Author Topic: Website and Forum  (Read 11900 times)

Susan Mouw

  • ABC Lifetime Award
  • Ameraucana Guru II
  • ***
  • Posts: 1736
    • View Profile
    • Sand Castles Farm
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2015, 04:43:25 PM »

I do prefer that photo over the current one used for the wheaten LF female though.


Agreed. This would be one of those pics that needs to be replaced.

I'll scroll through the forum and see if I can't find a nice wheaten hen to use.  I know I've seen pics of one...somewhere and recently. Have to rack my brain to see if I can remember which thread.  Once I find it, I'll message the owner for permission to use the pic.
Susan Mouw
Sand Castles Farm
http://www.sandcastlesfarm.com

Susan Mouw

  • ABC Lifetime Award
  • Ameraucana Guru II
  • ***
  • Posts: 1736
    • View Profile
    • Sand Castles Farm
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #16 on: January 07, 2015, 04:45:35 PM »


I just noticed the: http://www.ameraucana.org/docs/MembershipForm.pdf link on the "Club Membership" page has an error screen (Object Not Found). Would you like for us to point stuff like this out?

Yes!  Absolutely, Sharon - if you find an error like this, please let me know.  I went through the links last night after everything was loaded, but obviously missed this one - might be more I missed, too! :)

This one is fixed now - just be sure to refresh the page when you go back to it, so the new page is loaded.
Susan Mouw
Sand Castles Farm
http://www.sandcastlesfarm.com

John

  • Guest
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #17 on: January 07, 2015, 05:28:30 PM »
Quote
However - the current format is probably only temporary. I'm really re-thinking the whole gallery - its purpose, its function, and how to best and most efficiently accomplish those. Especially as more pics for each variety are added, the current format won't hold up.

Start digging through your online picture albums, folks, and send me pics of the different varieties of both large fowl and bantam.

The original idea was just one photo for each...the best available to represent the variety...a reference library.  It was not intended as a photo gallery of member's birds.
Just my thoughts, but the forum would be the place for posting multiple photos for comparison and comments/votes.  Then a high resolution file could be requested for use in the gallery.
With clickable/enlargeable thumbnail photos/pics we would be able to study the birds better.
I tried for years to find a photo of a bantam white chick for the gallery/scrapbook with pleas on the forum and in the Bulletin.  It just doesn't always come together.   

Mike Gilbert

  • Guest
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #18 on: January 07, 2015, 06:01:32 PM »
On the blue wheaten hen - I agree, that doesn't look like a blue wheaten. However it is the pic that was on the previous scrapbook as the blue wheaten hen and I just copied them all over.

I would love to have a better pic of a nice blue wheaten hen, if someone has one.  I was going through my pics and the best one I have has the opposite problem - so little blue, she almost looks like a splash.

But...I'll let y'all decide - if this pic doesn't work (and you won't hurt my feelings if it doesnt), then someone send me a new blue wheaten hen, please. :)



I checked my photo files, and the bird pictured as a LF blue wheaten female was shown as just that and won BV in the junior show at the ABC National in 2011.  Her tail is too dark, but she is nice otherwise, so I would just leave her there until something better is available.  Can you photoshop the tail a bit?

Susan Mouw

  • ABC Lifetime Award
  • Ameraucana Guru II
  • ***
  • Posts: 1736
    • View Profile
    • Sand Castles Farm
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #19 on: January 07, 2015, 07:47:33 PM »
Hi Mike

Thank you for taking the time to look that up.  She is a nice bird and maybe it is just because the pic is a bit dark that her "blue" looks so dark.

Instead of photoshopping the tail, do you have another pic of her that is a little lighter...or of another blue wheaten hen?

Thanks
Susan Mouw
Sand Castles Farm
http://www.sandcastlesfarm.com

John

  • Guest
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #20 on: January 07, 2015, 08:44:16 PM »
I would not recommend photoshopping any of the photos, but if you do please be sure to acknowledge it.

Susan Mouw

  • ABC Lifetime Award
  • Ameraucana Guru II
  • ***
  • Posts: 1736
    • View Profile
    • Sand Castles Farm
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #21 on: January 07, 2015, 08:52:54 PM »
Agreed, John. My policy is not to change structure, color, or anything of substance on any pics for any websites - dogs, horses, chickens. It is a policy that has served me well for many years.
Susan Mouw
Sand Castles Farm
http://www.sandcastlesfarm.com

Mike Gilbert

  • Guest
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #22 on: January 08, 2015, 08:29:05 AM »
I agree it would be best not to photoshop in most cases, but if you don't have a picture that is correct I fail to see what the problem would be.    I thought the idea was to show a correct depiction of breed type and color.   Who is going to care?    Susan, your picture shows a nice bird, but it has no color in the tail and an incorrect topline.   The other one is more correct in those respects.    I don't have any other photos of LF blue wheatens, sorry, as I have not raised them since before the digital camera age.    Speaking of toplines, that LF b/w male has almost a squirrel tail.   There must be a better photo of a b/w male somewhere on the forum.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2015, 09:22:14 AM by Mike Gilbert »

Clif Redden

  • ABC Members
  • Associate
  • *
  • Posts: 150
    • View Profile
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #23 on: January 08, 2015, 11:42:07 AM »
Susan, I love your ideas on the gallery. I would love to see several pictures of each variety. Not to vote on a winner but to see and discuss what's right and wrong with each bird. If we had a question and comment section it could give people like me a visual reference of what to and not to breed, or at least what to look for in their brood fowl. I really believe the gallery could become the most visited place on our site. It doesn't have to take the place of the best in variety photo gallery, but maybe in addition to. You are doing an awesome job! Thank you!

Mike Gilbert

  • Guest
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #24 on: January 08, 2015, 01:06:36 PM »
Cliff, that was never the purpose of the gallery.   We have the forum to discuss the merits of various birds, I just wish more folks would use it.   The gallery is for newbies to see what a proper bird in each gender of each variety should look like.

Clif Redden

  • ABC Members
  • Associate
  • *
  • Posts: 150
    • View Profile
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #25 on: January 08, 2015, 01:25:44 PM »
I mentioned that it doesn't need to take the place of the best in variety gallery. I think it would be very helpful to newbies to see faults and perfection. I think it could help people a great deal make decisions about their breeding pens.

John

  • Guest
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #26 on: January 08, 2015, 02:48:38 PM »
Quote
I mentioned that it
I'm confused and don't know what you mean by "it".  The Gallery (old Scrapbook) is on the website.  That is the variety photos of chicks and adult birds.  Currently no one can post comments on the website.
I see the ABC Forum as the logical place for questions and comments of photos that members can post there.
What am I missing?
« Last Edit: January 08, 2015, 03:52:56 PM by John Blehm »

Susan Mouw

  • ABC Lifetime Award
  • Ameraucana Guru II
  • ***
  • Posts: 1736
    • View Profile
    • Sand Castles Farm
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #27 on: January 08, 2015, 02:52:31 PM »
Ok..let me clarify what I have in mind for the gallery and we'll see if that matches up with the original intention. :)

I don't mean to have a large folder of, say, wheaten Ameraucana large fowl, so someone can pick and choose which one they like or don't like.  What I would like to see is a good chick pic (sounds like movie night), a good pic around the time of first molt - when they are changing from chick to adult feathers, a good juvie (pullets and cockerels), and a good adult for each sex in each variety (sex not determined for chicks, of course).

I like Clif's idea of a comments area, but it will take some research to see how to implement that without migrating to a dynamic website - such as joomla or wordpress. So, for now anyway, comments will have to stay in the forum.

I do love hearing everyone's suggestions and comments - even when they don't necessarily agree with my original concept. That is how I stay on track and keep the website something the whole Club can be proud of. :)
Susan Mouw
Sand Castles Farm
http://www.sandcastlesfarm.com

Tailfeathers

  • Guest
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #28 on: January 10, 2015, 06:27:34 AM »
I'll throw my two-cents in the ring...

WRT to the Gallery, speaking of the BW, I was wondering if the Wheaten LF hen is a LF?

WRT to the Gallery format, one thing that really stuck out to me was Type.  It's all over the place on the various varieties.  I think it would really look nice and moreover it would really be helpful if all the birds on the main page were in the same pose and showing the same Type. 

Perhaps this would require some effort on the part of the various breeders but hopefully everyone would be willing to do that for their club.  Maybe we could have an online Club Show or something as an incentive.  The main thing I think this would do is show anyone who comes to the Gallery a breed that basically all looks the same except for color.

From there I agree with those who say that we don't need a bunch of pictures of a lot of other birds behind the main one.  It's only my opinion but I think that would only distract and detract from the best bird on the front.  I do like the idea of showing the chicks in the various stages of growth and molt though.  Having more pictures of chicks at various ages, I don't think that would detract like it would for the adults because Type or Color hasn't been set yet.

So there's my two-cents.  Might be worth a plug nickel but it's a thought...

God Bless,

Schroeder

  • Guest
Re: Website and Forum
« Reply #29 on: January 10, 2015, 08:38:21 AM »
I've always thought that the LF wheaten hen looks like a bantam.