Response to the Future of NikonGear.net/.com/.org

[KarlMera]

I became a supporter to support this site financially to keep it running after a very long period of being a member -!

Me too, is this a solution?

[Michael Erlewine]

Here is a little more detail. Please don’t shoot the messenger.

Well, having been around the Internet looking for and at photo forums and sites, NikonGear is doing pretty well compared to the competition. Some others are more active, yet they also are more nationalistic and territorial, so much that I can’t go there.

For example, I’ve seen about everything on Hasselblad that exists on the Internet, and in a word, the coverage is pitiful. And NikonGear is not any better vis-à-vis Hasselblad because so few have that camera or even want one.

Aside from its obvious failings and warts, the Hasselblad X2D is an incredible camera, IMO.

The only photographers that cover Hasselblad pretty thoroughly (and he is behind a pay wall) is Lloyd Chambers, and many don’t like him because of the paywall or his focus on landscapes, which is very demanding of any lens, etc. And there is Vieri Bottazzini and he has moved on to an even larger sensor than Hasselblad, the PhaseOne.

Thom Hogan does a good job reviewing Nikon lenses and I trust his reviews as I do Birna’s reviews.

For my two cents, I believe we subscribers could be more welcoming and friendly to ‘outsiders’, which could become insiders with a little TLC.

I don’t post much here anymore because most are not interested in my approach and now there is about zero interest in the Hasselblad. I still have a full Nikon system with many of the best lenses that can be mounted.

I have been with NikonGear for many years and value it. I wish we had get-togethers with NikonGear folks here in the states as you folks do over there.

I am in northern-west Michigan in the Lower Peninsuala and have floated, now long ago, having a meeting at our center

[Michael Erlewine]

Make it more visible why members should be interested in becoming supporters. Maybe introduce a free trial period. 

I became a supporter to support this site financially to keep it running after a very long period of being a member - I'm not sure what the benefits are and where to find that information. To me, one obvious and important reason is that we are not spammed with ads!   
 

My own view is that a free trial period is not enough. What is needed is, as others have pointed out, interaction and comradarie, having fun and making new friends. Also, look at the plethora of new equipment. No one can keep up with that. So, what is our function? Perhaps we could make that clear to others, and also to ourselves.

[ColinM]

Most of the comments posted are about what to do once people have visited the site.
Not about how are you going to persuade or tempt them to come here in the first place?

My suggestion earlier was about that.

Good idea to post comments on other sites with links to here, Colin.

Thanks Bruno.

[Michael Erlewine]

Most of the comments posted are about what to do once people have visited the site.
Not about how are you going to persuade or tempt them to come here in the first place?

My suggestion earlier was about that.

Thanks Bruno.

I hear you, and agree that it is what we do here with one another that determines whether someone want to become a subscriber.

[Michael Erlewine]

Here is a photo to scare the hell out of us, one of some 15,000 images I have created by prompting the Midjourney AI graphic engine. I'm getting pretty good at it. AI is not going away.

[pluton]

Michael, Out of purely idle curiosity, what was the verbal prompt that generated this particular image?

[Michael Erlewine]

Michael, Out of purely idle curiosity, what was the verbal prompt that generated this particular image?

I don't save the prompts and with some 15,000 I don't have them. Also the process of prompting is iterative. I try to prompt into the ballbark of what I am looking at and then fine tune it. I have met a number of folks who use Midjourney and think they are making great art.

I have always use Midjourney as an illustrator. I blog to about 20,000 people a day for my posts I like to have a graphic. I used to have to license graphics to illustrate my work, but Midjourney provides better illustrations than licensing because I can tailor each illustration to exactly what I want. It has saved me a lot of money.

[KarlMera]

 I believe we subscribers could be more welcoming and friendly to ‘outsiders’, which could become insiders with a little TLC.

There should be no difference between "outsiders" and "subscrivers" or "insiders".  NG shouldt not be like an old pub table reserved for the regulars.

[Frank Fremerey]

I suggest to change the disclaimer to


The ad-free user-supported site for all brand name photo enthusiasts

[Michael Erlewine]

I suggest to change the disclaimer to


The ad-free user-supported site for all brand name photo enthusiasts

Frank, that disclaimer, IMO, is not as good as naming a few camera systems.

[Lars Hansen]

Quote from: Lars Hansen on January 27, 2025, 20:37:25

I became a supporter to support this site financially to keep it running after a very long period of being a member -!

Me too, is this a solution?

Karl, I'm not sure I understand what you mean about a solution? My point is that I didn't become a supporter because of the advantages/benefits that follows and I obviously haven't missed them.     

[Lars Hansen]

Most of the comments posted are about what to do once people have visited the site.
Not about how are you going to persuade or tempt them to come here in the first place?

I have no better suggestions than what have been posted - but to have visitors become members and members become supporters .. and stay .. is also a concern is my impression.       

[Michael Erlewine]

Well, you post links to NikonGear on other sties for key articles, within reason. Some sites will ban you for advertising yourself, so you might have to fudge the link wih comments about the article when that site has a similar topic, then it should work.

In my experience there are not a ton of good sites out there, certainly not ones of the caliber of NikonGear. Some other sites are rabid to attack anything at all.

I agree that NikonGear is great, but IMO not as good as it was, which means we should keep brainstorming, but more important is to have significant conversations and make friends.

[Lars Hansen]

Well, you post links to NikonGear on other sties for key articles, within reason. Some sites will ban you for advertising yourself, so you might have fudge the link wih comments about the article when that site has a similar topic, then it should work.

In my experience there are not a ton of good sites out there, certainly not ones of the caliber of NikonGear. Some other sites are rabid to attack anything at all.

I agree that NikonGear is great, but IMO not as good as it was, which means we should keep brainstorming, but more important is to have significant conversations and make friends.

Many thanks for elaborating, Michael.
I guess we also don't like those who advertise for themselves here on NG