On-line conference discussions

Photo Engineer · Nov 16, 2014

IDK where it is best to put this, so I am trying here as this subject reminds me of a workshop or discussion.

I have been getting a lot of PMs and E-mails asking about complex photographic problems that would take pages of explanation and lots of discussion back and forth one on one to answer an individuals question.

I am wondering about the worth of having a regular chat session on something like SKYPE with any one of you for say 1/2 hour on your problem. This would be at a fixed time every day (or every week depending on the response) and would be first come, first served. I could then even view the problem first hand if the setup of the individual would allow for this.

Lets hear what you all think about this. It is similar to our Chat section in intent, but not the rambling discussions there. This is for darkroom or film / paper problems.

I'm open to your thoughts, and perhaps might not go ahead with this at all. Just a thought tossed into the wind.

PE

Prof_Pixel · Nov 16, 2014

Ron, If you are going to do something like this I suggest you require all questions to be submitted in advance in written form. This would let you separate the 'wheat from the chaff' and answer only questions that are worth while and that you can actually answer.

NedL · Nov 16, 2014

APUG Office Hours!
That is an exceptionally generous idea.

eddie · Nov 16, 2014

I also think it's very generous of you. I do have a suggestion, though. You've already received numerous questions, and can pretty much predict the questions you'd get. What if you decide the subject, announce it beforehand, and pick a time convenient for you.

Truzi · Nov 16, 2014

This is a very beneficent gesture. I think it would be quite helpful.

If many of the questions are similar, videos on youtube or vimeo could take care of some of the more common or recurring issues. Perhaps a sort of video blog in response to questions, and the chat as a follow-up or Q&A.

bernard_L · Nov 17, 2014

Warm thanks for making your time and expertise available

"I suggest you require all questions to be submitted in advance in written form."
"What if you decide the subject, announce it beforehand, and pick a time convenient for you."
+1 on this combination.

Time suitable for members in Yurp? Hope the attendees maintain a clear distinction between conjecture, opinion, web rumor, and... fact.

rbultman · Nov 17, 2014

+1 on questions received ahead of time.

I realize the following may limit the back-and-forth nature and is not exactly what PE described, but...

What about posting the responses on YouTube? It would be more like a video blog where you answer some number of questions every week. Somewhere (APUG?) could host a searchable reference to the videos, something like a FAQ but where the answer is a link to the associated YouTube video.

I am sure that someone in the Rochester area that is on APUG could help with the recording aspect if that was an issue. Enough of the members on this site are also software people who could help with the cataloging of the videos. If APUG could not host the FAQ, that might be done on other free sites like github.

If money is an issue, how about a Kickstarter to fund the "Ron's Brain" project? This might help defray the costs of the video production as well as help ensure the high quality of the videos. It would be a permanent record, at least as permanent as YouTube is. The channel might even get sponsorship from some of the same companies that sponsor APUG which would further defray the costs.

Regards,
Rob

KennyMark · Nov 17, 2014

Yours is a very generous offer of your time and expertise. To springboard off Truzi's post, I'd suggest that a common practice on this and other forums is to post before reading. In other words, too many people choose the easier path of starting a new thread without doing any reading within the forum that often has multiple threads with the very answer being sought. I read one just last night of this nature, and in spite of the fact that more than one person replied with links to earlier threads, I have a strong suspicion that the not-quite-OP didn't bother to follow those links.
my advice would be to screen submissions of questions to you through a group of people who's search function on the forum is fully functional. That is unless you see value in answering questions differently and perhaps more accurately than they've been answered before. I'd volunteer an hour or so a week to help point people to threads that pertain to their questions.

TheFlyingCamera · Nov 17, 2014

You could also do it as a Google+ hangout, which I believe can be recorded and archived.

Photo Engineer · Nov 17, 2014

Fred, I agree.

Scott, Sean and I talked about Google.

Well, in fact I agree with all comments but I have one problem. The PMs and E-mails I get could be posts but for one reason or another the individual wants personal replies. So, the question is .... would they pre-post a question here that they want to talk about on SKYPE? They may not want to post it for one reason or another.

I can give an example of a commercial lab having problems with processing. They would not want to post their problem and reveal a problem that might not be their fault. One problem came from plumbing work!

PE

Dinesh · Nov 17, 2014

I can see it now!

Prof_Pixel · Nov 17, 2014

Photo Engineer said:
I can give an example of a commercial lab having problems with processing. They would not want to post their problem and reveal a problem that might not be their fault. One problem came from plumbing work!

Ron,

There is a website where you can ask about appliance repair problems. They ask for a donation if their answer helps you. Perhaps that's the approach you might want to use for private consulting questions.

Fred

Photo Engineer · Nov 17, 2014

Fred, I am aware of this practice. I'm wary of "forcing" someone to reveal what they might want to protect.

PE

Prof_Pixel · Nov 17, 2014

Photo Engineer said:
Fred, I am aware of this practice. I'm wary of "forcing" someone to reveal what they might want to protect.

PE

Ron,

I'm just suggesting that if they want to protect their information, they should be willing to pay for the help.

Like Robert Heinlein wrote in his 1966 science-fiction novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, TANSTAAFL ("There ain't no such thing as a free lunch")

Fred

MattKing · Nov 17, 2014

Photo Engineer said:
One problem came from plumbing work!

PE

This can apply to photographers as well.

I'd really appreciate the learning opportunity, even if I didn't participate directly. So it would be great if the result could be archived.

Photo Engineer · Nov 17, 2014

A lot has to be worked out I see.

And, so far I had not considered payment.

PE

StoneNYC · Nov 17, 2014

Ron,

I support Prof_Pixel's idea, separating out the more complicated or pertinent stuff.

Along the lines of a YouTube video, what if you simply took a video of the conference itself and posted those discussions as you two videos for others to then watch and I understand, with perhaps a follow up commentary with additional information you might want to share and or a conclusion for the problem if one isn't reached initially during the call? Documenting the information permanently for others to use would not only be very useful to the community, but also eventually hopefully would cut down on the questions asked to you because they would be available as answers on YouTube as stuff is sorted out?

Photo Engineer · Nov 17, 2014

Well, I'll say it again - some people feel more comfortable not posting, but rather having a private interaction for whatever reason. So...... IDK how to handle this.

PE

Prof_Pixel · Nov 17, 2014

Photo Engineer said:
Well, I'll say it again - some people feel more comfortable not posting, but rather having a private interaction for whatever reason. So...... IDK how to handle this.

PE

Ron,

As I suggested earlier, if they want a private consultation, they should pay for it. If you don't want the money, have it contributed to APUG or better yet, to a GEH lab glassware fund.

Fred

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Nov 17, 2014

Ron , I am sending Federico Fellini and crew to record your answers while you are wearing a white mask , red horns and golden suit

StoneNYC · Nov 17, 2014

Prof_Pixel said:
Ron,

As I suggested earlier, if they want a private consultation, they should pay for it. If you don't want the money, have it contributed to APUG or better yet, to a GEH lab glassware fund.

Fred

+1

If they want it private they should pay as a consultation, if they want it free they can contribute to the community as payment by allowing the video of the call to be recorded. That's pretty reasonable.

removed account4 · Nov 18, 2014

LOL ron for nearly 9 years you have been doing private consultations
helping people with simple and complex problems they email you with
( or asked you while you were in the chatroom in days gone by ).
if you want to skype with them that's great, but i can understand why
someone wouldn't want a problem gone public, sometimes someone might
feel foolish because it might seem like too simple an answer, and other times
someone might be hacking a secret formula they don't want revealed.

its always been nice of you to share your knowledge ...
my suggestion would be ... see if the question can be solved via email / pm
and if it needs additional chat time the chatroom here on apug might be a good
drop in, or skype if you actually NEED to see someone's set up ( how often do you NEED to SEE someone's set up ? )
sometimes less is more, and over complicating is a nightmare.
if in the end you decide payment is necessary,
there was a recent thread about subscribers v members ... maybe in order to get "help"
the person needs to have a subscription ? ( or a donation, seeing it was his website that instigated the help sessions to begin with. )

gone · Nov 18, 2014

Remember the old Peanuts cartoon w/ Lucy setting up a little advice business? I think she charged 5 cents. I would go w/ this idea, but update the money amount somewhat. Not to make money per se, but to cut down on questions that may not be relevant, or those that could easily be answered w/ a bing search.

If I have to dig into my pocket for some money, even a little, I'll do some legwork first to see if I can get it for free. You could turn the money over to a charity or this site. Or put it in your pocket. Working for nothing is not a sustainable business model. But if it were me, half charity, half here. You get to keep the karma/good Samaritan aspect.

Photo Engineer · Dec 11, 2014

Well, almost immediately after posting this, the queries from APUG people died off to near zero. That is correct, one message since then. So, was it an artificial bump? Did I scare people away? Or are you now all lurking out there waiting for my next move?

Well, this post is my next move!

PE

StoneNYC · Dec 11, 2014

Photo Engineer said:
Well, almost immediately after posting this, the queries from APUG people died off to near zero. That is correct, one message since then. So, was it an artificial bump? Did I scare people away? Or are you now all lurking out there waiting for my next move?

Well, this post is my next move!

PE

You're only interesting when you seem unavailable? Like when a girl wants a guy until she has him and then she loses interest?

(This is meant as sarcasm, do not be offended).

On-line conference discussions

Photo Engineer

Prof_Pixel

NedL

eddie

Truzi

bernard_L

rbultman

KennyMark

TheFlyingCamera

Membership Council

Photo Engineer

Dinesh

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Prof_Pixel

Photo Engineer

Prof_Pixel

MattKing

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Photo Engineer

StoneNYC

Photo Engineer

Prof_Pixel

Mustafa Umut Sarac

StoneNYC

removed account4

gone

Photo Engineer

StoneNYC

On-line conference discussions

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