How did you find Focus on Photography?

[Levina de Ruijter]

I was on the other FoP and saw 2 people talking and they mentioned this site. They didn't say why it was opened, but I thought I'd take a look. I like it and feel comfortable here.

And I love that you are here.

I may even post some of my work.

Yes please!

 

[greatgrandma]

I was on the Digigrin Forums. I was told that Smugmug was going to shut down the Forums, and someone mentioned Flickr. So I went there, but it didn't seem to be what I wanted. Then someone said FOP and I had no idea what that was. But somehow I found my way here. I was told that the Real FOP was different from what Levina had started, but I liked it here so I do both. I don't know what happened to Levina, so I don't know if I should quit the other FOP?

Side note: Someone called me from Colorado that I haven't been in contact with for awhile - she was involved with my dad's alma mater. She said she found my photos on SmugMug. I realized that I no longer had a link to those photos. I was trying to upload photos there but it took so long to do a whole album that I stopped. But I got the link again and I am happy to have it because there are some photos there that I don't have anywhere else.

 

[Capn Jack]

I was told that the Real FOP was different from what Levina had started, but I liked it here so I do both

Levina was involved with starting both sites.

 

[JohnPD]

I was on the Digigrin Forums. I was told that Smugmug was going to shut down the Forums, and someone mentioned Flickr. So I went there, but it didn't seem to be what I wanted. Then someone said FOP and I had no idea what that was. But somehow I found my way here. I was told that the Real FOP was different from what Levina had started, but I liked it here so I do both. I don't know what happened to Levina, so I don't know if I should quit the other FOP?

Rosalie, I will say something because Levina won't, not publicly. It is a long and rather sordid tale. If you want to know more about Levina, look at her posting history on the other site. She did most everything: system maintenance, security, answering questions, solving problems, adding new functionality, etc. And she engaged with the community in a way that none of the other staff members did; they only showed up when they felt like it, even though she asked them repeatedly to do more. After a year she was done and decided to step down from the staff but as co-owner decided to keep her administrator position. Sam however removed her without informing her and she was out. After about 6 weeks she started this forum, Focus on Photography (without 'Forum'). Sam came down hard on her: she was locked out of her account, cancelled on the board, avatar removed, replaced as thread starter in Birds in Flight, one of the major bird threads. Apparently it was still not enough so they published a libellous document so full of lies and distorted facts that it's almost laughable.

This is the short version of it.

Having said that, there's no reason to quit the other forum, Rosalie. You have friends there.

Side note: Someone called me from Colorado that I haven't been in contact with for awhile - she was involved with my dad's alma mater. She said she found my photos on SmugMug. I realized that I no longer had a link to those photos. I was trying to upload photos there but it took so long to do a whole album that I stopped. But I got the link again and I am happy to have it because there are some photos there that I don't have anywhere else.

Why not repost them here?

 

[greatgrandma]

Why not repost them here?

I have 10s of thousands of pictures - mine, my parent's photos, my grandchildren's photos, and photos of ancestors. They are on Shutterfly, Google, and Smugmug plus on specific websites like FindAGrave - on FindAGrave alone I have posted over 37K photos. And Virtual Tourist which I moved most of that content to Travellerspoint.com where I have 64K . I have 151K on my computer (some of those are also on Travellerspoint). I am 87 years old. I don't have enough time to do that. And I still have photos from pre-digital to get digitized. I'm just happy if I can remember where to look for something I remember taking.

But thank you for the explanation and suggestion.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

I was on the Digigrin Forums. I was told that Smugmug was going to shut down the Forums, and someone mentioned Flickr. So I went there, but it didn't seem to be what I wanted. Then someone said FOP and I had no idea what that was. But somehow I found my way here. I was told that the Real FOP was different from what Levina had started, but I liked it here so I do both. I don't know what happened to Levina, so I don't know if I should quit the other FOP?

I agree with John. No need to quit the other forum, Rosalie.

@JohnPD Not sure how I feel about your post, John ... I thought it best to keep it all away from the board. I just want to focus (!) on my forum! It's still small but at least it's mine. And I am determined to make it grow. But it will take time. It's not easy to grow a forum these days. I was happy to see people from the Smugmug forum come in, that would have given us a boost. But I expected David Watts to steer them away. I don't blame him for doing so. He doesn't know what happened. They rewarded him by making him a moderator. Smart move though. I would have done the same. He's a good man, level headed and fair and he has experience as a moderator.

Let's move on, shall we?

 

[JohnPD]

I have 10s of thousands of pictures - mine, my parent's photos, my grandchildren's photos, and photos of ancestors. They are on Shutterfly, Google, and Smugmug plus on specific websites like FindAGrave - on FindAGrave alone I have posted over 37K photos. And Virtual Tourist which I moved most of that content to Travellerspoint.com where I have 64K . I have 151K on my computer (some of those are also on Travellerspoint). I am 87 years old. I don't have enough time to do that. And I still have photos from pre-digital to get digitized. I'm just happy if I can remember where to look for something I remember taking.

But thank you for the explanation and suggestion.

Whoa, yeah, I get that. I thought you meant a small album on Smugmug.

 

[A1original]

I agree with John. No need to quit the other forum, Rosalie.

@JohnPD Not sure how I feel about your post, John ... I thought it best to keep it all away from the board. I just want to focus (!) on my forum! It's still small but at least it's mine. And I am determined to make it grow. But it will take time. It's not easy to grow a forum these days. I was happy to see people from the Smugmug forum come in, that would have given us a boost. But I expected David Watts to steer them away. I don't blame him for doing so. He doesn't know what happened. They rewarded him by making him a moderator. Smart move though. I would have done the same. He's a good man, level headed and fair and he has experience as a moderator.

Let's move on, shall we?

BUT you're growing,

 

[Stiga]

Rosalie, I will say something because Levina won't, not publicly. It is a long and rather sordid tale. If you want to know more about Levina, look at her posting history on the other site. She did most everything: system maintenance, security, answering questions, solving problems, adding new functionality, etc. And she engaged with the community in a way that none of the other staff members did; they only showed up when they felt like it, even though she asked them repeatedly to do more. After a year she was done and decided to step down from the staff but as co-owner decided to keep her administrator position. Sam however removed her without informing her and she was out. After about 6 weeks she started this forum, Focus on Photography (without 'Forum'). Sam came down hard on her: she was locked out of her account, cancelled on the board, avatar removed, replaced as thread starter in Birds in Flight, one of the major bird threads. Apparently it was still not enough so they published a libellous document so full of lies and distorted facts that it's almost laughable.

This is the short version of it.

Having said that, there's no reason to quit the other forum, Rosalie. You have friends there.


Why not repost them here?

Well said. Anyone who read the statement in the "other place" could tell it was a stitch-up

 

[Capn Jack]

...but as co-owner decided to keep her administrator position

I didn't know she was a co-owner, although I had suspicions. That made her treatment even worse.