Why I stopped to post at TE

One day in Sep. 2009 my account was suddenly disabled. No warning, no information given.

After contacting the management at Internet Brand the account was reopened with some warnings to my anti TE behaviour.

A few days later I had a new warning, this one claiming that someone had complaint about me.

Both incidents happened after I wrote some critical remarks of the way IB control TE.

I find their way of acting by disabling my account and writing warnings complete out of line where the one target seems to be to "scare" me from presenting opinions against the managment and moderators.

It is for me complete out of interest to participate further on a photo site where the management try to censor opinions by using tools like disabling accounts etc.

I consider opening an account on the new photo site: http://www.photofolia.net/ planned to be opened in Dec. 2009.
Presently I participate in the test group - and have so far a very good impression of the new photosite.

Jack

Looking back at my TE portfolio

Some selected photos posted 2003-2005:

Just KLICK&PLAY for the HD video

The FINAL cure for TE

Take a look here for the FINAL solution >>

or just enjoy VITAS....
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"I want my life back"

Leslie Pollock published the poster at left at Twitter with the text:
"The madness of internet brands "

I know nothing of her reason or background for such a reaction

- but it sure indicates that there are more people out there wondering about IB....

All well with Internet Brands (IB)

The company we all work for at TE - each time we post a photo - Internet Brands have some fine overall figures in the 1st quarter of 2009:

Despite the headwinds in the online advertising market, Internet Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: INET) is holding up relatively well. In Q1, the company posted revenues of $23.5 million, which is down from $24.9 million in the same period a year ago. Keep in mind that last year's results included a one-time gain of $1.1 million.
A key advantage for Internet Brands is its diversification. That is, the company operates about 200 sites in such verticals as autos, careers, home, money and business, shopping and travel. There is also a licensing segment (for auto data and software tools).
Unfortunately, the auto division was a drag. For example, there was a $2.7 million fall in related e-commerce revenues.
Yet, Internet Brands was still able to pump out a profit of $2.3 million, or 5 cents per share. Cash flow came to $10.1 million, up from $5.5 million in the same period a year ago. In all, there is about to $60 million in the bank.
And the recession is having little impact on traffic. Internet Brand's network of sites attracted 49.7 million unique visitors in March, up 44% from the same period in 2008 and up 15% from December of last year.
To keep up the momentum, Internet Brands is in the midst of an aggressive mergers & acquisitions strategy. So far this year, the company has acquired five sites (such as FinWeb.com, SmallBusinessNotes.com and Outblush.com). The good news is that the valuations have dropped and it's getting easier to scale revenues.
On a full-year basis, Internet Brands expects to grow EBITDA at 10% to 15%, amounting to $38.5 million to $40.5 million.
Ref: http://www.bloggingstocks.com

Keep up the good work for IB - post a photo daily ;-)
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Basic error in TE's new design

New design - but the same ol' TE

Again admin of TE ducoment their ability to ignore, not only input from the users of the site but also general rules for layout of a web site. We have in mind the present small font size that is standard for the most used pages of TE.

Take a look at this reference statement from http://www.w3.org/ discussing use of font sizes for web pages:

"Size: respect the users' preferences, avoid small size for content.
As a base font size for a document, 1em (or 100%) is equivalent to setting the font size to the user's preference. Use this as a basis for your font sizes, and avoid setting a smaller base font size
Avoid sizes in em smaller than 1em for text body, except maybe for copyright statements or other kinds of "fine print."

I also invited to discuss this in the Te forum. Forum link >>

Updating: After this Internet Brands Segment Director Brent Conver wrote this in another forum thread:

"Hi Jack

Font size is tricky because everyone experiences it differently based upon the size of their screen and their resolution setting. I have asked that the developers look at creating a configurable setting that will allow a user to increase the default font size. I can't promise this one but they will look at creating it.

Brent. "

I guess using CTRL+ and CTRL- to zoom in and out of the screen will be the way to go in the time to come....

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Too little feed back to your photos?

Incredible ACQUINE helps you in an instant. Machine Prediction of Aesthetic Value is simply a "must" for anyone fed up with all the subjective ratings you may have at TE. Let's all line up behind Acquine - for having the fun back to photography :-)

At left one of my favorite photos (copyright Frederic Reglain), also made favorite by more than 500 others with a point rating at TE = 513 points.
Incredible Acquine cuts through all the BS and rate this photo to 13,4/100. Moment of truth haha.....

Too little feed back to your photos? Try out your new "friend" Acquine...

Moderating by impulse

We have seen many examples of how TE moderators make a choice of delete some photos defined to be in conflict with the mission, the TOS and/or the guidelines, while others will remain - even when having the same kind of content.

The photo at left (copyright: Patrice Carre) was deactivated (april 2009) reason: Too much of abstraction) while in this link you will find some examples of other photos also in the group: Graphic/abstract themes that remained. All photos posted more or less at the same time.

I discuss not the need for moderating, or what to moderate at TE. But find a big unjustice when 1 photo is deactivated while many, of the same kind, remains.

Where individuals are concerned I find this kind of attitude disgusting.

(TE thread (if not locked)).

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When you have no right to your own work

In the "Terms of use" stated on the photosite TrekEarth you can find the new owners, Internet Brands, takeover of the members work for commercial use:

"By displaying or posting content on the Site, you hereby grant us a nonexclusive global license to publish the content submitted by you to the Site. You also grant us global nonexclusive adaptation and resale rights over any content and material submitted to the Site. These nonexclusive publishing license and resale/adaptation rights extend to any materials submitted "for publication" within the Site."

After being informed of this detail in a TE forum post I made this insertion in the same post:

"I must admit that I hadn't noticed this detail in the "Terms of use".
But it sure confirms my decision for a "time-out" from TE as I in no way is interested in loosing all rights to my work as a prize of posting photos at TrekEarth where it now seems as the owners Internet Brands is behind a rather unethical way of operating vs. commercial use of our work.

Probably I will need to think about if a "time-out", originally for awaiting better information and communicating from the owners, should be extended to a complete deletion of my close to 1000 posted photos.
I hesitate both for the work behind those photos but also of respect for people who have used their time to shown interest in their comments and critics"
Ref. TE forum thread>>

And here another thread of the same issue >>
..with this quote of my reply to a member "understanding" IB:

"I am sure this Internet Brands Community Leader Justine Cogan can talk for herself. And do not forget for a minute that she is a moderator probably for the whole section of sites under Internet Brands Travel and Leisure Segment, not only TE.

Here you just ignored the fact that the TOS of the Internet Brands gives the company right to use, marketing and sell whatever they like of what is posted on any of their Travel and Leisure segment Internet sites, inclusive TE.

Do not allow yourself to be so naive as to oversee the arrogance they have and their unwillingness to remove the mentioned paragraphs in their IB TOS.

And come out of the dream world of the past where you could discuss and rely on one owner: Adam. He has sold out the site and you are now under an ownership that in no way have the same personal relation as we was used too.

Whatever "small talk" and bla bla bla that Justin the moderator puts in a thread it is all put aside by the Internet Brands TOS - whenever they must feel for it.

Look to the legal language it is all written in and see yourself in a discussion with their corporate lawers should that day come....Have a fine evening out there - but stop babysit Internet Brands - they simply do not need it ."

(Should the thread-links not work they are probably locked by some TE mods.)
..

Happy New Year

A wish for a Happy New Year to all visitors.
Be welcome to enjoy this winter and snow photo-video in HD quality from Norway:



NOW: Enjoy HD quality directly - just click & PLAY..

Meet Justine Cogan (JuCo) - the Moderator

Justine is for a photographer a little wonder. She is to be found at different places as a moderator. At TrekEarth as well as DVDtalk.com - probably more.

I am always impressed finding people where i.e. "moderating" is the "name of the game", more than what a site is about.
Justine presents a little of herself right here:

• Introducing IB Community Leader: Justine Cogan
  

It has for a time been a challenge to find out more of the people behind the new ownership at TE - as for who to contact when the "official" contact e-mail adresses do not seems to have worked. A smal contribution then for anyone in need...

Response from the TE Director

Here is a link (extract) to the response in the General Forum of TE from the TE Site director (inclusive a reply).
Also a link to the Internet Brands similar sites at the net, and finally contact information for the Internet Brands Segment director:

• Forum response from the TE Site Director
  
  
• Internet Brands: Travel and Leisure segment
  
  
• Introducing the IB Segment Director: Brent Conver
  
  

Appreciated to have a response and some feedback from the site management. The ideas and plans looks interesting - guess we have to see then...

Open letter to the TE Management

Pls find a link to a copy of an open letter to the TE admin. Posted at the TE general forum with regard to the ending of a 7 days strike/'time out' in Dec. 2008. Also some other relevant links is included:

• Open letter to the admin of TE Dec. 25th. 2008
  
  
• The original Forum thread about the strike/time out #1)
  
  
• Tips for moderating an Internet Forum
  
  
• Introducing Lisa Morita, the IB top and formal TE chief officer

#1) This is a part of the thread. Later on the thread was deleted as probably some later insertions was outside of the admins taste (TOS violation?)

IMO many active members have no rejects to TE, the idea and the site, On the contrary. We respect the ownerships, their set of rules as defined in TOS. We also accept the work of moderators. Still a mutual respect is necessary. When mods do their work it is important that they inform of WHY and WHAT caused their actions. In cases where TOS violations is reported openly in the forum of course they have to follow up - at least make a comment of WHY they do not respond. They should never leave an impression of doing moderations outside the TOS or doing their work randomly - excusing themself with lack of time to follow up.

The letter to the TE Management also include an invitation to the managament or they owners Internet Brands to come forward, openly in the Forum or more privately in an e-mail, for a constructive dialouge if wanted.

A serious attempt to make way for and contribute to a more enjoyable TE - for all.

Christmas Greetings

Vinter mood outside my cootage in the mountains of central Norway.

If you comment pls. us your TE name :-)

Merry Christmas
  

TE Inside - the Blog

Presently some active members at TE (TrekEarth.com) do not find the site a good place to be and an alternative room, like this, to use when needed seems a good idea.

If you want to comment on any insertion you are welcome. (If so pls. use your TE name). Or if you want to publish something in an own insertion you are welcome to mail me.