|
|
Post by Ivor E Tower on Feb 15, 2023 21:50:16 GMT
We're here because AP deleted the old forum saying it was due to their website being upgraded, and their forum software not being compatible with running a forum.
Can't say that I have noticed any great improvement in their website since they shut their forum down, it looks broadly similar to how it looked before, and I don't see an earth-shattering improvement that justified ditching the forum.
What do you all think?
|
|
|
|
Post by peterob on Feb 16, 2023 7:02:13 GMT
We're here because AP deleted the old forum saying it was due to their website being upgraded, and their forum software not being compatible with running a forum. Can't say that I have noticed any great improvement in their website since they shut their forum down, it looks broadly similar to how it looked before, and I don't see an earth-shattering improvement that justified ditching the forum. What do you all think? Forget the Forum being dropped. That is history. i looked at the new site the other day. Still doesn’t appeal to me but I suspect I am not the sought demographic. I generally only used the old site to access old reviews I half-remembered from the mag. I prefer “paper” to read. Disappointing article on fine art photography, equating it to time-lapse photography. I got the impression that magazine articles were being preprinted rather than reproduced after publication, although I didn’t compare the content word for word, the last mag edition was disappointing I thought, i didn’t read far into anything. |
|
|
|
Post by nickr on Feb 16, 2023 9:39:54 GMT
We're here because AP deleted the old forum saying it was due to their website being upgraded, and their forum software not being compatible with running a forum. Can't say that I have noticed any great improvement in their website since they shut their forum down, it looks broadly similar to how it looked before, and I don't see an earth-shattering improvement that justified ditching the forum. What do you all think? I seriously doubt if anyone believes that given reason. Their trainset, their right to take the track away, but I don't know why they couldn't just say it was no longer cost effective, rather than something obviously untrue. Personally, I think that the site actually looks like the software might not cope with a forum, but only because it looks like it predates internet forums... |
|
|
|
Post by squeamishossifrage on Feb 16, 2023 11:44:40 GMT
Personally, I think that the site actually looks like the software might not cope with a forum, but only because it looks like it predates internet forums... I agree it does appear to have a somewhat dated look. Perhaps they're harking back to the noughties and the glorious digital boom - "Well, we were really busy back then so let's...". |
|
|
|
Post by nickr on Feb 16, 2023 11:56:56 GMT
Personally, I think that the site actually looks like the software might not cope with a forum, but only because it looks like it predates internet forums... I agree it does appear to have a somewhat dated look. Perhaps they're harking back to the noughties and the glorious digital boom - "Well, we were really busy back then so let's...". Don't think there's anyone left there from those days, with the possible exception of Nigel, because it wasn't quite like that back then....  |
|
|
|
Post by geoffr on Feb 16, 2023 17:51:45 GMT
Some of us said before the forum closed that we would be unlikely to visit the AP website once it no longer hosted the forum. I have not visited since the forum closed and I see no particular reason why I should do so.
Yes, some honesty would have been appreciated, if they don’t want a relationship with their readers they are entitled to close the forum. I don’t see how a free forum is, economically, anything other than a drain on the finances. However, being able to respond to comments in relation to the magazine would seem to be beneficial as regular forum users would see what was said. Whether that has any effect on sales is another matter.
|
|
|
|
Post by zx9 on Feb 17, 2023 10:48:32 GMT
Some of us said before the forum closed that we would be unlikely to visit the AP website once it no longer hosted the forum. I have not visited since the forum closed and I see no particular reason why I should do so. Yes, some honesty would have been appreciated, if they don’t want a relationship with their readers they are entitled to close the forum. I don’t see how a free forum is, economically, anything other than a drain on the finances. However, being able to respond to comments in relation to the magazine would seem to be beneficial as regular forum users would see what was said. Whether that has any effect on sales is another matter. Do they (AP) have other ways of communicating with their readers, Face Book, Twitter, TickTock, Masterthing? It would seem odd for them not to.
Just a passing thought as I am not that fussed either way.
|
|
|
|
Post by pixelpuffin on Feb 17, 2023 18:31:50 GMT
Does anyone here actually care for AP’s future. I don’t.
I think they’ve missed the boat. As I mentioned in a separate thread, virtually all new cameras ( aka mirrorless) seem to be more geared up for video work.
I vaguely recall being a AP subscriber, the weekly delivery had maybe one feature that would catch my eye. The first few pages were always ads, once you got past the centre spread its was more ads followed by classifieds.
I just think the world has moved on.
We went for a coffee at our local retail park last weekend. We were sat opposite WH Smith’s. For the entire duration of being seated I didn’t see a single person buy a magazine. A few picked up and perused, then put back and walked off.
I’m sure sales at airports and train stations will be better, but is that enough to sustain a magazine production?
|
|
|
|
Post by peterob on Feb 17, 2023 18:58:33 GMT
Do they (AP) have other ways of communicating with their readers, Face Book, Twitter, TickTock, Masterthing? It would seem odd for them not to. Yes, as any read of AP magazine will show. |
|
|
|
Post by geoffr on Feb 18, 2023 12:03:57 GMT
I have a subscription, I occasionally wonder why. I’m not about to change systems or buy a mirrorless so very very few reviews are relevant to me. Lens reviews are interesting but by the time I am ready to buy another camera the ones reviewed recently will have been superseded. Likewise camera bodies. Prof Newman is always worth reading as are some other pages but I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a copy. I don’t want to read all the reasons why my camera is rubbish and I really need a Super Whizzo Socani XYZ 1 and I don’t really see why I should pay someone to write them. Time to go?
|
|
|
|
Post by squeamishossifrage on Feb 18, 2023 12:29:04 GMT
I had a digital subscription until about half way through Covid when I realized that it was actually of no use to me. I was spending a lot of time on the web at that time and found that the many articles and videos available there were more use to me than AP, as several different points of view could be considered. New equipment is of no interest to me, as I am entirely happy with what I have. It, you know, takes photographs. I realize, of course, that no one ever took a decent - or even half decent - photograph until the advent of the mirrorless camera, but I guess that is a burden I shall have to carry...
|
|
|
|
Post by peterba on Feb 18, 2023 12:35:42 GMT
I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a copy. I don’t want to read all the reasons why my camera is rubbish and I really need a Super Whizzo Socani XYZ 1 and I don’t really see why I should pay someone to write them. Time to go?Based on these criteria..... yes. |
|
|
|
Post by zou on Feb 18, 2023 12:50:50 GMT
Had a quick look at the shelves in a Japanese book shop today, and compared to the last time I did that (2016 probably, maybe 2014), it does not bode well. Just a handful of magazines (max 4 titles) and some special editions. And this is a fairly camera-mad country. What was refreshing though was how many of the photos in the landscape photography special edition were taken on film.
|
|
|
|
Post by peterba on Feb 18, 2023 16:12:11 GMT
What was refreshing though was how many of the photos in the landscape photography special edition were taken on film.
I reckon this new 'film' malarkey might just be the Next Big Thing.
|
|
|
|
Post by geoffr on Feb 18, 2023 20:22:03 GMT
What was refreshing though was how many of the photos in the landscape photography special edition were taken on film.
I reckon this new 'film' malarkey might just be the Next Big Thing.
Film is going back to being a rich man/woman's preserve then? |
|
