From Search Function to Forum Members & Forum Contributors

[Jay Gould]

For the past two days I have received this message each time I have tried the search function - just a few minutes ago I attempted to search Insurance. Anyone else experiencing this problem?

[allanrube]

Yes. Just tried it.
If it matters - Mac with Firefox.

[Roy Priest]

Same here, windows vista with explorer

[Jay Gould]

I am using Vista + Firefox!

James; HELP!!

[Julie Kenward]

Jay, if I had to take a wild guess I know Blake is reworking some things on the site...hence, the new member galleries...could just be that he's got a wild hair hanging around in the system some place.

[James Shadle]

Julie is correct.
Something about re-installing the BPN member numbers code caused a hiccup.
It only causes problems with the search feature, an important feature at that.
Working on it.
Thanks James

[Blake Shadle]

We'll get this fixed ASAP :)

[Jay Gould]

Just to bring this back to the top, I am still receiving the same message as indicated in the opening post! Jay

[Brian Kersey]

still a problem, I can't access the resources that I need to find. Unfortunately this is why i stopped contributing $$, too many issues and not quick enough response.

[Jay Gould]

still a problem, I can't access the resources that I need to find. Unfortunately this is why i stopped contributing $$, too many issues and not quick enough response.

From a BPN Member to a former member, current contributor (contributor).

Mate, do you believe your reply contributes anything to the furtherance of BPN?

Brian, you have got to be kidding! You stopped paying all of $20 - WOW! Do you think you are going to get any agreement from anyone that realizes the amount of education you receive from participation so far exceeds the $20 it isn't funny.

Give me a break Mate.

Yeah, I miss the search function; I also realize and trust that in the ordinary course of events it will be fixed. And, until then, I will continue to participate and enjoy the best $20 I have ever spent on the net.

Please don't spend the $20 you saved in 2009 in one place. Enjoy it; and continue to read and participate for free.

Give me a break Mate.

My bringing it to the surface was intended to scratch an itch; you took a giant sledgehammer to a fly's issue in the big picture of what BPN is all about.

[Brian Kersey]

In college $20 is a lot of $$ especially when top ramen consists of most of my diet hahaha. I love this site I really do, I just find better at free sites where the functions work 99% of the time. It is a huge issue IMO, I am not rich, I don't have that much. I've already had to sell most of my gear simply to pay for books! I do appreciate your view, but you grossly overlook circumstances that many of us face in this economy especially college students. So yes I will enjoy this site for free, hopefully you can settle down before jumping to conclusions and this search function will be fixed.

From a BPN Member to a former member, current contributor (contributor).

Mate, do you believe your reply contributes anything to the furtherance of BPN?

Brian, you have got to be kidding! You stopped paying all of $20 - WOW! Do you think you are going to get any agreement from anyone that realizes the amount of education you receive from participation so far exceeds the $20 it isn't funny.

Give me a break Mate.

Yeah, I miss the search function; I also realize and trust that in the ordinary course of events it will be fixed. And, until then, I will continue to participate and enjoy the best $20 I have ever spent on the net.

Please don't spend the $20 you saved in 2009 in one place. Enjoy it; and continue to read and participate for free.

Give me a break Mate.

My bringing it to the surface was intended to scratch an itch; you took a giant sledgehammer to a fly's issue in the big picture of what BPN is all about.

[Blake Shadle]

I've got a fix that I'll be applying tonight once I get home from the office. We'll see if that takes care of it. We appreciate the support while we get this hammered out.

[Blake Shadle]

Well. The search is fixed :)

[Jay Gould]

Well. The search is fixed :)

Thanks Blake; now we will see if membership increases since the search function is worth at least $20 :D.

See ya in October.

Jay

[Brian Kersey]

Thanks Blake; now we will see if membership increases since the search function is worth at least $20 :D.

See ya in October.

Jay

See Jay it does do good to complain, now the feature is fixed. Thank you :D

[Marina Scarr]

Hi Jay:

I find your decision to criticize and condascend Brian in a public forum to be far more harmful to BPN than the fact that many of us choose to remain forum contributors. Marina

[Jay Gould]

Hi Jay:

I find your decision to criticize and condascend Brian in a public forum to be far more harmful to BPN than the fact that many of us choose to remain forum contributors. Marina

Marina, this is only one person's opinion - MINE!

The category Forum Contributor, I believe, is abused and misused! It is my understanding that it was originally created to accommodate students and others that truly could not afford $20.00/year.

$20 is one dinner out; some cigarettes that you don't really need; et cetera.

I think it should be time limited; there is no free lunch.

When you consider the enormous number of hours the Founders spend each day providing and maintain this site, and sharing their opinions, BPN is not a profit center.

Frankly after six months, if someone feels they are receiving benefit from the site

AND

when they, for example

either

own a 40D, 50D, Gitzo tripod with a Mongoose Head, and at least a 400 DO lens,

OR

own a Nikon D300 and a 300 f/4 AF-S lens

and they are proud to remain a Forum Contributor to save $20,

regarding your opinion and speaking for myself personally and only for myself,

People like that are 100% TAKERS and not GIVERS.

There are always specific personal financial circumstances (poor students - not someone's Daddy paying full tuition at a private university) which would explain and perhaps justify remaining a Forum Contributor for more than six months;

however when you can afford to purchase thousands of dollars of camera gear and "choose to remain a Forum Contributor"

well, perhaps since you want to continue this discussion, and you are representative of Forum Contributors with thousands of dollars of equipment,

please explain why

"some of us choose to remain a Forum Contributor."

Thank you.

[Fabs Forns]

Jay, FYI, Miss Scar did not choose to remain a contributor, she chose not to renew her membership.

[Jay Gould]

Jay, FYI, Miss Scar did not choose to remain a contributor, she chose not to renew her membership.

Gee, I didn't know that.

Marina, would you share why you choose to not renew your membership - $20 - and yet you still avail youself of the BPN resources? I simply do not understand that type of conduct or attitude.

Frankly, I do not mind asking, I am not here to win a popularity contest - only to learn and participate.

If some of the other Members or Contributors agree or disagree with my pushing this point they can say so and why.

[Harold Davis]

not to get off the subject of the search function question/problem, i could easily fix the problem with people not being members. just dont let them post images for critiques. let them be lurkers. let them only have access to the forums and not any extra member info. that's what most other websites do.

that would be the easy way out which doesnt seem to be in the publishers heart to do. they'd rather teach and help people.

not all people in the world think like you and i do, jay. we could only wish.

[Jay Gould]

Harold, I think that is an excellent suggestion, and I will second the motion. After six months as a Forum Contributor, a Contributor can no longer post images from any source unless they either 1) become a Forum Member, or 2) contact James Shadle and explain why they cannot afford $20/year.

In fact, I feel strongly enough to urge the Founders/Owners to conduct a nonbinding private poll of the Forum Members to determine if my "motion" ought to be adopted by the Forum as one of its rules.

[Marina Scarr]

Hi Jay:

I am perfectly willing to respond to your question about my reasons for not renewing my membership. However, I do not feel a public forum is an appropriate place to do so. I have left you word on how to reach me directly if you choose to do so. Suffice it to say, it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the money.

Marina

[Jay Gould]

Hi Jay: I am perfectly willing to respond to your question about my reasons for not renewing my membership. However, I do not feel a public forum is an appropriate place to do so. I have left you word on how to reach me directly if you choose to do so. Suffice it to say, it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the money. Marina

Marina, to begin with I have no interest in your personal problems or feelings with or about the Founders. Also, I am reasonably certain - subject to be corrected - that most if not all of the Forum Members are not the least bit interested either.

I will preface the rest of my remarks by telling you that I have in the past when I was a working attorney in Los Angeles belonged to some incredibly high powered organizations, participated as a Board Member of many organizations involving hundreds of members, and I have NEVER experienced the complete and total generosity shared amongst the participants on the BPN. Never, in my experience, have I had the opportunity to share with and learn from so many Professionals giving selflessly of their time to teach me and both paying and nonpaying participants how to become better photographers. BPN is second to none.

I felt that the only way I could underscore those feelings was to urge the creation of and become a Lifetime Member of BPN. If no one else avails themselves of the opportunity it really doesn't matter. Becoming LTM1 was the ultimate way for me to say thank you to the Founders.

Months ago when I first joined I said that spending $20/year was the best money I had EVER spent on the internet; becoming a Lifetime Member and spending $250/lifetime is also the best money I have EVER spent on the internet.

Regarding your personal situation vis a vis the Founders, frankly without even knowing the situation I feel it is not ethical - I am applying my ethics to the situation not yours which I do not know - for you to remain a Forum Contributor.

The fact of the mater is that it costs money to run this Forum; money in cash and money in services.

Everyone that participates on BPN is using the Founders assets; plain and simple. The Founders own it and we are using it with their permission.

1600 +- persons recognizing the benefit of BPN have chosen to pay $20/year to say thank you for providing US with the ability to interact in the manner that we do on BPN.

Almost 14,000+- persons - my understanding is that the ratio of FM to FC 1:9 - choose to avail themselves of the Founders assets and for a variety of reasons they choose to save $20/year.

Why, I cannot understand, they simply do.

Thus far, two persons have suggested reason: Brian complaining about the lack of responsiveness of the Founders, and you indicating that you have personal reasons for not renewing your membership.

Frankly, speaking solely for myself, you both can resign and I would not miss either of you.

Obviously this is something I feel very strongly about.

If the Founders are happy with the category Forum Contributor, and if the Founders want to allow the Forum Contributors to participate indefinitely under the current rules, that is OK by me and I will support their decision.

HOWEVER, when someone who refuses to pay a lousy $20/year indicates that they have a problem with the Founders and the management of the Forum, then there is only one thing they should do ethically: QUIT!

[Jay Gould]

Peter, thank you very much for taking the time to stand up and be counted. Other than Harold's comment I was starting to believe that perhaps I was barking up the wrong tree and perhaps what I thought was important, and the lack of comments doesn't change that, simply wasn't important to most of the Forum Members.

When I open a thread and see that the image it was posted by someone that has been a FC for over a year, frankly I can't understand that selfishness to use the Forum's assets and not compensate the owners of the assets.

To date, other than two complainers, not one participating long-term FC has had the backbone to stand-up and tell us why they believe it is OK to be able to purchase thousands of dollars of gear, use the Forum, and not become a FM.

I'm waiting and listening!

[Jay Gould]

Jay - I also agree there. Also from my perspective, there seems not to be a huge incentive to become member. It is, as you say, up to the founders. It is their site, it concerns their business and resources and it is their knowledge. They decided to share all of this in the way they do. As long as this difference in approach exists, you and I have to accept the way FC's can operate.

Of course WE accept the way the Founders choose to operate their Forum. Of that there is not question.

All of this initially arose because a nonpaying Contributor decided to complain and I found that totally inappropriate. When I find something inappropriate I say so - full stop.

There are a lot of wonderful contributors here on BPN, they do add to the total experience; however, I think they should be required to put up or sit on the sidelines and watch.

That is how I feel; the Founders/Owners have the final say and that is OK with me.

[Marina Scarr]

To date, other than two complainers, not one participating long-term FC has had the backbone to stand-up and tell us why they believe it is OK to be able to purchase thousands of dollars of gear, use the Forum, and not become a FM.

I'm waiting and listening!

Hello Jay:

Once again, your post is condescending and negative, insinuating that FCs have no backbone. Last time I checked, no one was breaking ANY rules by not becoming a member. It is our right to post without becoming a member. If and when that rule changes, we will all deal with it in whichever way we see fit. In the meantime, no one owes anyone an explanation.

Interesting that in one post you wish to know why I did not renew my membership, but as soon as you realize you aren't going to like my answer, all of a sudden (in a subsequent post) neither you or the rest of BPN membership is interested in the reason.

It seems you have too much time on your hands, Jay.

[Alfred Forns]

I'm closing the thread down since replies are getting on the personal side.