I know opinions vary, but let me at least answer direct questions for help:
Stuff about photo re-sizing....... I think that's all answered now. Basically, you shouldn't have to re-size anything unless your producing poster-size photos. If you are having problems, contact me and they will be resolved. (The forum always re-sizes photos for the screen no matter how large the original, so there's not an issue of slow-download times for site users: if you want to see an original large image, just click on the one on screen and it will be re-opened for you in full-size - I think most forums and photo sites take that approach, so it should be familiar).
Quote:
if I want to have a look at (for instance) members phrags I would go to the phrag section and look at pics and read comments. It is frustrating to have to look at the gallery to see if there are any posts then click here and there and everywhere else to try and bring something up
No need to go round the houses to access what you want. If you are looking for pictures of phrags, you just click on the slipper orchids photos link, instead of the slipper orchids forum link. They are both next to each other, shown below. Once you click on that, the info about what is there is the same as what you're used to (i.e. titles of posts and dates, and number of views, etc), plus you can actually see the main photo without having to open it, saving you time:
Slippers.png
The listings there are always listed by date of posting. Is it that you'd prefer them to be sorted by date of last reply (like the main forum is), too? I can look into that.
Quote:
Now to be constructive let me say why I think the Photo boards do not work well for me. Firstly once you have posted a pic it seems impossible to update or change the photo in your post. In the main part of the forum you can add or delete any uploaded photo.
True. I'm not sure this is a biggie, as it's not something that's usually needed. The few times this might be needed, just ask me for help and I'll arrange it for you. You know I'm an active presence here, and usually onto things within minutes, assuming I'm not away 
Quote:
It is not possible for anyone to continue a thread about a particular plant/flower by adding pictures of a similar plant or to show what the plant should look like if grown well or badly. Similarly if I think that the name of a plant is incorrect in the original post I can not show a pic to support my theory. A photo post is basically a dead end leading nowhere.
I am also still not in favour of being limited to one photo per post. The photo joiner is a good idea but you lose size and quality when you use it.
OK - I agree with this too. And this is why we need a way to be able to add photos to replies in this area. That way you could post multiple photos (just choose the "main one" to get started, and then add more under it), and other people could attach them too. This is active work I'm doing, and apologies I seem to keep saying "yes, trying" and then being really slow with actually providing.
Also, I'd like a way to upload from a URL, so you don't have to save files to the PC to get them here.
If these are your wishes, we're singing from the same sheet.
Quote:
The problem is people putting input into this forum has dropped by a huge amount and people are not responding to the changes.
Ah.... Sorry to pick on this one line, as it's something that a few have suggested. I've been looking at forum stats for a few years, and membership began trailling off and posting became reduced to ever fewer active users over the last few years. The changes are designed to try to get new joiners here. People don't stay on forums for life. They come and go, and without a turnover they die. I know it feels like "home" to some longstanding regulars, which is great, but the reality is that I'm not doing this for the benefit of a handful of regulars, but need a constant coming-and-going of people. That way I'm inclined to get a few donations here and there, and if I ever considered adverts (which I am not), the forum traffic would be large enough to justify them.... Anyway, the point is that these changes have not simply reduced posting, which has in fact increased (see months below), and this is an going problem stretching well back before any changes were made, and I think - perhaps - some of you might be jumping to the conclusion that the changes are a more of a *cause* rather than an attempt to reverse it! Please trust me on the stats analysis for traffic over the last few years. It was starting to point in the direction of "change or give up" at the end of 2013. I'm encouraged at least that we have a fairly good number of new people joining since the changes were made.
Stark numbers here: In the first quarter (Jan-March) of 2012 we had 41 new members; in the first quarter of 2013 we had 10 and in the whole of 2013 we only had 58 signups; but now, in the first quarter of 2014, and since the changes, we have had 52 new signups.
New threads/replies posted:
Another chart.gif
(The slight spike in December was most likely due to me mass-mailing all members to ask them to contribute to a post on here - we saw a lot of people who returned after years of absence, for a day or two, and then quickly vanished again, but having scattered a few posts about in the meantime in a few cases.)
I urge you to be optimistic 
Quote:
People hardly ever look at galleries, its just not as immediate or current as looking at recent posts, human nature.
I'm not 100% sure that natural selection is that up-to-date 
but I know what you mean, and the point is made by a few in different ways. Some kind of even closer integration so that it seems even less like two different parts with no connections.
Statistics: Posted by Rob-Rah — Tue Apr 08, 2014 3:45 pm