Community Support

johnloguk

Feature request - Community Support!

The new Smug doesn't support communities and we have had every possible reply to our requests for them to be included. We've been told that there wasn't time to include community support in the initial roll out and to watch this space, we've also been told that communities will definitely not be supported in the new layouts. I know people who have already left Smug because of this, and many others who are hanging on hoping they will be supported eventually, so what is it?

Thousands of us do want continued community support, so if Smug really wants to listen to it's customers then it should be a no brainer.

johnloguk

Community Support
It seems that I, and many others, are constantly moaning about the lack of community support in the new Smug. Well we'll continue to until Smugmug finally listens to us and re-instates that support. No one asked for community support to be withdrawn, so why was it taken away? Smug claims to listen to it's customers, but it clearly doesn't, it goes it's own way and makes a huge fanfare if that happens to coincide with what a few people have been asking for.

It isn't just the social side of the communities, although that is what brought many of us to Smug in the first place. It is also about serious critiques of our work, and it is about viewing statistics, and ultimately money. All of that has been lost in the new Smug. Many of us are hanging on in legacy mode, but we won't stay beyond our next renewal date unless something changes for the better.

We are sick of the mealy mouthed words, the half suggested replies that "there wasn't time to roll out community support with the new layouts, but watch this space" just to keep us hanging on passed our renewal dates. Now we're being told that Smug never had any intention of supporting communities in the new layouts, and the rather bizarre statement that "not many people used communities so why should Smug provide an expensive service for a tiny minority of people"?

Clearly a heck of a lot of people used the communities and still want to use them, please reconsider and re-instate them

jsrucci

Communities
I too miss the communities... I always enjoyed finding a community that fit when I created a new gallery. I hope they consider bringing them back...

kds1

Feature request - community support
I would like to seriously request community support come back to smug. By the number of hits I used to have on my small site, John L is correct that there are thousands of people around the world who used to use and enjoy this feature.

The communities seem to me to be what the true heart of a photography site should be - not only a place to showcase your work in your gallery, but a place where photographers of all levels from all around the world can learn from each other and be inspired by each other.

I am one of those of has always stood by smug, because to me, they seemed to be a company that not just said, "Here, here's a place to show your work and we can all make a few bucks" but because they really seemed to be interested in the ART. In photography as an ART to learn, grow, share, connect. I have made world-wide friends through the communities and we all further the heartbeat of photography when we participate in a collegial, open, growth-minded manner.

It would really take smug down several philosophical and moral notches, in my opinion, if you discontinue communities. Is that all photography is worth to you, smug? Just the showcase? Not the learning, sharing, growing in communities to support the art of photography? Please bring the communities back. THAT is what made you different, not the bells and whistles.

And a straight answer would be most appreciated.

Kara

McD1

I too want the return of Communities to Smugmug. John L is correct that there are thousands of people around the world who used to use and enjoy this feature. There is no heart to Smug without the communities. It is a great place to learn from others through seeing their daily work and the interaction via comments. I agree with Kara that "The communities seem to me to be what the true heart of a photography site should be - not only a place to showcase your work in your gallery, but a place where photographers of all levels from all around the world can learn from each other and be inspired by each other."

Already some friends have left rather than renew because of the uncertainty over the future of communities. Are you going to support communities?

Mary

LPC

Never having used 'Communities' so not having a clue what they are/were - what is/was the difference between Communities and all the various forums here? Seems to me there are countless forums on Dgrin for sharing shots, talking about photography techniques and equipment and doing whatever it was you all did in the 'Smugmug community'. What was the 'Community' exactly?

KDPoynor

Like most of the above comments, I have been a big user of the community facility until converting my site to New Smug. I love the configuration tools on new Smug but would really like to have the communities reinstated for New Smugmug users. I like to be connected to like minded photographers and get their feedback on my work. When not in communities we don't seem to get this, as such I haven't had much call to post new work to the site in the last couple of months because the feedback has dried up because people that don't know me can't find me!

Cindy

Any updates to communities??? I didn't realize they wouldn't be supported when I switched to 'new' & now I miss them :-(