thanks guys for overlooking my huge and glaring mistake which was:

"i'm not naive enough to not recognise that yes, there were issues, even back then, but they did seem to be as rampant as they are today..."

obviously i idiotically left out the extremely important word "not" [smacks head on desk - bad Kat, bad bad bad]

and also thank you for reading my words, or of more import, hopefully their intent... feeling heard also fosters a sense of community :))

and Rod? i too create just for the 'oh! look what i can do if i try real hard', or to satisfy that 'can i...?' question.  and sometimes i'm just creating my junk solely for the escapism it can provide, that time-out-of-mind aspect that can happen where you're sitting in Photoshop just mucking about and suddenly 4-6 hours truly disappears in a blink, but it can be rejuvenating at times [or in my case, utterly frustrating, but hey, at least it's a type of frustration outside of real world type frustrations which kinda makes it ok...heh]

and these days, i'm just trying more for that fun little giggle at the end of it all, if i'm lucky to find it.  i used to be more obvious, i guess, in my expression on the page, if you will, but i am far more secretive and subtle with things these days - and part of that is probably just where i'm at in my life, but i do know that part of it is because i feel like nobody is 'listening' anyway because they're too wrapped in themselves and where they might fall in the 'climb to the cool kids section', or as you said rather well, getting to the top of the 'trending' page. 

you know, sometimes true gems actually land there, but i honestly find that typically the really good stuff goes ignored - maybe not the most technically awesome good stuff, but those little nuggets that just grab me, pull me in, and hold me fast for a number of minutes because of what i 'hear' from the image. prolly sounds strange, but that's how it is in my head: i look, which then gets interpreted to words, sound, a voice, something, so i do tend to say i 'listen/hear' art and all those little choices that an artist makes...

and just fyi, for real feedback, i'm more inclined to sitemail, cause i usually have questions, too.  i am a Kat, afterall, and ever curious.  are you open to that kind of communique, Rod?

anyway, i'm just babbling now... apologies....

@ Giana.. I would absolutely be open to that type of communication! Sitemail me anytime. I actually feel kind of bad about that "trending" remark, because my uploads are frequently in there. I have a pretty decent following and many friends here, but I hope it's because my work actually means something, and not just because "It's Rod!" I wish there were a lot more folks that would delve into our art the way anahata.c (Mark) does. He sees stuff in my work I didn't even see when I created it..

Now, I'm babbling......LOL and it's 0230 AM. I'm such a nut...😂

For the most part I stay out of these kinds of discussions as to me they often seem like a breeding ground for anger and needless hatred amongst users, however as I have seen this issue flowing through the forums and other places for at least four months now? I see it as time to speak up and it saddens me that four months on it is still an unresolved and largely untackled concern for many passionate long-term users of Renderosity.

At first when I saw this discussion heading up posts in the forums I didn't so much discredit the people who had raised it but more saw it as a transitional phase as the world of AI art became a mainstay of Renderosity (There is a strange irony in that concept alone) the gallery is often so overloaded with images of largely the exact same thing where quite often our own work is so submerged beneath a wave of images that there is very little point behind actually taking the time to share work in here. This isn't entirely down to AI art, indeed I quite openly welcome the inclusion of it and the new ideas and concepts that may subliminally influence or inspire others to create, in my mind no-one that considers themselves an artist whether they are a full time professional, an aspiring amatuer or hobbyist would willingly take a means of creation from anyone else. However as this discussion has remained a consistent point within the forums it becomes obvious that something deeper is at play and strangely enough something rather sweet in some ways, as what I'm really seeing is a growing collection of users who have been loyal to Renderosity for vast amounts of time who now are increasingly concerned that a site that they love and cherish is fading into it's own slow and self made oblivion. 

During December I decided to reduce the number of outlets that I use to portray my work, I wanted two sites where I could show not just the imagery, written element and scenes that I produce but also show the work that goes into building those scenes for which Renderosity should have been perfect as with the multiple images options should have been perfect for me as a Blender user, as I can show the work behind the scenes that goes into an image, the physical building stages of a scene, all those little props and things that are made from scratch, I love that feature and yet still it isn't enough to make me want to post anything at all. Make no mistake I'm no professional writer and work full time so the time that I invest into using any site to me is valuable and yet during December I decided that my post on New Years Eve would be my last for the foreseeable future, now I'm not openly chasing my own vanity and nor do I have much interest in that either but I see little point in putting such time into a post only to watch it be buried beneath a countless wave of the same "close the site and try again later" inducing stuff. 

As a writer (which I know that Rod and Wolf are too) it often takes hours to produce a single image and body of text, indeed yesterday I began writing a piece for my latest novel and thus far I have spent around two or three hours writing it and it probably needs another three hours to be ready to then type up, then I will spend around the same timescale writing it up and reconstructing it before I even begin assembling a scene to suit the piece, by the time I have done so, written it, composed it and the rendered it the timescale is likely to be around 30 to 40 hours just to make a single piece only to see it become buried and unseen, that is neither an incentive nor an aspiration of anyone of similar ilk to myself. While part of me wished to use this site alongside ArtStation to show the "How it's made" side of my work, deep down I just couldn't justify that investment of time and effort for very little or indeed nothing in return, I recognise that sounds incredibly shallow and in many ways it truly is but I love my work, my characters and the stories of them which I tell, in a strange my characters are like my children and just as any parent would I expect and indeed demand that they be portrayed in the best light and being strangled beneath nothingness is not befitting of neither them, their stories nor of myself at all.

While I am keen to avoid reducing the number of images someone could post over any given time period I also despise seeing galleries filled by the same thing, as that is neither inspiring nor a motivation to actively bother even looking beyond the first page and I would like to think that if I or anyone else posted the same image four or five times at bare minimum a question would be asked why I have done so? especially given that multiple images can be featured within the same post? Yet daily this almost ritualistic posting dump takes place without so much as even a single feather being ruffled? That for me poses yet another question which Is "How long will you just openly ignore your users questions or requests?" Maybe I am completely wrong and the question has been in an open and long running debate, yet four months later here we all are with the same question being posed in the aftermath of little or no decisive action being taken? 

I recognise that running a site like this amongst multiple moderators and users poses intricate challenges to keep the peace as such and in a blunt way I guess Renderosity is rather like a trainset and well if it's your trainset then you can do with it as you wish but those users who are raising these concerns if you wish are like passengers on that train, those users are entitled to get off at any time they wish, with many users like myself largely stay out of the forums, choosing to remain silent and out of sight and yet the risk posed is great as these people will never tell you that they are leaving, they will simply leave without uttering a single word to you, but then if you aren't really listening or at bare minimum making any noise that is conducive to you doing so, then why would they bother raising their voice to you at all?

Barring being able to select only galleries you want to view, I wonder if having the Gallery and Genre listed on the thumb would be helpful? For instance, I get views that don't match with comments, and mostly I think, because they don't realize they're clicking into the writers gallery, but they really aren't interested, so they move on without a word, and I don't get a true sense whether they did or didn't read. I don't care if they don't read the story, I just want a better sense of how many real readers there are. Also, and I don't know how to fix it, but getting a comment that says, 'great image', is a source of major frustration. I see that and think, 'okay, thanks, but what about the story?' I would also think that in the photography gallery, it would be equally frustrating to get a comment that says, 'it looks so real.'

I guess what I'm saying is that careless and disingenuous comments are sometimes as bad as no comments. Don't know if making it more clear which gallery you're clicking into would be helpful. I know gallery and genre is listed on the main image, but obviously nobody is seeing it.

It's hard to slow down at times and write something logical without emotion involved.  So now I try to do that. :)  I've been a member of Renderosity since 2002 starting with DrmzRmyne which I keep around due to purchases.  I have seen so many things in the 20+ years.  I actually started with 3dcommunity but quickly made Renderosity my home.  I was hooked and there were so many amazing artists of different skill levels, genres and categories.  There was an excitement to be here and be a part of ALL of it and members left thoughtful and constructive comments behind.  They actually took time to look at your image instead of the fast-paced consumption that is so prevalent these days.  I remember when ToxicAngel and even Blackhearted helped me out with an image I was working on....now that's community!  However.....

Since then, it HAS become about popularity and not art. Whether you're in that inner circle or not or wait, if you've stepped on someone's toes and/or they simply don't like you how the basically go through the community and blacklist you to where no one has anything to do with you at all.  No matter what you think, it is NOT about the art here anymore. :(  It's like high school drama and it's enough to drive anyone who wants to make Rendo their home away.  Heck, I'd love to make Rend my main home again because it's where it started, and it was my first love.  I'd love to engage more with the community but anything that's not blowing roses up someone's arses is considered to be against what the community wants, including the devs and will be reprimanded or your comments removed.  Like some have said, a witch hunt.   Everyone here seems to want to hear how amazing they are and their art and  will only comment and like your work if you do so to theirs.    I mean come'on really?  Where is the growth in that.  Nothing is perfect.   Oh fudge, I could go on and on and I feel like it's almost pointless.  So instead of continually talking about the issues, I would like to give my two cents worth on what could help?

1. Get rid of the trending charts and popularity contest in the way it is now.   All this does is foster what has been a core problem with this site for years.  You get to the top if you're in a click or you spend your days running around liking commenting on everyone's stuff.  

2. Implement a non-partial person to the artists that will select images to be showcased in a Trending kind of way where it isn't based on how popular you are.  This way it IS about the ART.   It could be due to just how creative the image is, or how good the lighting is, or how clever, cute, epic, unique and so forth.  It could be a lot of fun.  Make artists think more and help diversify the site.  Let Rendo not be only known for Nudies and promo art but for it's diversity in different areas.  I've seen many great artworks go completely ignored on this site by not just members but Rendo as well.  Favoritism is heavy here.

3.  Contests judged by outside parties that are not connected to Rendo or a part of the community.  No community voting (which fosters them to log on to their kazillion accounts or run around behind the scenes getting their friends to vote and again letting it become about popularity instead of ART.

4. Creating a promo image only gallery.  No promos period in any category except that.  If I or anyone else wants to see what a product looks like by members that are given these items free to promote, then we can go to that specific gallery to see.  It really is a turn off to see the gallery filled mostly with promos.  Maybe even a gallery for risqué art, and yes I know I can select the filter nudity but not all nudity is offensive.  Most of what I see here, is.  

5.  Also, I would loooove to see a "traditional art" gallery only as well.  I love traditional art but when I go look at the 2d gallery....honestly it's a hot mess.  wow.  I just want to turn and run away.  So that would also bring to the forefront of moderating....

6. More moderating of galleries.  By this I mean really looking at what people are posting in selected galleries.  i.e. 2d gallery, I will see 3d images in there and many things I would not think to be considered truly 2d.

7.  Rewards or badges for contributing members/community leaders.  What I mean by this is say someone in the community takes the time to give THOUGHTFUL/CONSRUCTIVE comments on art or in forums.  (If someone marks on their posted image that they are open to constructive feedback, then they should be.)  Or they take the time to help a member of the community with something they are having issues with possibly an image they are working on.  This kind of thing encourages community and a place where EVERYONE wants to be because it's healthy, encouraging, hopeful, exciting and bam! tons of growth happen.   Having a special badge for true community leaders that go above and beyond the "omg, you're amazing" sets a standard that Renderosity can and once again will be glorious.  

Do you know I have all the beginning issues of ImagineFX where Renderosity was touted as the place to be for digital artists and your site was even featured in their magazine?  Maybe or maybe not you can be that again.  Placating bad spoiled child behaviors will not get you there.  There are so many artists out there that CRAVE that kind of community and need it.  That's why they get frustrated here and leave.  Over the years I've heard the same thing over and over and over why they left.  Because it wasn't about the Art.

Most things were covered by everyone else, and I feel I'm just repeating some of those sentiments.  I would definitely be more proactive in the community if I truly saw change.  I hold hope but no breath. :)

@PeterPixyHarrison

I understand your frustrations all too well. After working on a story for a month, and then seeing it buried under a flood of nonsense, it is disheartening. I haven't posted a story since October, and mostly because it got so buried under a flood that I stopped posting... grrr... not a happy camper. Anyway, your voice will be heard - your voice is important. Just remember, I don't write policy, all I can do is what they asked me to do, which was to collect suggestions. Maybe they'll find one or two that will help make Renderosity a better community. And there are some excellent suggestion here. Thanks to everyone for their well-measured and thought-out responses, all your suggestions in this thread will be viewed by those that do write policy to see. After that, it is what it is. I'm not jumping off the train, though. I might have to get out and push the train, but like so many others have said, this is my art home too, and has been for 12 years. I could have jumped to Wattpad at any time, but I like it here, even with all the stress Rod causes me. :P

@BlackTalonArts

I had to stop and go make a cup of coffee, because I knew that would take some time to read and digest. Your thoughts and suggestions are excellent, many of which I've brought up to staff before. Thank you for providing that deeply thought-out analysis, I enjoyed reading it, and you will be heard.

I, too, wonder what has become of the community.  I have been here nearly 23 years now and we have always had disputes and ups and downs.  But never, ever, were we forced to kowtow to one disgruntled member who cannot or will not let others be!  Don't like AI?  Don't look at it!  Me, I don't like endless huge boobs, or fractals... or photos of what people have for supper or their workplace (how exciting is a desk??) or crotch shot photos.  Still, I do do not whine about it every day, because to each his own.  And if naked private parts turn you on, so be it.  But... give us the same courtesy of creating what -we- want!  And if your one monthly picture gets lost in the shuffle, join the club, other members have the same problem.  Do you hear them yell?  Mods, maybe we ought to take a vote here about things, we are so many more than one person!

@hmatienzo Thank you for your thoughts. This discussion is to collect suggestions to improve gallery engagement. Please present any ideas you have.

@Wolfenshire

A little P.S.  Maybe even have a "Challenges Gallery" where once a week or month new challenges are set forth like, Render, Draw, Photograph something with a red balloon and most creative gets a front cover splash, or extra points or a special badge that you have participated in a community event/challenge x number of times.  Splash/Announce it on the front page so everyone knows about it to help encourage participation with Renderosity and community members.  Make it fair, impartial etc.   So much gets lost on the front page.  If people stick around, they are more likely to spend as well.  You can even occasionally have those challenges use something that Rpublishing or a PA sells in this MarketPlace to not only encourage fun and community but sales as well.   Being a little corny here.... but gotta do it.  "Build it and they will come" lol  sorry. 

My point being is doing things that bring the community together, putting pettiness behind and having a bit of fun while rebuilding Renderosity to better than what it was before. Is it crazy thinking that's even possible? 

@Wolfenshire, when you said "I know gallery and genre is listed on the main image, but obviously nobody is seeing it": in my opinion the reason for this is because it is a bit hidden, when you click on "gallery at the top" you see options like "trending" and "new". It is then necessary to click on "sections" or "genres" again to see a relevant option.

Speaking a little about web UI/UX, and considering that you would like to increase interaction in galleries and forums, what about simplified menu options? Reducing the distance between homepage and what the visitor wants?
Looking at the homepage it is possible to see that the main content promoted is the marketplace, for obvious reasons even, as others do, I don't see a problem with that, but could there (maybe) be included a small carrousel, of something from gallery/forums? Something like "latest discussions" or latest submissions.

Each user likes to browse the internet in a different way, and I think it's good to have customization options, as mentioned above, regarding the galleries. I particularly use the option to hide forums (Vue for example I don't see it). In the case of galleries what I do is have shortcuts/favorites in my browser, so I browse by clicking on my shortcuts instead of using the menu. Still on this I think it's important that there is always a visible option of "new / all / no filter" so that users eventually become interest in seeing the whole (except for the adult filter, that must persist of course). I myself often click on galleries/new, after a filtered browsing it's very refreshing to see the wide variety of art/artists that exist here and I usually end up seeing something that interests me.

About the example of writers having poor or no feedback, when reading your comments the idea came to mind that an interesting option (and expandable to other cases) would be to promote/encourage more collaborations between artists. We've seen animations here with a narrated story, I think that's pretty cool. There are a lot of people who like challenges and surely materializing your stories in images would also be a great challenge!

@BlackTalonArts Back in college, there was a paper of comparison writing assignment - red circle to a blue circle. I think it was favorite writing assignment. My paper was pure BS and probably my favorite assignment. I like the gallery challenge idea. We had one counting cherries in a bottle, and it was successful. The writers gallery had something like that before I joined Renderosity. Wheatpenny said there was a time it was popular, but it faded away and the writers forum died long before me. I've not been successful in bringing it back to life - too few writers left. So, I hang out up here in Community just to annoy Rods. Maybe we can do more forum challenges to improve engagement.

@evergas That's way beyond my technical expertise. I grew up in the mountains and think indoor plumbing is high tech. Mark my words, we'll all drown in our sleep someday with such things. I'll write that one up for the developers to look at. Would love to see more collaborations, though. Excellent suggestions.

"...even with all the stress Rod causes me" 🤣

"So, I hang out up here in Community just to annoy Rods.." 😂

OK, that does it. I'm getting my shovel out and digging up that dead horse.. It obviously needs more abuse.. 😆😂🤣

Seriously, I am LOVING the involvement here! I do hope those muckety-mucks at the top are reading this... Excellent feedback here! 👍👍👍

Wolfenshire posted at 5:30 AM Fri, 6 January 2023 - #4453198

@PeterPixyHarrison

I understand your frustrations all too well. After working on a story for a month, and then seeing it buried under a flood of nonsense, it is disheartening. I haven't posted a story since October, and mostly because it got so buried under a flood that I stopped posting... grrr... not a happy camper. Anyway, your voice will be heard - your voice is important. Just remember, I don't write policy, all I can do is what they asked me to do, which was to collect suggestions. Maybe they'll find one or two that will help make Renderosity a better community. And there are some excellent suggestion here. Thanks to everyone for their well-measured and thought-out responses, all your suggestions in this thread will be viewed by those that do write policy to see. After that, it is what it is. I'm not jumping off the train, though. I might have to get out and push the train, but like so many others have said, this is my art home too, and has been for 12 years. I could have jumped to Wattpad at any time, but I like it here, even with all the stress Rod causes me. :P

From experience elsewhere I know that if a story based image gets 100 views then maybe 10 of those people will actually read the story attached to the image and I am aware in advance that the vast majority of views, likes or comments will be directed at the image rather than the narrative that goes along with it and truthfully that is something that I both understand and am okay with but I feel a sullen empathy that you as the moderator for the writing section for the forums have resisted posting for almost four months for the same issues raised in this post, that's both sad and rather telling all in the same statement. 

My decision to cease posting in the future for the time being is based largely on route to having my work published and as such that encourages or even forces me to approach things in a vastly different way, indeed there is a strange sense of sorrow that during August last year I was interviewed and openly named Renderosity as one of the outlets where I actively share my work only to a few months later find myself deciding that this no longer would be the case and I expect nothing to change just to suit my personal requirements but I do hope that for the community as a whole things should change, even if that means ruffling too many feathers among those calling for such action to be taken.

There is no personal resentment etc from myself and nor do I wish to see any medium either removed or negated in anyway from being explored by users of this site however better regulation I do believe could be a good starting point or at least some kind of proactive first step towards a more involved future for Renderosity and it's users at large and indeed the AI forum has been a good example of just how achievable this is with people openly and freely sharing different ideas to aid each other in discovery. As a further note it isn't just Renderosity experiencing this sudden upheaval in policy as many sites are now having to do the same and introduce new policies etc just to regulate things in a more balanced way and just like you Wolfenshire, Renderosity is some kind of home for me as Evelyn, Fae and indeed my entire writing journey as a whole came into being in these very forums and never would I actively remove, mask or change that heritage.

@PeterPixyHarrison I've really missed Wolf's story (and yes, I'm one of the few that actually read the story). As a writer and illustrator myself, it's been a few months since I've done anything with mine as well. Primarily for the same reasons as have been stated multiple times in this thread (so I won't repeat them again. I don't want Wolf pulling all his hair out and end up bald on top like me..). The thoughtful and creative ideas that have been posted here are excellent, and very encouraging! Thanks to all for your contributions!

that front page carousel idea is awesome... or if there are stats on the backend showing areas on this site that get hit the most for longer periods of time, then put the carousel there...

there is a disconnect betwixt gallery user and forum dwellers, in my opine, and while your suggestion of more forum challenges is cool, Wolf, it means that one has to actually go to that forum to become aware of it.  i just mean i've seen challenges posted in forums before that i never knew about prior to forum viewing, and i've also see that such challenges seem to have a smaller response than one might want.  is it due to challenge ideas that aren't the 'right' thing to engage folks?  is it lack of end-user awareness? is it some other reason, or a combination of factors?  i know i'm not in any real position to be able to answer that, but the carousel idea might be able to address awareness issues.

and to further expand on that, it could run in tandem with a little blurb in a newsletter since not everyone hits the front page, and not everyone subs to the newsletter, if that makes sense - increase the potential of awareness...

have Ricky or Jen or Caroline write a little article and post it under the Community>Featured tab... that type thing

and if it doesn't net results after a certain amount of reasonable time, then try something else. 

yes, web dev costs money and time, and it'd be great to think that a site could be designed and remain somewhat static for awhile, esp. since this site has a history of user outcries whenever anything truly changes.  thing is is that in part is due to the fact that changes here have been either backend small or way too much too fast, so people are not really asked to be flexible too oft.  the small little changes that have been occurring here over the past 4-6 months have been very non-disruptive, so yay on you guys for that. but i think if slightly larger changes happened more frequently, it might not be a bad thing.  i'm NOT talking functionality, but i am talking about adding/removing things now and again to refine the site and gear it towards actual engagement.  

i really am not expressing myself well here, too many thoughts in my head at once, but i guess what i am trying to express is that the site itself is a reflection of 'investment' not only in its 'mission', but in its people, too... ALL people, from backend to frontline mod to end-user.  that 'reflection of investment' can be felt by the end-user.. so try new things, weigh and measure those, adjust accordingly, and keep doing that... love us users enough to try a myriad of things that nurture us.  do that and i'll bet you get nurtured in return by an increase in the bottom line, so to speak...

have Ricky or Jen or Caroline write a little article and post it under the Community>Featured tab... that type thing

or whoever's purview it might fall under...

also, in looking around, i really think that 'Staff Picks' inside the pertaining software forum should be done away with.  now granted, i use Poser so i'm most inclined to visit that specific forum, so bear in mind that most of my opinion on the matter is shaped through that, though i have, on occasion bounced through to other forums.

in terms of the one in the Poser forum, a couple of things i've noticed in the recent months has been a decline in viewership on the weekly post, so i gotta ask myself what purpose is it providing really.  another thing regarding those posts in that forum is that each week it consists of mostly the same artists being chosen over and over.  that might make some folks feel like it's a favouritism type thing, but maybe not.  but surely there are more than just 5-6 Poser users on this site.  and again, if that isn't the case, and other works simply aren't being chosen due to quality so there are only 5-6 users doing 'worthy' stuff, then the overall message becomes one that demonstrates the decline of Poser usage, which should be a blasphemous idea since it is Rendo's flagship software at this point.

if Staff Picks continues to be a thing, then consolidate all weekly picks into one area, tell us why they were chosen, what about them makes them exciting enough to have been chosen by Staff.  Ricky usually does a reasonable job at times doing that kind of thing in his articles regarding his weekly call-outs.

and speaking of flagship software, other than Jen's Poser Pulse articles, where on this site is there a place that highlights Poser itself, like a showcase on what it can do, inspirational images, etc?  yes, i'm aware of bondware.com, but that's a whole separate site in itself.  i understand sort of [?] why it is, but why is Poser so hidden on the very site where artists/hobbyists are more likely to visit and maybe fall in love enough to buy it?  i'm sure there is some logic to it all, and the rationale certainly does not need to be justified to me as an individual [not my literal business or my figurative one either for that matter], but i can honestly say that this observation isn't solely mine alone either...

not saying to inundate users w. Poser, or bash them over the head with it... it would require a gentle balance so that other software users do not feel unwelcomed; however, if money is at the root of Rendo's survival, as it is with all business, and Poser software contributes to that required revenue, shouldn't it be at least a little more prevalent in its presence here?

maybe there is some special out of the way section/area already on this site that is doing that that i'm unaware of?  

Interesting.... I've been using Poser for pretty much the entire 12 years I've been here.... How the heck have I missed this? And if I've missed it, more than likely others have as well.. Perhaps something else to look into...

@Giana Your insights, especially with the Staff Picks and Poser Software, is enlightening. I'm guessing nobody has looked at it from that angle. Thank you.

@Rod

Staff Picks has been around for a while.  i became more aware of them when my husband, structure, was helping Rendo w. P11 after the purchase from SM

[if ya have P11, i think you might see his moniker in the credits during boot-up.  and yes, i'm kind of bragging on him atm as he was so proud and pleased to be a part of something that would/could be a positive thing for the community.  he also was providing customer support in the Poser forum and via phone & email, as well as doing some light MP testing, all of which he loved being a part of, making a positive contribution as much as he could :)) ]

anyway, it used to be sort of an open type thing, images that got selected, but then the criterion for inclusion was truncated to only those images which allowed comments to be made on them [tho' at times that was waived - i know this because a couple of mine were chosen now and again which did not allow for comments], and for the image to be marked as usable by Rendo for marketing purposes.  i'm assuming that means use on social media sites, stuff like that [sorry, i can't stand social media].  also, because of that, though again, not always consistent, most nudie or risque type images would also not be necessarily eligible for inclusion for obvious and maybe legitimate reasons... hence maybe why your T&A  type series would not be chosen.  of course, i'm just guessing, so please, do not take my word as any reasonable indicator of absolute truth, yea?

@Wolf

to further define my suggestion staff picks might be reduced to only 1 or two images from each gallery per week.  the overlord [i say that most gently and with humour, btw] of each gallery can choose, or a dedicated staff member.  actually, choose 3 or 4, take it to the whole backroom staff for a vote, and then the top 1 or 2 of each category is posted all together in its own area/section.

yes, more work for Staff... i'm aware...

and yes, just another weighs & measurements thing if another one is really necessary...

or just do the above and kill all other weights & measurements.  i dunno.  i don't purport to have any answers or even a real clue about anything.  merely suggestions that either do or don't make sense...

it could even be 'themed'... one week can focus on lighting, the next on spacial presentation, that type thing.  that way the reason for WHY an image was chosen is inherently built in, if you see my point... shrug

and while i'm on a roll, i'll mention a pet peeve of mine... why not...

every month we get a new AoM and a new VoM, yet in forums, that stuff is not consistently updated - and i mean across the board...

either get rid of it, or truly maintain it... obvious neglect as it has been demonstrates either an overburdened staff who can't keep thing up to date [doesn't instill confidence from a user perspective, imo] and/or that it's just not important enough to keep up with, which can lend itself to be interpretted as a sign of dis-engagement from the staff that is supposed to be supporting the community....  either way, just not a good look. 

super nit-picky?  you bet, but details matter esp. in business...

subconsciously, customers/users/insert that type of word here are influenced by the culture of a market/place/insert work here in subtle ways.  ever go to a store where you felt the staff just wasn't there for you, didn't really care about their job, were just there for a paycheck?  well, that has everything to do with management, as they are responsible for setting the 'tone', providing good examples for their employees, etc., because we, the consumers, ARE, not matter how subtle, impacted by little things we mightn't even be aware of... just my 2 cents... well, 8 cents due to inflation ;)

@Giana

That is so cool that your hubby got to be part of the Poser team! You go right ahead and brag on him - he deserves it! That's great! I used to do a lot of testing for Pixeluna (Jenny) when she was doing a lot of V4 / Poser stuff a few years ago. It was a great feeling to know I was even a small part of contributing to both her and the community. I wish I knew more about the newest website coding so I could at least make some suggestions that made sense.

I know lately, I've been creating more images with the ladies being clothed, and surprisingly there was only a couple pages in my TNA story where the Girls were nekkie - which was done primarily to add a bit of humor.. 😁 I shall have to take some time and do some looking at that Poser Forum.

I have to say I'm just blown away by the responses from you and the others to this thread. The love and loyalty to this site is still intact, and it shows in glowing color here. I do hope the Admins, CEO, and such are reading all of this. I think we're on to something here, and we need to keep it rolling. And again... If there is anything I can do to help, I'm all over it!

And now..... Speaking of TNA.......

This one's for you, Wolf..... 😉

Lol, that's hilarious. Maybe he can use the horse while directing traffic. That way he won't get run over.

I have to say, I love all these great suggestions and that everyone is working to be helpful rather than whining.

@Giana The AOM is the magazine's thing, all AOM stuff is posted on the magazine's pages. https://www.renderosity.com/tags/16/artist-of-the-month

@Rods You forgot to include the disclaimer that no horses were harmed in the making of this meme. Clever guy... it's pretty good. I actually own a set of chaps. My brother and I used to have a cattle ranch. The cattle got to be too much of a bother, so we ended up just raising and boarding horses.

@Wolf

ok, gotcha...

then can we get rid of it in this forum, too?  look at the top of this page... or, well, here:

i'd hafta bounce through each forum to see if it's still called out like in here.  i know it used to be, but that could very well have changed... my bad, for which i apologise :))

@Giana You're right, we should keep that updated too if we're going to have it there. It's a good point. I don't even know who would edit that, or how... I've never edited a forum page. I'll find out. The last time the Writers Forum needed to be edited, I was a Coordinator at the time and didn't have privileges to edit pages. I think Admin updated the page for me. I might have privileges now, I'm just not real big on pushing buttons I don't know what they do. With my luck, I'd crash the whole website.

@Wolf

no, no, YOU were correct... it does seem to now be gone from all other forums, or the handful i bounced through... so it's just in here now...

again, apologies :o

@Giana I found an edit button, it took me to the moderator's dashboard - the forum edit section, and apparently I can edit the page. I'm going to try and add the current AOM, it shouldn't be blank. Okay, cross your fingers... I'm dangerous now.

edit: Well, that was complicated. You have to insert the link and edit it, you can't just copy and paste. But there you go, that problem is fixed. I'm a Super Wolf.

ahhhroooooo

SuperWolf up in da house!!!

i'd hug ya, but those canines of yours frighten me ;)

Rock on, SuperWolf!! 👍👍😁

does anyone know how heavy simple audio files might be?  obviously, it's dependent upon how much is contained within the file, so i'm just asking in general...

and why am i'm asking?

well, i've been thinking about engagement for the writers on this site and their audience/potential audience.  i know some folks don't want to necessarily read gobs of text on a page for maybe a variety of reasons such as the time it might take them, or eye strain, or something my lack-of-sleep-addled brain can't think of atm.  

but what if the writer had the option to "read" their story alongside the posting of their text?  like an "Audible" kind of idea, best of both worlds, giving folks the option to read, or listen, or do both in tandem... 

would writers be interested in reading their own tales aloud, record and upload them?  or does that option already exist?  i see in the 'upload you art' area an option for video, so is that the same thing?  if not uber apparent already, i'm woefully ignorant regarding video and audio file creation, and how big a file size that could end up being generated by such a thing...

i would think it fun and interesting to be able to actually hear a story the way the author might hear it in their head, all the nuances and such... plus, i love being read to, so maybe it's just me...

?

@Giana I spent years converting my stories to audio, then uploading it to the file locker. I started doing it for one of my readers that was losing her eyesight. She's left the site now, so, ended up not being worth the time anymore.

If you like being read to, The Renderosity Magazine Editor did a reading of one of anahata.c's stories, it is so good: https://www.renderosity.com/article/26063/interview-with-artist-of-the-month-anahatac

Oh, I'll HAVE to give that a listen.. Mark is awesome!

Hey, Wolf... Maybe this is what you need for those "negotiations" with the higher-ups: https://www.renderosity.com/gallery/items/3095953/negotiation-under-pressure

LOL

The robots, or the higher-ups? 🤣😆

@Wolf

hey!!thanks for that link. that's awesome :)

Greetings, fellow 'oldtimers.

Hi Rod, Giana, Red.

'. I've been a member since 2002.

This place isn't what it used to be. I visit perhaps once a month now.

Hey, JV!! Good to see you!! Miss your presence here..

That's what we're trying to change.. It hasn't been the same for some time. I don't know if you've read through this whole thread (I never expected it to go 4 pages, but I'm VERY encouraged that it has), but the higher-ups are looking at things - including this thread - and ways to improve the experience. If you have any thoughts, this is the place and now is the time (not much time left - they're having a meeting Tuesday) to have your voice heard!

I keep beating the dead horse regarding gallery upload limits, but that's apparently set in stone. I just mention it every so often to heckle Wolf.... 🤣

Hopefully, we'll see you more than monthly, my friend! Stay safe, stay well! 👍

I've used Poser since version 4, but because I was always working so many hours, I never got to play with it like I wanted. Since I've been retired, I have and enjoy it. However, I'm no artist, but I do like storytelling—I've written novels and novellas; I'm a hobby novelist—and I'd like to use Poser more often for that. (In fact, I just posted my first comic series, 9 episodes, on tapas and am working on a second one.) I don't really expect an audience. I don't have one for my books. I just want to create and have a place to put it "out there." So my books are on amazon, and I'll be using tapas for my comics/picture stories.

Reading through these posts, I see a desire for community and artistry. I like the community part, but I'm no artist and don't expect I'll become one in my lifetime. I'm okay with that. But I don't think I'm alone in wanting to use Poser for storytelling. (Of course, Renderosity is more than just Poser—btw, I'm a steady customer—and I regularly read through and sometimes contribute to the forums. I've learned so much from them.) Anyway, I wonder who makes up the bulk of Renderosity users (aside from the marketplace): artists or people like me. Shouldn't both groups be accommodated in this community?

Oh, and I don't go to the galleries very often. They're so overwhelming and, like others said previously, full of the same stuff, over and over. Boobies and fractals and ghouls. My slim contributions aren't worth crap either, but I always feel like I "should" post something every so often.

Hi, there, VedaDalsette!

I'm there with you.. I've been using Poser for a little over 12 years (started with Poser 8), and I definitely use it for storytelling. I've had a series running here @ Rendo for around 11 years now ("Girls From T.N.A.") and have thoroughly enjoyed the interactions with everyone - at least until things started to slide downhill - which is what all of us in this thread are trying to remedy. And you are on the money... Yes! Both groups should be supported here. Writing is an artform just like any other creative endeavor. Just look at some of anahata.c's or Wolfenshire's work. It's brilliant.

There are many here that don't post masterpieces (including me), but it IS legitimate art, and has a place here. Like any community, Rendo runs the gamut. There are 2-D images here that look like they were done by a young child, and there are pieces you have to look at closely to determine if they're a photo or a render. There is - or at least should be - room for all.

Also like you, I get tired of the floods of repetitive images being constantly posted by the same 4 or 5 individuals, but as I said above, that's a dead horse I've been beating for a long time, and it's not likely to change unfortunately. It is what it is.

But please don't feel like your contributions "aren't worth crap" - they are as valid as any other contributions. Art is a very personal thing.

Have a great week ahead!

Joey!!!!!!!!!

[whopping BIG HUG}

@Giana - I'm just about in tears... Good to see folks from the good ol' days are still checking in now and then. I even saw a comment from Magnus073 on one of Diemamker's story uploads!

RodS posted at 3:29 PM Sun, 8 January 2023 - #4453437

@Giana - I'm just about in tears... Good to see folks from the good ol' days are still checking in now and then. I even saw a comment from Magnus073 on one of Diemamker's story uploads!

But keep flogging Rod because one day a gallery full of silent users is otherwise an inexorable end