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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> We can control our destiny!
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 12/15/2013 06:00:59 AM · #1
This site has been a huge part of my life and I genuinely feel saddened seeing the way it is heading with the decline being obvious. I donât want to lose this place! It means too much to me and I know many here feel the same way.

So is there anything we can do to prevent this demise? Iâm looking for ideas and suggestions to help this site from going down the gurgler! What can we do? Well I want to here suggestions on things we have control of, things like commenting, voting and most importantly enter challenges and encourage new members!

We canât control what Langdon wants to do with the site but we can focus on the positive things we can do! Not the things we want Langdon to do! Recently we have seen quite a bit of negativity and frustration with the site and in particular the management/owner and itâs understandable but really it achieves nothing other than bringing the site down even lower.

What Iâm trying to say is letâs enjoy what we have! and change what we can. The sense of community and goodwill that is displayed here is phenomenal! Itâs something very rare on the internet and this is what we need to focus on and not continually vent our frustration on things we canât change! We canât control what Langdon does or does not do. It appears he is not prepared to do anything so letâs move on to what we do best!

The guys organizing and running the TPL are a great example of doing something within our control. The TPL is probably the single most important thing keeping the site alive today! This is a great example of taking control. We need to put more energy into a discussion on the positive things that we can control on the site to keep it thriving and growing again.

I would like to see this thread as a sounding board for suggestions on the way we can move the site forward and how we can take control of the destiny here!

Here is the first suggestion I can come up with. Beat your yearly challenge tally 2014!

If your under any illusion that I might be over reacting I invite you to look at the bio of smardaz . I hate seeing long standing members leave in this fashion.

12/15/2013 11:26:33 PM · #2
i appreciate your sentiment, and while i'm pretty sure dpc will never again be what it once was, i think it will take a while for the remaining core to completely bail on the site. this place will exists until there's not enough ad revenue to sustain it...
 12/16/2013 03:03:47 AM · #3
Originally posted by Skip:
i appreciate your sentiment, and while i'm pretty sure dpc will never again be what it once was, i think it will take a while for the remaining core to completely bail on the site. this place will exists until there's not enough ad revenue to sustain it...


I agree with what you are saying Skip but when I keep seeing challenges with 20 to 30 entries the alarm bells start ringing for me!

I'm sure the core will stay as long as possible including myself but who wants to enter challenges with the same 30 to 50 people entering these challenges!

This thread is about doing something to prevent this! We can sit on our ass and do nothing or we can be positive and try to encourage more people to the site! We can control our destiny on this site!
 12/16/2013 10:36:19 AM · #4
Originally posted by Stagolee:
Originally posted by Skip:
i appreciate your sentiment, and while i'm pretty sure dpc will never again be what it once was, i think it will take a while for the remaining core to completely bail on the site. this place will exists until there's not enough ad revenue to sustain it...


I agree with what you are saying Skip but when I keep seeing challenges with 20 to 30 entries the alarm bells start ringing for me!

I'm sure the core will stay as long as possible including myself but who wants to enter challenges with the same 30 to 50 people entering these challenges!

This thread is about doing something to prevent this! We can sit on our ass and do nothing or we can be positive and try to encourage more people to the site! We can control our destiny on this site!


Well if it's the same 30 or so people who are regularly entering challenges, how about making the judge different?

Once a month have a challenge judged entirely by one member. That would spice up the interest. If the judge for the month was announced with the challenge, entrants could either tailor their entry accordingly, or not. Anyone could comment, but only one person could vote, and the judge would have to both vote & comment on every entry. So the judge would be awarding the actual DPC ribbons (which would mean just one 10, one 9 and one 8 vote, I guess). Not sure how the technical side could be done though; to allow only that one person to actually vote. Judge minimum qualifications could be say two years' membership and a couple of ribbons. All a bit impractical I suppose with the current site code ... just trying to vary the expectation somehow. Maybe the idea will prompt somebody to suggest something more doable?

Message edited by author 2013-12-16 10:36:58.
 12/16/2013 11:21:12 AM · #5
One way to control our own destiny is to invite all of the lost members back to the site. I think each and every one of us can think if people who have drifted away for one reason or another. I am sure someone could write a script that filters participants by the last challenge entry. Take that list and send them a âWe'd like to see them and their pictures again!â It might even be possible to give them one free month. If there were 3000 members and now we are down to 800 this site may be able to get back up to 1200. Heck we could each send out a few return requests.

I would be happy to help send them out.
12/16/2013 12:39:31 PM · #6
The best idea I can come up with is to boycott the site completely. Then maybe Langdon would be willing to hand over some admin powers to someone else. Otherwise, there's no way to boost membership to a ghost town.
 12/16/2013 01:01:28 PM · #7
Is there any outreach to members who have left? Something as simple as email could be used to contact them. Maybe some simple changes could bring a few photography enthusiasts back.
 12/16/2013 02:06:12 PM · #8
Originally posted by Enlightened:
One way to control our own destiny is to invite all of the lost members back to the site. I think each and every one of us can think if people who have drifted away for one reason or another. I am sure someone could write a script that filters participants by the last challenge entry. Take that list and send them a âWe'd like to see them and their pictures again!â It might even be possible to give them one free month. If there were 3000 members and now we are down to 800 this site may be able to get back up to 1200. Heck we could each send out a few return requests.

I would be happy to help send them out.


Great idea!
 12/16/2013 02:07:32 PM · #9
Originally posted by posthumous:
The best idea I can come up with is to boycott the site completely. Then maybe Langdon would be willing to hand over some admin powers to someone else. Otherwise, there's no way to boost membership to a ghost town.


This exactly what I'm trying to say! One way or another we the members here can control our destiny!!
 12/16/2013 06:32:53 PM · #10
Can we really? Woohoo!! Set off the fireworks! You, too, can take control of your density!!
 12/16/2013 10:06:13 PM · #11
Originally posted by insteps:
Is there any outreach to members who have left? Something as simple as email could be used to contact them. Maybe some simple changes could bring a few photography enthusiasts back.

I think there was an email sent out to former members inviting participation in our 1000th Challenge in March, 2009 -- given the number of entries I would guess it had *some* effect ...
Collage of the entries:
12/16/2013 10:19:12 PM · #12
I miss Slippy and Leroy... just sayin'
12/16/2013 10:28:56 PM · #13
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by insteps:
Is there any outreach to members who have left? Something as simple as email could be used to contact them. Maybe some simple changes could bring a few photography enthusiasts back.

I think there was an email sent out to former members inviting participation in our 1000th Challenge in March, 2009 -- given the number of entries I would guess it had *some* effect ...
Collage of the entries:


Well, what are y'all waiting for? Do it again!
 12/16/2013 11:44:45 PM · #14
Originally posted by ambaker:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by insteps:
Is there any outreach to members who have left? Something as simple as email could be used to contact them. Maybe some simple changes could bring a few photography enthusiasts back.

I think there was an email sent out to former members inviting participation in our 1000th Challenge in March, 2009 -- given the number of entries I would guess it had *some* effect ...
Collage of the entries:


Well, what are y'all waiting for? Do it again!


Another great idea! I think SDW organized this. Scott was so good at organizing side challenges like this one and his absence is greatly missed!

Anyone want to run with this idea? Just branch off to another thread and see what interest there is!
 12/18/2013 02:48:03 AM · #15
Something I think that has been missing lately are the monthly side challenges. They were such a good place to show off your non-challenge photography!

I'm looking for ideas for a side challenge in January 2014!

Post ideas here!

Message edited by author 2013-12-18 02:50:41.
 12/18/2013 06:29:40 AM · #16
The way I look at it the only way to get this site back is for all of us to somehow beg Langdon to sell this site to someone. Maybe if we all did it in a joint effort by email. I know several people including myself who would be willing to give it one more try if they felt someone was at the helm controlling the destiny of this site. As is I'm afraid you would be fighting a losing battle. I for one haven't entered much in the last year and the way things are going probably won't renew my subscription when it comes due. I know several others who won't either. This isn't my attempt to get people to beg me to stay, I am just stating facts. Unless this site changes that number is going to dwindle even further to where no one will even want to buy it. Does anyone even know what that critical number is (The amount of members needed to sustain this site?)
 12/18/2013 07:05:36 AM · #17
I've lost interest in this place as well, and won't renew also when my time comes up in March, I think I've done my time, had a bit of fun, learnt a lot, but I feel like I'm going nowhere lately. Maybe I've set out to achieve what I wanted to and now I'm biding my time! Been posting on other sites so I'll continue that for the time being. I would consider staying if the challenges were more interesting, but most of them bore me to tears to tell the truth. 'Dead flora' is one of the most interesting challenges there's been on here all month! Sad hey!

Message edited by author 2013-12-18 07:06:12.
 12/18/2013 07:25:47 AM · #18
i've done my time and i will still renew my membership in feb unless i don't have the money but i should be ok

i'll be one of those keeping it run and i will enter as much as my time allows
 12/18/2013 11:40:13 AM · #19
Yep,there are still about 800 paid members here. its got a bit of time still in it.

There are loads of other sites out there of course but most are comparably weak.

12/18/2013 11:58:51 AM · #20
Originally posted by sjhuls:
The way I look at it the only way to get this site back is for all of us to somehow beg Langdon to sell this site to someone. Maybe if we all did it in a joint effort by email. I know several people including myself who would be willing to give it one more try if they felt someone was at the helm controlling the destiny of this site. As is I'm afraid you would be fighting a losing battle. I for one haven't entered much in the last year and the way things are going probably won't renew my subscription when it comes due. I know several others who won't either. This isn't my attempt to get people to beg me to stay, I am just stating facts. Unless this site changes that number is going to dwindle even further to where no one will even want to buy it. Does anyone even know what that critical number is (The amount of members needed to sustain this site?)


Probably about 75 members give or take, depending on bandwidth usage.

And that, my friends is why the idea of Langdon selling, or this place actually dying, is simply silly. He makes enough money that no reasonable offer is likely to be enough, since investors tend to want to invest based on trends, and the trend here isn't exactly promising.

Add to this the fact that non-members are presented with Advertisements, and I think it's likely that memberships are simply lagniappe, it's not entirely unlikely that advertising revenue pays for the actual costs... (plus, remember, as members go down, advertise count displays go up, assuming that the non-paying folks are still popping in...)

So, in effect, I simply don't see anything like this ever happening. If anything at all happens, I'd expect to see a member or members from here start a new site, which of course would almost certainly be met with litigation from Langdon if there was any significant exodus.

Message edited by author 2013-12-18 12:07:14.
 12/19/2013 09:07:59 AM · #21
Thank you Cory, you are wonderful, a true hero.
 12/19/2013 11:09:00 AM · #22
Originally posted by Cory:
If anything at all happens, I'd expect to see a member or members from here start a new site, which of course would almost certainly be met with litigation from Langdon if there was any significant exodus.


almost certainly be met with litigation? what a frightful world you live in.
 12/19/2013 11:42:57 AM · #23
Originally posted by posthumous:
Originally posted by Cory:
If anything at all happens, I'd expect to see a member or members from here start a new site, which of course would almost certainly be met with litigation from Langdon if there was any significant exodus.


almost certainly be met with litigation? what a frightful world you live in.


It is. It's called "America" and you can get your ass sued or arrested for just about any little random thing here - especially when corporate interests are at stake...
 12/19/2013 12:19:33 PM · #24
Originally posted by Cory:
Originally posted by posthumous:
Originally posted by Cory:
If anything at all happens, I'd expect to see a member or members from here start a new site, which of course would almost certainly be met with litigation from Langdon if there was any significant exodus.


almost certainly be met with litigation? what a frightful world you live in.


It is. It's called "America" and you can get your ass sued or arrested for just about any little random thing here - especially when corporate interests are at stake...
well you have a much darker opinion of Langdon than I do.
 12/19/2013 03:29:58 PM · #25
Originally posted by posthumous:
Originally posted by Cory:
Originally posted by posthumous:
Originally posted by Cory:
If anything at all happens, I'd expect to see a member or members from here start a new site, which of course would almost certainly be met with litigation from Langdon if there was any significant exodus.


almost certainly be met with litigation? what a frightful world you live in.


It is. It's called "America" and you can get your ass sued or arrested for just about any little random thing here - especially when corporate interests are at stake...
well you have a much darker opinion of Langdon than I do.

I don't know about "dark" but I know that if he doesn't have time or interest to do some basic site management, he wouldn't have time for, nor interest in a lawsuit. Not to mention that it probably wouldn't be winnable, nor profitable.
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