Just a simple announcement that clarifies whether on July 30 a whole bunch of new changes will go into effect OR on July 30 they will announce that these changes will be coming soon. It's very confusing me thinks. That's why most are concerned I think.
Yes, I would like to know too.
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Matthew SavilleRegistered Users, Retired ModPosts: 3,352Major grins
Just a simple announcement that clarifies whether on July 30 a whole bunch of new changes will go into effect OR on July 30 they will announce that these changes will be coming soon. It's very confusing me thinks. That's why most are concerned I think.
To be even more specific, we would simply like to know if the changes, whenever they come, will be an "opt-in" type thing or not. Kinda like how Google and Facebook often give you the chance to try new features, but take months to actually FORCE those features on you...
Or it could be something like Squarespace with their newest version 6 and their older version 5. Essentially 2 different platforms that are both still in operation today. I don't have any experience with v5 myself, but do have 2 sites on v6 over there including the front for me photography site and currently only using SmugMug for my galleries and print sales. I wonder if Smug's approach will be something similar to that. You won't be forced to change over, and there will be some tools to help migrate, but with such drastic changes in technology between the releases, of course some stuff will simply not work. I thought I recall SmugMug saying that things will be released and you won't be required to switch everything over right away and have some time similar to what Matt said above, but I may just be making this up.
I removed 99% of my customization here on SmugMug the other day to begin matching it to my new landing page on Squarespace, so I'm not worried about customizations carrying over now, but just last week I'd be concerned with it since I did pay for some work to be done etc...
I do notice however that along with the excitement, Smugmuggers are also having some anxiety. Pro users have incorporated Smugmug as part of our business workflow and depend on it to manage their businesses.
Sorry, in the crush of things I haven't been able to wade into the forums, but Bonocore tells me people are legitimately concerned about us blowing away their customizations when we go live.
Somewhere in this thread and in the customization forum I've said that I understand the concern because SquareSpace six green-fielded their users and made them start over and Flickr just sprung the new design on their customers. But we're not doing either of those. It's been a whole lot more engineering and we could have shipped a year ago if we made SquareSpace and Flickr's decisions, but we didn't. You'll get a preview button and lots of time to play before you make changes that your customers will see, and we're preserving things like photos, stats, comments, sales reports, etc.
We all know how forums are and those answers get buried fast so please someone who reads this answer the next time the questions come up, because we're working all hours in prep for Tuesday.
Sorry, in the crush of things I haven't been able to wade into the forums, but Bonocore tells me people are legitimately concerned about us blowing away their customizations when we go live.
Somewhere in this thread and in the customization forum I've said that I understand the concern because SquareSpace six green-fielded their users and made them start over and Flickr just sprung the new design on their customers. But we're not doing either of those. It's been a whole lot more engineering and we could have shipped a year ago if we made SquareSpace and Flickr's decisions, but we didn't. You'll get a preview button and lots of time to play before you make changes that your customers will see, and we're preserving things like photos, stats, comments, sales reports, etc.
We all know how forums are and those answers get buried fast so please someone who reads this answer the next time the questions come up, because we're working all hours in prep for Tuesday.
Thank you for all the effort and work you do. Looking forward to see that changes, I'm very excited about this.
As a Flickr user since 2008, I didn't mind their approach, they just did it. No drama, no grandiose hype, they just did it. Better blow the doors off ... Over hype and under deliver is a really bad combo.
The problem is, you have 2 different types of customers. The hobbyist is always looking for what the hottest new thing is, and wants updates up the yazoo like such-and-such site does. The other type is the customer running a business. The person running a business wants to know that he or she has control over the implementation of new features and is able to successfully add them without disturbing the current experience their customers have. I feel as though through this process, you ended up serving neither. You won't tell us whether or not we will have control over when new features are implemented. Businesses do not like surprises, especially surprises that cost us money. Your price hike cost us money, and for people who have advanced customization, it looks like it will cost them even more to have the customization redone. Furthermore, you have kept the hobbyists in the dark. It's tough to even be remotely excited about any of this.
The problem is, you have 2 different types of customers. The hobbyist is always looking for what the hottest new thing is, and wants updates up the yazoo like such-and-such site does. The other type is the customer running a business. The person running a business wants to know that he or she has control over the implementation of new features and is able to successfully add them without disturbing the current experience their customers have. I feel as though through this process, you ended up serving neither. You won't tell us whether or not we will have control over when new features are implemented. Businesses do not like surprises, especially surprises that cost us money. Your price hike cost us money, and for people who have advanced customization, it looks like it will cost them even more to have the customization redone. Furthermore, you have kept the hobbyists in the dark. It's tough to even be remotely excited about any of this.
Didn't they say we'd have time to preview the changes before implementation?
I'm assuming that means existing changes won't be affected until we want them to
The problem is, you have 2 different types of customers. The hobbyist is always looking for what the hottest new thing is, and wants updates up the yazoo like such-and-such site does. The other type is the customer running a business. The person running a business wants to know that he or she has control over the implementation of new features and is able to successfully add them without disturbing the current experience their customers have. I feel as though through this process, you ended up serving neither. You won't tell us whether or not we will have control over when new features are implemented. Businesses do not like surprises, especially surprises that cost us money. Your price hike cost us money, and for people who have advanced customization, it looks like it will cost them even more to have the customization redone. Furthermore, you have kept the hobbyists in the dark. It's tough to even be remotely excited about any of this.
Sorry, in the crush of things I haven't been able to wade into the forums, but Bonocore tells me people are legitimately concerned about us blowing away their customizations when we go live.
Somewhere in this thread and in the customization forum I've said that I understand the concern because SquareSpace six green-fielded their users and made them start over and Flickr just sprung the new design on their customers. But we're not doing either of those. It's been a whole lot more engineering and we could have shipped a year ago if we made SquareSpace and Flickr's decisions, but we didn't. You'll get a preview button and lots of time to play before you make changes that your customers will see, and we're preserving things like photos, stats, comments, sales reports, etc.
We all know how forums are and those answers get buried fast so please someone who reads this answer the next time the questions come up, because we're working all hours in prep for Tuesday.
Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
Since the announcement I have had quite a few people engage me in real life conversation with regard to the upcoming....Uh, frighting, terror generating, shear fear of the upcoming "changes".
My response has been simple: Yes I got the email, yes if I can figure out the Facebook thing I plan to watch, no I am not worried in the least.
Disclaimer: While I try not to be rude or crude online I am not a blind cool aid drinking acolyte for anyone or any business, and if you ask I will always answer honestly, so don't ask if you can't take it. That said:
SmugMug can't be all things to all people, and they are not perfect. But the key to my calm in this issue relies on the family that owns and operates Smugmug. To me they have always demonstrated honesty and sincerity in their operation of SmugMug as well as in life. Hence I have the utmost confidence in the coming announcement.
Sam, you don't need a Facebook or Ustream account to watch the live broadcast or post-event recording. I believe those are only there for commenting or their reminder system.
James Geiger M. Ed.
"Being a photographer is not about taking a photograph, it is about being curious about life."
~ Jared Platt http://www.jamesgeigerphoto.com
SmugMug can't be all things to all people, and they are not perfect. But the key to my calm in this issue relies on the family that owns and operates Smugmug. To me they have always demonstrated honesty and sincerity in their operation of SmugMug as well as in life. Hence I have the utmost confidence in the coming announcement.
I would say your inbox will blow completely up if the deliverable product does not exceed the hype. Quality is exceeding your customers requirements and needs. I repeat ... Exceeding. Not meeting. Not ... Well we tested this and that ... Flickr change was seamless for me and the best part ... My cost has remained the same.
Its funny how everyone was upset that there was a price increase with no new features. Now there is a huge update with tons of new features and people are upset about that. I for one am delighted that there is a new update and if it is as good as the hype, I will consider going back to the pro level which I downgraded a few months ago.
I had no intention of moving on when the prices increased. I love what we have available and I trusted that SmugMug would certainly keep up with the completion as time went on.
I would say your inbox will blow completely up if the deliverable product does not exceed the hype. Quality is exceeding your customers requirements and needs. I repeat ... Exceeding. Not meeting. Not ... Well we tested this and that ... Flickr change was seamless for me and the best part ... My cost has remained the same.
Yeah, I've been concerned about that because it depends on what your wish list is. Mainly we've been hearing that it exceeds the hype, but we've been disclosing to people who would care about the things we're working on (we've mentioned them publicly) so they can give us feedback.
Also, the furor of the Flickr announcement the week it came out was unsettling. But in the end it really worked for them because it created an international story about the haters versus the loyalists so everyone heard about the change. It reminds me of the furor around the iPad announcement where the tech pundits panned it and women's groups took offense to the name. By the end of it, everyone knew what an iPad was.
Yeah, I've been concerned about that because it depends on what your wish list is. Mainly we've been hearing that it exceeds the hype, but we've been disclosing to people who would care about the things we're working on (we've mentioned them publicly) so they can give us feedback.
Also, the furor of the Flickr announcement the week it came out was unsettling. But in the end it really worked for them because it created an international story about the haters versus the loyalists so everyone heard about the change. It reminds me of the furor around the iPad announcement where the tech pundits panned it and women's groups took offense to the name. By the end of it, everyone knew what an iPad was.
EXCEEDS.......wow, I'm even more anxious!!!!! :-D
James Geiger M. Ed.
"Being a photographer is not about taking a photograph, it is about being curious about life."
~ Jared Platt http://www.jamesgeigerphoto.com
But as Baldy and others have said, there will always be something that we could do better for you and your needs. We have taken in lots of feedback from our most vocal, loyal, happy, and upset customers and created something we really believe in.
Sorry, in the crush of things I haven't been able to wade into the forums, but Bonocore tells me people are legitimately concerned about us blowing away their customizations when we go live.
Somewhere in this thread and in the customization forum I've said that I understand the concern because SquareSpace six green-fielded their users and made them start over and Flickr just sprung the new design on their customers. But we're not doing either of those. It's been a whole lot more engineering and we could have shipped a year ago if we made SquareSpace and Flickr's decisions, but we didn't. You'll get a preview button and lots of time to play before you make changes that your customers will see, and we're preserving things like photos, stats, comments, sales reports, etc.
We all know how forums are and those answers get buried fast so please someone who reads this answer the next time the questions come up, because we're working all hours in prep for Tuesday.
Thanks for the reassurance - I'm looking forward to the announcement.
Yeah, I've been concerned about that because it depends on what your wish list is. Mainly we've been hearing that it exceeds the hype, but we've been disclosing to people who would care about the things we're working on (we've mentioned them publicly) so they can give us feedback.
Also, the furor of the Flickr announcement the week it came out was unsettling. But in the end it really worked for them because it created an international story about the haters versus the loyalists so everyone heard about the change. It reminds me of the furor around the iPad announcement where the tech pundits panned it and women's groups took offense to the name. By the end of it, everyone knew what an iPad was.
James Geiger M. Ed.
"Being a photographer is not about taking a photograph, it is about being curious about life."
~ Jared Platt http://www.jamesgeigerphoto.com
Well I cared because I have a financial and time investment in using the product and I place high standard on products I purchase. If I didn't care, I wouldn't post. The customer that doesn't respond and just leaves is the one I would be the most concerned about. I have stated in previous posts, I have lost sales due to the complexity of the order fulfillment process (confirmed by feedback from MY customers and google stats).
I trust SM has dug deeper in the value chain. Not me. But my customers. The grandparent who would like to purchase an image of their grand kids but is not as computer literate as "fulfillment process" assumes. I teach IT (and in a former life taught quality as well). I learn everyday. The biggest lesson is the assumption that because IT is so prevalent that everyone "knows it". They don't. They, the customers, become frustrated and click the X and leave.
My customers tell me ... They love the printed images ... But ordering them was a painful experience.
Wow my customers and you'll wow me. I will post all the "wows" I receive from my customers. That's who is really paying the bill.
Sorry, in the crush of things I haven't been able to wade into the forums, but Bonocore tells me people are legitimately concerned about us blowing away their customizations when we go live.
Somewhere in this thread and in the customization forum I've said that I understand the concern because SquareSpace six green-fielded their users and made them start over and Flickr just sprung the new design on their customers. But we're not doing either of those. It's been a whole lot more engineering and we could have shipped a year ago if we made SquareSpace and Flickr's decisions, but we didn't. You'll get a preview button and lots of time to play before you make changes that your customers will see, and we're preserving things like photos, stats, comments, sales reports, etc.
We all know how forums are and those answers get buried fast so please someone who reads this answer the next time the questions come up, because we're working all hours in prep for Tuesday.
EVERYONE needs to read this post again. Thanks, Baldy.
What happened to the site-wide html, javascript, etc? Am I missing something, or have you thrown the fully custom site out the door, in the name of "ease of use". It is incredible confusing to someone who just wants to take full control and enter a bunch of html and css (in one place!)
Comments
Yes, I would like to know too.
To be even more specific, we would simply like to know if the changes, whenever they come, will be an "opt-in" type thing or not. Kinda like how Google and Facebook often give you the chance to try new features, but take months to actually FORCE those features on you...
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
I removed 99% of my customization here on SmugMug the other day to begin matching it to my new landing page on Squarespace, so I'm not worried about customizations carrying over now, but just last week I'd be concerned with it since I did pay for some work to be done etc...
www.zblackwood.com
Somewhere in this thread and in the customization forum I've said that I understand the concern because SquareSpace six green-fielded their users and made them start over and Flickr just sprung the new design on their customers. But we're not doing either of those. It's been a whole lot more engineering and we could have shipped a year ago if we made SquareSpace and Flickr's decisions, but we didn't. You'll get a preview button and lots of time to play before you make changes that your customers will see, and we're preserving things like photos, stats, comments, sales reports, etc.
We all know how forums are and those answers get buried fast so please someone who reads this answer the next time the questions come up, because we're working all hours in prep for Tuesday.
Thank you for all the effort and work you do. Looking forward to see that changes, I'm very excited about this.
Sent from my Galaxy S3 with Tapatalk 4
Thank you! We are very excited too, if that wasn't obvious
Michael Bonocore
www.mb-photography-sf.com
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Didn't they say we'd have time to preview the changes before implementation?
I'm assuming that means existing changes won't be affected until we want them to
--sent from mobile
anything can be amazing
Just in case you missed it:
My response has been simple: Yes I got the email, yes if I can figure out the Facebook thing I plan to watch, no I am not worried in the least.
Disclaimer: While I try not to be rude or crude online I am not a blind cool aid drinking acolyte for anyone or any business, and if you ask I will always answer honestly, so don't ask if you can't take it. That said:
SmugMug can't be all things to all people, and they are not perfect. But the key to my calm in this issue relies on the family that owns and operates Smugmug. To me they have always demonstrated honesty and sincerity in their operation of SmugMug as well as in life. Hence I have the utmost confidence in the coming announcement.
Sam
Just head to http://www.ustream.tv/smugmug at the appropriate time.
Cheers, Andrew
"Being a photographer is not about taking a photograph, it is about being curious about life."
~ Jared Platt
http://www.jamesgeigerphoto.com
As someone who'd just coughed up cash for Flickr Pro, I can see why.
That being said, looking forward to the 30th. Or 31st. Whichever.*
(Maybe it's because I work in technology, but the upcoming announcement doesn't phase me at all...)
--sent from mobile
anything can be amazing
Absolutely - well said!
Caroline
www.carolineshipsey.co.uk - Follow me on G+
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Also, the furor of the Flickr announcement the week it came out was unsettling. But in the end it really worked for them because it created an international story about the haters versus the loyalists so everyone heard about the change. It reminds me of the furor around the iPad announcement where the tech pundits panned it and women's groups took offense to the name. By the end of it, everyone knew what an iPad was.
EXCEEDS.......wow, I'm even more anxious!!!!! :-D
"Being a photographer is not about taking a photograph, it is about being curious about life."
~ Jared Platt
http://www.jamesgeigerphoto.com
James, we have had some pretty awesome reactions.
But as Baldy and others have said, there will always be something that we could do better for you and your needs. We have taken in lots of feedback from our most vocal, loyal, happy, and upset customers and created something we really believe in.
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Thanks for the reassurance - I'm looking forward to the announcement.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Dude, I wish!!! :-D
"Being a photographer is not about taking a photograph, it is about being curious about life."
~ Jared Platt
http://www.jamesgeigerphoto.com
I trust SM has dug deeper in the value chain. Not me. But my customers. The grandparent who would like to purchase an image of their grand kids but is not as computer literate as "fulfillment process" assumes. I teach IT (and in a former life taught quality as well). I learn everyday. The biggest lesson is the assumption that because IT is so prevalent that everyone "knows it". They don't. They, the customers, become frustrated and click the X and leave.
My customers tell me ... They love the printed images ... But ordering them was a painful experience.
Wow my customers and you'll wow me. I will post all the "wows" I receive from my customers. That's who is really paying the bill.
Best,
Wendell
(Negative sorter guru but all-around nice guy)
EVERYONE needs to read this post again. Thanks, Baldy.
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*feeling incredibly sorry for impatient people who jumped ship* If I learned ANYTHING from Nikon, it's that slow and steady ALWAYS wins the race.
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum