Tuesday was supposed to see the down time that would end with new and wonderful things here at Renderosity.  I understand that things change... that there is a need to update, invigorate, procreate and generally shake things up.  Things got shook, all right... and I'm wondering if the community that I once considered 'home' will ever be welcoming again...

It's now the following Friday evening.  I cannot even find my homepage here without opting to view (on the sidebar) "Old Front Page".  That, in itself, does not bode well.  If the new and improved site is what it's supposed to be, why am I offered a step back in time?  And what in the world would new visitors make of that particular option?  What new visitor would want to view an "old" front page?

But, let's go with the flow for a moment.  I happen to know that the "Old Front Page" was a familiar sight and a friendly place to "get things done".  So I opt for the Old Front Page.  At least there I have some member options... and I opt to head over to my homepage.  And it takes me there... breathe a sigh of relief...

Not for long, though.  The three images that I have chosen to represent my gallery are blank... with red X's to indicate broken links.  Ah... but not to worry too much... there's the link to my entire gallery just below those empty, ugly squares.  I click on that and I'm immediately launched into the What's New images encompassing the entire Renderosity gallery.  There are Poser chicks with huge, bare breasts and little anime cartoons with skeletal hands and feet... there are photographs of flowers and dogs and cats... and Terragen landscapes...

They're all very interesting... but they're not mine. 

And the link that is supposed to appear at the bottom of my gallery or homepage that I can use to direct my family and friends to my stuff here?  It's not there...  there's nothing there... just a few of my favorite images... twelve of them, in fact... with no way to view the other 100 or so...

I've cleared my cache... I've tossed my cookies (double entendre intended)... I've been patient... I've noticed the drop in "surfers online" go down to less than 400 earlier today... scary, that...

Still... still... I'm hangin' in... I'm optimistic... one of these years I'll understand the reasoning behind clicking on a thumbnail and seeing a squished, pixellated, horribly ugly rendition of an image that someone has worked so hard to achieve ... spent so much time rendering and post processing until it's just perfect... seemingly for the sole reason that three clicks are better than one when trying to see the finished item.  It boggles the mind and deflates the spirit...

"We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto"... and I just wanna go "home"...

Not a rant... just an observation in disappointment... :-