I looked again at the Gallery. What is interesting to me is how few members posted in or even visited the Gallery in its form ten years ago. Even very talented members. They would often say they never go there. Perhaps they preferred threads, for the discussion. Now it seems even fewer participate.
The talent and wonder of so many posters to the Gallery then was amazing. The activity was evident as soon as you arrived. Five thumbnails in a column of the same image. This meant there had been five comments. This drew you in. The Gallery was linked with the Weekly Gallery Picks, drawn from the previous fortnight. Robert Blu revived this in recent years but then it fell away again. As soon as you arrived in the old Gallery was like walking in to your favourite wine bar, the chatter, the cigarette smoke and the clinking of glasses. Or that small corner shop where its existence seemed half fueled by the chat at the counter of the proprietor and an endless series of raconteurs who seemed to have no need to be anywhere else, and were always welcome. That little store always seemed to have just what you wanted.
The current Gallery is more like a large department store. It has everything. The store is spotless, the elevators efficient. The staff are very courteous and well trained. The wares on offer are abundant and well made but somehow just not what was wanted.
Is a direct line to the recent posts, on entry, made obvious by dates next to each post, an option? Limiting to four posts in 24 hours and any comment evident on the landing page would draw us in.
Maybe I’m nostalgic and too resistant to change. The mechanics of the new Gallery are good, the ease of posting. But nearly everyone walks past the front door, or never goes down that street. Just opening the door and entering has to have something to hook them in further.
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