Should we allow guests to view pics?

Doc · Sep 17, 2009

I've had viewing of pics turned off for guests. Today I turned it on and will leave it on for a week or more ....maybe forever.
I used to think people will join up and eventually post and be active if they joined just to see pics. I'm not sure that is true.
What do you think?

Adillo303 · Sep 17, 2009

The best example that I can think of is the Iron Chef results. They pictorially show what we can do. Turn the feature off log in as a guest and look at the threads. Boring.

Andy

Keltin · Sep 17, 2009

Adillo nailed it. Our recipe and cooking pics make us stand out above and beyond several other "more popular" cooking sites.

When I first joined here, pics were a bit scarce, but over the last few months, everyone has been jumping in and taking pics galore. It makes this site FANTASTIC! There is nothing like seeing a pic of the recipe to make you, not only ohh & ahh, but also want to make the recipe and see more of what the site has. Our pics are one of our biggest drawing strengths. Our community is our #1 strength, but we have to draw others in before they can learn how nice and great we are. Pics can grab people and make them stay as they look for more and more pics.

When you turn pics off, does that also block off-site links like Photobukcet, or just attachments?

Keltin · Sep 17, 2009

Personally, when I'm at my day job, IT blocks pic and video sites, so I can never see the pics here (unless they are attachments) until I get home. I HATE not being able to see pics. I LOVE the pics. They really make a post!

QSis · Sep 17, 2009

Hmmmmm. Well, I've always thought that guests could see all of our pictures, and my immediate thought was that our food pictures are a huge plus for this site.

But then I wondered if you were concerned, Doc, about "guests" seeing our personal and family photos, such as those that are in the Apron thread and the Spotlight threads. Which I never thought about before.

Are you, Doc?

Lee

JoeV · Sep 17, 2009

Pics make the posts, and IMHO will be a drawing card for more people to join.I'm on another foodie site as well, and when I joined there were virtually no pictures and little interaction. Inside of 3 months people started coming out of the woodwork and not only posting pics, but contributing recipes and joining in the banter. Everyone loves pictures.

"Give, and it shall be given unto you..."

lilbopeep · Sep 17, 2009

i agree with keltin FOR food and recipe threads BUT the back room and chat forum sections with personal pics should stay private.

when i search a recipe i like to see a picture and maybe a step by step.

PieSusan · Sep 17, 2009

If I take pictures with my digital camera, I have to go to have them put on disk before I can upload them, so it is a bit of a hassle for me and I am not the greatest photographer as you all have witnessed. However, I imagine unless there is a copyright issue and you are concerned about someone making money off of your photos, you can leave them to attract others.

Love2"Q" · Sep 17, 2009

yes .. loud and proud ...
we have a lot of talented people here ..
you come here and look and do not see the pics ..
then we probably look like insane backwards talkers ...

Doc · Sep 17, 2009

QSis said:
Hmmmmm. Well, I've always thought that guests could see all of our pictures, and my immediate thought was that our food pictures are a huge plus for this site.

But then I wondered if you were concerned, Doc, about "guests" seeing our personal and family photos, such as those that are in the Apron thread and the Spotlight threads. Which I never thought about before.

Are you, Doc?

Lee

No, I was not concerned about personal pics. Guests don't know us anyway.
I left pics off for guests soley to entice them to join. I'm rethinking that strategy, thus the question.

lilbopeep said:
i agree with keltin FOR food and recipe threads BUT the back room and chat forum sections with personal pics should stay private.

when i search a recipe i like to see a picture and maybe a step by step.

That is possible to do, but right now pics are on for all forums guests can view. Guests cannot read the back room let alone see the pics.

Good thoughts everyone. I'm glad I asked your opinions.

Sass Muffin · Sep 17, 2009

Answer: Yes!

JoeV · Sep 17, 2009

PieSusan said:
If I take pictures with my digital camera, I have to go to have them put on disk before I can upload them, so it is a bit of a hassle for me and I am not the greatest photographer as you all have witnessed. However, I imagine unless there is a copyright issue and you are concerned about someone making money off of your photos, you can leave them to attract others.

Didn't your camera come with a USB patch cord? They all come with one unless your camera is a very early model. I have the patch cord and also have a USB card reader. If you lack both of these, just take teh camera to Best Buy or MicroCenter at Eastgate, and have them check what kind of card is in your camera, and they will sell you a USB card reader for around $10 or less.

buzzard767 · Sep 17, 2009

The food pix are a big attraction in that they showpiece our recipes and daily foods at least as much as words.
:weneedpics_smi:

homecook · Sep 17, 2009

I agree turn on the pics for the guests!! I believe it would be a real draw to this site.

Biskit · Sep 17, 2009

Hmmmmm!! I voted "No" right off but am rethinking myself. QSis echoes my thoughts about having total strangers :wink:

seeing us. However, all the reasonings pro have swayed me. Can I change my vote?? :blush:

Bilby · Sep 18, 2009

I admit that I don't go looking for pictures and only look if they are viewable within the thread/posts. And I am less interested in the food shots than I am in the personal shots but then that's cos I am here to be part of the community not cos of any thrill from cooking. (My enjoyment of food is really in the eating and trying different things.) If I was logging on as a guest, I would be turned off by protocols that made me join just to see a photo. I don't join many forums where I want to post a comment cos I really don't want to have my details spread all over the place. I select the forums I want to join carefully. The rest, I remain a guest on.

As to the personal aspect of photos, I believe that anybody who posts a photo within a forum, is prepared for anybody to view it - otherwise, don't post it! Private photos can be shared among friends in other manners. And as said earlier, photos posted within the members only sections are not viewable by guests.

Just my thoughts. HTH Doc.

VeraBlue · Sep 18, 2009

While seeing the pictures is wonderful, viewing them can be an incentive to join.
There have been boards I've visited where you cannot even view the posts without becoming a member, let alone the pictures.

If you were to showcase some of the best pictures on the home page, or the opening page, with a blurb like 'see all the members photos...... simply by registering.....'

VeraBlue · Sep 18, 2009

Keltin said:
Personally, when I'm at my day job, IT blocks pic and video sites, so I can never see the pics here (unless they are attachments) until I get home. I HATE not being able to see pics. I LOVE the pics. They really make a post!

I have the same ah...problem...at work. :yum:

chowhound · Sep 18, 2009

I voted yes for most of the reasons given already.

Doc · Sep 18, 2009

VeraBlue said:
If you were to showcase some of the best pictures on the home page, or the opening page, with a blurb like 'see all the members photos...... simply by registering.....'

That is still on my 'to-do' list Vera. I didn't forget but boating season and summertime got in the way.

buckytom · Sep 18, 2009

one more vote for yes!

all foodie sites, including this one, have recipes, discussions, and general comraderie; we've got food porn. 'nuff said.

also, i agree with bilby that all pics should be viewable to everyone. it's up to the individual to decide what they think is safe to post. besides the food porn, the pics of our lives may also draw in new blood.

High Cheese · Sep 18, 2009

No!

It gives them incentive to join!

Say you read a post that said: Ooooh, that's truly the most amazing looking cake I've ever seen!

Or some crap like that. Wouldn't you want to register to see what it looked like?

High Cheese · Sep 18, 2009

What about not showing the pics in the threads but having one of those random picture things like "the other site" had a while back? Then you get a "taste" of what's inside.

EDIT:

Adillo303 said:
The best example that I can think of is the Iron Chef results. They pictorially show what we can do. Turn the feature off log in as a guest and look at the threads. Boring.

Andy

Maybe Doc can set it up to only use the pics from the IC Battles? That would eliminate any personal pics.

buckytom · Sep 18, 2009

cheeks, would you be more willing to buy into something based on a guess as to what it may look like?

a good salesman deftly demonstrates his product in the open if he knows it's a good one.

a shister will get you to put money down without letting you see what you're getting.

High Cheese · Sep 18, 2009

Alot of forums don't allow you to view attachments, I think you can still view pics hosted from another site.

BT, no one is laying out any money here. Like any other site, it takes a 45 second registration.

The idea is not to "sell" but to "join" and those are two totally different things.

buckytom · Sep 18, 2009

i respectfully disagree. in a way we're selling ourselves in order to get new people to join.

Deelady · Sep 18, 2009

My only concern would be them viewing our personal pics in our albums....is there a way to set those to private?

joec · Sep 18, 2009

I have no problem at all with guest viewing pictures posted in an open forum. I've been to a few as a guest where it wasn't allowed and then simply moved on. I find pictures will often get people to read the post in some cases.

Bilby · Sep 18, 2009

I don't see the point in making personal pictures eg in the albums, member only. As was said a few posts ago, it takes 45 seconds to join. You aren't going to know those new members any better after that process is complete than when they were guests. Just cos someone becomes a member, doesn't automatically make them decent people. We don't screen people's characters to become a member. Members may get booted off for being inappropriate but they can have seen/done a lot by then. Gee, who knows how many "strange" people are already members! I may be one for that matter!!!! (I'm not though!

)

Personal internet security is always going to be at the discretion of individuals. Members should always be careful as to what information they post about themselves. Same goes with photos. If you are not comfortable with strangers viewing your photos, then you shouldn't post them to a forum. And that is for any forum, not just here.

In the case of only having certain people view your photos, then you want to have something set up like they have on facebook where you can nominate that only accepted "friends" can view any true details about you.

High Cheese · Sep 18, 2009

joec said:
I've been to a few as a guest where it wasn't allowed and then simply moved on. I find pictures will often get people to read the post in some cases.

I've done both. At least twice I have joined a forum just to see a photo.

Like I said before, I think it's only attachments. I use Photobucket so no matter what you can still see my pics.

Should we allow guests to view pics?

Should we allow guests to view pics?

Yes (please explain why in a post)

No (please elaborate why in a post)

I really don't care one way or the other. (no need to elaborate on this on)

Administrator

*****

New member

New member

Grill Master

Dough Boy

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.

Tortes Are Us

New member

Administrator

Coffee Queen ☕🌎🦋

Dough Boy

golfaknifeaholic

New member

New member

New member

Head Mistress

Head Mistress

New member

Administrator

Grill Master

Saucier

Saucier

Grill Master

Saucier

Grill Master

New member

New member

New member

Saucier