ThePhotoForum should be on Instagram.

[terri]

Hi Dan, as I said, by all means go ahead with your plans. The contact us button has always been available at the bottom of the main page, so as I said - have at it! You clearly have an enthusiasm for a potential project, which is something we've always encouraged here. Many of the contests, challenges, etc., are run by members from their own ideas and enjoyment.

Your comments here are much more enthusiastic about IG than the others, most of which were disinterested or neutral on the suggestion. It's not a stretch to say it doesn't seem like a good fit. If you're interested in finding out how each member who commented on IG in this thread actually uses it, contact them via pm if you wish, for a better understanding. You're making a lot of assumptions about people's attitudes based on some comments they've made here. "Paranoia" is a pretty strong word, and you're out of line to use it so casually towards members who simply don't share your enthusiasm for a social media platform.

Several valid points were made by others that you disagree with, and the thread remains open for additional comments on this, for those who are interested.

 

[SquarePeg]

It could drive traffic to the site if managed correctly. I rarely go beyond Insta to a website but I have. It’s how I found a couple of the photography Facebook groups I’m a member of and it’s how I first learned of creative live which I ended up buying a season pass for.

 

[Original katomi]

If you put this site on instagram will I have to join instagram as well and do I have the option of not having my images on instagram

 

[SquarePeg]

If you put this site on instagram will I have to join instagram as well and do I have the option of not having my images on instagram

I’ll preface this with - I’m definitely not an Instagram expert.

The way Instagram accounts like that can typically work, I believe, is that people who are on Instagram would post their own photo to their own Instagram account and would “tag” TPF in their comments if they choose. That would allow TPF to be searched on Instagram to show all photos with that tag. If TPF then had an account of its own and TPF was tagged in someone’s photo then whoever was managing/editing/curating the (still hypothetical) TPF Instagram account would choose from photos that are tagged and could “feature” the artist’s photo on the TPF Instagram feed which would potentially have a lot more followers than someone’s individual account.

For example I tagged Lensbaby in a photo I had taken with my Lensbaby Velvet 56 and they reposted my photo (with credit to me of course) and included my Instagram account for people to check out. I did pick up a few followers from that and it’s sometimes nice to get attention and validation from someone that’s not an aunt or cousin!

Now, if you’re strictly a hobbyist and don’t care about likes or followers then maybe you don’t bother tagging anything and you’re just on Instagram to share with your family and friends or not on Instagram at all in which case it wouldn’t affect you.

If you’re a professional, or want to be, or are interested in followers and likes for whatever reason, then it can be very beneficial in getting your work some exposure.

If TPF were taking photos from the website and putting them on Instagram that would require some type of permission.
The website for the forum would be part of the bio on the Instagram page and some people would follow it back to see what it’s all about. This could bring some new members to the website.

 

[snowbear]

As far as the permission part that SharonCat brings up, this might be as simple as the "Photos OK to edit" option in our profile. Some verbiage might need to be added to the terms, but I'd think that wouldn't be too complicated. It sounds like the biggest challenge will be getting the owners to agree.

I'm pretty much neutral about it, but if it could bring in more members, then I say to go for it. I have an IG account, but only use it to follow a few others; I may have posted one or two photos on it.

 

[Original katomi]

Thank square peg & snowbear, that has answered some concerns,

 

[SquarePeg]

I agree with most of what you said except where you’re focusing on the unlikely event that the photos on Instagram would come from the forum itself when it is much more likely that they will already be posted by the artist to Instagram and tagged with the TPF hashtag.

 

[Original katomi]

If post 40 is/becomes the case then I will have to decide if I am going to post any images
So there is no mistake.I DO NOT WANT MY IMAGES ON INSTAGRAM.

 

[SquarePeg]

I agree with most of what you said except where you’re focusing on the unlikely event that the photos on Instagram would come from the forum itself when it is much more likely that they will already be posted by the artist to Instagram and tagged with the TPF hashtag.

No, nowhere is anything said about photos already on Instagram to be used on a possible TPF Instagram account, so it's not 'much more likely' because as a clear example it's said that the photos nominated for the POTM could serve as a guideline to be placed on Instagram. This means that photos from the TPF forum are directly copied on to such an Instagram TPF account. Nowhere does it say that only photos already on Instagram are selected for a TPF Instagram account, you probably misread or misunderstood!

It's therefore about photos that have a first publication on the TPF forum and permission has to be given by the maker. Using photos that are on the TPF forum to publish on Instagram without the author's permission is a copyright infringement.

Sorry that is just not how it works.

 

[Fujidave]

For my jazz photography I opened up a IG account quite a while ago, it`s a fun thing to do as I use to hate IG but only because I did not understand how to use it. I signed up on the forums with my name, but on IG I signed up using my middle name and Dave.

 

[vintagesnaps]

What is the name of the company that owns TPF? As Dan mentioned we don't know... do we?? Not that we need to know owners' personal info. but can we be told the name of the company that currently owns the site? TPF is just the site name isn't it? or is it?

I realized some time ago when the site was revamped (maybe when it was switched to XenForo?) that I noticed I didn't see any company/ownership name on here. I knew the site was started by a photographer who eventually sold it to someone who owns a number of hobby related sites. I remember I had found it listed as a foreign owned business in the state of Texas, but don't remember offhand how I found it and I'm not sure if that's correct or current.

I don't care for Instagram so I don't have any particular interest myself in TPF having an Instagram page. It does seem like more people are using it (at least for my other interests like quilting, embroidery, etc. it seems like people I follow on YouTube are more and more using Instagram too). I suppose it would be worth it for ownership to at least consider checking into and potentially managing an Instagram page.

 

[snowbear]

It looks like the owner is ForumFoundry, Alamogordo, NM

 

[vintagesnaps]

Oh! ForumFoundry sounds familiar now that you say that. I wonder if it used to be on the site somewhere. I got to thinking it seems like I found it listed as TPF as a registered business, but I'm not sure.

But I can't help but think, you're one of the mods, don't you guys all know? If not, no wonder it seems like nobody will say!

 

[SquarePeg]

You quoted only some of my post. What I am saying is, that is not how most Instagram feeds get their content. If you look at the myfujifilm or fstoppers Instagram feeds, for example, it is photos reposted that were originally posted on Instagram from Instagram users and tagged for myfujifilm or fstoppers to notice.

Really at this point this is a hypothetical argument and people are overly concerned about something that was merely a question by one member and a suggestion from another.