So it appears that DPR isn't shutting its doors down afterall- at least that seems to be the prevailing trend.
How do you feel about that?
I resisted posting this until I realized that others may even be thinking the same thing as I am, so here I go...
I'm mixed on DPR staying open if they do, honestly I am. On one hand that site has a treasure trove of information locked away (mainly in its forums and interactive lens and camera modules) and I think it would have been a crime to delete it all without at least archiving it.
On the other hand, the forums and comments sections there are right back to the old toxicity that drove a lot of people away (and continues too). The management of the moderation in my opinion is atrocious, and the sites potential is thus being squandered.
So if it did shut down, I'd feel mixed about it. On one hand I'd be sad, on the other, glad. I'm just being honest folks.
I'm sure at some point they are going to come clean as to what changed the destiny of DPR. But to me, if it stays open with that kind of toxicity in the forums I'm not so sure that is really a good thing for the photo community in general.
A site like DPR is a banner, there's nothing like it, and therefore it should be given the utmost priority to be a leader in all respects. That means no shilling in the articles, clean good forums, and promotion of everything photographic and cinematic related with classy talented writing from actual working pro photographers.
Oh wait I'm describing PhotographyLife now... :)
But seriously, how do you all feel about what happened and what is happening, and lastly what could happen to DPR? Do you share any of my thoughts?
www.photographic-central.blogspot.com
One way or another, this has been a huge reset point for DPR! Their staffing and Amazon backing are not likely to recover to previous levels any time soon, if ever. Same with their forum activity - until it becomes clear that they will never shut down the forums, there are a lot of people who simply won't bother to post anything there any longer.
I want DPR to remain open, and I even think that this could be a blessing in disguise in some ways. It seems that most of the remaining forum posters are genuine people now, and a lot of the trolls are moving elsewhere. Assuming that DPR isn't shutting down, that may change and the trolls may return. But if the DPR site owners are smart, they can take it as an opportunity to clean house and fix some of the issues of the previous way the site was run.
From my perspective of running Photography Life, this has definitely lit a fire under my belly. It’s clear that we can’t just coast along in an environment that was tough enough to blindside DPReview of all sites. We’re sustainable in revenue but have been plateauing in traffic for years now. I’d like to change that and make Photography Life an alternative “watering hole,” to use Thom Hogan’s metaphor, in case DPR ever kicks the bucket for good.
But like you say, there is no fully replacing DPR and their wealth of information. I think the photography world benefits from a variety of websites staying open and offering different perspectives. Hopefully the whispers are true and DPR is staying open in some capacity!
I felt like the odd man out when there was all this weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth over DPR closing...and I didn't really give a rodent's posterior.
Yeah, they did very thorough reviews, which I found occasionally useful and even though I have no use for old info, I realize some folks do...but TBH, I never found the forums helpful, at all. Any time I searched a question and found a link to a thread about it, it was always someone asking the same question, and then....<crickets>.
Since the forum was of no interest, I never signed up....but I did find the article comments with the stupid bickering and fanyboy-ism an amusing way to waste time at work. 🤣
I agree that if they stay open that it would be nice if they cleaned house and fixed some of the issues that plagued the site before. With even more limited staff now, and their track record with mgmt etc., I wonder though how realistic that is. It sure would be nice, I'm just not seeing that happen as much as I would want it too. Seems any suggestions get thrown into a bottomless well there too, and have for a long time now.
And you are right, take nothing for granted.
Imaging Resource situation was worse in my opinion, in how the new owners handled that closure. Terrible stuff. With that said, even Dave admitted there were some mistakes along the way.
When I used to write for Dave, I asked him, Mike, and Shawn why they didn't have forums. I always thought that site lacked a proper forum to help sustain the traffic needed to increase revenue and web presence.
I ran my own site for a while with a full forum presence, and yes it's a bit of work, but just two of us were able to manage that, plus it was a very affordable price per month (even back in 2009-2011!). So the reason of cost couldn't have really been the issue- I even gave them the name of the hosting service we were using which was much cheaper than what they had.
In short it was a mistake of Dave not to do a better job at increasing the popularity of the site I think. They had the content and the writers, but IR could have been better. It does not deserve the fate it suffered at all by any means, but it could have helped keep them in a better position for longer.
In hindsight, I think I was right about my suggestion to them. But it's all spilled milk now, and what a shame too.
Just glad you and Nasim implemented the forums here now, smart move long term!
www.photographic-central.blogspot.com
It does seem to be a general trend in the online world... many people don't seem to show respect for other people who have a different opinion on a given topic. Discussions often become toxic because of that. And that's a shame because different options on a certain topic is often a good source for interesting reading.
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Pascal Hibon
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/phibon/
Website: https://pascalhibon.net/
100% absolutely. Too many hurt egos and whatever personal problems manifest themselves behind the veil of false anonymity ;)
www.photographic-central.blogspot.com
It would be great if DPR stayed open, but closed down the forums and comments section on articles.
It might be blasphemy, but I was finding DPR a much better place since the closure announcement and the wholesale departure of the cognoscente.
Many of the "plinks and drogues" as I like to call them had wandered elsewhere to annoy others.
And then, just this morning I was reading a thread and it was back. The snide remarks, rude innuendo, etc, etc.
:(
Doobs, that's what I saw starting back to when I first posted this thread. I could already tell that people have learned nothing there and it would go right back to where it was. It's a shame it is so mismanaged with moderation- they have everything backwards there with their mgmt style.
www.photographic-central.blogspot.com
I find it quite "funny" that there is no official statement on what's going on..just "we'll inform you later". Oh Well..
Some news here : https://www.dpreview.com/site-news/8298318614/dpreview-com-looks-forward-to-a-new-chapter-with-gear-patrol
Saw that this morning. I'd never heard of Gear Patrol, so I checked out their site...
What a bunch of vapid articles.🙄 “Lifestyle” crap and barely regurgitated press releases. If that’s the way DPReview is going, the only thing to visit the site for will be to amuse myself with the bickering in the comments. 🍿