Hi there, I just read your comment on the Weekly Digital Art Contest (November 2-8) regarding HDR, and I just want to say that I agree with you completely. And I also have no problem with the way you addressed it. Congratulations, also on your 3rd place finish in the Digital Art Contest. I have no idea how mine slipped past yours. You do beautiful work.
I saw your new post on the blog...I cannot imagine why they are not responding...This is insane. I am afraid that Fotki is going to go down the tubes completely and our sites will get flushed down the toilet when they go under.
I was a paying member from May 2007 till May 2008 but I felt disrespected a few too many times. Fotki customer service has been amazingly awesome at times. Other times not so good.
I believe the problem is admin. They must be telling customer service to not respond to people about these notification issues we bring up. Two of my friends got halfway encouraging responses about 2 weeks ago.....apparently it was lip service - and I don't mean kisses!
I did a comment notification test today with one of my other Fotki accounts, using Friends to help me. Nothing has changed. Not ONE thing! I had no access yet i still got the comment made and thumbnail image, etc! Not one improvement yet.
So you got notification of a private comment. Another one of my friends also got notifications of private comments. I believe that was a Fotki glitch, but nevertheless, it is an AWFUL invasion of privacy.
In a nutshell, Fotki got in way over their heads. There are too many scenarios that need to be addressed. They didn't think about the ramifications of this feature because they didn't speak to people like you and me before they came out with the feature.
What makes me so angry is that I've been complaining to them since November 20th. For 23 days, the issues I brought to their attention have not been dealt with at all.
My reply to your blog entry dated today at 9:20am:
Papa, I have come to the same conclusion. Fotki must already understand the ramifications of this new feature and yet they do not care that it is unjust to us. That is why they do not listen to our legitimate complaints - because they simply do not care that we have been violated.
Because of my disgust with Fotki, I have already set up my own site on other photo sharing places to test them out and see if I want to set up shop there. I agree with you that they all (including Fotki) have negative aspects.
If you create your own photo sharing site, please let me know of it. You seem to understand the issues and I believe you could come up with a new photo sharing site that would have what I am looking for.
Papa, your last paragraph was awesome. For me, Fotki is all about trust and relationships. Fotki has blown my trust over and over and over again.
I have stopped uploading photos and have taken away more than half of my site from being accessible to my friends due to security issues, thanks to this latest feature which was thrown upon me. I have no way of opting out.
This is the 3rd time that Fotki has breached my privacy. Widgets, "Share This" and now comment notifications (including the shrunk pic) at the discretion of the commenter without the consent of the site owner.
These are invasions of privacy and violations of copyright that we are subjected to, without warning, and without the default set to the most conservative option, which respects our privacy.
I am currently looking for another photo sharing site which will protect my privacy. If I find a safe haven elsewhere, I will be taking my Fotki friends with me.
In one of my messages on the blog about notifications, I mentioned that my memory said that widgets were rolled out without a way to turn them off. I am not sure that is correct.
I followed the link where the blog was about widgets. I read everything your wrote and I agree. My friends and I were outraged that widgets were rolled out and not only did I not know what they were or how to use them, but as always, they were invading my privacy.
thank you for your message to them. I trust you read all I ahve to say and I had a LOT to say, lol.
I've been screaming in customer service emails and a bunch of my friends have too, too. It is maddening that customer service doesn't "get it". Thank God for the blog. Hopefully they will sit up and take notice.
The rep I've been dealing with has not acknowledged the issues I bring to the table, so I finally asked if he uses Fotki. His reply was something like "Oh yes! The entire Fotki team has premium accounts and we use it with friends and family."
I shook my head in disgust and wrote back, "You people just don't get it."
As you and I know, most people probably do NOT use FOtki with friends and family. We tend to use it with strangers.
I have been a Fotki user since Christmas 2001. I am usually dismissed as a trouble maker, but I have been telling Fotki these same things for a LONG time. I have worked as a IT professional for many years and if I had ever rolled out the types of changes to my users with no advanced warning and no controls.. I would be fired!
I did not yet go to the link you provided. I definitely will.
I agree with you that they roll out a new feature with no warning and then it is up to us to figure out how it will adversely affect us.
No doubt I am seen as a troublemaker as well. That is why I wonder if I was intentionally left off the Friends Feed. Not once have I been seen on it yet I used to (I quite with this notifications problem) upload at least one photo a week.
Add to friends 
please wait... 
My friend
all the best for christmas and new year from down under don
Love,
Lisa
I replied to your November 12th entry
Merry X'mas and Happy New Year to you and to your family !
I was a paying member from May 2007 till May 2008 but I felt disrespected a few too many times. Fotki customer service has been amazingly awesome at times. Other times not so good.
I believe the problem is admin. They must be telling customer service to not respond to people about these notification issues we bring up. Two of my friends got halfway encouraging responses about 2 weeks ago.....apparently it was lip service - and I don't mean kisses!
I did a comment notification test today with one of my other Fotki accounts, using Friends to help me. Nothing has changed. Not ONE thing! I had no access yet i still got the comment made and thumbnail image, etc! Not one improvement yet.
Click on the Photo for your Holiday blessing!! ((((hugs))) Marilyn, and David
So you got notification of a private comment. Another one of my friends also got notifications of private comments. I believe that was a Fotki glitch, but nevertheless, it is an AWFUL invasion of privacy.
In a nutshell, Fotki got in way over their heads. There are too many scenarios that need to be addressed. They didn't think about the ramifications of this feature because they didn't speak to people like you and me before they came out with the feature.
What makes me so angry is that I've been complaining to them since November 20th. For 23 days, the issues I brought to their attention have not been dealt with at all.
Papa, I have come to the same conclusion. Fotki must already understand the ramifications of this new feature and yet they do not care that it is unjust to us. That is why they do not listen to our legitimate complaints - because they simply do not care that we have been violated.
Because of my disgust with Fotki, I have already set up my own site on other photo sharing places to test them out and see if I want to set up shop there. I agree with you that they all (including Fotki) have negative aspects.
If you create your own photo sharing site, please let me know of it. You seem to understand the issues and I believe you could come up with a new photo sharing site that would have what I am looking for.
Papa-Rocks, see? :D
Papa, your last paragraph was awesome. For me, Fotki is all about trust and relationships. Fotki has blown my trust over and over and over again.
I have stopped uploading photos and have taken away more than half of my site from being accessible to my friends due to security issues, thanks to this latest feature which was thrown upon me. I have no way of opting out.
This is the 3rd time that Fotki has breached my privacy. Widgets, "Share This" and now comment notifications (including the shrunk pic) at the discretion of the commenter without the consent of the site owner.
These are invasions of privacy and violations of copyright that we are subjected to, without warning, and without the default set to the most conservative option, which respects our privacy.
I am currently looking for another photo sharing site which will protect my privacy. If I find a safe haven elsewhere, I will be taking my Fotki friends with me.
http://journals.fotki.com/fotkicom/fotkiblog/entry/rbkrsrgstbg/page2.html
Is this saying that it is true that widgets were applied to all albums and yet we were not given a way to turn them off from the outset?
I've been screaming in customer service emails and a bunch of my friends have too, too. It is maddening that customer service doesn't "get it". Thank God for the blog. Hopefully they will sit up and take notice.
The rep I've been dealing with has not acknowledged the issues I bring to the table, so I finally asked if he uses Fotki. His reply was something like "Oh yes! The entire Fotki team has premium accounts and we use it with friends and family."
I shook my head in disgust and wrote back, "You people just don't get it."
As you and I know, most people probably do NOT use FOtki with friends and family. We tend to use it with strangers.
Yes, I have seen your posts!
I have been a Fotki user since Christmas 2001. I am usually dismissed as a trouble maker, but I have been telling Fotki these same things for a LONG time. I have worked as a IT professional for many years and if I had ever rolled out the types of changes to my users with no advanced warning and no controls.. I would be fired!
Here is a thread from last year..
http://journals.fotki.com/fotkicom/fotkiblog/entry/rbkrsrgstbg/
It is an ongoing thing with Fotki.. roll out a new feature without thinking through all of the implications of the change..
I agree with you that they roll out a new feature with no warning and then it is up to us to figure out how it will adversely affect us.
No doubt I am seen as a troublemaker as well. That is why I wonder if I was intentionally left off the Friends Feed. Not once have I been seen on it yet I used to (I quite with this notifications problem) upload at least one photo a week.