RE: Ideas about our carbon web site

Peter,

I am full tilt into installing PHPBB forum on www.carbonprinting.com. This
is really good modern forum software. As a commercial enterprise I will need
a place to send customers for help. I think carbon is about to take off. I
just sent a bunch of tissue to our Japanese distributor. Sales are moving up
rather nicely.

The Center will be publishing Occasional Papers on carbon techniques as well
online so I think things are looking up.

--Dick

The carbon study group is being supported by the Center for Photographic
History and Technology and B+S will provide forum space for that
organization as well. I also have some moderators lined up as well.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-carbon@spitbite.org [mailto:owner-carbon@spitbite.org] On Behalf
Of Petercane@comcast.net
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 2:48 PM
To: carbon@spitbite.org
Subject: Re: [carbon] Ideas about our carbon web site

Hi just wanted to add my too cents to this topic.

It's true, its unfortunate but this site is dead. It is a good reference but
the good information is hard to find, especially after sorting through each
year's archived data.

I have two suggestions. First pictures and more pictures. If this is a site
about photography, what happened to the photographs?. Allowing those of us
who are learning the process to post own own failures and view others
successes would be extremely useful. (and a big draw for coming back)

Second. Most of the activity in the last year has been about commercial
projects, books, workshops, etc. I'm not sure that kind of marketing has
people busting down the doors to check the site out. Something else is
needed.

Sorry, guess I have more than two suggestions. When I found this site I came
looking for two things: a community of people who could help me learn this
process and once I had learned it, some people with whom I could share work
and ideas. In that regard I would suggest the new site make a semi serious
attempt to explains the basics in some depth. Many newcomers find detailed
information on pigment, sizing papers, the effects of humidity and a million
other bits of info on carbon hard to find. Lets not get crazy but how about
a section on reversal or enlarged lith negatives that leads one into carbon?
How about a section on sensitometry that explains how to use a step tablet
and chart your own curves? How about anything that will keep people coming
back for more information? Obviously this would be a lot of work- have the
newbies write the sections under each link and have the experts correct
them. (sort of like Wikipedia) Perhaps it won't work-but the idea that
information!
  will d
raw people to your site is the key stop here.

This site can and will attract people if you first teach them the process,
after that they will keep coming back for more information and to share.
After that you can look for them to sign up for workshops and buy products.
Otherwise, you just end up with a few guys who already know the process and
have nothing to say to each other than " Hey, I just got my book published"
(no disrespect intended, I have a few of those books and they are great)

Hope I didn't step on any ones toes, just wanted to share my thoughts..

Peter.
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Received on Mon May 28 16:43:13 2007