More little earthquakes at DPR?

Looks like DPR are going to go subscription in some shape or form.

At the moment looks like they are testing reader reaction.

If this forum can resolve certain problems, looks like it might be an opportunity to make this place a bit more lively.

I'm watching and thinking about this and I'm sure others are doing the same.

Yes, I understand this. It is difficult to fit into a new forum, after years posting on another forum like DPR. You have to start getting to know people all over again. This was an easy forum to fit into, as we were all mostly refugees from DPR. I have tried other forums over the years, and only one other clicked with me. Others I quickly abandoned for one reason or another.

I have used a couple of forums concerned with other interests, to get some information on what hardware is worth considering. I was surprised just how much interest there was in amongst a younger audience for something niche and esoteric like high end headphones. Whilst the conventional HiFi world is in the doldrums like photography.

Photography is one of those interests, that is failing to attract a younger audience. Maybe because the mainstream is too wrapped up in gear and arcane technical questions. It is pretty surprising ( or maybe not) that photography is seen as one of those old fashioned hobbies, like model railways, or train spotting, by the general pubic, in a time in history when more photographs are being made, than ever before, and people take pictures on an almost daily basis of everything that catches their eye.

I did too, although I do not care much about the fate of DPR anymore. The infamous Mako, put me on permanente pre moderation, due to comments I made here, about the atrocious moderation on DPR. Complaints to the Admin there have got zero response. I cannot even be bothered to make a new account to get around the problem

Looks like they are starting to have problems, with how viable the operation is, in a sector that continues to contract significantly.

I am part of the problem. The gear I have is still current after several years, and I have little interest in new gear. I now have more lenses than I really need, and a new lens will have to offer something really remarkable, for me to buy it. Sites like DPR rely on people buying new gear.

I only look at their Sigma Camera forum and the Tech. forum. Otherwise the Camera Reviews to look up specifications thereof.

Sadly and going by the 'Top Poster' criterion, the excellently-moderated Sigma forum there has contracted by 85% over the past few years and, here, the Sigma forum is dead.

I live in hope that one DPR subscription Option will be 'Free' (my adblocker is still working well there).

All the various forums, seem to have contracted significantly. When I used M43, and posted there, a thread risked going off the front page in hours. Now I see they they linger for days. On the forums I posted on, most of the most "interesting names" have gone. But on the other hand, I discovered some people had several multiple accounts, which was pretty disturbing.

The arguments are pretty lame there too. Nothing much worth reading.

The only forums that I see still with some life, are picture based, rather than gear based.

My D850 and Z7i are still fine regarding sensor technology. I have no incentive to learn about new camera gear.

DPR seems a shadow of its former self. They censored all the fun out of the forums, and a lot of people could not be bothered anymore.

I did that. Just before the "due date" I took all my gallery out, my gear list and my avatar but kept the free subscription. Then it didn't go away immediately and suddenly re-appeared almost as if nothing had happened, so I "returned" because of the Sigma interest.

I have no objection to that at all. Others might.

As Alan knows, when DPR did a Lazarus, I had lengthy contact with Dprev with a proposal, based on the stats of participation at Dprev, to reform Dprev based on images rather than gear. Quite a few of my thoughts were taken up. It was a long term plan based on getting hits to the site while we still had reasonable numbers who had come over from DPR before the rebirth. Some of the plan is in place, including the name change to The Photo and the Resources section.
As I understand it, there are legal ownership issues that prevent what I saw as the next big problem, the structure of the Home Page, from being reworked. Everyone, have a look at the Home Page and try to see it through the eyes of someone arriving at Dprev for the first time. Would you bother going further? Now have a look at the website. That's more like what I think everyone should see when they arrive. Nobody uses The Photo as the name of this group. It is still Dprev. Folks, that has to change if this place is to survive and grow. Are there still legal/technical reasons that the current Home Page can't be reworked?
A bit of reality.
Alan and Arvo are clearly working way above the call of duty to hold The Photo/Dprev together. Wherever we go has to be achievable without burning them out.
While we claim nearly 4000 members, actual participation is about 60, probably less. Based on the User info.
I think (Alan and Arvo energy levels allowing) it is still possible to further build the image focus base of the site and then co-opt the current participants into helping build the numbers.
Anyone want to discuss this further? A&A, should such a discussion be held in a public place or might it be better to have it in a personal messages group that many people could take part in?

A personal message group would be by application and then acceptance by A&A. Some discussions might go down long term business planning paths and you guys would want to be discrete about what you were prepared to say for business reasons. Understood. And you wouldn't want the discussion to become the kind of free for all if it is open to anyone who drops in.