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Archive 2009 · Smugmug

MSC
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p.2 #1 · Smugmug

ham1 wrote:
bitmaker wrote:
My wife is trying to get away from them (after renewing her subscription just 3 months ago) but they aren't making that easy.

I am very sorry to hear this. Please give me the URL to your wife's SmugMug account and I will definitely take care of it. You can PM as well.

Markham

Oh boy, another vendor to the rescue and doing damage control on FM...retailers first and now website vendors....wonder when the bag makers and ballhead mfgrs will start in...

Oct 12, 2009 at 08:03 AM

DocDetroit
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p.2 #2 · Smugmug

I was thinking about signing up for SmugMug. I'm glad I read this first. I think you guys just saved me $149. If SmugMug has admitted publically that they have infrastructure problems they should offer all their clients a partial refund. It sounds like they are very liable to a class action.

Oct 12, 2009 at 12:20 PM

MSC
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p.2 #3 · Smugmug

I re-read my posts and I don't want to sound alarmist or anything...just relying my story like everyone else. SM does have a large (and very devoted) following so my experience may be outside the norm...can't say. And again, my particular experience is now 'old' and may not be applicable to today...no idea on that.

Oct 12, 2009 at 12:39 PM

TrojanHorse
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p.2 #4 · Smugmug

MSC wrote:
And again, my particular experience is now 'old' and may not be applicable to today...no idea on that.
When did you switch? You said zenfolio wasn't available. I've only been using SM since March and it was down once when I was trying to modify something.

And I meant coupon codes for customers, not that "hey, use me as your reference when you sign up" coupon thing.

Oct 15, 2009 at 02:27 AM

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p.2 #5 · Smugmug

Chris Moy wrote:
They are SLOW uploading!

40 photos took all night!

Besides the slow upload I've been happy, for now.

It's back up and running!

Bull ..., use desktop client. It is uploading always very fast. One developed by this person is great.

http://www.shahine.com/omar/

Oct 31, 2009 at 02:31 PM

Chris Moy
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p.2 #6 · Smugmug

I'll check it out. Thanks!

Breitling65 wrote:
Chris Moy wrote:
They are SLOW uploading!

40 photos took all night!

Besides the slow upload I've been happy, for now.

It's back up and running!

Bull ..., use desktop client. It is uploading always very fast. One developed by this person is great.

http://www.shahine.com/omar/

Oct 31, 2009 at 02:42 PM

GeneO
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p.2 #7 · Smugmug

MSC wrote:
ham1 wrote:
bitmaker wrote:
My wife is trying to get away from them (after renewing her subscription just 3 months ago) but they aren't making that easy.

I am very sorry to hear this. Please give me the URL to your wife's SmugMug account and I will definitely take care of it. You can PM as well.

Markham

Oh boy, another vendor to the rescue and doing damage control on FM...retailers first and now website vendors....wonder when the bag makers and ballhead mfgrs will start in...

There is nothing wrong with that. At least they are paying attention!

Oct 31, 2009 at 03:00 PM

vibhor
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p.2 #8 · Smugmug

GeneO wrote:
MSC wrote:
ham1 wrote:
bitmaker wrote:
My wife is trying to get away from them (after renewing her subscription just 3 months ago) but they aren't making that easy.

I am very sorry to hear this. Please give me the URL to your wife's SmugMug account and I will definitely take care of it. You can PM as well.

Markham

Oh boy, another vendor to the rescue and doing damage control on FM...retailers first and now website vendors....wonder when the bag makers and ballhead mfgrs will start in...

There is nothing wrong with that. At least they are paying attention!

In fact, its a good thing! It'd be shameful if they were aware of the issue and turn a blind eye.

Nov 04, 2009 at 05:13 AM

MSC
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p.2 #9 · Smugmug

My opinion is that people should be free on this forum to express thier thoughts without having a vendor step in. This happens more with retailers here and now with a website vendor. What is next? It is a slippery slope and I can't see any benefit from it except free advertising for the vendor. When the guy owned a lighting company started that a couple of years ago (you people that have been around know who I mean if you frequent the Lighting board), he was warned off and he stopped--good call on his part. When the retailers started up recently, I will not spend another doller at thier stores and I have not and will not give them my money, including over $30k spent at one.

Listening is one thing, actively go out to the forums with PR is quite another. This forum, IMO, needs to free of vendors on the boards doing damage control. I see nothing bad if they use PMs and keep it private, but I really don't want to hear vendors on here doing customer service and PR work. If I want to say A is good and B is bad and why, I don't need A or B on here telling how much they care or that they are sorry or whatever...send me an email or if they really care, give me a call.

If they want to use FM for advertising, pay for an advertisement from Fred. Make it say "we care." I run a large social networking site and we are very strict to not allow vendors to do this for the same reason, the whole tenor of the information shared changes for the worse. People are not free to express when they know that as soon as they do, some vendor or other is going to start countering them online, or making public apologies or whatever...and I think really bad form for vendors to invade boards like FM.

Nov 04, 2009 at 05:32 AM

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p.2 #10 · Smugmug

I think its not exactly advertising when a company comes out on a forum and offers to fix something for a customer or soon to be ex customer.

If it were you in the situation I'm sure you'd want the vendor to be able to come on and fix it for you rather than being banned from FM.

IMO there is vendor responses, and there are vendors advertising.

Nov 04, 2009 at 05:43 AM

MSC
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p.2 #11 · Smugmug

FM is not here to be a venue for free PR work by vendors. If they want to do that, do what everyone else does that is not taking advantage of the situation, buy an ad. Of course it is good for the vendor...and they should be taking care of business through thier customer service dept. FM is the a free Customer Service place for vendors.

What is next? I like Canon gear, and maybe a dozen other vendors, Gitzo, LowePro, etc. Do I want Canon CS reps on the FM everytime I voice a complaint in the Canon forum. Or I recently had a modeling light go out on my Speedotron after it was nearly new. This came up on a board discussion on another forum. Did the Speedotron rep come into that thread and say 'we are so sorry for your problem, send me a personal email and I'll fix it for you.' Of course not, if they are doing thier job right, when I talked thier customer service dept, they should take care it. And they did in my case. But the conversation was not disrupted by vendor PR.

The logical extension to this is write every vendor out there and say 'FM is open to your customer service efforts." And the next step following that logic is to let us know about thier sale prices, and upcoming promotions...after all it is good for us, right?

I don't want them banned, I want them here to participate as photographers...leave the PR stuff at home. But the reality is that they are here getting free PR time with an audience of photographers. BTW, this not allowed in any of the better forums...and I consider FM one of the better forums. I don't want to see it turn into a commercial free-for-all...it is too good for that.

Nov 04, 2009 at 06:00 AM

vibhor
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p.2 #12 · Smugmug

Well, we all have our different opinions. The smugmug guy just offered to fix the issue someone was having and to get feedback about another issue. If the thread is about a user having an issue with vendor X, then vendor X should have the ability to interact with the affected person (and possibly rectify the situation) as long as it remains on topic and is going to help the user who is having the problem. Its one thing to come here and spew advertising crap. Another altogether to say, "Hey, let me fix that for you." The latter is not nonsensical spam.

If I was having issues with my canon gear, and a canon rep stepped in to help me calibrate my equipment, its perfectly fine, IMO. And along the line if he realizes that something in my gear is faulty, and offers a fix/repair, what's the harm?

Nov 04, 2009 at 06:13 AM

MSC
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p.2 #13 · Smugmug

I already said what the harm is. And if FM wants to have a 'the vendor will fix it for you forum' fine, have that. Let the vendors flood that forum and be the good guy there...we know what that is forum is about then. But keep if off the photography boards...FM is not about giving vendors a place to do damage control, PR work, and other customer service matters. I can get vendor PR work from the vendor, we come here to get info and share info from other photographers.

Nov 04, 2009 at 06:20 AM

Lars Johnsson
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p.2 #14 · Smugmug

MSC wrote:
I already said what the harm is. And if FM wants to have a 'the vendor will fix it for you forum' fine, have that. Let the vendors flood that forum and be the good guy there...we know what that is forum is about then. But keep if off the photography boards...FM is not about giving vendors a place to do damage control, PR work, and other customer service matters. I can get vendor PR work from the vendor, we come here to get info and share info from other photographers.

+1

Look at the latest. Now they even try to price-match and sell stuff here

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/823367/0#lastmessage

Nov 04, 2009 at 04:23 PM

dcains
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p.2 #15 · Smugmug

MSC wrote:
I already said what the harm is. And if FM wants to have a 'the vendor will fix it for you forum' fine, have that. Let the vendors flood that forum and be the good guy there...we know what that is forum is about then. But keep if off the photography boards...FM is not about giving vendors a place to do damage control, PR work, and other customer service matters. I can get vendor PR work from the vendor, we come here to get info and share info from other photographers.

I'm with you 100% on this, and can see the slippery slope. Lately, it seems the mods have been largely absent from all the boards, too, which isn't helping matters. If a vendor is truly concerned about helping a customer, without the free PR, they're perfectly able to send PM's, just as anyone else can.

Nov 04, 2009 at 05:47 PM

trenchmonkey
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p.2 #16 · Smugmug

Nov 05, 2009 at 01:07 PM

GeneO
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p.2 #17 · Smugmug

-=1

Don't throw out the baby with the bath water

Gene

Nov 06, 2009 at 05:26 AM

Sven Jeppesen
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p.2 #18 · Smugmug

+3
no promotion or ads from the vendors.

Nov 06, 2009 at 05:30 AM

Chefdaniel
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p.2 #19 · Smugmug

smugmug support on FM. Damn you guys are everywhere. I think its great. Smugmug is phenomenal, I recommend to everyone I know.

Nov 06, 2009 at 11:58 AM

MSC
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p.2 #20 · Smugmug

Chefdaniel wrote:
smugmug support on FM. Damn you guys are everywhere. I think its great. Smugmug is phenomenal, I recommend to everyone I know.

Smugmug does have a large following of groupies...if some want drink the Koolaid here, that is one thing, we have to listen and accept that as regular members of the FM community (got a coupon?) ...we do not want THE COMPANY promoting here. SM has its own very large and active Forum where they all do that together and feel the juice working (I was a member of SM forums for over a year and it was almost creepy with cheerleaders and fanboys...I don't understand the mentality but we DO NOT want vendors working that here too), no one wants vendor promotion in the boards to be a normal part of dicussion here. This forum is about photographers and photography, not a place for free airtime for staff of any vendor, including Smugmug.

It is quite common and valuable for us photographers to debate and share stories about our experiences with many photography related issues, and that would include vendors, products, and like...that is great, we all gain from each others real-life experiences...that is a significant positive value of FM and why we do it. That is not the same thing as vendor promotion/PR/selling or whatever name is applied to vendors on the boards.

Nov 06, 2009 at 01:58 PM


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