We're planning to revamp many areas of Photoblog, changing some things pretty drastically. One goal is to simplify the service before building up new features, making sure everything functions properly and is easy to use.

Would love to hear your suggestions. What aspects of the service do you think are critical, and which can be removed?

We should be able to delete messages from guestbook batchwise instead one by one. Thanks for taking care of PB.

I love the fact that you can immediately see new comments and such when you click on "Home", that is missing on some other pages and is something that should not be changed. One thing I would like to see would be the possibility to increase the size of the images when clicking on them also in the free version. Other than that, this page is great!

1. Panorama function
2. Panorama function
3. Panorama function
))))))

This is exciting news! Can't wait to see the changes. I'm sure this topic will be most popular...thank you.

I totally agree with all three of Gerd's (GKort) ideas!!!

I'd like to have possibility of creating groups (such as "thursday inspiration", "cat hat", etc. and featuring my favorite posts on my blog.

I think Gerd missed something:
4. Panorama function

Make the customization of the blog page more open for creativity.

Any possibilty to have the landscape (horizontal) photos be as big and prominent as the portrait (upright) photos. I agree with Dreamie, have the ability to have groups or weekly posts. Revamp the look of the theme of the week and how it's laid out. Have the ability or choice to have a favorites wall, as in your own best of or greatest pics. Do more with categories and searching them. Love the site and look forward to updates and upgrades.

Panorama function!

Panarama .... would be a kick and fun!
As batch deleting!

Thanks for including us PB users in thei process!

Good news, thank you Michael.

Critical
Daily posting
Friends List
Browse by latest, friends, tags
Replies to posts
Monthly view
Edit post

Can be removed (temporarily)
Forums
Theme
Browse by Popular, Random, Location
Messages
Guestbook
Personal Profile

I'd like to add in the long term
Ability to upload my photos and sort out all the captions and text prior to publishing.
Ability to have different layouts on different posts.
Change to forums to make spamming impossible (well, more difficult).

Thank you.

For those of you suggesting a panorama function, how exactly would that work? Most sites are pretty limited in terms of how wide photographs can be shown. Also, we need to limit the size of photos we store to make sure we can support hosting the images

Critical to keep:
1) Ability to designate "friends" whose work you wish to follow and the corresponding BROWSE function
2) Ability to save photos in to a 'favorites' file
3) The easy linking system that you have set up where one can easily move between different blogs by clicking on avatars regardless of whether one is in a blog, a guestbook, a comment section, etc.

Could be improved:
1) increase the horizontal space available

2) Add the ability to have not only a 'friends' list but some way to set up groups within that list. For example a 5 group system where I could designate people in to one of 5 lists (that don't necessarily need titled). Something where I could decided that a #1 designation FOR ME are 'friends' who do iPhone photography.... #2 could be FOR ME 'friends' who do b/w photography... etc. They don't need titles, just some way to divide up the friends list so that I can BROWSE more specifically. Other people could decided for themselves how they needed their own friends list divided up. This would of course mean increasing the BROWSE function beyond "Latest/ Popular/ Friends/ etc" to say something like "Latest/ Popular/ Friends/ Group #1/ Group #2/ etc." I'm NOT suggesting this would be a ranking system, btw.

Sometimes I would like to have the TIME stamp be an option (of course I'm on break right now

With the panorama function, I'd be happy if a 3:2 image could have the same screen area that a 2:3 currently has. I think if that resulting length could be applied to any landscape shot we'd be on to a winner.

No jpeg site offers a convincing panorama function. We're not going to get it here.

Make comment time-stamps defined according to the account time zone, not GMT-6/9? for everyone.

Add "whisper" option to forum messages so that the comment author decides whether or not it makes the FP. Better: remove forum extracts from FP. Too many attention seekers and spammers.

Replace forum extracts with avatars of latest members to post at least one image (to welcome them).

Give the original poster editing/moderator privileges to remove spam / troll / hostile comments in an otherwise interesting thread on the forums.

Make the guestbook item on the FP change when new messages posted (like the message module).

Add "copy to" and friends' list in message fields. This would be very useful.

Friends list and group list. A group can be people who share the same theme. To begin with, start with a list defined by the administrator of themes (macros, panos, portraits, monos) and allow people to join. Any new items in the group (new posts, etc.) would be highlighted like messages. Thereafter, allow people to create their own groups and to let friends join them, e.g. "cat-hat's group". The functionality would be similar to a friends-only account.


I tried to set up a challenge here to increase member participation and improve the quality of imagery. It is extraordinary difficult and cumbersome compared to the challenges in Redbubble. Have a look at RB and see what ideas you can incorporate from their very easy challenge workflow.

Good luck with your gargantuan overhaul. I hope these suggestions help. I don't know how feasible these are, but I believe they are all necessary.

It looks like we've lost the ability to re-arrange photos after posting. That was a great feature. I'd like to see it come back. Thanks.

I wish there was a IM feature to talk in realtime with your friends...

sounds like a great idea! Look forward to see the finished product!

I'd like to be able to arrange my favorite photos into groups so I could have a "landscape/nature" group, an "abstract" group etc.

I really wish we could change fonts in posts.

I agree with being able to batch delete guestbook entries. Couldn't they have a little "select all" check box like the messages do?

So glad you're doing this!! Thank you for listening.

I'm looking for
1. An option to completely hide my email from everyone even my friends.
2. Web page version for mobile phone web browsers.
3. An option to create our groups.

oh, dear; I'm not so good with change. I guess as long as I can still figure out how to post and know where my info is~ sorry Jarvo but I like the message function, and also the guestbook.

(((((Rachel))))

I just thought that was really cute is all.

I can't imagine any of it being changed. It just seems perfect the way it is to my - because it's familiar to me that way.

I suggest you placing like and dislike options for comment section below every post!

Meow! Cat Hat will never be confined to a "friends only" paradigm. Cat Hat is the antithesis of "friends only". Cat Hat is a fleeting breeze that offers a dose of silliness, happiness, excitement, childishness and lightness to all photobloggers. Cat Hat wants to make sure that whatever improvements are made to Photoblog, the current quality that allows Photoblog to be a place where Cat Hat can drift and have fun will still exist.

Red Bubble may be a good site, but Photoblog is great site for "Photoblog type" people (Exclamation point)

Don't "throw the baby out with the bathwater."

Or better yet...,

"Don't let the cry babies makes the bathwater too salty and yucky." )Just sayin'!!!!!!! (I love that - Just Sayin')

Cat Hat would not be able to travel in RB. The atmosphere is well, "too RB"!!

A pano view would be great!!!!!

Ability to mass delete.

Ability to hide guest book.

Remove comments from profile page.

PS. The ability to rearrange photos is only available in the "Post" mode after the post is saved. You cannot rearrange until the entry is saved. (At least in my experiences).

Meow!!!

What should be added:

1. As said above, the Panorama Feature
2. The Guestbook function to have a notification like messages on the home section.
3. Comments from non-members and no-friends to have the option to ''approve'' or ''decline''. Let me be more specified, Some of the people make their profile private due the comments from members that randomly create accounts and comment on them. Having a ''blocking'' from direct commenting from no friends and no members, would 1st stop the spamming since you've to approve first, so no one else will look the ''spam'', and also would avoid problems from trolls. This idea I'd like others to tell me what think of it too.

4. I agree on font option add some few ones.. and what about colors? hmm maybe that's asking a lot LOL
5. Groups..exactly! Almost all photography sites have groups, but this one doesn't have..a group function would be interesting.
6. deleting the spaces on the corners
7. Forums getting back like they were before, hidden...it would stop some spamming
8.Hide email section, even for friends
9. Remove the Theme section... If someone is on Photoblog must have noticed there are a lot of playing... Theme is just one more... but aren't enough games? why not give to the community the opportunity to set another games besides themes?

10. The last but not the least, an ''Nudity content''. which means, when anyone opens, knows the post has nudity, so who wants to watch, watch, who doesn't just get out. so no fights!

Should stay
1. Favoriting
2. Guestbook

... I agree with my friend Danrav ...With ALL he wrote !...
About cathat ...
About photoblog type people ...
Here just three months ago, I think I would not stay if that become RB-bis ...
Thanks !

This isn't the place for a discussion on the nudity double standards here, but a "safe to view at work" filter would also be more effective than "punishing" errant members with a friends-only account.

I forgot to add smartphone/IOS/tablet functionality would be welcome.

Not quite sure about the RB and Cat Hat digs. RB and cat hat were meant as an example of a wide group interest. I could have used the Mass Observation Project, the Sunday Galleries or one of my own initiatives as examples. PB needs another level of consolidation apart from member/friend and the childish "block" (which does little credit to the site or its users). A group or share feature maintains the universality of the community and allows people to connect with friends on a wider basis. We've been using search by tag, but this is very cumbersome.

the ability to flip images after uploading (e.g. I got a portrait image that is orientated like a landscape, I would like to change that).

The option to completely hide e-mail addresses is essential for security.
A larger format for landscape photos.
Take the forum off the Front Page.
Add a Groups page.

Photoblog is a friendly place to share our "Life in Pictures"
It is unlike any other photo sharing site on the web. Other photo sites do have their own merits, but none are perfect.
When considering changes on Photoblog, please do not take away what makes this site unique.....

Thank you Michael for creating "Photoblog"

ArtBee

The team at photoblog has done such an outstanding job over the years that it is very difficult to find new ideas and suggestions. A while back ago I made the suggestion that we have the ability to order printed portfolios of our selected images. I conceded to the fact that the images are too low grade for printing. However now that I've had time to think about it; what about the ability (for paid members) to download both my own and friends selected image portfolios in pdf format photoblog branded eBooks for display on windows, mac, android and ios? Along with all due copyright notices. I don't believe any photo site offers this ability.

I agree with ArtBee :
"The option to completely hide e-mail addresses is essential for security.
Take the forum OFF the Front Page.
Add a Groups page.
Photoblog is a friendly place to share our "Life in Pictures"
When considering changes on Photoblog, please do not take away what makes this site
unique …"

I won't repeat the suggestions of others, I think you can see the common theme running through most of them...

I would like to be able to search my own entries. I recently (yesterday) used the search function on the FP - I've never used it before... I typed in "flower" and was surprised to see a list by title entry... why can't I do that with my own entries?

I would like the ability to search the forums... this is so important. I've never seen a forum that was not searchable.

I am also someone who posts more than once in day, and having to back date and then link up my posts is tedious . There is another site where there is no restriction on the number of posts per day, and it's still set up as a daily posting site, like Photoblog. I would be happy with some other way of breaking up my 30 post limit into multiples for one day, I just don't have any ideas on what they might look like.

I'm really pleased to see this happening Michael. I think we all appreciate the opportunity to add our input to the process.

Agree with Rob ( digitalideas ) about the IM and realtime chat ))
and Feby ( liveandletlive ) Id like to be able to sort out my photos into different groups eg:- wildlife, Insects, plants ....... and so on .... Pretty much everything has been covered I think .... Thank you for providing us with an already great photoblog and for trying to improve things for us all

oh, you try to prove me wrong, uh? so there actually Is some more development planned... ;-)

anyway, i really am fine with photoblog service as it is. no panorama function needed, this is just not even a storage/dimension problem for photoblog, it's simply not the way browsers and html pages work.

overall, management of large/old blog contents would be a good thing; i.e.
- better backup possibilities (for example, backing up your whole blog as a html album, producing an offline browsable version of it, etc)
- better search for content functions (the search function by now is very limited and gives quite unexpected results) what else are all the text and tagging and categorizing functions for?
- better "bookmarking" functions, not only as a "favorites" list but earmarking content for later view, later commenting, later answering (so you can "stumple upon" something and follow up on it later)
- easier function to start dialogues with other photoblog members; which is kind of a "guestbook to guestbook" conversation right now, where you have to quote, copy, back and forth to produce dialogues - it would be much better if every comment could become a "thread" with sub comments, inserts, etc. - just like on message boards

DON'T under an circumstance change anything on the simple layout style of the pages!! it's crucial, i blieve, to most people here that the page is neither overloaded with functions, layout elements, etc - KEEP IT SIMPLE!

thanks for your continued support of public easy photo & text sharing!

oh, I really do like photoblog for what it is, a blog site.
Many of us are members of websites like Redbubble (which focus' on "selling" work), and they have their merits; but there is a reason we are still on photoblog sharing our life in photos!! Redbubble is a place to SELL our work, but here it is our personal blog. Let's please not change the reason the site is here or why we use it.

Panorama
for those who doubt that a proper pano function is possible

the photograph should be visible big enough irrespective of the aspect ratio. and should be limited to the confined space

All-in-all, I love this site.

My wishlist for features includes:
+ I would love to be able to upload directly from Lightroom 3;
+ I have a lot of non-members that follow my blog and would like to have the ability to turn on comments from non-PBers;
+ Maybe more important than the ability to comment, it would be great if non-members could subscribe to blog updates via email.
+ I like the groups idea;
+ It would be cool to be able to export from Photoblog directly into a photobook so as to physically chronicle each year.

Thanks for listening!

NEED
- search by blogger names, by blogger comments
- guestbook editing and cleaning (actually there is none)
- correct and consistent friend count
DO NOT NEED
- panorama
- moving ads
- like, dislike, theme, scoring, ....

Since I just posted in IE 9.0 64 bit, and had to select each file individually (not able to use CTR button) I would love a drag and drop upload system ....

Encourage sharing. I see no point of being on the site if I don't share my photos.

Great to Have:
- Notification emails for "x has commented" should have a link directly to the post containing the comment (not just to the "overall new comments page").

This would make comments 100% more manageable with very little change required.

I like Photoblog like it's today. Panorama and groups are good idea. But Photoblog musn't to become a "Facebook" or a "Fotolia". Photoblog must stay unique ! Thanks to people whose are working for that.

I agree with the people who are saying that PB shouldn't change too much. I would hate it if it was like Facebook or some of those sites where there are a bazillion users with no anonymity and yet, you don't really "know" people.

I feel like here on PB we are so lucky to get to know one another in a warm, friendly community.

I also would like PB to stay a unique, artistic site. I am not sure what sort of changes are taking place, so I will say that I like that we get a glimpse of eachother's lives through our photos, but I am generally, a private person. I don't want people being able to find me by Googling me or anything like that. I don't feel the need to share myself with the world or to tell people what my mood is. A picture is worth a thousand words....so I feel, that any of that superfluous flim flam will trivialize this medium.

The ability to upload from my iPad and iPhone would be fabulous