i have just a quick and easy question for you, before we get back to more substantial issues…. it is a question i asked once before many months ago…but, so much has happened here on our forum since then, that i thought i would get your advice once again…
simply, should i continue with all four forums, or just go with one, and then set up categories as is more the norm??
my original theory was that i would post often here on “road trips” and have the others (“student work” , “family” , “work in progress” )updated less, but the material would stay “on top” longer in any particular section..my new home page will be “live” soon enough and should be easy to navigate…..there is a permanent place for the work of the photographers here, galleries for my own work, listings of workshops etc and general info..
my basic philosophy is: “if the truck ain’t broke, don’t fix it”……on the other hand, i want to make things work easiest for you … for me, it makes no difference….i will post the same amount of material either way…let me know please how you see it, or rather, how you prefer to see it….
Hi David, for me it’s nice like that as there are clear sections of what is what…
David;
I told you months ago the separate headings were a pain in the ass. A single heading is much easier to follow.
I subscribe to your blog using the RSS feature (did you know you had that?). In order to see all your content I have to keep four separate subscriptions active.
One RSS feed that gets updated more often is much easier. You can use headings to make it easier to search old posts on a single topic.
Cheers,
Thomas
I think the current set up works just fine.
one with categories
Either way is ok. Just please keep the RSS feed/feeds going as it is a great way to keep up to date. Thanks and I wish you well for your new site.
i like having the categories. I would ask — again — that your web gurus figure out how to number the comments, as it is very cumbersome to pick up where you left off when there are several hundred comments. example of blog with numbered comments, here: http://aphotoeditor.com/2008/02/04/list-of-photography-consultants/#comments
Thank you SO VERY MUCH for spending your time on your blog.
one forum please, too much clicking around to check if there is anything new
I sort of like having the student work separate. Maybe one DAH section and one student / gallery / workshop section?
I’m going to go with what Joni says… the Workshop sections always take a while to load, but it can also be tricky checking three other blogs for new work… maybe one blog with “labels”, as blogger has (on Soth’s blog it seems to work quite well…
I am also interested in seeing numbered comments though.
L.
i would rather just one blog, but it depends on the frecuency to make your post, if you think that you can make one post per blog at the same time, the best idea would be four blogs, otherwise you should have just one blog with some categories, in other words just take your time. I love your posts and your work and that’s the most important for me.
Cheers
Juan
hi david,
i like sections, everything in its place. it’s not that much of an effort to click on another part of the screen and at least we know where everything is. so i’d keep things as they are. i like the idea of our comments within any given post being numbered, that would make things much easier.
J.
DAVID
i think it will be better if you reduce the number of forums to just two. at the present, it is difficult to track all the four. road trips can be kept as a separate forum. other three can be tagged into one, with separate categories. two will be much easier to keep track of. just my idea though…
Ah, yes…agree: numbered comments and maybe a way to highlight DAH posts? Easier to find.
Oh! Another thing…(damn we’re getting picky now!) any way to make it so that simple html tags can be used?
Merci.
That should have read “highlight DAH comments within the threads.” Not the posts… they’re pretty easily found! ;^}
David I would say I like how you have everything separated and keep it that way, as long as you leave it so we can get our rss feed still.
Here’s my opinion (if this is possible.) You have one main category – for now let’s call it the DAH blog. All your entries go into this, so if we click the DAH blog, we can read everything. However somewhere you list the sub-categories (road trips, workshops, etc.) and each entry is assigned a sub-category, so if we click on one, only those entries are visible. Make any sense? RSS users can still subscribe to one feed, but we can separate different types of entries if we’re viewing from the site.
As I have repeated since you first started the blog…ONE place to find all the entries please…
It is way too difficult to have to go searching thru all four categories looking for new postings. If you want us to see and comment, why not make it all easy to find rather than requiring a scavenger hunt each time we come on the site?
It seems easy as it is.
I like Subhrajit’s and Joni’s suggestion of two forums, one for road trips and another with categories to include the other three.
Numbered comments would be very useful for me too.
I’d reduce it all to one but use tagging liberally so people can track subject matter easily.
DAVID MCGOWAN….
sure, that makes sense…i think..the only thing i am thinking is that the “student work”, since there are so many pictures usually and takes awhile to load, might be better off in a totally separate section…does that make sense??
CATHY…
yes, i understand….i guess because i come from the “print world” i just see things in chapters or sections like books and magazines..strange thinking i guess for on-line..AND, of course i just like trying to drive you crazy!!!
seriously, i will try to simplify for all of us…
peace, david
David I think one for you and one for students would be best.
I’ll add my vote for a single blog. Less clicking, and much easier to find keywords. I think it’s just simpler and cleaner.
I would say all in once place, but as already mentioned, it would be necessary to have images separated due to the load time. J
Hey David! I’ve been following along when I get a chance, but my life has been pretty crazy since last we met, so I don’t always get around to reading everything… Having one source of new content would make it easier for people like me who just pop in now and then to see what’s up… To be honest, it seems like it all falls under the same umbrella anyway, (except maybe the student work section) and using subcategories are a perfect way to sort things out if needed… SO, my vote is to reduce it all to one, maybe two if you must… here’s another thought, I’m more likely to be exposed to student work or workshops info if it’s all under the same place, because I may not always remember or desire to click over there on my own…
by the way, howdy!!! and if you didn’t get my email awhile back, it was a great pleasure working with you in San Miguel and I hope it isn’t the last time!
Mostly I use slow dial-up connections (how big or small a minority this makes me among readers, I don’t know…?) so I would greatly prefer if the large numbers of student workshop pictures could be on a separate page from the main blog entries and comments sections. I don’t find the current arrangement a problem, but I can understand how it would be easier and simpler both for David and many readers if it all happened in one place. But if there are lots of pictures that must download before I can read the postings, then I will reluctantly be a far less frequent visitor. It just takes too much time on a dial-up connection.
Sidney
One blog with categories and post numbers would work great, IMO.
Giancarlo
Makes sense, unless a student’s particular work is represented with only one image, that when clicked leads to the rest of the series. That would save those with low bandwidth load time unless they choose to see the series.
I’d also limit the journal entries on the front page to maybe 5 or so, with a “previous entries” link at the bottom of the page.
DAVID: :)
what works for others works for me…
cheers
running
b
I’m fine with the four categories, numbered comments would be helpful.
I’m fine with the four categories, numbered comments would be helpful.
I’m fine with the four categories, numbered comments would be helpful.
I don’t mind the separate headings…I think it keeps things from getting buried although frequent readers probably wouldn’t miss much anyway
I like the workshop/student work on a separate page, as it seems like a different track from these rapid conversations. For the rest, one page with categories is easy to navigate and check in on. As always, thanks!
Joan
The way the blog is set up feels analogous to visiting four separate playgrounds, searching for the playground on which your friends are playing. This framework/architecture is totally different than book design… Imagine you’re designing a place for us to hang out. :) Imagine organizing the space so that it tells us where to hang and when.
Your dated archives could be consolidated more succinctly. For example, have the visible folders organized by year (2008, 2007…). Within each folder, have 12 folders (one per month).
I vote for one stream (or two if you want to keep slow loading student stuff separate) with multiple archive folders organized by category.
I’d say reduce. Keep it simplest.
DAVID,
let me please talk to your web “guru”… which i assume is Michael…
So Michael… i know i lived in Los Angeles enough ( going to 12th year… )… to get spoiled and impatient…
but… i ,( just like almost everybody else around here, in L.A i mean)… practically live in A CAR… This is the “office”,the “medidation” room, the ….
So, unavoidably this is the place that most of my posting… is happening…. everything through a phone…
I even replaced my freeky powerbook with an iphone for that matter….
NOW THE MAJOR PROBLEM , THAT I ENCOUNTER WHILE IN CAR… TRYING TO POST OR READ THE LATEST COMMENTS,
IS THAT IT TAKES FOREVER TO SCROLL “DOWN”,
ALL THE WAY TO LOCATE THE LATEST COMMENTS????
SO PLEASE MICHAEL GURU MAN, IS THERE ANY POSSIBLE WAY THAT THE LATEST COMMENTS COME FIRST????
AND THE OLDEST COMMENTS…. LAST…
thank you… that “fix” will save my life…. by PAYING MORE ATTENTION OF WHAT is happening on the freeway…
In general though i will agree with David that
“dont fix if it aint boken”-… actually i will go a little further by suggesting:
“DONT FIX IT.!!!! EVEN IF ITS BROKEN!!!…
and honestly… i think that BOBB sums it up :
“…DAVID: :)
what works for others works for me…
cheers
running
b
Posted by: bobblack | February 04, 2008 at 07:35 PM..:”
peace
… and David,… if you EVER “highlight”… or try to do your “comment”.. somehow distinguishable…. that will be… the last…
come on now… oh plaeeeeese!!!!
panos , threating David…????.. we are all scared , now!
thanks for asking david. not that i have any ideas. i’m with bob and panos :-)
bj
I really like having the student photos separate, partly for loading, partly for pondering. But I also really enjoy the “friends” section, and it’s much easier for me personally to go back and look at stuff when it’s divvied up like this. I think I’m pretty out numbered here, but my two cents go with keeping it how it is!
bestest,
anna
I like to dip in and out of your blog and quickly see if you’ve posted new content. One page covering all categories would be much simpler to navigate. As one of the passive/ non commenting readers of your blog, I do appreciate your continuing diligence in providing fresh material and long may it continue, don’t do an Alec Soth!
I would have to go with Joni’s suggestion: one forum for your own work and one for that of your students. There would be *some* mixing as “road trip” often entails a bit of both. But I think that would be okay.
Regards,
Alex.
ALL….
ok, i am listening and learning….some of the things you want like highlighting my comments, numbering comments, and reverse sequencing of comments, i do not think are technically possible with the service i have..anyway, we are checking….i would quickly change to another service IF i could somehow archive all that we have done so far in the last year…does anyone know how this would be possible???
it seems that about 75% want the one page system with tags or categories…however, out of that 75% many do want to keep the student work separate…this means we could have two blogs…
the only thing i really see wrong with taking it down to one blog is this: sometimes we get a good thread going that lasts for a few days…if i have new material to post i can put it at the top somewhere else….don’t you think that once a story slips down into second or third spot from the top, people stop going there and commenting??? or am i not looking at this right??
in any case, many thanks for your opinions and advice….i will most likely go for the one page for everything except student work…so, i would keep “road trips” as a combo of what it is along with occasional work in progress or stories about friends etc…if we end up not liking it, then we can always go back…
let me just get the archiving part straight in my head, because i do not want to lose all of the writing we have done so far….and i will also check on moving to a more sophisticated site where we can incorporate more of your ideas…
cheers, david
David,
I used to worry about you having to “keep up” with the various comment threads, in the four different sections, that can all happen at one time. But you seem to have been able to not let it drive you nuts, and so I stopped worrying. I genuinely feel that the current set up, while it might be a little cumbersome for many, is still the best, most thorough… and should remain as such.
I was almost on board with what David McG was saying–and of all the suggestions for change I think his is the best–but in the end I still favor the small changes over big structural stuff.
For what it is worth.
MK
I remember once a discussion that was really ongoing, but yes, got stopped dead in tis track, because a new blog entry came in. In a forum situation, that would be detrimental, but here is a blog, a journal of sorts, evryone can always bring back a topic up after all.
It also reminds us to not get too serious, many of you I am sure have experience never-ending hair-splitting debates on web forums, so the fact that after a few days, it’s “move on” type, I find very mature ( I started using this word a few months ago, along with “wise”. David, not only you is getting old. Scary!).
One idea, could be the possibility of a section where we ask others “what they think”. It could be about another photo link, a specific photographer’s work, or some link to one’s own photos. That could also possibly get the community going when you, david, is busy traveling or WS-ing.
PS: That could also show Stefan Rohner, we can function in the dark, away from your sunshine! Gee, I am all sun-burnt, and it’s January only… :-)))
I hear a lot of good things about WordPress and Blogspot, though I have no experience with them. Keeping the student separate is probably a good idea, since it isn’t so much a blog entry, but more of a gallery with comments.
Maybe some tags or catagories could be expanded to include Technical, DAHEPF, Assignments, etc.
Is it possible to have some sort of widget that shows the latest comments no matter in which post they are written? I saw that at 2point8 and it’s pretty handy to discover good old posts that sank back in the day…
I think the four blogs work fine and I like the idea, partly because it’s different to most other blogs, but if you had some way of showing the top story in each section, or a feed showing the latest entries, that would make them work better.
Amy
I agree with Bob, except where I dont. Having successfully straddled this hurdle, I am going go get myself a Diet Coke.
the truck ain’t broke, brother.
I think it’s fun the way it is, and it reflects your writing style – your questioning stream-of-consciousness.
No need to change – your ‘forums’ are a great change from a lot of the blog-esque photography stuff out there.
You and Michael should look into wordpress. It shouldn’t be a problem to port all of the past years post into the new system. With wordpress you will have more options with the site design also. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some web developers on this list that can help
-Geoffrey
I’ve read and learned alot from your other 3 forums. I think not only you, but also all the people here who comes and go regularly, and know you personally or through your articles would also access this forum “road trip” more than the other 3.
Can you combine “work in progress” “road trip” and “family/friends” into one forum and import all of the contents along with the comments? but let the forum student work open?
suryo
I like the four blogs/forumns as they are. It is not too hard to keep track of them all with a simple blog-aggregator like Bloglines. I subscribe to all four thru the RSS feeds and the aggregator tells me when there is an update on any one of them. Couldn’t be simpler.
FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO GO TO ONE BLOG…
right now, i have new material to post under “family/friends”….a story about natgeo seminar… if i posted that now, in the hypothetical “one blog” system, “on top of” the “house of sand and fog” story, would that not stop the chat thread on “sand and fog”?? maybe not, just a question….
cheers, david
DAVID:
A good point… I am not sure how typepad works, but blogger allows for both you (as the blogger) and everyone that posts under a specific post to be informed via mail of new additions (if they so choose).
Your new NatGeo post is an example of how some of the longer discussions (almost 400 posts in some cases) would die fast.
I wrote about this earlier…suggestions are still being posted under SURVEY too. Definitely a glich but I’m sure it can be worked out. I’m not one who knows what’s available as a solution but there have already been some suggestions that sound workable.
Is there such a thing as some sort of indicator that would show what’s newly posted since our last visit to the site?
Or a way to layout the page differently? So topics are side by side rather than on top of each other? Hmmm….
one god… one life… one mother… one body… one love… one camera… one blog…
and many women…
peace
The question is which makes it easier for you too. I find that the section sometimes they cross over each other. Categories are muck more flexible. I believe in Typepad, you can make sub cat as well. It is more fiddling in web culture than to make one big change. However, you are surely not the person to do all this technical yourself.
Go for categories, I say. And expand them in the future.
The question is which makes it easier for you too. I find that the section sometimes they cross over each other. Categories are muck more flexible. I believe in Typepad, you can make sub cat as well. It is more fiddling in web culture than to make one big change. However, you are surely not the person to do all this technical yourself.
Go for categories, I say. And expand them in the future.
The question is which makes it easier for you too. I find that the section sometimes they cross over each other. Categories are muck more flexible. I believe in Typepad, you can make sub cat as well. It is more fiddling in web culture than to make one big change. However, you are surely not the person to do all this technical yourself.
Go for categories, I say. And expand them in the future.
The question is which makes it easier for you too. I find that the section sometimes they cross over each other. Categories are muck more flexible. I believe in Typepad, you can make sub cat as well. It is more fiddling in web culture than to make one big change. However, you are surely not the person to do all this technical yourself.
Go for categories, I say. And expand them in the future.
The question is which makes it easier for you too. I find that the section sometimes they cross over each other. Categories are muck more flexible. I believe in Typepad, you can make sub cat as well. It is more fiddling in web culture than to make one big change. However, you are surely not the person to do all this technical yourself.
Go for categories, I say. And expand them in the future.
In my opinion, better to keep separate blogs, so that discussions don’t die too fast. The exact number (2/3/4) isn’t very important.
But it would be nice to have some system to be informed on RoadTrip when new material is posted on the other blogs.
ALL….
well , it seems about 75% want some changes…to make things easier….before we anything, i have to make sure i will not lose what we have…the archiving of what we have all written….so we should be able to link to the “closed down” blogs or split them up into the category concept mentioned by so many…
i will try two blogs, but with the student work as a “once in awhile” posting…i think everyone likes to comment on the student work and they like it too..so “road trips” will be the place to go…we will inevitably lose some chat “hang time” i think…but, maybe not….although it is easy for me the keep up with at least the last three postings and certainly no harder than keeping up with four blogs…i think as long as i am responding on one story or another, the thread will stay “alive”….
i will keep looking at this survey for a few more days….thank you so much for all of your thoughts and ideas…obviously i cannot incorporate all of them…and i am limited techinically at the moment on some of the better ideas…but, i may change services if i cannot do what i need to do…
cheers, david
Hi David,
It’s nice of you to take care of this! I’d reduce the present 4 categories to 2 – your work/thoughts and the students stuff.
In fact the biggest problem I encountered with your blog is a different one – displaying images, for example my home connection is not good enough. Maybe you could post “lighter” images to make this easier.
Cheers and peace,
Nicoletta
hello! i havent been here long time… i was very very busy… too much work.. but i like to work a lot so it’s fine:-)
I like your blog how it is…
Hello David,
My preference and advice would defenitely be to make one blog. Categories are very easy to navigate and it sure beats having 4 different websites with 4 RSS links.
I enjoy coming here but it’s a pain searching through archives, which link is on which blog etc.
I am happy with my blog, and it’s just one RSS page;-)
Best and good luck, Edward
ALL…
for those of you who want one blog, you will now have it…as a “test”…i will only post for awhile on “road trips” to see how it will work..except i will keep student work separate….
i have to keep it like it is for a bit, just so i do not lose the archive of material…
my fear still is that this will stop comments…maybe not…we will see….
cheers, david
no man… fuck them.. dont give it to “them”… so easy…
Really fuck those bitches.. they are vampires…
or … we are… vampires…
BITCHES THEY COME AND GO!