Some general observations about where SPORRS is headed, by the SPORRS founder/list owner/webmaster/etc.
Well, I got a couple of comments back about a recent administrative post of mine. A couple of interesting things were mentioned, but nothing I didn't suspect already. It seems that many people were afraid to post any comments or generate any discussion on the Shot Of The Month results because they either didn't know what to say, how to say it, or they didn't want to offend anyone. That's nice guys, but it also defeats the purpose of a discussion group, and that web site feature. Nobody says that you have to offend anyone by expressing comments, suggestions and opinions (or asking questions) about any of the shots on the web site. I don't think my own shots are that great that I would never expect a comment or a question about them, but I do feel a sense of accomplishment that what I did with my camera resulted in an image that I could show. You can like my shots or you can think they stink, but comments are constructive regardless of your opinions. I don't know how the rest of you feel about that. I was hoping for informative shooting and location information, and any insight on the shots that we might not have because we weren't all there. I like several of the shots for different reasons. I don't vote on the SOTM because it is my own site, I maintain it, and I do some of the scan work, so I think it would be unfair for me to vote, but there was nothing stopping you guys from voting. It's not the Olympics, guys, and this was supposed to happen every month. It's just some opinions. Opinions to talk about and learn from on a mailing list about RR photography... Specifically, I think it would have been nice, useful, interesting and informative, if we could have discussed some of the RR photography on the web site of this RR photography list. It's fine that we talk about trains and cameras and mini toilet paper rolls and twigs in our way and railfan etiquette and ladder placement and bad magazines and bad processing and bad film and bad this and that, but don't you think that we could come up with something good to say about the subject for which this list exists for? (RR photography). Apparently not. At least not the way some people see the situation. Going by what little SPORRS member feedback that I have to go on these days, it appears that most of you would rather just look at pictures of trains. That's great, and I like that too, but we have the potential to do more with SPORRS in it's current form than wait to see what Dave will do with it next. I appreciate the few comments that I have received, but they mostly amount to: "hey, great site" - "of blank pages" - "when are you adding more?" Needless to say, we don't need any more new pages on the SPORRS site now. >>From reviewing my mail, it looks like the SPORRS web site is perhaps a bit too complex for people to understand and use. The biggest problem with the site it seems is that people still don't know where certain things are, they can't find them, or they don't want to have to look for them (one guy said he didn't want to have to read text to get the directions!). Here are some comments from the last two months, generalized so that I don't offend anyone: Where are these directions and other things you keep mentioning? Where are the other pages, I can't find any links? Really, I didn't know there were other pages to the site! Great site of empty pages. Dave, will you put some stuff on the empty pages for us? Thanks for putting some stuff on the empty pages for us so we don't have to. I would send something in, but I don't know what. Nice site, but why aren't there any new pictures? I like to look at the pictures, can you post more of them for me? Why couldn't you use my scan that I sent you, wasn't it the right size? Oh, you don't need any caption information, just use it anyway, or just make some yourself. Would you please redesign the whole site so it prints out on my bubble jet printer so I don't have to look at it on the computer? And here is the most frequent comment of all lately: Guys, I don't mind maintaining the web site, but read the directions, learn how to use the site and contribute if you want to see more and if you have suggestions, tell me, because I can't read your minds. Otherwise, I consider the site completed and I'm just going to change a few pictures now and then, along with trimming down and removing the unused sections to free up some server space for other purposes of mine. Dave Cohen Photographer Action Photographic Webmaster [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/home/ -> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs -> Message © SPORRS® 1998 - All Rights Reserved
