Dear members,
first I want to wish you, your family and your friends a happy new year 2024!
2024 will be very exciting for us after the chaos at DPreview and others in 2023. We do not need to show consideration for something or wait for something anymore. We can do whatever we want to and what the community wants to have. Remember the surveys we made at the beginning? Be prepared that we will ask you even more what you would like to have with DPRF in 2024.
The year 2023 was a little bit chaotic because several photo sites announced that they will close. First DPreview as you very well know. Probably the biggest photosite worldwide, owned by Amazon. They announced that they will delete the whole site incl. the forum in April 23. We created this rescue forum for the DPreview community, but Amazon changed its mind later on and sold DPReview to an unknown marketing agency.
Whether the forum of DPReview will stay alive long term noone knows. The new owner does not have any experience with running forums and it seems the whole interest is only on tests/reviews they can sell. Does not matter for us, because our life raft forum DPRforum.com is alive and kicking
At around the same time in 2023 the next victim was Imaging Resource. They closed without any notice just like that. From one day to the other. Noone could prepare, noone knew something beforehand.
In Autumn 2023 the next victim is the forum "photography on the net" (POTN). The owner announced, that he will delete his forum in 2024 too. I already offered my help and launched a successor forum for all POTN members (POTNforum.com), in case the users want to have it. But POTN was closed earlier than announced. Already on 31.12.2023, which is a shame since the members can not contact each other anymore.
But there is even more...
As I read a couple of days ago, there are also discussions over at GetDPI, how to move forward as an Medium Format only forum (delete all other formats) or close the forum in the long run. In case you have friends there, tell them I can help, if the Getdpi users want to have help or a GetDPI rescue forum.
As you can see, nothing is secure nowadays regarding photo community forums. The more insecure our environment in the world of community forums is, the more proud I am that we are not at all influenced by this.
We are standing like a rock since day one against all this forum-dieing. Since 21 years. Always for free. No matter what is happening around us with other big forums, we will stay and grow. Thanks to you, our users who support us and recommend us to others.
Thank you for this support!
Every format has its home here at DPRF, no matter which brand.
For those photographers, who prefer to use brand-only or Medium Format only forums, we offer these too under different names (see the links at the bottom of this forum).
So, thank you again for all your support and recommendations and enjoy also in 2024 our communities!
Your DPRF team
first I want to wish you, your family and your friends a happy new year 2024!
2024 will be very exciting for us after the chaos at DPreview and others in 2023. We do not need to show consideration for something or wait for something anymore. We can do whatever we want to and what the community wants to have. Remember the surveys we made at the beginning? Be prepared that we will ask you even more what you would like to have with DPRF in 2024.
The year 2023 was a little bit chaotic because several photo sites announced that they will close. First DPreview as you very well know. Probably the biggest photosite worldwide, owned by Amazon. They announced that they will delete the whole site incl. the forum in April 23. We created this rescue forum for the DPreview community, but Amazon changed its mind later on and sold DPReview to an unknown marketing agency.
Whether the forum of DPReview will stay alive long term noone knows. The new owner does not have any experience with running forums and it seems the whole interest is only on tests/reviews they can sell. Does not matter for us, because our life raft forum DPRforum.com is alive and kicking
At around the same time in 2023 the next victim was Imaging Resource. They closed without any notice just like that. From one day to the other. Noone could prepare, noone knew something beforehand.
In Autumn 2023 the next victim is the forum "photography on the net" (POTN). The owner announced, that he will delete his forum in 2024 too. I already offered my help and launched a successor forum for all POTN members (POTNforum.com), in case the users want to have it. But POTN was closed earlier than announced. Already on 31.12.2023, which is a shame since the members can not contact each other anymore.
But there is even more...
As I read a couple of days ago, there are also discussions over at GetDPI, how to move forward as an Medium Format only forum (delete all other formats) or close the forum in the long run. In case you have friends there, tell them I can help, if the Getdpi users want to have help or a GetDPI rescue forum.
As you can see, nothing is secure nowadays regarding photo community forums. The more insecure our environment in the world of community forums is, the more proud I am that we are not at all influenced by this.
We are standing like a rock since day one against all this forum-dieing. Since 21 years. Always for free. No matter what is happening around us with other big forums, we will stay and grow. Thanks to you, our users who support us and recommend us to others.
Thank you for this support!
Every format has its home here at DPRF, no matter which brand.
For those photographers, who prefer to use brand-only or Medium Format only forums, we offer these too under different names (see the links at the bottom of this forum).
So, thank you again for all your support and recommendations and enjoy also in 2024 our communities!
Your DPRF team