Ed, it's because you have Originals enabled for anyone, in that gallery. Logged in o rlogged out.
hmmm, so it is only disabled if the Original option is not selected? shouldn't it make more sense to have it disabled no matter what the largest size option was selected? if your not login, that is.
hmmm, so it is only disabled if the Original option is not selected? shouldn't it make more sense to have it disabled no matter what the largest size option was selected? if your not login, that is.
No Ed It's ON as a courtesy now, for logged in owners, if you have Originals disabled for visitors.
hmmm, so it is only disabled if the Original option is not selected? shouldn't it make more sense to have it disabled no matter what the largest size option was selected? if your not login, that is.
Some of us want people to be able to download photos...
A little common sense would avoid so many complaints
Smug-folk:
I'm reading this thread and now realize I need to update my help files (the HTML-only pages I created to show users how to use the features of the site)...in order to keep my help files in synch with the actual functions of the site.
Once again...here is a change to the customer-perceived behaviour of my site - without prior warning...and without a post in the NEWS section. It's frustrating guys (remember the uproar when you changed code knowing that vanity URLs would stop working? - at that time you said you'd blast emails in advance when changes would be impacting what our customer sees...I guess not).
It's flat-out unprofessional as a software provider to fail to give your customers advance notice in these circumstances. Particularly when the changes are visible to OUR customers! Furthermore, it's unprofessional and unwise to take away function at any time - particularly without warning. Again, an email a week ago would have given us a heads up, given everyone an opportunity to update their instructions, and avoided complaints! Then, if you're going to deprecate function, give warning, give a timeframe, and give assistance / advice on alternative functions.
Set a policy at Smugmug: All changes that are perceptable to our customers must be communicated at least one week prior to implementation. Preferably, that communication would be proactive (like an email blast) rather than putting the burden on us to go to a blog to look to see what's coming...but I'd settle for anything!
We read all posts, and reply to some but sometimes it's not possible to reply to every single posting. Don't ever give up please - we want to know how you feel!
You want to know how I feel? I feel totally 100% ignored. Thats how I feel Andy.
I asked in two forums about a possible update to the recent photos gallery (if there was one, or if there was one planned).
I bumped both forum posts for 3-4 days.
NO ONE from SM answered. Thats why I gave up. I cant be bothered to continuelly go in and bump a post that is not going to be answered. If it cant be done, why not? If there is a way to do it but requiring code changes, lets make those changes.
I'm not the only one that wanted the recent photos gallery to actually post the recent ones first, not last.
How do I feel about the recent change when a mouse pointer moving over a photo and the choice(s) of a larger image now gone? Well, so far: ignored. Only response so far is that my post was moved here.
As I already said, if I didnt want people to be able to see larger versions, I would have already set it up so they couldnt.
You took that control from me. Took away functionality that I already enjoyed.
Scuse me SM, but I am a paying customer - pro account. I can see where a free site being able to make changes cus, well, quite frankly those 'customers' are not paying for their sites, but here on SM we DO pay.
I was not aware of this change until today. It is an unwanted change to me. You made the change due to someone wanting that - well THIS paying customer is STILL waiting for changes that I and others have been asking for, for months and months.
Lastnight I thought that this change might save bandwidth, but actually, its going to increase the bandwidth usage. Clicking on the photo, waiting for it to load, then changing to a larger photo - now that this photo has been loaded 3 times or more. seems sorta stupid to me. Not only does this slow down my visitor, but me as well.
All because of one persons wish, *I* have to put up with deminished choices.
Here is a future request: stop messing with my site with out my knowledge or permission especially as the one poster mentioned, when there is a perceptable change. And at the very least, allow us that dont want the change to change things BACK to the way *we* had it in the first place.
I (all us smugmuggers) spend a lot of time getting our site perfect. Now you go and change it.
Added value changes (making things faster, look nicer, work better ect) great. But to force someone elses desire on everyone?
Could you have not made the change a radio button giving US the choice whether or not to utilize that new change?
To have unwanted choices forced on to me, well - how about not charging me so much? Yes I have the choice and right to go somewhere else, and at this moment thats exactly how I am feeling.
Paying for the pro account, I would have expected to be treated differently than someone with the lower accounts. I would have expected to have had the choices made by me, not some one else just because they wanted something on their site. If they want to pay for my account, then they can force all the changes they want on my site but until then, let ME make those choices/changes.
In the mean time. How about MY feature request concerning actually seeing a recently posted photo first, instead of last in our recent photo gallery.
Set a policy at Smugmug: All changes that are perceptable to our customers must be communicated at least one week prior to implementation. Preferably, that communication would be proactive (like an email blast) rather than putting the burden on us to go to a blog to look to see what's coming...but I'd settle for anything!
I'd like to add to that Gary - give US (SM's customers) the choice whether or not WE want those changes implemented on OUR sites. Make the new changes a choice, that we can set in our customization using a simple radio button.
Smug-folk:
I'm reading this thread and now realize I need to update my help files (the HTML-only pages I created to show users how to use the features of the site)...in order to keep my help files in synch with the actual functions of the site.
Once again...here is a change to the customer-perceived behaviour of my site - without prior warning...and without a post in the NEWS section. It's frustrating guys (remember the uproar when you changed code knowing that vanity URLs would stop working? - at that time you said you'd blast emails in advance when changes would be impacting what our customer sees...I guess not).
It's flat-out unprofessional as a software provider to fail to give your customers advance notice in these circumstances. Particularly when the changes are visible to OUR customers! Furthermore, it's unprofessional and unwise to take away function at any time - particularly without warning. Again, an email a week ago would have given us a heads up, given everyone an opportunity to update their instructions, and avoided complaints! Then, if you're going to deprecate function, give warning, give a timeframe, and give assistance / advice on alternative functions.
Set a policy at Smugmug: All changes that are perceptable to our customers must be communicated at least one week prior to implementation. Preferably, that communication would be proactive (like an email blast) rather than putting the burden on us to go to a blog to look to see what's coming...but I'd settle for anything!
- Gary.
Hey Gary, thanks for the feedback - I'll make sure the team sees it!
I'd like to add to that Gary - give US (SM's customers) the choice whether or not WE want those changes implemented on OUR sites. Make the new changes a choice, that we can set in our customization using a simple radio button.
Or at the very least, put it to a vote.
Derek
Hi Derek, I'm afraid that's just not possible But I do feel we can provide notice better. This one should have gone to your Newsbox last night at midnight.
Hi Derek, I'm afraid that's just not possible But I do feel we can provide notice better. This one should have gone to your Newsbox last night at midnight.
So your saying we, your customers have no say as to how our sites look like anymore?
1) I'm a pretty frequent reader of this forum (daily), and I didn't see any discussion of this - even as a potential change. Did I miss a 'what do you think about that flyout menu' discussion? Or, even a complaint thread about the flyout menu?
2) In my opinion, this is indicative of an attitude change that is very slow in coming. Smugmug is still very much in the 'sharing photos - but also has some pro accounts' mindset. The needs of a true pro account are not addressed rapidly (e.g., packages, coupons, branded customer correspondence, branded labeling, non-smugmug labeled product pages, etc.), and the concerns of a pro (e.g., what does my customer see?, how does this impact my customer's experience?, please don't show my cost data, etc.) are repeatedly not initially considered.
I don't know the revenue balance for Smugmug re: pro accounts vs. non-pro accounts - I assume, based on the reaction-time, non-pro still out funds the site. In my opinion, this may be a catch-22...if the features were there, more pros would use Smugmug...but the current customer majority is not asking for the pro features...I guess.
Hi Derek, I'm afraid that's just not possible But I do feel we can provide notice better. This one should have gone to your Newsbox last night at midnight.
No Andy...a change that impacts my customer should have been in my Newsbox last week! Surely you guys have more planning than one night!
You want to know how I feel? I feel totally 100% ignored. Thats how I feel Andy.
I asked in two forums about a possible update to the recent photos gallery (if there was one, or if there was one planned).
The recent photos hack is a hack - sorry nobody replied, Derek.. I know that you know that mails to our help desk, get answered in minutes and if you'd have emailed us I would have gotten this. Sorry we missed that post. NOBODY gets ignored Derek. I've asked Devbobo to look into it. http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?p=854866#post854866
Security breached??
Hi,
I notice that all of the photos on my accont are entirely available for download even though I put watermarks and activate the "protected" option in the customization section on all of my galleries.
So your saying we, your customers have no say as to how our sites look like anymore?
Then stop charging me $150/yr.
Hi Derek - of course you do Please stay tuned, I really appreciate your patience while we discuss this internally.
I meant, Derek, that we can't put every single thing out to a vote - or discussion. Some stuff we do - we beta'd SmugMug Ajax for example, and got tons of customer feedback In the end, you'll vote with your annual subscription - to pay us or not to pay us. Hopefully we deliver service and features, in a way that you like, so that you stay
Hang in there, thanks again for being patient with us.
Hey Gary,hang in there okay? We're talking about all this right now. Thanks for your patience, I really appreciate it.
I'm hanging...no problems. It's just that we've had this conversation before ... and before that...and I thought we understood each other...but I don't see the fruits of our frustration.
Today's issue is tiny...but telling.
I'm not sure what you're all talking about...but I hope it's 'how can we improve our communications so our pro users (and non-pro, if they're interested) can get some advanced notice on the changes we're about to make and how it will impact their customers'...
Hi,
I notice that all of the photos on my accont are entirely available for download even though I put watermarks and activate the "protected" option in the customization section on all of my galleries.
1) I'm a pretty frequent reader of this forum (daily), and I didn't see any discussion of this - even as a potential change. Did I miss a 'what do you think about that flyout menu' discussion? Or, even a complaint thread about the flyout menu?
2) In my opinion, this is indicative of an attitude change that is very slow in coming. Smugmug is still very much in the 'sharing photos - but also has some pro accounts' mindset. The needs of a true pro account are not addressed rapidly (e.g., packages, coupons, branded customer correspondence, branded labeling, non-smugmug labeled product pages, etc.), and the concerns of a pro (e.g., what does my customer see?, how does this impact my customer's experience?, please don't show my cost data, etc.) are repeatedly not initially considered.
I don't know the revenue balance for Smugmug re: pro accounts vs. non-pro accounts - I assume, based on the reaction-time, non-pro still out funds the site. In my opinion, this may be a catch-22...if the features were there, more pros would use Smugmug...but the current customer majority is not asking for the pro features...I guess.
- Gary.
Hey everyone,
It sounds like removing the sizes in the photobar was a goof. We're looking at putting them back, although this is probably a case where we can't please everyone.
You might wonder how what appears to be a really dumb decision happens. I certainly did, because I love seeing all the display sizes.
You'd think we'd know that good features are good and we shouldn't tamper with them... But it's human nature and very constructive for people to point out our weaknesses, and we want to hear them. We don't hear about the good things because everyone naturally assumes that we would know they're good because...they are.
So in the case of the photo menu we received complaints that it was overwhelming, too many choices, not consumer friendly, we should lose them. We didn't hear that people liked them (although I knew that I did).
Wrt to being committed to pros, the sad thing is we've been buzzing for the last few months about the things coming for pros, starting with SmugVault, which has been a long-time request, and most of the other things we've all been waiting for.
If someone has an idea how to make the display sizes cleaner for the people who think displaying them is a bad idea, we're all ears.
I'm not sure what you're all talking about...but I hope it's 'how can we improve our communications so our pro users (and non-pro, if they're interested) can get some advanced notice on the changes we're about to make and how it will impact their customers'...
Peace.
I want us to notify more. And have more open pre-release discussions (not always possible)... but notification, sure.
If someone has an idea how to make the display sizes cleaner for the people who think displaying them is a bad idea, we're all ears.
Thanks,
Baldy
i don't know how hard it will be, but can't you make it user defined option? that way it will pleased everyone, they want to have the option, enable it, they don't want that option, they can disable the option.
i don't know how hard it will be, but can't you make it user defined option? that way it will pleased everyone, they want to have the option, enable it, they don't want that option, they can disable the option.
The problem with this approach is that it complicates the UI a lot. Could do, but it's a consideration... thanks Ed.
Hi Derek, I'm afraid that's just not possible But I do feel we can provide notice better. This one should have gone to your Newsbox last night at midnight.
WHy isnt it possible? It should be. After all, we are customers paying you (SM). If you just shove things down our throats...I can see people leaving in droves.
Last news item I got was May 17th.
The only way I see (now) about the changes is if I click on another link - put it out front so we dont have to hunt it down.
re: From the controversial changes department: We removed size options from the photobar, for two reasons:
1. We were receiving comments about toooooo mmmaaaaaannnnnyyyy size options. Keep it simple was the word.
Make the choices as radio buttons. EASY. 'What do you want your viewers to see size wise s/m/l/xl/ect and have radio buttons, or in this case I guess check boxes beside the choices. Dont want small as a choice? Dont check the box, you want the smallest to be medium or large - check that box, so on so forth.
Is it under CSS control? If not, could you put the sizes in a div and name it so we could chose to hide it in CSS? Then you would make it always on.
BTW: I wouldn't mind if it was hidden by default and I could turn it on using CSS (Block)...of course, I would want to know IN ADVANCE...so I could make the change BEFORE it disappears
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BaldyRegistered Users, Super ModeratorsPosts: 2,853moderator
WHy isnt it possible? It should be. After all, we are customers paying you (SM).
Make the choices as radio buttons. EASY.
Honestly and with all due respect, we've learned from very hard experience that too many css options are not maintainable. They slow down the site, they slow feature releases, and make customization more complex.
I think the best solution is to just put back the choices. We already have the radio buttons in the customize gallery screen.
Btw, consumers are very happy with being able to see the display sizes. The request to nuke them comes from pros because many pros don't want large sizes in the first place and they want the presentation to their customers to be as simple as possible.
Comments
hmmm, so it is only disabled if the Original option is not selected? shouldn't it make more sense to have it disabled no matter what the largest size option was selected? if your not login, that is.
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Some of us want people to be able to download photos...
got it. thank you!
i understand, but i hope you also understand, that some of us dont want other people to download photos as well.
Smug-folk:
I'm reading this thread and now realize I need to update my help files (the HTML-only pages I created to show users how to use the features of the site)...in order to keep my help files in synch with the actual functions of the site.
Once again...here is a change to the customer-perceived behaviour of my site - without prior warning...and without a post in the NEWS section. It's frustrating guys (remember the uproar when you changed code knowing that vanity URLs would stop working? - at that time you said you'd blast emails in advance when changes would be impacting what our customer sees...I guess not).
It's flat-out unprofessional as a software provider to fail to give your customers advance notice in these circumstances. Particularly when the changes are visible to OUR customers! Furthermore, it's unprofessional and unwise to take away function at any time - particularly without warning. Again, an email a week ago would have given us a heads up, given everyone an opportunity to update their instructions, and avoided complaints! Then, if you're going to deprecate function, give warning, give a timeframe, and give assistance / advice on alternative functions.
Set a policy at Smugmug: All changes that are perceptable to our customers must be communicated at least one week prior to implementation. Preferably, that communication would be proactive (like an email blast) rather than putting the burden on us to go to a blog to look to see what's coming...but I'd settle for anything!
- Gary.
I asked in two forums about a possible update to the recent photos gallery (if there was one, or if there was one planned).
I bumped both forum posts for 3-4 days.
NO ONE from SM answered. Thats why I gave up. I cant be bothered to continuelly go in and bump a post that is not going to be answered. If it cant be done, why not? If there is a way to do it but requiring code changes, lets make those changes.
I'm not the only one that wanted the recent photos gallery to actually post the recent ones first, not last.
How do I feel about the recent change when a mouse pointer moving over a photo and the choice(s) of a larger image now gone? Well, so far: ignored. Only response so far is that my post was moved here.
As I already said, if I didnt want people to be able to see larger versions, I would have already set it up so they couldnt.
You took that control from me. Took away functionality that I already enjoyed.
Scuse me SM, but I am a paying customer - pro account. I can see where a free site being able to make changes cus, well, quite frankly those 'customers' are not paying for their sites, but here on SM we DO pay.
I was not aware of this change until today. It is an unwanted change to me. You made the change due to someone wanting that - well THIS paying customer is STILL waiting for changes that I and others have been asking for, for months and months.
Lastnight I thought that this change might save bandwidth, but actually, its going to increase the bandwidth usage. Clicking on the photo, waiting for it to load, then changing to a larger photo - now that this photo has been loaded 3 times or more. seems sorta stupid to me. Not only does this slow down my visitor, but me as well.
All because of one persons wish, *I* have to put up with deminished choices.
Here is a future request: stop messing with my site with out my knowledge or permission especially as the one poster mentioned, when there is a perceptable change. And at the very least, allow us that dont want the change to change things BACK to the way *we* had it in the first place.
I (all us smugmuggers) spend a lot of time getting our site perfect. Now you go and change it.
Added value changes (making things faster, look nicer, work better ect) great. But to force someone elses desire on everyone?
Could you have not made the change a radio button giving US the choice whether or not to utilize that new change?
To have unwanted choices forced on to me, well - how about not charging me so much? Yes I have the choice and right to go somewhere else, and at this moment thats exactly how I am feeling.
Paying for the pro account, I would have expected to be treated differently than someone with the lower accounts. I would have expected to have had the choices made by me, not some one else just because they wanted something on their site. If they want to pay for my account, then they can force all the changes they want on my site but until then, let ME make those choices/changes.
In the mean time. How about MY feature request concerning actually seeing a recently posted photo first, instead of last in our recent photo gallery.
What did Cinderella say when she left the photo shop? "One day my prints will come."
I'd like to add to that Gary - give US (SM's customers) the choice whether or not WE want those changes implemented on OUR sites. Make the new changes a choice, that we can set in our customization using a simple radio button.
Or at the very least, put it to a vote.
Derek
What did Cinderella say when she left the photo shop? "One day my prints will come."
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So your saying we, your customers have no say as to how our sites look like anymore?
Then stop charging me $150/yr.
What did Cinderella say when she left the photo shop? "One day my prints will come."
2 more thoughts:
1) I'm a pretty frequent reader of this forum (daily), and I didn't see any discussion of this - even as a potential change. Did I miss a 'what do you think about that flyout menu' discussion? Or, even a complaint thread about the flyout menu?
2) In my opinion, this is indicative of an attitude change that is very slow in coming. Smugmug is still very much in the 'sharing photos - but also has some pro accounts' mindset. The needs of a true pro account are not addressed rapidly (e.g., packages, coupons, branded customer correspondence, branded labeling, non-smugmug labeled product pages, etc.), and the concerns of a pro (e.g., what does my customer see?, how does this impact my customer's experience?, please don't show my cost data, etc.) are repeatedly not initially considered.
I don't know the revenue balance for Smugmug re: pro accounts vs. non-pro accounts - I assume, based on the reaction-time, non-pro still out funds the site. In my opinion, this may be a catch-22...if the features were there, more pros would use Smugmug...but the current customer majority is not asking for the pro features...I guess.
- Gary.
No Andy...a change that impacts my customer should have been in my Newsbox last week! Surely you guys have more planning than one night!
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Andy,
I'm not trying to be a pain here...but let me ask you a serious question: What business do you think Smugmug is in?
- Gary.
Hi,
I notice that all of the photos on my accont are entirely available for download even though I put watermarks and activate the "protected" option in the customization section on all of my galleries.
What is going on??
Regards,
Douglas
www.australfoto.com
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I meant, Derek, that we can't put every single thing out to a vote - or discussion. Some stuff we do - we beta'd SmugMug Ajax for example, and got tons of customer feedback
Hang in there, thanks again for being patient with us.
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I'm hanging...no problems. It's just that we've had this conversation before ... and before that...and I thought we understood each other...but I don't see the fruits of our frustration.
Today's issue is tiny...but telling.
I'm not sure what you're all talking about...but I hope it's 'how can we improve our communications so our pro users (and non-pro, if they're interested) can get some advanced notice on the changes we're about to make and how it will impact their customers'...
Peace.
You're photos are quite safe
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It sounds like removing the sizes in the photobar was a goof. We're looking at putting them back, although this is probably a case where we can't please everyone.
You might wonder how what appears to be a really dumb decision happens. I certainly did, because I love seeing all the display sizes.
You'd think we'd know that good features are good and we shouldn't tamper with them... But it's human nature and very constructive for people to point out our weaknesses, and we want to hear them. We don't hear about the good things because everyone naturally assumes that we would know they're good because...they are.
So in the case of the photo menu we received complaints that it was overwhelming, too many choices, not consumer friendly, we should lose them. We didn't hear that people liked them (although I knew that I did).
Wrt to being committed to pros, the sad thing is we've been buzzing for the last few months about the things coming for pros, starting with SmugVault, which has been a long-time request, and most of the other things we've all been waiting for.
If someone has an idea how to make the display sizes cleaner for the people who think displaying them is a bad idea, we're all ears.
Thanks,
Baldy
Stay tuned..
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i don't know how hard it will be, but can't you make it user defined option? that way it will pleased everyone, they want to have the option, enable it, they don't want that option, they can disable the option.
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WHy isnt it possible? It should be. After all, we are customers paying you (SM). If you just shove things down our throats...I can see people leaving in droves.
Last news item I got was May 17th.
The only way I see (now) about the changes is if I click on another link - put it out front so we dont have to hunt it down.
re:
From the controversial changes department: We removed size options from the photobar, for two reasons:
1. We were receiving comments about toooooo mmmaaaaaannnnnyyyy size options. Keep it simple was the word.
Make the choices as radio buttons. EASY. 'What do you want your viewers to see size wise s/m/l/xl/ect and have radio buttons, or in this case I guess check boxes beside the choices. Dont want small as a choice? Dont check the box, you want the smallest to be medium or large - check that box, so on so forth.
What did Cinderella say when she left the photo shop? "One day my prints will come."
I think the best solution is to just put back the choices. We already have the radio buttons in the customize gallery screen.
Btw, consumers are very happy with being able to see the display sizes. The request to nuke them comes from pros because many pros don't want large sizes in the first place and they want the presentation to their customers to be as simple as possible.
I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Baldy
Thanks for the great feedback and we'll see if we can have a better way to approach this type of change in the future!
Thanks for being our customers, for the direct and real feedback, and your passion. We'd not have it ANY other way.
Thanks again.
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