow.
Seems she touched a nerve with him and he retaliated .. That's not moderating, that revenge

He gave Levina and I both a little slap on the wrist for being surprised that someone would be following our conversation and run off and create two threads that we had been talkings about, but they have absolutely no interest. Makes no sense.. Maybe it is weird British humour...

All this has made things a bit uncomfortable. I do feel targeted.

A shame really...

Having found that thread on the TP forum I do feel that there's been a bit of an overreaction by all. Definitely looks like some dark/sarcastic British humour going on (speaking as a Brit, with a very dark/sarcastic sense of humour), and I can't quite understand why there would be upset about threads being created by others (there's nothing stopping anyone posting in an existing thread - but maybe I've missed/misunderstood some of the history).

The reaction of said mod does feel a bit aggressive; but I don't think that those POTN members who left insults aimed at the mod or the site really covered themselves in glory.