Dear members,
first I want to wish you, your family and your friends a happy new year 2024!
2024 will be very exciting for us and I will tell you why in a second. The world of community forums is shaking more and more. Fortunately we do not need to show consideration for something or wait for something like others do. I will give you some examples from the world of photo communities, but as you probably know, this happens also in all other industries incl. wetshaving forums.
The year 2023 was a little bit chaotic because several photo sites announced that they will close. First DPreview, owned by Amazon and the biggest photosite of the world, announced in March that it will be deleted. We immediately created a rescue forum (DPRforum.com) to offer all Dpreview members the possibility to stay as a community together. But Amazon changed its mind and sold DPreview to a marketing agency. Nobody knows for sure whether the DPreview forum will survive in the long run, because the marketing agency is more interested in the tests and has no experience with forum management. Our rescue forum is running well in the meantime
Then Imaging Resource. Another one of the world's biggest 5. Unfortunately IR did not go in new hands or at least the new owner did not pay and it is very unlikely, that IR will come back.
Then the POTN ("photography on the net") forum owner announced, that he will delete his forum in 2024 too, but deleted it now earlier. I already offered my help and launched a successor forum for the POTN community, in case the users wants to have it. But now, nobody can contact others anymore to spread the news.
But there is even more...
As I read a couple of days ago, there are also discussions over at GetDPI, how to move forward as a Medium Format only forum (delete all other formats) or close the forum in the long run. In case you have friends there, tell them I can help, if the GetDPI users want to have help or a GetDPI rescue forum or rather join one of our other forums (links at the bottom of this forum).
As you can see, nothing is secure nowadays regarding community forums. In every area/hobby, not only photography. But the more insecure our environment in the world of community forums is, the more proud I am that we are not at all influenced by this.
We are standing like a rock since day one against all this forum-dieing. Since 21 years. Always for free. No matter what was happening around us with other big forums, we stayed and grew. Thanks to you, our users who supported us and recommended us to others.
Thank you again for all your support and recommendations and enjoy also in 2024 our communities, whether it is for this SU- family or for another one of our forums. If you know other wetshaving forums, which are at risk, please contact us. Or in different industries of your hobbies. We are able to help!
Your SU team
first I want to wish you, your family and your friends a happy new year 2024!
2024 will be very exciting for us and I will tell you why in a second. The world of community forums is shaking more and more. Fortunately we do not need to show consideration for something or wait for something like others do. I will give you some examples from the world of photo communities, but as you probably know, this happens also in all other industries incl. wetshaving forums.
The year 2023 was a little bit chaotic because several photo sites announced that they will close. First DPreview, owned by Amazon and the biggest photosite of the world, announced in March that it will be deleted. We immediately created a rescue forum (DPRforum.com) to offer all Dpreview members the possibility to stay as a community together. But Amazon changed its mind and sold DPreview to a marketing agency. Nobody knows for sure whether the DPreview forum will survive in the long run, because the marketing agency is more interested in the tests and has no experience with forum management. Our rescue forum is running well in the meantime
Then Imaging Resource. Another one of the world's biggest 5. Unfortunately IR did not go in new hands or at least the new owner did not pay and it is very unlikely, that IR will come back.
Then the POTN ("photography on the net") forum owner announced, that he will delete his forum in 2024 too, but deleted it now earlier. I already offered my help and launched a successor forum for the POTN community, in case the users wants to have it. But now, nobody can contact others anymore to spread the news.
But there is even more...
As I read a couple of days ago, there are also discussions over at GetDPI, how to move forward as a Medium Format only forum (delete all other formats) or close the forum in the long run. In case you have friends there, tell them I can help, if the GetDPI users want to have help or a GetDPI rescue forum or rather join one of our other forums (links at the bottom of this forum).
As you can see, nothing is secure nowadays regarding community forums. In every area/hobby, not only photography. But the more insecure our environment in the world of community forums is, the more proud I am that we are not at all influenced by this.
We are standing like a rock since day one against all this forum-dieing. Since 21 years. Always for free. No matter what was happening around us with other big forums, we stayed and grew. Thanks to you, our users who supported us and recommended us to others.
Thank you again for all your support and recommendations and enjoy also in 2024 our communities, whether it is for this SU- family or for another one of our forums. If you know other wetshaving forums, which are at risk, please contact us. Or in different industries of your hobbies. We are able to help!
Your SU team