Membership Vote Needed: Photo Gallery

Thanks for the numbers update, Boffer.

I'll vote to delete the gallery at this point. For the only reason that I would prefer the website to remain intact as a source of information, although pictures can convey information sometimes better than words.

However, I don't mind advertisements and I definitely don't mind getting catalogs about gardening in the mail. The more the merrier! If signing up for a mailing list of gardening catalogs pays the bills, then sign me up now.

Getting advertisements together could also have the added benefit of getting the business world more aware of SFG, and that can't be a bad thing. There are a number of great products out there that can easily translate to SFG(especially raised beds), but having a bigger variety is always nicer.

I love getting seed catalogs too, even stuff on drip(and other) irrigation is great. You could also get together with magazine publishers and have free sample magazines sent to people who want them, though magazine publishers can get pushy about sales.

Regarding advertising...nice to know (or not!):

The admin has several choices: ads that can be seen by everyone; ads that can be seen only by guests; or pay a couple dollars a month to eliminate ads altogether. The advertising space on the forum is managed by Google, and we have no control over ad content.

We thought that ads for only guests would be the best of both worlds (free and not obnoxious to members). But, we got the occasional ad that was borderline appropriate for a family friendly site, and they generated a few complaints. We decided it was worth a few bucks a month to have no ads at all.

The forum software is a free, off-the-shelf package for basic features. It is consistently rated as one of the best. Advertising helps cover the company's costs. The software has its limitations here and there, and they get frustrating at times. However, compared to other options available, both free and for sale, what we have is definitely the best choice for the SFG forum.

boffer wrote:

Luci Dawson wrote:@BBG: With only 19 votes so far and over 7,000 registered users, I don't think the poll is quite as conclusive as one would wish it to be for making a firm decision.

As of today:
157 members have logged into the forum since this thread was started.
5331 have never posted.

A lot of folks just don't vote in any elections.

I still stand by my statement. If they log on and don't vote, they forfeit their right to make any decision going forward. I wish the country operated the same way. Keeping it out there just invites the peanut galleries to get involved.

It's kind of the 80/20 rule. The few always make the wheels turn.

camprn wrote:

Luci Dawson wrote:Understood, Boffer. But I was thinking that if in fact the Gallery were deleted, that we could still keep the photos as posts. That was what I was proposing to do, if the members who have pics posted there didn't want to "lose" them or go through the hassle of moving them into the Forum themselves.

I like this idea. The original draw for me to SFG (and this forum) were the photos on the old forum. I loved looking at other folks gardens, as if flicking through an album.

I'm a newbie here but have voted to remove the gallery , on another site I play on we do this sort of thing

How about... making a thread section called " Folks Fotos " ..... ( Yes I know it is incorrectly spelt ).

Once the section is set up simply put up your name on the post , give a 20 word explanation of what the pictures are about , then use photobucket etc to put the IMG codes in . " Hey Presto a whole library of free pictures

BackyardBirdGardner wrote:

boffer wrote:

Luci Dawson wrote:@BBG: With only 19 votes so far and over 7,000 registered users, I don't think the poll is quite as conclusive as one would wish it to be for making a firm decision.

As of today:
157 members have logged into the forum since this thread was started.
5331 have never posted.

A lot of folks just don't vote in any elections.

I still stand by my statement. If they log on and don't vote, they forfeit their right to make any decision going forward. I wish the country operated the same way. Keeping it out there just invites the peanut galleries to get involved.

It's kind of the 80/20 rule. The few always make the wheels turn.

Now that I've seen your numbers, I thoroughly agree with you!!!

I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to use photobucket, flckr or any of those things. I wouldn't know an IMG code if I tripped over it. And frankly, I'm not interested in getting that techie about things. What's wrong with just posting pics off our computers into our posts? Not all of us are as technology-inclined as some of you are. I'd hate to have the forum get so complicated that some of us can't participate any more.

Or could it be set up so that those of us who preferred the simple way could simply post pics off our computers into our posts and the techies could do it the more complicated way?

sherryeo wrote:
Or could it be set up so that those of us who preferred the simple way could simply post pics off our computers into our posts and the techies could do it the more complicated way?

It basically is set up this way. At this point in time and in the future you can do either or.

All we are deciding is to keep the gallery or not, and whether or not to ask for donations for the site. Nothing else with change. I know there are a lot of suggestions for other options, but before anything would be changed it would be taken into consideration the large number of people we have on the forum that do not count themselves among the techies.

So whether the gallery stays or goes the option to put photos in the posts and the option to link to your flckr or other photo account will remain as it is now.

Any one not voted?

I have a question before the gallery gets deleted.... If I wanted to start a thread in which to put some of the pictures currently in my album... Can I just life them from where they are and then they will stick in the new thread, or will the links go dead after the album is dumped? I would really like to save a few of my photos because getting them off the prehistoric computer, well, it may just push me over the edge, LOL.
:scratch:

Your post picture links will be to the gallery which will no longer exist so they won't display.

What you can do to avoid downloading gallery pics to your computer, is to transfer them to your servimg account.

I am not sure what you mean... I thought that's where the pics were already hosted. I'm sorry Boffer, I'm dumb as a rock when it comes to stuff like this. Would you tell me, pleeeeeeze how do I access that account?

The gallery pics are hosted elsewhere, and they charge for it above 20MB. I don't know why.

At about 00:27 the download seems to hang for half a minute. Stick with it; it will finish. I've made the darn thing a couple times and put it on two different servers...same thing; I'll play more with it later.

See if this works for you:
http://www.screencast.com/t/bDZ4903j6LnF

In a nutshell, go to servimg.com; enter the email and password that you used to register with on the forum; check 'url' and enter the url of the picture in the gallery that you want to move. The proper url looks something like this:
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com//users/2912/12/27/03/album/dscn0310.jpg

Hey Everybody,
This is what I love about this forum! You guys care about it, want it to stay family friendly and are working together to find a way to get the best result. I am so proud of all of you for your desire to work together and for the value you see if what we are doing at the foundation. I know it is hard to see from your end, but I can tell you that we at the foundation are doing some great things around the world. I have personally seen may lives being changed by people being able to feed their families healthy food and helping them become self sufficient. It is humbling to be able to participate in something truly worthwhile. Thanks for your support, it really is making a difference! Alan

This topic came up again in another thread. Gallery storage costs are getting close to $10 per month. Costs will continue to increase as pictures are added.

My 2¢: The purpose of forums is chat. Collecting and displaying pictures is a simple bonus that leaves a lot to be desired. As much as I enjoy looking at pictures, I think the gallery is awkward, slow, limited, and not worth the cost.

Since several members have offered to help collect pictures, one option is to have a group of members who collect pictures from posts. They could copy/paste them into categories of interest which would make viewing more practical. For instance, categories could include Trellises, Table Tops, Grids, Fences, Gardening Children, Hoop Houses, Garden Overviews, etc. I'm sure that with some brainstorming a group of members could come up with lots of category ideas and some methods to display them.

That would have to be something mm or the next admin would have to take charge of in order to create forums, permissions, etc.

This is just an idea to stimulate discussion.

I agree about the gallery, but I love looking at the pictures people post in the threads. Gives inspiration and ideas!!

I've not looked at the 'gallery' til the cost came up, so will not miss it.
I like the pics in the posts, with the explanation of whats going on in the photo.
I guess moving photos from the gallery to catagories to save the pics would be fine, but, I don't think moving photos out of their posts to a certain catagorie that someone seems to think would be more interesting would be hard to follow, at least for someone that is reading the thread too.

littlejo wrote:...but, I don't think moving photos out of their posts to a certain catagorie that someone seems to think would be more interesting would be hard to follow, at least for someone that is reading the thread too.

Pictures in posts aren't removed from the thread. They are copied and then pasted elsewhere. There are some great pictures in posts that are buried so deep that they may never see the light of day again!

Ironically, I just came across this picture from a thread in May 2010. I think about this picture every time somebody talks about making a 'T' for their long trellis. But I can never find it at the appropriate time. If it was also displayed in a category called 'Trellises' it would be easy to refer somebody to.

From this thread.

boffer,

Thanks for clarifing. I think I misread, then I misunderstood, then, well. It sounds like a good idea!

Jo

There were a couple of people in this thread, Luci I believe you were one of them, that offered to help us move the photos.

If those that volunteered are still open to doing so I would like to enlist your help so that I can get the gallery deleted.

Please post here, so we can have dialog as to who will do what and establish a time line.

Thank you for your offer to help!!

Jennie

If I had instructions I could do some.

I will help, I deleted my photo gallery a bit back when you all started talking about it Just let me know what you need.

camprn wrote:If I had instructions I could do some.

Me, too. (Really good instructions!)

here!

Thank you. There are a few options that are still being considered behind the scenes. Stay tuned!

I'm still available...but after the holidays, please.