Announcement Change Is Here!

[lori042499]

Aileen, I am very sorry you are going through whatever it is happened....I really don't think it was Ryan that did anything, he has nothing to gain by it...He really is a helpful guy, maybe a bit blunt and no so explanative in his words, but many are not and many are just too busy....I think you are being used as a pawn in some other issue, as I found out, I was part of and was glad that I kept my feelings at bay on my back room(pm) issues....

As for the PM's, this happens every where...if you all think it doesn't happen, you are all crazy...The admins get to see it and hopefully, keep their level headed professional thoughts going and stay impartial to it all....I think our admins do a great job of this...people by nature can be mean, nasty in their thoughts and it is natural to need to confide in "friends" for this....so lets not blow that out of proportion....some do do this for sport and to egg others on...it is real easy to be sucked into that vortex if unaware it is going on, but when you are seeing all the behind the scenes, it must look very different...and very childish, but taken apart and individualized may be evry innocent, especially if people ar naive to what people can create when smart enough to know how to play them....This is really no reason to make anything like this a deciding factor to leave or stay....it is human nature and will happen professionals or not....private is very different than public, no matter who you are or where you come from...it is in how you respond to the info you get that makes you who you are....

I am one of those people that believes none of what I hear and only 1/2 of what I witness myself....because there is always a third side of every story and agendas on all 3 sides that you never know about....lets all remember that, it is sage advice..

 

[theRKF]

Ryan...my post to this post was picked up by google....perhaps a hack or tweak or whatever needs to be done would prevent this...I am not so happy to have that seen from a private board...thanks
Sher

Sher, here's the description of this forum:

-News and Announcements-
Check back often for News and Announcements about FlowerChat. This forum is open to unregistered users, and contains helpful information. Only admins may post here.

For all 7 years the News & Announcements forum has been open to public viewing, as disclosed above and discussed frequently. I've been considering moving the discussion of this announcement "inside" for a couple of days, now. Perhaps it's time.

 

[roysecityfloristand gifts]

I logged out of FC and went to Google. Typed in search "roysecityflorist flowerchat" it brought up three results from flowerchat.
two were the "Change is Coming" heading for this long thread. I was able to see every post and move arond within FC... oops.
The other result was "Change is Here" heading same thing I could read every one of the post on the thread...oops.
Presumably since I had logged out of FC, I was just JohnQPublic at that point.
Lots of our dirty laundry to see and associated with my shop name... oops.

Ryan, I know you have lots on your mind, but can this be fixed? Thanks.

 

[Eric S]

You know another thing I like about FC is the fact that we get to post our own photos of our work under the galleries.

This gives us a great way to link back to our own website which everyone knows the search engines love.

 

[theRKF]

I logged out of FC and went to Google. Typed in search "roysecityflorist flowerchat" it brought up three results from flowerchat.
two were the "Change is Coming" heading for this long thread. I was able to see every post and move arond within FC... oops.
The other result was "Change is Here" heading same thing I could read every one of the post on the thread...oops.
Presumably since I had logged out of FC, I was just JohnQPublic at that point.
Lots of our dirty laundry to see and associated with my shop name... oops.

Ryan, I know you have lots on your mind, but can this be fixed? Thanks.

Carolyn - did you see my reply to Sher above your post? This is one of the forums that is open to public viewing. We're considering moving the thread, but there are other factors.

 

[RWK]

Tell you what, I know my user name and passcodes............I'll log out, come in as a guest, and see just how far into FC I can get. I'll try to access this PUBLIC forum first............then from there I'll hit SHOP TALK and a few others and let you know what I find.

 

[JoycesFlowersKC]

I guess I don't get all of the secrecy we've got simmering here. This thread is not talking about how much we pay for fresh, what our markup is, how we gouge people for V-Day and then just go home and roll around in our big fat piles of money, or anything along those lines. It is however, IMHO getting way out of hand. But then again, my post isn't really helping the matter any.... ;o)

 

[RWK]

OK, THE RESULTS OF LOGGING OUT AND TRYING TO GET IN WITHOUT LOGGING IN.

The ONLY areas I could access were in this section of the forum.......now, this may need to be addressed ( it says THAT ONLY ADMINS MAY POST ) - This may be what some are seeing Ryan. If it were set up that only admins may post, then the only posts I should see would be those by You, Mark, Cathy, Mikey...........I should not see my own postings as I am not an admin.

I could access the picture gallery and see all the floral design work. I tried accessing other places and each time I got....you must be a member to view......wither register or log in.

Trust me people........everyday people who ARE NOT MEMBERS OF FC CANNOT SEE WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN - I tried and failed to do just that.

 

[Mocha Rose]

Well, If I wasn't sure before the last 20 posts, I sure am now. I remember when Aileen could not get on and kept asking for help.
I think it is pathetic that she was so excited to have access to FC once the Change happened and was extremely positive toward Ryan and his fee in many posts. Ryan
was actually kind to her in a few responses. Anything for the membership? hmmmm. Sure makes Aileen look like a fool. She deserves an explanation...and maybe everyone does.
I have no interest to be a part of this.
This is more than is the hundred bucks a fair price or not, to me.
My very first thought when reading the Change was no big deal, it is worth a hundred bucks.
I have gotten and given tips, advise and ideas for the past 2 years.

I feel Ryan has a right to ask for a fee for his work. I have to say, his attitude is what turned me off. The poor me working for free for 7 years....over and over...
so , now you all have to pay me...sounds like he's 12. I think he could of presented this in a different manner and this thread would not have been near this long.

It does not sit well with me that he feels he has the right to sell content that he has collected over the past 7 years. Legal or not. It feels sly.
To be fair, charge the fee and start your forum fresh, without the past posts.

I don't know how to word this, but Dore and Thom voiced what I've been thinking fairly well. It's not about the money, it's about how issues are being handled. I agree, start fresh. If a member chooses not to be a part of the community, that users account should be deleted and all posts and items associated with it.

The one item that really concerns me is photos that are in the public gallery. I just went to my gallery and could not find an option to delete photos that I have posted of my work. I own the copyrights to these photos and if I am no longer a member of a closed website, I do not wish for these photos to be used without my permission in any form. Some of my photos contain pictures of clients who have given me permission to post here, but if I cannot control what is done with those photos, they must be removed. I think that has potential to be a legal mess that neither I or Ryan would want to be a part of if a client found out a photo of them was on the internet that they could not control the manner in which it is used. Some of the photos were given to me by the photographer as well and this could lead to further copyright issues.

I still have not officially decided about the paid subscription, but I probably will pay IF the forumn is started fresh with only the new members. Any members who decide not to be a part of the community should have any contributions deleted along with their accounts including photos and posts.

Can anyone tell me if there is a way for members to delete photos that they have submitted to the gallery and how this issue will be handled? Thank you. Forgive me if this was addressed, I caught up late and missed a few pages in the middle.

 

[LJVF]

OK, THE RESULTS OF LOGGING OUT AND TRYING TO GET IN WITHOUT LOGGING IN.

The ONLY areas I could access were in this section of the forum.......now, this may need to be addressed ( it says THAT ONLY ADMINS MAY POST ) - This may be what some are seeing Ryan. If it were set up that only admins may post, then the only posts I should see would be those by You, Mark, Cathy, Mikey...........I should not see my own postings as I am not an admin.

I could access the picture gallery and see all the floral design work. I tried accessing other places and each time I got....you must be a member to view......wither register or log in.

Trust me people........everyday people who ARE NOT MEMBERS OF FC CANNOT SEE WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN - I tried and failed to do just that.

Ricky and everyone else, everything in the News and Announcements section has ALWAYS been viewable to the public. I mentioned this earlier in this very thread (post #77) and Ryan did too (post #88). Rember the same issue came up in the FC Dozen Rose Contest thread?

 

[BOSS]

OK, THE RESULTS OF LOGGING OUT AND TRYING TO GET IN WITHOUT LOGGING IN.

The ONLY areas I could access were in this section of the forum.......now, this may need to be addressed ( it says THAT ONLY ADMINS MAY POST ) - This may be what some are seeing Ryan. If it were set up that only admins may post, then the only posts I should see would be those by You, Mark, Cathy, Mikey...........I should not see my own postings as I am not an admin.

Perhaps we need to change the verbage to indicate "Only Admins may begin threads" instead of post....

 

[RWK]

might be just a change of wording Mark...........However, it still remains that i was not able to access anything other than the picture galleries and this particular sub-forum. So, that should help to allay people's concerns about just anyone seeing what they write and post.

 

[theRKF]

The one item that really concerns me is photos that are in the public gallery. I just went to my gallery and could not find an option to delete photos that I have posted of my work. I own the copyrights to these photos and if I am no longer a member of a closed website, I do not wish for these photos to be used without my permission in any form.

You've asked a great question. To answer: the galleries are a "perk" of membership, as they perform very well in Search and drive a lot of traffic (yours in particular, IIRC). Without a paid subscription your images will no longer be viewable by the public or search bots. You can delete them (I'll give instructions elsewhere so as not to clutter here), but the default practice is going to be to leave them in place, but hidden. Why? Because if you leave for a while and then come back, they will be waiting for you, rather than having to upload all over again. Hopefully they will retain some SEO value as well, though that will diminish if the content is hidden for a while.

Related topics:
Without a paid subscription you will also no longer be featured in the florist & vendor directory (which appears as a valuable citation in Google Maps), nor will you be listed in the Real Florist Blog directory. Both are due for an overhaul and will be available only to subscribers.

Perhaps we need to change the verbage to indicate "Only Admins may begin threads" instead of post....

Yes, that was the intent ... I'll fix it.

 

[Dazeal]

How could I not post? I've been here for like 4 years. - Joe brings up a good point about contributing on the forums here and your response Ryan was nice. Maybe for those who gave a lot to the forum and helped build it up, they could apply to you Ryan and they could be given read only access. To a certain forums in which they typed up, gave info and helped the community here.

Because I have been working on another project I haven't come to FC much over the past 6 months. When I do, it's to announce and share info on technology to help florists. I might try it out like Darrel said, but really, lately I only come here to help, so I have mixed feelings.

I appreciate the admins for letting be here and appreciate all those who I have met and became close friends with. Weather I stay or leave, if you're visiting Southern Oregon, stop by and lets do chocolate.

 

[Beth]

Can anyone tell me if there is a way for members to delete photos that they have submitted to the gallery and how this issue will be handled? Thank you. Forgive me if this was addressed, I caught up late and missed a few pages in the middle.

I was able to delete the few photos that I had in the Member Gallery last night. Now that mine are gone, I can't open one and tell you what to look for. But I THINK if you open one of your photos, you will see a green bar above the photo that says: Home >> Member >> Mocha Rose, etc. On the right side of that bar, I think you will see "Photo Options". I believe there was an option below that to delete photos.

If I have this wrong, please someone correct me.

 

[theRKF]

if you're visiting Southern Oregon, stop by and lets do chocolate.

Count on it ...

I've actually been trying to find excuses to come to your area

 

[duanermb]

Related topics:
Without a paid subscription you will also no longer be featured in the florist & vendor directory (which appears as a valuable citation in Google Maps), nor will you be listed in the Real Florist Blog directory. Both are due for an overhaul and will be available only to subscribers.

As an SEO in training, I will say that this alone is worth the $100 for the year by itself. (I've paid more than that for less valuable links) If you have a web site. I was in from the start, but by responding to this thread, thinking and reading what others have said, I find that for what the BUSINESS as a whole gets out of this, $100 is a bargain.

 

[sfox]

I know how much it costs to run a Vbulletin forum, as I am one of the owners of Proflorist forum. It is the decision of the owner of these forums how much to spend on it or not. It costs less than $100 per year. If you choose to add certain features that is fine, but please lets not mislead members here that the costs are mandatory they are not. Advertising is Florist Review was your decision not the members, again those are costs you chose to indur.

There will always be new flower forums pop up and I will be part of one of those. I don’t mind spending the money and when PFF was formed, I was willing to bear the entire cost of the PFF forum, but I was talked out of that but some pretty special people. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but there will probably be a new florist forum out there that will be free of charge to its members.

The good part about forums is that they are non exclusive. A person can belong to as many or as few as they wish.

So in closing, I will not be participating in the new Flower Chat. Please consider keeping the archived threads open and available for all past FC members. It’s a simple request.

Good Luck with your new venture. I will be around until you turn off the power to my FC computer, if anyone is interested in corresponding with me my email address is [email protected] or you can find me on Facebook, Twitter or hopefully a new florist’s forum.

All the best!

Joe mioux

I am confused Joe. You like the fact that this was a open forum board free of cost. But now that it is charging, you will leave, but you are a part owner of another floral related board and you limit those who can join. WHY?

 

[Knife's Wife]

I will be joining the new forum. I will read and I will contribute as I have since the start of this forum. Over the years I have seen many people come and go, some have thought this place was too unprofessional and some have thought it was too professional, most have made their decisions to come or go based on emotion, ego or principle. I have learned many things here over all these years. Sadly, some of what I have learned in the past is that people can and really do suck sometimes, maybe even a lot of the time! So you may ask, "Why would you stay?". My reasons are based solely on good business sense. Here are a few: 1) I know for a fact that my links to FC and the gallery are valuable links, links that are important to the success of my website. 2) My website is hosted by Strider and while I know my support will be there when I need it, having that extra connection to other users here is invaluable. 3) While there is a lot of non-business talk here there is always tid bits that one can apply to business and life , even if it is a lesson in how not to act. 4) Everyday that I walk through the door of my store I take a gamble with my dollars, whether it be purchasing flowers, gifts, or listing with a paid directory like ILocal or Locate-A-Flowershop. I take a chance the fresh I purchase will perform as I hope and the gifts I purchase will sell and not sit on my shelf. I take a chance that the owners of the paid directories that I sign up for are doing with my money what is best for all members and not just lining their pockets.
Life is full of chances and business is full of risk. Staying with FC is a risk I am willing to take for the betterment of my company and hopefully, maybe even one day soon, the betterment of the industry.
I never got into the PMing thing, and never looked to make great friends here, I came here to give and take, listen and learn and contribute whenever I could for my businesses well being and for the industry as a whole.
As a part of a 4 generation florist, one of the most valuable things I have learned is that NOBODY is irreplaceable. Not you, not me, nobody. Great contributors will go and I am sure great contributors will join, and life will go on...

Joan

 

[CelebrationGeneration]

Man, this thread went from a little odd to completely bizarre.

Anyone else feel like they should be putting on some popcorn?